2007 / July 10^th/ The Used: Lies for the Liars

I first saw The Used play at the Boardwalk in Sacramento around the summer of 2000. It was one of the most memorable concerts of my life: a small club, tons of girls, three inches from the speaker and the stage, and a lineup that was unbelievably badass. At the time, The Used were just the third opening band of the night. NobodyZero (now defunct), some unmemorable band, The Used, and then finally Fenix TX headlining.

The first two bands were awesome, and did an amazing job of getting the crowd going for being so early on in the night (everyone came for Fenix TX). Then The Used came on stage and injected some crazy psychotic energy into the room. I remember Bret brought a bucket on stage that he puked into periodically throughout the concert (from screaming so hard). It was a like a goddamn atom bomb of energy – and totally different than most screamo bands today who only pretend to scream.

The album that followed that tour (The Used) was fucking fantastic. No other words for it. The mix was an amazing mix of screaming, deep bellowing drums, and grungy guitars. The sound was new (at the time), and each song was something new and worth listening to.

Where the hell did these guys go? Where is the band that kept me half-deaf for a week? Where’s the band that put every ounce of energy into their music? With their latest release Lies for the Liars it’s like someone injected the band full of sedative, turned up the normalization and had them crap out a CD.

The songs are dull, over-produced, and completely over-normalized. There’s almost no room for any individual sound in this album. The songs feel like shuffles of older melodies, and the lyrics aren’t too inspiring either. Wake the Dead is a perfect example. Take some My Chemical Romance, add in some absolutely horrible lyrics:

This is not natural
A bunch of holes where the dead used to be underground
Forget supernatural ’cause all those resting in peace are out walking the streets
Yeah with no heartbeat

This is not possible
An empty hole in your chest where your heart used to beat
Does this mean what I think it means?
Just how could both you and me be about as dead as we could be
Yeah with no heartbeat

Take a walk with me, Walk with the dead
‘Cause you knew that we had to die sometime
Well darling, Tonight could be

Add in a bridge stolen directly from Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig in the Sky, dumb it down to 3rd-grade level and you’ve got Wake The Dead. Hell, if Lunacy Fringe (In Love And Death) was double speed and distorted, it would be the same fucking song as Paralyzed!

The Used are dead.

1. 

   Noah Everett

   July 11^th | #

   I feel ya

2. 

   beth

   July 11^th | #

   If you want to hear some true screamo, not the watered down hot topic marketing ploy the Used et. all have become, check out On the Might of Princes. I think you’ll enjoy.

3. 

   James

   July 11^th | #

   I dunno… I love that album… I guess I’m just odd.

4. 

   Ben Lilley

   July 12^th | #

   Yeah so true, I wasn’t very impressed by their latest album either, but then again a lot of albums of late have been a let down.

5. 

   Hausgarten.net

   September 26^th | #

   I first listend to a song by the used when I searched for a cd for a girlfriend. I bought the album but it`s mine ;) The new album is great too.

6. 

   Amy

   October 4^th | #

   I love the used! I found out about them when they were just starting out and feel in love with them they are were my favorite band. They still are my favorite band til today cause I am a true fan. Ya they have gotten a little different but they have changed as people to to that explains it. I am a true Fan til the end. People who say the used are dead are stupid bitches who aren’t true fans.

7. 

   mike

   October 10^th | #

   thats the truth i love the used and they will always be one of my top bands

8. 

   slinch

   November 12^th | #

   Yeah… You’re such a true FAN!!! It doesn’t matter what kind of music they make, they could even record themselves taking crap on the cd and you would still love it… Cuz you’re a true fan!!! Congrats… It’s really all about music, right?

9. 

   nagelstudio

   January 21^st | #

   Initially I was under the impression that the title is chosen to make the album a seller, but I have to say ‘Lies for the Liars’ is one of the best albums i ever bought. Keep the great work up!!

10. 

    jakobe

    April 18^th | #

    dont fucking follow the band wagon. just cuz someone doest like the song or album doesnt mean you dont have to either. i mean thats what half of the world is doing now…playing the “i wanna be popular” game. fuck that. i love the used because they are a great band who have songs with meaning not just a good beat. the true music appriciators will know what i mean here. i saw the used a couple weeks back and i thought it was one of the greatest shows i have seen yet. and i have been to warped tours, so it woulda have to have been good. i LOVE the used….as for you all…decide for yourselves dont let dousches like “slinch” somwhere up there influence you. be true to urselves and ur music….its all we have now anymore.

11. 

    Angie Pangie

    April 26^th | #

    um.. i dont really no them.. but how come they havent released one recently? its been like 6 years! anyways i hav lisstened to one song by them which i think is awesome! the bird and the worm . MAD SONG! chek it out on you tube the music clips great

12. 

    danie

    June 8^th | #

    “The Used are dead.” Haha wow, thats a pretty strong statement. But I couldn’t agree more. I’ve listened to The Used since their first album and its clear that their music has become warped like a lot of music out there. I’m always going to listen to the new stuff they make because I know what kind of music they are capable of producing, which is breathtaking by the way, but you can’t honestly say their new music is as good as it used to be.

    If you read through the lyrics to “Liar Liar” and then read the ones to “Buried Myself Alive” or “Poetic Tragedy” you’ll understand where I’m coming from. Their old songs tell stories, ones that people can relate and connect to…which is what makes for good song writing. How do you understand or connect to “Liar Liar Liar Liar” being repeated over and over again? “True music appriciators,” as someone else put it, can understand the difference between good song writing and the shitty kind.

    PS. i LOVE The Used as well, but jeesh, I’m not blind. oh yeah, and I’m not looking to be popular

13. 

    patrick

    August 27^th | #

    the used are the used whether music has changed or not
    personaly my favourite album is The Used because of its songs and lyrics
    music is about something new and thats what they are trying to do
    if theirs that much hate between how you feel about them and how they have changed
    why are you still listening to them ………………………
    ANY WAY THE USED ARE PRETTY MUCH AWSOME AS IT IS

14. 

    merissa

    December 24^th | #

    first of its BERT not BRET and second off,I think this band is still good,yes the lyrics on lies for the liar are a bit awkward but did NIRVANA ever make sense,no not really.
    So in my OPPINION lies for the liar is about as good as the black parade[which was kind of a dissapointment to me seeing as im a fan of both bands],all I’m trying to say is a band is always allowed to have one bad album that no one really likes,and this one happens to be it for the used.

15. 

    Peremonie

    August 23^rd | #

    I don’t think The Used are dead just yet. They are releasing a new album somewhere in August 2009, i think. But yeah, I completely agree that some songs like Wake The Dead could have been better. The other songs, like The Bird and The Worm, sounds fine to me though, here’s a link to their song:

    http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/TheBirdAndTheWorm/795212

16. 

    Peremonie

    August 23^rd | #

    Aw crap, the prev link is garbled. Wish I can edit comments.

    Anyways, here is the link

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