LTNT

Headshot of LTNT
Photo by Oliver Halfin

Choosing to abbreviate Lieutenant as LTNT for a band name is only the first indication that this British alt-metal trio minces no words. As singer Liam Lever spouted to a UK music mag: “Our new EP is fuckin’ 50 times better than anything we’ve ever done. It’s more industrial than our previous releases; it rocks with its balls out.” Indeed.

The EP in question is Yode, LTNT’s American debut. The four-song release was produced by Matt Hyde (Slayer, Monster Magnet) and Seether’s Shaun Morgan, who signed the band to his own Canine Riot / Fantasy Records imprint. While LTNT cut its teeth with several previous recordings, Yode is the aural culmination of years of road work, hundreds of hours of songwriting… and maybe some booze-fueled shenanigans.

Liam, who grew up in West London, has varied influences that synthesize into a cohesive whole onYode.The front man will proudly admit that George Michael is one of his favorite singers, noting, “If you can remove the layer of cheesiness that you’re first greeted with, he’s an incredible lyricist with an incredible voice. And one of my favorite records ever is Ministry’s Filth Pig, which was done during the worst time in Al Jourgensen’s life. You can hear it in the record, and it’s tremendous. Those two things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, in my opinion.”

Yode is proof positive that Liam has a rare skill when it comes to integrating seemingly discrete musical approaches. With influences from Butthole Surfers to Fear Factory—and of course, a certain member of Wham! – LTNT are not metal, not punk, not grunge, not industrial, but an original amalgamation that musically melds those genres, with Liam’s clever, sometimes brutal, always personal lyrics.

“Happy Days,” Yode’s first single, is a darkly intense grunge-grind which belies the song’s smiley title. The songs on Yode—and the band’s upcoming full-length album Was Ist Das—meld Liam’s influences and experiences into a surprising musicality. “Whitey,” for instance (which appears on both Yode andWas Ist Das), has the lyrics: “I used to be a loser, but then it only got worse.” However, the story of the song—which is slightly more pop than “Happy Days” but no less strident–is lyrically “localized to one moment; it’s not some retrospective,” Liam notes.  In short: It’s about a partier who has overindulged and is about to puke… right at the point where the color drains from his face and he “pulls a Whitey.”

The band that began in 2012 is particularly adept at pulling discrete elements into the trademark LTNT sound. The trio honed its craft on UK tours with Chevelle, Brant Bjork and Seether, and put out three acclaimed indie releases. School and skateboarding pals Liam and Ben, who were in competing bands until they united in LTNT, are joined by drummer Adam Stanley, player of a big double-bass drum kit, who takes care of all the electronic triggers the band employs, and also provides stellar backing vocals.

LTNT’s wild live gigs both thrill and confound: on tour, the band members sometimes wear dresses. “What’s normal for me seems to be not normal for the mainstream, and I find that quite weird. I don’t think I’m that out there,” laughs Liam. “The actual reason we wear dresses is because if you wear jeans 30 days in the row while living in a van on tour, where your chances of getting a washing machine are very slim… well, if you wear a nice airy dress onstage, you don’t have a problem with stinky jeans. People thought it was some statement. Nope. Individuality being the norm would be nice.” And Yode is individuality at its accessible, irascible best.

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Choosing to abbreviate Lieutenant as LTNT for a band name is only the first indication that this British alt-metal trio minces no words. As singer Liam Lever spouted to a UK music mag: “Our new EP is fuckin’ 50 times better than anything we’ve ever done. It’s more industrial than our previous releases; it rocks with its balls out.” Indeed.

The EP in question is Yode, LTNT’s American debut. The four-song release was produced by Matt Hyde (Slayer, Monster Magnet) and Seether’s Shaun Morgan, who signed the band to his own Canine Riot / Fantasy Records imprint. While LTNT cut its teeth with several previous recordings, Yode is the aural culmination of years of road work, hundreds of hours of songwriting… and maybe some booze-fueled shenanigans.

Liam, who grew up in West London, has varied influences that synthesize into a cohesive whole onYode.The front man will proudly admit that George Michael is one of his favorite singers, noting, “If you can remove the layer of cheesiness that you’re first greeted with, he’s an incredible lyricist with an incredible voice. And one of my favorite records ever is Ministry’s Filth Pig, which was done during the worst time in Al Jourgensen’s life. You can hear it in the record, and it’s tremendous. Those two things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, in my opinion.”

Yode is proof positive that Liam has a rare skill when it comes to integrating seemingly discrete musical approaches. With influences from Butthole Surfers to Fear Factory—and of course, a certain member of Wham! – LTNT are not metal, not punk, not grunge, not industrial, but an original amalgamation that musically melds those genres, with Liam’s clever, sometimes brutal, always personal lyrics.

“Happy Days,” Yode’s first single, is a darkly intense grunge-grind which belies the song’s smiley title. The songs on Yode—and the band’s upcoming full-length album Was Ist Das—meld Liam’s influences and experiences into a surprising musicality. “Whitey,” for instance (which appears on both Yode andWas Ist Das), has the lyrics: “I used to be a loser, but then it only got worse.” However, the story of the song—which is slightly more pop than “Happy Days” but no less strident–is lyrically “localized to one moment; it’s not some retrospective,” Liam notes.  In short: It’s about a partier who has overindulged and is about to puke… right at the point where the color drains from his face and he “pulls a Whitey.”

The band that began in 2012 is particularly adept at pulling discrete elements into the trademark LTNT sound. The trio honed its craft on UK tours with Chevelle, Brant Bjork and Seether, and put out three acclaimed indie releases. School and skateboarding pals Liam and Ben, who were in competing bands until they united in LTNT, are joined by drummer Adam Stanley, player of a big double-bass drum kit, who takes care of all the electronic triggers the band employs, and also provides stellar backing vocals.

LTNT’s wild live gigs both thrill and confound: on tour, the band members sometimes wear dresses. “What’s normal for me seems to be not normal for the mainstream, and I find that quite weird. I don’t think I’m that out there,” laughs Liam. “The actual reason we wear dresses is because if you wear jeans 30 days in the row while living in a van on tour, where your chances of getting a washing machine are very slim… well, if you wear a nice airy dress onstage, you don’t have a problem with stinky jeans. People thought it was some statement. Nope. Individuality being the norm would be nice.” And Yode is individuality at its accessible, irascible best.