My first exposure to the Liars was 2002's "Mr. You're On Fire Mr.," a ridiculously catchy piece of dance-punk, only with more edge and experimentation than the group's contemporaries.

The rest of its debut album, They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, showed similar creativity. But, while off-kilter, it was still rooted in catchy guitar-based indie-rock.

It was well received, so how did the Liars follow it up? With a purposefully noisy, abrasive concept album about witch trials in the form of 2004's widely panned sophomore effort, They Were Wrong, So We Drowned.

Most bands wouldn't deliberately try to throw away good reviews and a strong fan base, but the Liars like challenging expectations. This is bad news for anyone who wants another dance-punk album, but good news for those who like a band that continues to surprise, as it does on new album Drum's Not Dead. Neither a return to form nor more formless noise, the Liars instead opted to move to Berlin, revamp its sound and release one of the most compelling albums of the year.

On the surface, it's easy to describe the elements at work. Two drum kits are used on most of the album, leading to the driving polyrhythmic sound on most tracks. The only addition is usually a simple guitar part or two, but heavily, heavily deranged through alternate tunings and odd tones. It's reminiscent of tribal drumming and works by more contemporary groups such as the Animal Collective, but less organic and slightly sinister.

What isn't so easy to explain is how well the album works. It manages to be both droning and minimal on some levels, yet also driving, thunderous and epic. The opening duo of "Be Quiet Mt. Heart Attack!" and "Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack" best show off how pummeling the dual drum approach can be.

The closing track, "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack," is the album's most traditional number. It's a soft, delicate song, and the closest thing the group has done to a ballad.

It also features the only vocal melody you'd be able to hum to yourself without frightening those around you.

Also worth noting is the bonus DVD, which features three short films set to the album, each with a video for every song -- that's 36 videos in all. "Drum's Not Bread" is the best, a grab-bag of sorts featuring claymation, studio and live footage, stop-motion animation and even a particularly creative segment in which a canvas is painted over and over in numerous layers.

The video succeeds because of its variety and the lighter side it shows of the band. Clay dolls representing band members walk around a farm, feeding animals. One segment shows a member brushing his teeth, and then the toothbrush follows him into the shower. Written out plainly like that, it just seems weird, but trust me, it's good, clean, silly fun.

The other two aren't as notable; "The Helix Aspersa" simply watches a snail crawling around and gets tedious quick, while "By Your Side" just makes atmospheric images to the music. But what's important is that it shows a band willing to experiment with the album format and offer the buyer a little extra.

Any growing pains perceived on the group's second album have been paid off with the success of this one, and it's clear the band will continue to innovate. Any experimental music runs the risk of falling flat, but when it strikes, the results are great. It's a pretty safe bet to assume within the next few albums that the Liars will do something even better, but even the album we have now is one of the best albums of early 2006. Grade: A-