Ghent based newcomers Maria Iskariot have served up a slice of vitriolic raw Dutch language punk with their defiant new single, Leugenaar. Translating to Liar in English, the track seethes with raging energy, as front-woman Helena Cazaerck spits the lyrics “He feeds the people sugared lies / Knows too well how to disguise”. Maria Iskariot have a distinct artistic and social vision, which is reflected in their music and lyrics, blending raw punk with themes of self-discovery, growing up and the moral ambiguity between good and evil. This last theme is also embedded in their name, a fusion of Maria (the Virgin Mary) and Iskariot (Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus), symbolizing the tension between holiness and betrayal. “Leugenaar is an absolution, a pelvis under the chi...