It seems there has been an avalanche of killer chainsaw-fuelled Death Metal recently, now Swedish heavyweights LIK have their 3rd album ready to drop and cause a commotion. Out via Metal Blade Records on September 25th.
Gruesome horror samples start us off before a blistering cascade of drums and vile riffs kick into action. The hammering, skull-fragmenting pace and ferocity of the music hits extremely hard from the onset with a visceral array of snarled vocals to spew over the cacophony of rotten instrumental brutality. The crushing HM-2 guitars sound absolutely devastating while the drum work is incredibly tight and accentuates the hooks. Soulful lead guitars add a touch of melody to the record while the monstrous rhythmic bombardment stays the main focus. The main difference between this and the last record is quite obvious from early on, the savagery has a lot more melodic force behind it in the vein of At The Gates while still retaining that Dismember / Grave / Entombed style grotesqueness.
Unhinged and maniacal, the morbid atrocities that Lik unleash are totally monolithic with so many catchy riffs that rip through your skin to give you chills. Grooving through the rotten soundscapes, this cemetery dwelling slab of Swedeath perfection also has some NWOBHM style harmonies and breaks that add so much killer energy to an already furious record that it is impossible not to adore. Untamed and feral, Lik clearly hold huge respect for the old school way of playing Death Metal and fulfil this gorgeously, though not allowing that to constrain their sound. This is that kind of rancid material that feels old but also not like something I have heard a thousand times.
An odious array of d-beat grooving, hammering assaults and melodic twists keeps the album running on full throttle and never allowing the edge to be dulled. A forceful drum attack consistently backs up ever-flowing streams of impactful and stunningly rancid guitars and horrendously gross vocals. It is not often so many tracks on a Death Metal album not only hit your guts with force but also make your skin crawl with a blend of ugliness and beautiful melodics, Lik achieve this in a way that never feels any less heavy than it should but certainly shows huge maturity from these Swedish savages. Forever crawling through new ideas and pavings, this album will require many spins to truly appreciate but the first one will blow you away for certain.
Lik are back with their strongest record yet. A beautifully twisted and varied slab of Swedeath ferocity that will leave all tombs desecrated and all spectres unleashed from the abyss. Maniacal, savage HM-2 goodness at its best. -8.5/10
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