The Pitch: "In the dirt where fallen idols lay to rest, the maggots and seeds in 2014 spawned a new creation. This took the ugly form of Lik, which fittingly means corpse in Swedish. An un-dead creation which offers a plate of savory old school death metal." Via Metal Blade Records. FFO: At The Gates, The Haunted, Entombed
What I Like: With new At The Gates on the horizon, Carnage should serve as a worthy primer. Don't take that to mean that Lik are an inferior group in any way; despite lacking the history and stature of their Swedish brethren, their music is every bit as good. In fact, I have no qualms in saying that this album is superior to At War With Reality. Whereas the latter, in my humble opinion, was woefully inconsistent with increased focus on slower tracks, Carnage plays out like a more fitting sequel to Slaughter of the Soul. Listening to tracks like "To Kill" and "Rid You Of Your Flesh" is like digging up some lost album from the peak of melodeath's stranglehold on the scene. The classic Gothenburg-style riffs should sound very familiar, and the raging beats are simply irresistible (especially on the tasty intro to "Cannibalistic Infancy"). Everything from the thrashy pace to the classic old school snarls are ripe for a Swedish DM revival.
Critiques: The lyrics can get pretty damn cliche, even distractingly so. I honestly had a few cringe moments listening to tracks like "Celebration of the Twisted," but generally the energy is high enough to look past it. I also feel inclined to say that while I love the sense of nostalgia permeating these infectious guitar hooks, the similarities to past albums are almost to a fault. The argument could be made that Lik have crossed the line from paying homage to straight up recycling.
The Verdict: Carnage may be a bit of a retread of old ideas, but damned if it isn't among the best I've heard in a while. Lik possess both the passion and the knowhow in this style to craft an alternate timeline where At The Gates never left us to begin with.
Flight's Fav's: To Kill, Rid You of Your Flesh, Cannibalistic Infancy
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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