Ελληνικά
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: Metal Blade Records
Year: 2025
LIK’s latest album Necro (2025) is a powerful continuation of their dedication to classic Swedish death metal, delivering a brutal, raw, and groovy sound that both honors and revitalizes the genre. The band, hailing from Stockholm and featuring members with pedigrees in notable acts like Katatonia and Bloodbath, returns after five years with their fourth album the acclaimed Misanthropic Breed (2020), Necro showcases the band’s growth while staying true to their roots, blending the iconic HM-2 buzzsaw guitar tone with infectious melodies and relentless aggression.
Misanthropic Breed (2020) was praised for its perfect blend of melody and aggression, drawing strong comparisons to legendary bands like Dismember and Entombed. It featured tight songwriting, memorable hooks, and a balance of up-tempo fury and melodic passages, establishing LIK as a modern standard-bearer of the Stockholm death metal sound.
Necro builds on these foundations with a more cohesive and mature approach. The album opens with the ferocious “Deceased,” a track reminiscent of classic Entombed but with a fresh, brutal edge. Throughout Necro, LIK balances fast-paced assaults like “Worms Inside” with groovier, more melodic cuts such as “They” and “Morgue Rat,” showcasing their ability to blend chaos and melody seamlessly. The production, handled by Lawrence Mackrory, captures the band’s live energy and the filthy, buzzing guitar tone that defines their sound.
The dual guitar work of Tomas Åkvik and Niklas Sandin is a standout, delivering razor-sharp riffs and solos that balance brutality with catchiness. The rhythm section drives the album with precision and power, making the record both a headbanger’s delight and a testament to the band’s technical prowess.
Tomas Åkvik’s vocals deliver deep, monstrous growls that command attention while remaining clear enough to let the infectious song structures shine. The rhythm section, particularly Chris Barkensjö’s drumming, drives the album forward with machine-like precision, complementing the gritty bass lines and thick guitar tone to create a dense, powerful soundscape.
Lyrically, the album embraces the gore and horror themes typical of the genre, sometimes provoking strong reactions due to vivid and unsettling imagery, as heard in tracks like “Rotten Inferno.” This adds to the album’s overall shock-horror vibe, which is further enhanced by the album’s artwork and production choices, creating a cohesive and immersive listening experience.
LIK’s Necro is a masterful addition to their discography that refines and expands on the strengths of previous albums like Misanthropic Breed and Carnage. It delivers the quintessential Swedish death metal experience with brutal riffs, infectious grooves, and a cohesive, powerful production. LIK remains a criminally underrated force in death metal, deserving greater recognition for their role in preserving and advancing the classic Stockholm sound with passion and authenticity.
