At this point in my life, I’m usually one of the last music journalists on earth to catch on to newish/trending bands. It’s partly because I’m unapologetically lazy when it comes to seeking out new music and partly because it’s really difficult for band to stand out from the crowd nowadays. This is especially the case when it involves death metal. Lik may not be the most original death metal band, but they are one of the best at the moment and deserve your undivided attention.

Let’s be honest, the Swedish death metal sound was already perfected between two bands during the early 1990’s. I’m referring to Entombed and Dismember. Yeah, yeah, there are more, but for time’s sake, these are the two that actually matter. What makes Lik stand out from the crowd is that there’s that “extra hook” and there’s just more groove within those hooks. Their latest, “Necro,” suffocates you with those hooks and then some.

When I read through the promo material sent out by their label describing the sound of the album, I thought to myself, “Yeah, that sums it up really well.” Well, I can’t just regurgitate what their publicist wrote, they actually want to know what the blogs/zines/journalists think about the album. You know what I think? I think a lot of us bloggers and vloggers are going to rave about “Necro.”

The opening track, “Deceased,” kicks off with that groove that I wrote about earlier before descending into the chaotic Swedish Death Metal sound that we love so much. I’m not going to give a play by play for the whole song. All you need to know is that it rips and by the third minute, your foot will probably start tapping to the said groove of the song.

Remember when I mentioned this album has hooks? The track “They” is a good example of this. There’s a chorus around the 90 second mark that I guarantee you’ll repeat a several times in your head… “They wait! They watch! They hunt! They kill!” This song won’t get Lik invited to this year’s Eurovision contest, but if played loud enough, it’ll at least scare your immediate neighbors.

For those that say fuck the hooks and fuck grooves and are only interested in getting their Swedish Death Metal fix, “Shred into Pieces” will be your jam. This tune is the prime example of the classic Swedish Death Metal sound.

There are 10 songs on “Necro,” and truth be told, there’s not a weak track on here. I can see why the publicist was so excited in their assessment of Lik’s fourth full-length album. I can honestly say I’m excited too. I’ve seen them twice recently and it’s evident they’re gaining traction within the diluted death metal cosmos. As they say, the cream always rises to the top and so will Lik.