Why try to fix what’s not broken? That really feels like the motto that LIK operated by whenever they’ve tried to follow-up any of their efforts. I only say that because their sound has remained firmly in within the confines of what Swedish death metal has become known for with time being nothing but gracious to their skill level. It was with “Carnage” not too long ago that the world really got a good helping of what exactly LIK is capable of, but the question came to me some time later: can they keep the momentum? Is LIK capable of following up one massive slab of flesh-melting awesomeness with another? After several days to dissecting this rotten carcass and observing all it has to offer, it’s beyond clear to me that “Misanthropic Breed” is a more than worthy addition to LIK’s growing catalog of devastation.
The best part about records like this is that there is hardly any difference when you look at them from a technical standpoint with there being very little change from one album to the next or even from one band to another. But, it’s with examples like LIK that we see it taken to great extents as it’s with “Misanthropic Breed” that LIK has done virtually nothing new, but this record is as voracious and eviscerating as any other that they’ve created. Everything that was poured into this record feels handmade for every that the modern death metal fan could ever desire. An insatiable bloodlust, undeniable power that’s leaking from every second of every song, an eruption of undeath upon society, and talent the likes of which you’ll only find throughout Swedish death metal is just the beginning of what “Misanthropic Breed” has to offer. LIK’s sound is virtually unchanged here, but it all feels so amazingly fresh and dynamic that it really shows us that the band has not only found their sound but also how to execute it properly, for it’s done in every note for this effort. It’s an album that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of its runtime, and LIK does nothing but deliver in every possible instance.
Every year, Sweden produces some of the best death metal that we’re to see from anywhere in the entire world, and every time LIK enters the fray they consistently produce something that demands to be heard. That is far from any different here. The very power that’s on display throughout “Misanthropic Breed” is something that I cannot help but immensely recommend for any death metal fan worth their own salt, and it’s sure to be something that many people will claim to be some of the best that 2020 has to offer, and rightly so.
“Misanthropic Breed” releases on September 25th via Metal Blade! You can pre-order “Misanthropic Breed” via multiple sources here, and you can listen to singles on Bandcamp here.
Track Listing:
1. The Weird
2. Decay
3. Funeral Anthem
4. Corrosive Survival
5. Female Fatal to the Flesh
6. Misanthropic Breed
7. Flesh Frenzy
8. Morbid Fascination
9. Wolves
10. Faces of Death
11. Becoming
