Swedish death living tribute Lik have returned with their fourth full-length since forming back in 2014. And although there's nothing particularly new here, those who have grown to enjoy the band's especially catchy take on Dismember-esque meat and potatoes death metal will find as much to enjoy as before. With the same experienced line-up including members of Katatonia and Bloodbath, the songwriting is the real rotten gem in Lik's bony crown with an essential balance of headbangable heaviness and Maiden-esque melody to create pit-friendly stompers that somehow transcend being a mere Dismember tribute act. Opener Deceased is a great example, blasting in with a real gallop and energy, memorable from the first listen with an infectious set of riffs and enough tempo changes to keep things interesting.

There are some spooky samples and flourishes here and there yet by far the most important thing here is the death metal barrage that forms Lik's grisly spine. Sometimes this can be something of a minus for the band's listenability yet there's usually a hook or little twist to the formula to keep things interesting such as War Praise's dip into Hypocrisy-esque melodeath or the slower, almost doom-death pace of Morgue Rat and Rotten Inferno. Elsewhere, there are faster-paced, almost deathgrind pieces like Shred into Pieces and The Stockholm Massacre. And even when the band are just blasting along, plenty of tracks have extended widdly soloing to aid the melodic side, particularly They and Worms Inside.

This all sounds especially great thanks to a solid production courtesy of Lawrence Mackrory (ex-Darkane, etc) who has given the guitar a lovely old-school buzzsaw crunch straight from the Entombed days, as well as guesting alongside Paradise Lost's Nick Holmes on In Ruins, which barrels along with vim and violence. Ultimately though, it's all noticeably less infectious and memorable than 2020's Misanthropic Breed and repeated listens can get a little repetitive as the songs could have used more to differentiate them from each other. Still, this very much, as the saying goes, does what it says on the tin - old-school, Dismember-style death metal made by people who love it for people who love it, and if so Lik remain highly recommended.