Review: Likbleik — Fordervelse

Introduction

Likbleik is a newly formed band out of the monstro-city of Norway, known as Drammen. Their first release ever, came out yesterday on the 7th of March. They are a five-piece band and consists of Andreas (vocals), Noah (guitar), Niclas (bass), Eskil (guitar) and Jonathan (drums). The band mentioned that this EP was prepared 4–6 weeks before some live shows that they were going to play with bands such as In Vain, Malum, YR, Thale and Krapyl.

The band shot me up with a request on our social media page and being intrigued by their band name and fresh inception, I decided to give them a thorough listen.

We get many requests on our different socials media platforms. Some requests are, to say the least, a bit poorer in quality / seriousness than others, so I’m always a bit sceptical going in on the first listen.

Fordervelse

Starting off the EP, the band sets an eerie tone to the intro with Gehenna-like organs or accordion. I get the feeling of sitting on Davy Jones’s harsh wooden bench onboard the Flying Dutchmen while thunder and rain is pounding the Dutchman’s greased deck. The quality is oozing already, so I run to the fridge to pop a cold beer to go for the rest of this EP.

The first track of the EP takes over and hoists all the sails for good ol Davy. Likbleik the self-titled track is fast and builds a very nice tempo by the tentacles of the drummer. The dark guttural vocals tears open a passage through the wailing instruments on this track, and it overall showcases what’s in store for this EP.

My favourite track on this release is the third one called Fordervelse. The guitar sound on this track is just fucking nasty and I dig it, it reminds me somewhat of Devilgroth. The drum build-ups reminds me of Heimland and their guitar interlude sounds like those on Tsjuder‘s latest release.

What I would like to hear more of is the vocals to be a bit more at the forefront of the mix, they drown a little amidst the instruments. They do, however, sound excellent when they’re allowed to push through, sounding like a deeper, meatier version of Pest during his time in Gorgoroth.

The debut EP is packed with things to really like, such as the guitar sound, heavy bass and tempo-driving drums. It makes one wonder what the band can brew given proper time.

Conclusion

After the short 24 minutes of this EP has passed, I’m left wanting more. With great song structures and a high-quality production, Likbleik has gifted us a solid debut. Their sound is also heavy and crushing with chuggy riffs that can be heard all through the track Galgen, this heaviness is also in big parts thanks to how their bassist makes sure to keep the music threading along.

I am excited to see what comes next from these talented young men who keep this genre alive, and I hope to check out their live performance at some point at one of the Norwegian festivals.

BMZ Rating: 8 / 10

Follow the band here: https://www.instagram.com/likbleik_official/

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