The Second Wind

Just when I had said that it’s awesome to hear an Armagedda member still doing black metal in De Arma because Armagedda has been rotting in the grave for a long time, a new LIK album emerges unexpextedly as well. I’m not familiar with this black-metal-meets-filthy-rock band’s whole discography - I remember hearing the 2003 debut Må Ljuset Aldrig Nå Oss Mer a year ago or so - but The Second Wind most certainly raises my interest to look better into the older albums as well, because I do think that The Second Wind is that good.

The album doesn’t try to fish fans with modern gimmicks. That would be a good summary of the whole album. Lo-fi drumlines don’t provide technical fills nor beats but do keep the songs intact with steady 4/4 beats while the rusty guitar sound delivers malicious riffs and melodies, at times rising to almost ethereal levels of beauty (”The Other Realm” and the epic instrumental outro) and at times just rocking the hell out, like in the straightforward ”Death Breeder” and the first half of ”A Filthy Ride”. Vocals range from the folky masculine chants heard in Lönndom, most perfectly executed in the touching chorus of ”Kallad till Bortgång”, to raspier mid-range screams and muttering.

The Second Wind takes its time to open - after all, the grey lo-fi sound isn’t so luring at first - but the melodies here a truly good in the end. LIK fans will as well love these 40 minutes, that’s for sure. Also, anyone who’s up for some great riffing that is both evil and beautiful and who doesn’t require polished productions from his/her music won’t lose anything by checking out The Second Wind, an album that is a very welcome return from a band I thought was dead already.

3.5 / 5
[ http://www.vehementconjuration.com/ ]