LIK — The Second Wind (review)

LIK — The Second Wind album cover Album · 2011 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
J-Man
LIK was formed in 2000 by Graav (of Armagedda fame) as a black rock project, and the band released three full-length albums before briefly splitting up. After their short hiatus, they reformed in 2010 and this album quickly followed. The Second Wind was my entrance into LIK's discography, and it's clear from the beginning that their unique sound should definitely appeal to people looking for something different than your standard black metal affair. The album isn't without its flaws, and a feeling of monotony sets in far too frequently for me to consider this a "great" observation, but LIK's original sound and solid riffs should attract plenty of new fans.

The Second Wind sounds like a cross between filthy garage rock and black metal. The thin, buzzing guitar sound and lo-fi production hint towards black metal, but the actual riffs themselves are much more based in rock music, as are the 4/4 drum patterns. The vocals are a mix between clean, semi-sung sounds and more standard black metal-styled vocals. Although this is a very interesting idea for a musical experiment, I think that The Second Wind could've ultimately been a much stronger effort. There is very little (if any) instrumental variation throughout the entire album, and a "samey" feeling develops just after the first few songs. The songwriting is a tad monotonous and simply leaves me cold - the music fails to speak to me in really any way. The thin, lo-fi production doesn't help in this regard either. It's a shame, really, because The Second Wind truly could have been something special, but its flaws keep it from ever reaching excellence.

I haven't really been blown away by The Second Wind due to the fairly monotonous atmosphere and weak production, but people who are previously established as fans of LIK may want to give this one a shot. It's certainly not a bad album by any stretch, and the great musicianship and decent riffs keep this from ever reaching below mediocrity, yet I still feel like something's missing. Regardless of my reservations, if you're curiosity has been peaked by the band's "black rock" sound, The Second Wind certainly isn't a bad purchase. 3 stars are warranted here.
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