Lik recently released their incredible second album Carnage – and you can read our review of it here. We were eager to find out more, so we caught up with the band’s guitarist and bassist Niklas for a chat.
Thanks for the interview! So you recently released your new album Carnage, how has the response been to it so far?
Thanks for having me, it’s always good to talk death metal! That’s right, the album came out 4th of May and as we speak it’s only 3 weeks ago. The response has been nothing but awesome. People really dig what we do, and they understand and like the raw edge that we want to offer to our audience.
How did the writing and recording process go? Did you do anything differently compared to when you created Mass Funeral Evocation, or did you take largely the same approach?
It was the same approach. We all contribute to the songs in terms of riffs and ideas. Some does more and some does less, as in all bands. But the key thing is that we put it all together at the rehearsal studio. That’s where the magic happens. It makes the music come alive more than if it´s just one or two writing songs and putting the arrangements together. We later went in to the studio to record once again with Lawrence Mackrory. H’s one hell of a guy and we all click well with him. It almost feels like coming home!
How was your time in the studio? Did you run into any challenges or did everything go to plan?
It’s always a challenge to record stuff live in the studio. And by live I mean that we record all the rhythm guitars together with the drums without a click track. This is also a vital step in making the songs come alive and to get the sound of the band on tape. So loads of preparations were made and of course rehearsing. But that’s so much more rewarding than spending loads of time in the studio doing take after take. That kinda sucks the joy out of the whole thing. And what you hear on the record is actually what you can expect if you come down to a gig!
Which song on the album are you most proud of?
That’s a hard one – they’re all equally important. And the favourite today isn’t always the favourite of tomorrow. But as you catch me right now with that question, I have to say Rid You Of Your Flesh. It’s groovy and has some killer leads.
If you could go back and change anything, would you?
More cowbell of course! Joking aside, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m super happy.
How would you describe your live show to those who haven’t been lucky enough to catch you live yet?
It’s a “take no prisoners” deal. We go on stage, turn up our amps and go. It’s a wild ride that, as of yet, hasn’t left anyone dissapointed. We want to deliver a show with loads of energy and presence instead of just looking down on our instruments trying to nail every part as perfect as possible. That’s not how it should be done, and it’ll never be our style.
What would you say the best show you’ve ever played has been?
So far it’s Party San Festival. It’s a great open air metal gathering in Germany which focuses on heavier and more extreme acts. Great crowd and intense gig. It was so intense that I can barely remember it. It’s like a blackout after too much whiskey, but in a good way. So with it sounding a bit ironic, the most rememberable one is the one I can’t remember haha.
What about the strangest or weirdest?
Strangest must be when we played this one gig in Sweden. It was a really tight stage and it was behind poultry fence. It made me feel like playing a gig in the old Patrick Swayze movie Road House! But the audience was great and it was sweaty, just as it should be!
If you could play anywhere in the world, on any lineup, what would you choose?
How about a South American run with Cannibal Corpse? That sounds like a killer line up and a great tour for me. I’ve always enjoyed playing South America with my other band Katatonia, since the crowd is always going nuts. They set the benchmark and reference!
Do you have any live shows in the pipeline?
The only announced and official one as of yet is in Helsinki this fall. But we have other ones in the making that we can’t really go public with at this moment. But more will come, be so sure as we aim at playing as much live as we can. That’s what we’re passionate about and love. That’s when all the hard work really make sense.
And finally, what is in store for Lik for the rest of 2018?
I love vinyl, but now I’m just about to sound like a broken record haha. It’s the live thing for sure. That’s what we aim at for 2018 and we hope to catch the Summer festivals 2019. That´s something that’s always been a highlight for me.
Carnage is out now. Purchase your copy from here!
