Lifesick never rests.
Following their signing to Metal Blade Records and the release of a short EP earlier this year, the band comprising Simon Shoshan (vocals), Nicolai Lindegaard (guitar), Nikolai Lund (guitar), Jeppe Løwe (drums) and Jeppe Riis Frausing (bass) unveil Loved by None, Hated by All, their fourth album.
The band kicks into full gear with Death Wish, a raw track with ultra-saturated, energetic Crust roots which they quickly exploit to make us want to join the musicians in their frenzy. The riffs may slow down at times, but they’re nonetheless effective, as is the lively Peace Through Superior Firepower that follows, developing a similar approach based on a catchy rhythm where blast and straightforward patterns take turns using screaming harmonics. This is followed by Double Cross, which continues to bludgeon us with its metallic sound, but the track is relatively short, and gives way to Hollow Treats, where the ranting resumes in earnest as the musicians offer us controlled accelerations, but also slower, oppressive passages. The soothing final is broken by Legacy of Misery, which returns to pure violence, welcoming Andreas Bjulver (Cabal) to reinforce the thickly Beatdown-influenced moshpart, before the riffs darken with Poems for My Funeral, which injects a certain anguish into its aggressive tones. The finale offers an apocalyptic heaviness before granting us a brief respite, but Liquid Courage quickly takes over, rediscovering its motivating jerky approach, but also slower strikes before surrendering to fury on Loved by None, a short but vindictive and visceral composition. The band’s savagery continues with The Mourning March, which nonetheless incorporates dissonant parts into its repeated assaults, then Straight Jacket completes the picture of aggression before offering a very slow second part of the track, followed by a long, anguished sample that closes the album.
Lifesick‘s power is expressed through aggressive riffs, making Loved by None, Hated by All a real outlet. The album is an easy listen, but the screams make you realize that it sometimes goes deeper than that.
85/100