Well, the label name is there to make a statement about just what we have in front of us and is actually a new imprint of Odium Records designed for unearthing buried treasures of the kvlt underground. Likheim may well be a new name and indeed are not even listed on Metal Archives yet but apparently the 4 tracks on this debut EP have been gestating in deepest darkest Norway for somewhere in the region of two decades in the head of their vocalist and creative dictator Gretn. With the help of Polish musician Umarlak (Eradication) and Gamle Erik (Carpathian Forest, Svarttjern) they are finally ready to be unleashed upon the unsuspecting world.

The title track which translates to “All shall disappear…” barrels in like a violent blizzard, guitars scything away and the drums thick and densely smothering. Vocals are not as grizzly and unintelligible as one would expect, sure there are snarls but Gretn utilises and authoritative and commanding tone of voice which booms forth and occasionally hits the higher end of the spectrum. It’s all grim and gravid but there is a good sense of melody which spills over into next track ‘Smerte’ along with the stomping drive and thrust of the blizzarding, tumbling violence. There’s some faint backing vocals and spoken parts conveying the “harm, pain, injury & distress’ of what the title seems to signify. Thunder crashes and the elemental force is not to be disputed. It is also noted that at times there is a real droning reverb at the end of tracks that are elongated to uncomfortable levels and if you turned this up to maximum level they would really shake the foundations.

‘Takens Kall’ by comparison starts with some nice acoustic plucking before a slide down the scales brings the might to the fore. It really does sound like it has been forged in the harsh realms of thick forests and a hostile landscape, the rasps are trollish and augmented by some cleaner moribund tones. I am reminded a little of bands such as Windir and Kampfar here as much as anything else, which is no bad thing. The longest and for me best track Stormen is left till last and it’s a title that speaks for itself. Complete with a frosty majesty and fierce sense of bravado, it’s the breaks where the main musicianship drops out leaving a subtle snaking guitar weave lingering that make this one stand out giving identity before everything hones back in again with power and precision. All in all a grand opening statement and hopefully one that Gretn won’t be long in building upon.

(7.5/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/likheim

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/likheim-alt-skal-svinne-hen