Lika

Reviews

Lika Blame Game cassette

An insular, moody powerhouse, Blame Game is for those who love Finnish punk music’s gloomy yet exciting nature. LIKA lays out the album with a “come and see” eclectic attitude, treating the listener to a medley of noise, screaming, and fun. Each song has its flair, such as the almost gothic guitar in “Monkey Money” escalating to a fast-paced riot, then back again into the depths. The album is hyphenated by a mix of Finnish and English lyrics, the vocalist using her great, compelling voice for a range of singing or screaming “mad boy!” The drums and bass offer a great heavy-blanketed backdrop to her raving in songs like “Komero” and “Whatcha Gonna Do?” Ending off the adventure, LIKA uses “Last Page 23” to divulge into a weird and wonderfully experimental sound, reminiscent of BJÖRK. Being LIKA’s third self-released album, Blame Game is a nice break from traditional sounds.

Lika Mad Masses cassette

Second release, and seemingly first physical media release, from Helsinki, Finland’s LIKA. Eight songs on this cassette, most of which are around the three-minute mark—it gives them plenty of time to meander through different genres, which they do possibly a bit much for my tastes. At times, LIKA sounds like a fast hardcore punk band, while at other times, they sound like a classic metal-infused crust punk band, like TEM EYOS KI or something. Still at other instances, LIKA sounds like screamy, aggressive, moody ’90s alternative rock. The band is super tight, but the mixture of genres might come across a bit off-putting, though.