Review by Greg on January 20, 2024.

This is one of the two tracks from the upcoming album, along with the hilarious 'Crossover Songs Are Too Damn Short'. Yes, I'm pretty sure there will be an upcoming album by Lich King, at least that's what themselves stated, but my certainties are starting to falter. I will not crucify myself because of it, however, if you've read my Born of the Bomb review, you might understand my desire for a worthy successor of that fantastic album, which I proudly possess. Four years have passed from it (actually about four exact years, funny, I didn't notice it) and meh... let's wait more.

Something that's sure is that, during these times, they went through a nearly complete line-up refounding, and it may have been an obstacle for the release. As I know, they haven't even formalized a new vocalist, and they are touring with Ryan Taylor of Solstice, who wouldn't certainly be a shitty replacement. The band has changed the guitar/bass department too, with the exception of Joe Nickerson, the only remaining founder member along with drummer Brian Westbrook, and ex-vocalist Tom Martin will probably continue to work with the band, but from a more detached position. Those must have been intense days for the band.

But speaking of the song itself, by now nearly three years old, we can overlook this situation and keep waiting with confidence. It's also true that this little revolution does not apply directly to the song, since we can listen to 4/5 of the Born of the Bomb line-up here. 'Lich King V: Stalemate' is definitely a single which leaves you wanting for more, and I like to think this was their goal. It clocks in at not even four minutes, less than the average length from the recent past, probably because of the limited time given to Rob's solo, far from the absurd ones of the previous chapter of the saga, for instance. The instrumental section is energetic as usual, proving once again the strengths of the band in both riffing and drumming, with Westbrook sounding better and better as time passes.

Some further regrets grow as we can witness one of the best performances of Tom Martin here. Listening to that insane shout at the beginning, or the one after (what's supposed to be) the second refrain, and realizing it's the same guy of Toxic Zombie Onslaught surely raises one's eyebrows. The choruses themselves have always been somewhat of a limit for the band, so neither this one does stand out, but it goes on quite well. It's no more than a classic Lich King song, it sounds as if it were a special bonus track for Born of the Bomb, so they clearly nailed the choice for the single. But when will we be given the opportunity to judge the remaining ones?

Plot twist: the morning after writing this review, Lich King announced imminent album recordings and further details on Facebook. If I knew, I would have done it some time ago.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Greg on January 20, 2024.

This is one of the two tracks from the upcoming album, along with the hilarious 'Crossover Songs Are Too Damn Short'. Yes, I'm pretty sure there will be an upcoming album by Lich King, at least that's what themselves stated, but my certainties are starting to falter. I will not crucify myself because of it, however, if you've read my Born of the Bomb review, you might understand my desire for a worthy successor of that fantastic album, which I proudly possess. Four years have passed from it (actually about four exact years, funny, I didn't notice it) and meh... let's wait more.

Something that's sure is that, during these times, they went through a nearly complete line-up refounding, and it may have been an obstacle for the release. As I know, they haven't even formalized a new vocalist, and they are touring with Ryan Taylor of Solstice, who wouldn't certainly be a shitty replacement. The band has changed the guitar/bass department too, with the exception of Joe Nickerson, the only remaining founder member along with drummer Brian Westbrook, and ex-vocalist Tom Martin will probably continue to work with the band, but from a more detached position. Those must have been intense days for the band.

But speaking of the song itself, by now nearly three years old, we can overlook this situation and keep waiting with confidence. It's also true that this little revolution does not apply directly to the song, since we can listen to 4/5 of the Born of the Bomb line-up here. 'Lich King V: Stalemate' is definitely a single which leaves you wanting for more, and I like to think this was their goal. It clocks in at not even four minutes, less than the average length from the recent past, probably because of the limited time given to Rob's solo, far from the absurd ones of the previous chapter of the saga, for instance. The instrumental section is energetic as usual, proving once again the strengths of the band in both riffing and drumming, with Westbrook sounding better and better as time passes.

Some further regrets grow as we can witness one of the best performances of Tom Martin here. Listening to that insane shout at the beginning, or the one after (what's supposed to be) the second refrain, and realizing it's the same guy of Toxic Zombie Onslaught surely raises one's eyebrows. The choruses themselves have always been somewhat of a limit for the band, so neither this one does stand out, but it goes on quite well. It's no more than a classic Lich King song, it sounds as if it were a special bonus track for Born of the Bomb, so they clearly nailed the choice for the single. But when will we be given the opportunity to judge the remaining ones?

Plot twist: the morning after writing this review, Lich King announced imminent album recordings and further details on Facebook. If I knew, I would have done it some time ago.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Greg on December 28, 2023.

During this seemingly endless wait for their fifth album, Lich King had been working in order to accomplish an arduous task, namely giving a worthy follow-up to their astonishing Born of the Bomb (2012). That album displayed some signs of brilliance within a collection of really solid songs, and with a certain degree of memorability which represented the true surprise to me; no wonder I started to dig up their music because of it. The band really squared the circle with that one, so expecting another album on the same path seemed legit. But the guys had to face some line-up changes, and arguably had no hurry to make some new music, so the fans had to wait until 2017 for this new The Omniclasm. What can we say now?

Well, labeling it as a Born of the Bomb Part II may be a safe statement, but it isn't so far from the truth (note that this isn't necessarily a fault)... ten tracks, a short instrumental at the beginning, a more complex song, and the punctual episode of the saga dedicated to the Lich King himself at the end. A formula that works, if anything. This last fact, however, is a bit imprecise since the band decided to break their habit and inserted also the 6th chapter of the story in the fifth album, possibly because the 5th had been already heard by almost everyone, I guess. Now I can start wondering if there will actually be a 'Lich King VII: Whatever', since the whole universe has been apparently destroyed on this one...

Anyway, it's more or less the same affair, so, while not reaching the awesomeness of its illustrious predecessor, it's surely a step in the right direction, and most of all doesn't break the good momentum of the band. A plus is that the mix of this album is heavier than a truck! The addition of the talented Mike Dreher (also in Condition Critical) led the band to raise the volume of the bass a lot, and he has several good moments on this album. 'Lich King V: Stalemate' still remains one of the best songs here, even after three and a half years since its inception, possibly with a remark on the new vocal re-recording done by a surprisingly great Tom Martin, which modifies that insane scream I really loved on the single version.

But there are some good opponents anyway: 'Cut the Shit' is introduced by a highly catchy riff, and has an overall great pace, supported by captivating bass lines and a great solo, as well as the band's trademark sarcastic lyrics. The following 'Our Time to Riot' faces more serious topics of revolt against the rich employers, all with a truly memorable chorus and another explosive ending. Brian Westbrook definitely steals the scene on these tracks, as well as in the last couple of tracks: especially 'Offense' contains another 'Fan Massacre'-esque solo courtesy of newcomer Nick Timney, and is also notable for its lyrics taking a stance against LGBT oppression ('I'm offended that you/Think I should be embarrassed of whom I love or what I am') – confirming Lich King's position as one of the most sensitive acts with regard to the social issues topic. On the opposite end of the spectrum we find 'Civilization', nearly instrumental (and its few words are rather enigmatic) and blessed with a keyboard section courtesy of the man himself, as tasteful as it was unexpected, more reminiscent of Deep Purple than anything else.

But I cannot close this review without giving praise to the cover of the classic 'Eternal Nightmare' by Vio-lence: nearly everything is perfectly executed, from the schizophrenic drumming of Perry Strickland to the immortal main riff of the song. Tom Martin is still good, though Sean Killian's voice is nearly impossible to reproduce – okay, I think Jose Barrales of Bonded by Blood is laughing at this last sentence. It should definitely have been included on the CD version, maybe leaving out 'Preschool Cesspool' (with Rob Pellegri returning for a guest performance), the only song that didn't particularly convince me, or switching seats with 'Crossover Songs Are Too Damn Short', which would have fitted better the 'bonus track' role.

After all, another solid album by Lich King, the third in a row. The band played a safe game this time, in a certain way, and they still delivered powerful, funny music without departing too much from the road previously laid by themselves. If they decide that this formula will fit also the next album, surely I won't have too much to complain about.

All Hail the Lich King!

Rating: 8.4 out of 10