Lifelover
Konkurs

Lifelover, a band whose seriousness is questionable from the start, especially with a name like that: playing depressive music under such a name is certainly not the height of seriousness, after all.

Now famous in the depressive black metal scene, this Swedish band is formed by none other than Kim Carlsson, who I think is simply one of the most brilliant black metal musicians, known to most for being the mastermind behind Hypothermia.

Anyone familiar with Lifelover might already think I am an idiot for referring to them as "depressive black metal," or even just for saying "black metal" in reference to them, but I don't blame them: in fact, these Swedes are one of the most peculiar bands to have emerged in recent years, at least when speaking of depressive black metal. The music starts from depressive black metal, there's no doubt about it, but the band distances itself from this genre to lean more towards depressive rock, with strong post-punk, rock, pop (yes, pop), and other influences; primarily, there are strong influences from the Cure (at least that's what I hear).

Released in 2008, this is the latest album from Lifelover so far, as is normal the most mature of the three ("Pulver" - "Erotik" - "Konkurs"), if not perhaps the one where the depressive black metal roots are felt the most.

"Konkurs" (translated Bankruptcy) is a perfect mix of the ferocity of "Pulver" (if it can be defined as ferocious, but certainly in their discography it is the most ferocious) and the melancholy of "Erotik," but it surpasses both "Pulver" and "Erotik."

The opening of the album is tasked to "Shallow", featuring an intro that is truly heavy by Lifelover standards; moreover, "Konkurs" is the work where vocals are present more than ever, let's just say, screamed, although tortured might be a more appropriate term. Vocals that further enhance the depressive aura that this record exudes, although I admit that singing of this type is certainly not new in the depressive field.

"Mental Central Dialog" another noteworthy track, is undoubtedly one of the best on the record, with a stunning ambient ending of about a minute: among the saddest, indeed, at the risk of repeating myself excessively, the most depressive of "Konkurs."

But for me, it is around the middle that the album reaches the peak of its expressiveness and quality, with songs like the gem "Stangt p.g.a. Semester", the instrumental "Original" and "Mitt Annexia" - by the way a curious title, considering "mitt annexia" means "my wing" and the subtitle of this song is "hospital annexia," and here I reconnect to the topic I brought up at the beginning of the review.

A band truly worth listening to, as they had already demonstrated previously with "Pulver," as they reiterated with "Erotik," and as they confirmed with "Konkurs," and accessible somewhat to anyone unlike pure depressive black metal. Obviously essential for enthusiasts, recommended to those who want to get closer to Lifelover.