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Rating:
8.4 |
Lifelover - Konkurs
15 October 2008
01. Shallow
02. Mental Central Dialog
03. Brand
04. Cancertid
05. Konvulsion
06. Twitch
07. Narcotic Devotion
08. Alltid - Aldrig
09. Stängt p.g.a Semester
10. Original
11. Bitter Reflektion
12. Mitt Annexia
13. Spiken I Kistan
14. En Tyst Minut
Lifelover are back with a new album, their third release "Konkurs" ("Bankruptcy"). After the shift in mood from sardonically happy on "Pulver" to urban sickness on "Erotik", it would not have been a surprise if they would have changed again, but not this time. "Konkurs" largely follows the path laid out on "Erotik". Once again Lifelover delivers an album that will divide the Black metal crowd into those that love it and see a certain depravity in the music, and those who hate it and think that Lifelover are nothing but a bunch of overrated necro Coldplay/Joy Division wannabees.
While there is reason in either side's argument, I'm without doubt on the side of the lovers. Pulver was a massive surprise for me and my favourite album of them to date, while Erotik was a bit harder to get into but also more straight-forward in darkness. So now there is Konkurs which follows where Erotik left off and so the big question is: have they surpassed Erotik? I'll be honest and direct: no. In my opinion Konkurs is not as good as Erotik. But it is still a great album, without doubt worthy of your time and money.
All ingredients are present again; the poppish riffs under a layer of distortion, the demented spoken vocals and pained shrieks, the surreal crystal clear starry piano parts, the horribly-wrong-but-still-fitting samples, everything's present. Some songs or parts of songs are so obviously bad, with ill-chosen samples or painfully bad clean singing, that they become part of the sound after a couple of spins. The production is lighter than on Erotik, though still with a touch of density. At first this album may sound inconsistent, but keep putting effort into it and in the end it'll all flow together in one sixty-minute symphony of sickness.
As I said, Konkurs is in my opinion not better than Erotik or Pulver. But those albums benefited largely from their unique sound, while this album is a continuation of that sound. At first I worried that this band would become a very inconsistent, overrated band or that they would develop a certain formula and bore us to death with another eight similar albums, but for both worries, it does not seem likely. Konkurs is a worthy follow-up and a new chapter in the life of the unique entity that is Lifelover.
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Performance:
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8 |
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Songwriting:
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8 |
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Originality:
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8 |
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Production:
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7 |
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Written on 21.11.2008 by
Lucas
If you're interested in extreme, often emotional and underground music, check out my reviews. I retired from reviewing, but I really used to be into that stuff.
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Comments
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Quote:
that Lifelover are nothing but a bunch of overrated necro Coldplay/Joy Division wannabees.
And then to think that I already think of those two bands as immensely overrated 
So imagine how I view Lifelover 
I'd better till I find this one in sales bin for a measly 3 euro before buying it  |
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 Elio - 21.11.2008 at 17:11
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| Never listened to them, but I'm recently getting into Depressive Black, thanks to Shining...could be interesting... |
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| This is my first Lifelover stuff even I got some songs from their previous ones. Not sure if that is Coldplay/Joy Division traits, but I like the way they handle keyboard/piano in their music, not only in this one but also their previous 2. |
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 Lucas - 21.11.2008 at 17:19
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| It's not really Coldplay/Joy Division vibes musically, but a similar vibe imo. (though much darker and more black metal). |
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Written by Lucas on 21.11.2008 at 17:19
...(though much darker and more black metal).
There I agree with you. I don't find Joy Division and Coldplay dark at all. To me they are as dark as an average sunny day on the Maldives. |
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Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.11.2008 at 17:26
Written by Lucas on 21.11.2008 at 17:19
...(though much darker and more black metal).
There I agree with you. I don't find Joy Division and Coldplay dark at all. To me they are as dark as an average sunny day on the Maldives.
Ahh so very true. Joy Division really are the most over rated band to emerge from punk... To think they stole the airwaves from the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Bauhaus. It's insulting! |
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Heh, reading last two posts together I got an impression that "darkness" of music would somehow imply its quality 
as for the this release, I didn't find it very exciting, although maybe I was just distracted by the vocals that tend to get quite annoying sometimes. I also agree that the Joy Division comparison is invalid but that has nothing to do with being dark or not IMO. Joy Division is just different. |
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Oh lord no, darker doesn't mean better (my guilty secret is a liking to what people on here are now calling flower metal ^^) but I hold to my statement that Joy Division were about as musically talented as a spoon.
I think I'll buy this album, i've had the myspace on repeat for a good hour now whilst working and it's making me grin with its hystrionics. Me likey. |
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Well... Joy Divison also had the Kurt Cobain effect before it existed so that is why they are overrated.
I can definitely relate to having "urban sickness" but it must be different out there in Sweden. Any band that wants to be inspired to write music describing how awful it is to live in an urban area should come here... worked well for Deadsoul Tribe, check out "Goodbye City Life", very distraught.
Overall very good review Lucas! |
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Written by Introspekrieg on 22.11.2008 at 02:29
I can definitely relate to having "urban sickness" but it must be different out there in Sweden. Any band that wants to be inspired to write music describing how awful it is to live in an urban area should come here...
I also can imagine that thing. Now I live in Norrköping that is a town with just 125 000 people. But for about 4 years ago I was in Santiago [capital of chile] with around 7 million people as far as I know... And Damn... that's a huge fucking stress
Back on topic, this guys don't disspoint me and I alsways like what they've done so far... So crazy and wrong. Love it. |
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It's very hard for me to get into this band. I had tried a lot of times but they don't completely satisfy me, although I'm really interested in the style they play. I only know their new stuff from myspace, but I'll get my hands in this album to see what happens. What is clear is that they're something unique in the black metal scene.
@Mr. Doctor: talking about this "urban sickness", with which you associate Santiago, I agree that this can be by times a pretty nasty place, especially inside the grey, neverending winter haze, but I still think this is such an underrated city; it becomes a really lovely place with the beginning of summer. Completely clear skies, clean air (yes, smog only last until september since the new regulations), warm weather but not that much neither to make it uncomfortable, the beautiful view of the Andes above you, a great subway system that makes it easy to reach most of the city (except for those who live in the suburbs - like me), longer days... even nightlife had been turning great these last years, and remember that we had been called for centuries the most boring place at the southern hemisphere hehe. |
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Written by Southern Wind on 23.11.2008 at 00:59
@Mr. Doctor: talking about this "urban sickness", with which you associate Santiago, I agree that this can be by times a pretty nasty place, especially inside the grey, neverending winter haze, but I still think this is such an underrated city; it becomes a really lovely place with the beginning of summer. Completely clear skies, clean air (yes, smog only last until september since the new regulations), warm weather but not that much neither to make it uncomfortable, the beautiful view of the Andes above you, a great subway system that makes it easy to reach most of the city (except for those who live in the suburbs - like me), longer days... even nightlife had been turning great these last years, and remember that we had been called for centuries the most boring place at the southern hemisphere hehe.
Oh well.. I agree with you. Santiago has grown a lot... I was there for about 2 years ago. Unfortunately it was winter but I could feel that the town was better. The Andes has always been a highlight for me, specially on winter. And the subway is very easy to use. When I visited Stockholm I was like "wtf?" ... really difficult @___@
My problem is the heat since my family has a lot of problems with migraine. and the heat feels twice as horrible. But I still love the city and the people... and the biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig stores.
Ok.. now back on topic. I heard some samples recently and they are not bad IMO, but damn... Pulver put my expectantions really high. |
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| Perfect''fall asleep´´ music, just lovely and soothing^^ |
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