Lifelover - Erotik review
| Band: | Lifelover |
| Album: | Erotik |
| Style: | Post-punk, Depressive black metal |
| Release date: | February 24, 2007 |
| A review by: | Lucas |
01. Förspel & Intrång
02. Sweet Illness Of Mine
03. I Love (To Hurt) You
04. En Man I Sina Sämsta År
05. Dödens Landsväg
06. Välkommen Till Pulvercity
07. Saltvatten (Du + Jag VS. Tellus)
08. Besatt
09. Höstdepressioner
10. Humörets Bottenvåning
11. Museum Of Past Affections
12. Nitlott
Quite fast after the release of their debut album, Lifelover returned with another piece of twisted sickness, this time entitled "Erotik". Before its release the band had announced that they had incorporated clean vocals and the fans where fearing that Lifelover would 'sell out' and take a less controversial musical direction.
Nothing could be less true. With "Erotik", Lifelover has taken another huge step towards complete insanity. The riffs have lost their uplifting touch from the debut, and have instead gained in grimness. The sound is dense and suffocating, and the vocalist seems to have lost all hope and control. He screams, moans, cries and pukes as if only insanity can bring him redemption. And the promised clean vocals are indeed given. At first, they may sound totally misplaced and strange, but after a couple of listenings you'll get used to them. On their own, the clean vocals are dreadful and utterly horrible, but in this twisted theater they are stars of the show. So do yourself a favour and don't discard this album at first sight, but give it a couple of listenings to get used to it and let it slowly infect you.
In general, the atmosphere of the debut sounds rather 'joyful' at times, and that was a pretty sick release in itself. To experience the downfall of society one should listen to "Erotik" and call in sick at work for the rest of the week. Sickness has taken a new direction and those who fall behind, are left behind!
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 9 |
 | Written on 03.02.2008 by 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. |
Comments
Comments: 19
Visited by: 192 users
| HardSide Posts: 381 |
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427  |
Written by HardSide on 03.02.2008 at 21:21 Friendly?!?! How the hell can you think of this one as friendly? If you would consider "Pulver" friendly, I would disagree but could at least imagine someone regarding it as friendly, but for "Erotik". Heeeeeell no.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| HardSide Posts: 381 |
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427 |
Written by HardSide on 03.02.2008 at 21:26 I don't care if we disagree. You can think about this album whatever you want to think of it. All I can say is that I would never think of it in terms like "friendly". (And I know now you didn't mean that).
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what? "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| Damnated Churchburner Posts: 4943  |
although Lifelover really grew on me, this album just isn't a 9. and it isn't that sick and twisted. also i can't stop saying that this band sounds very much like Coldplay. they have the same spontaneous brilliance. Lifelover is a tad sicker though  overall i agree that this album is really good. but it needs a mood. sometimes i can't stand it.
---- Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men.  Written by TheBigRossowski on 10.02.2009 at 16:01
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427 |
Written by Damnated on 03.02.2008 at 22:48 They may have some Coldplay references but they dont 'sound like coldplay'. Thats ridiculous. I personally rate it on the same level as Pulver, except that I like Pulver more due to personal taste. And when I'm in the mood for this thing, its the best there is.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what? "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| Fucked Upstairs. Account deleted |
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023  |
I haven't heard this album, but Pulver was a bit to raw for my taste (the raw parts was), so I don't know if I'll check it out. Anyway, if anybody wants translations to the Swedish songtitles just PM me 
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427 |
Written by [user id=26778] on 03.02.2008 at 23:02 Lyrics? I take it you are talking about 'songwriting'? I meant the actual songs with that, not the lyrics. I'd like some lyrics too. 
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what? "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427 |
Written by Spyroid on 03.02.2008 at 23:05 PM sent.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what? "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| Damnated Churchburner Posts: 4943 |
Written by Lucas on 03.02.2008 at 23:00 i hear the same sickness in Coldplay
---- Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men. Written by TheBigRossowski on 10.02.2009 at 16:01
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| TOUGHEST MEMBER Posts: 3626  |
Very nice cover. This band, all their pictures on T shirt or CD covers is so tranquil
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
I just downloaded this album and so far I'm liking it. For some reason it sounds like an amalgamation of Katatonia's entire career on one disc, but I could be wrong I guess hehe.
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| W-Lash Metal Master Posts: 2531  |
I can't really understand what do you find so depressive and sick in this music. After some recommendations I tried few songs by Lifelover but they weren't any good.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by W-Lash on 05.03.2008 at 15:15 I totally agree. To me it just comes across as top-40 pop music with some blackish iunfluences.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262 |
The spoken passages are really starting to annoy me, and if it wasn't for that I would also rate it a 9.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
Written by Dangerboner on 05.03.2008 at 13:02 The fist time I read this... I laughed hard. But now that I'm a fan of the band... I really see some touches that remains me of Katatonia. Specially the guitarr sound, ok... not that katatonia has a raw sound but when the guitarr turns melodic and doing some kind of solo [like the beginning of "Sweet illness of mine"] it really remains me of that psychodelic sound that Katatonia has. Well... that's my opinion though. ______ I listened this album for the first time today. Really good stuff.... Not as good as Pulver. But both albums have different atmosphere so maybe that's why. I really missed the screams, they added a brutal touch on the debut. But then again... the albums are different. But something that I found really good is that they used the piano a lot more than the debut... and they used it brilliantly imo.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| TheBigRossowski Posts: 1357  |
Written by Dangerboner on 05.03.2008 at 13:02 I'm listening to this album for the first time. After hearing Pulver, something didn't quite hold me, but it was nonetheless interested. Now I find Erotik more interesting and like Lucas wrote, a bit more grim. It's definitely fresh, weird... but fresh. Post-black metal, who would have thought it? EDIT: Haha, I quoted you for a reason, but I somehow forgot to WRITE that. I hear that, a lot of early Katatonia groove. It definitely has that same atmosphere like they used to have. Dude, fuck...I'm living by the standards of Dudeism, your 101 rules of Metalstormers, AND I'm an American. I REALLY need to look up "amalgamation" though... lol. In context it's understood, but I have lost all meaning of the word.
---- That rug really tied the room together, did it not? 
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| Marcus Doit Like Bernie Posts: 642  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 05.03.2008 at 15:20 Thought the same thing, still kind of do, but it comes across as way darker coupled with the lyrics at least.
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