ITP REVIEW: LIFELOVER: DEKADENS

BAND: LIFELOVER (STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN) GENRE: DSBM (DEPRESSIVE/SUICIDAL BLACK METAL/ROCK) LABEL: OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS/AVANT GARDE MUSIC RELEASE DATE: 10/8/09
PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG):
KONKURS (2008-AVANT GARDE MUSIC), EROTIK (2007-TOTAL HOLOCAUST), PULVER (2006-GOATOWAREX), DEMO
(2005)







BEST RELEASE: EROTIK (2007)

TRACKLISTING: LIFELOVER: DEKADENS (MCD):
01. Luguber Framtid
02. Myspys
03. Major Fuck Off
04. Lethargy
05. Androider
06. Visdomsord
07. Destination: Ingenstans

ITP RATING: *** 1/2 PRODUCTION: *** 1/2 SONGWRITING: *** 1/2 PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2 The DSBM genre is an enigmatic one indeed. DEPRESSIVE SUICIDAL BLACK METAL is a sub genre that omits the more thrashier elements of black metal for rock and ambient soundscapes often keeping either the black metal vocals or the black metal aesthetic. DSBM's lyrical themes trade the satanic, anti christian ideals for that of suicide, death, depression, and hate. After being floored from the earlier depressive tones of DSBM projects MAKE A CHANGE KILL YOURSELF and HYPOTHERMIA, I've decided to investigate further into this enigmantic sub genre via Stockhlom Sweden's LIFELOVER whom were founded in 2005. LIFELOVER's latest release DEKADENS (MCD) is a more varied, minimalistic effort of dare I say it heavier depressive black metal elements, shoe gazer rock with the usual tortured, dramatic rasps. LIFELOVER's DEKADENS opens with the track entitled "Lugeber Framtid", seemingly familiar territory for LIFELOVER with the depressive rock tones, tortured, (and I mean fucking tortured like a man crying before his last breath) black metal rasps, and raw production. "MySpys" enters with shoe gazer, depressive rock as ( ) and B's vocals are wonderfully significant, tortured rasps of insanity, in fact this is the kicker. LIFELOVER's vocals, are the way we feel, in not a tuneful scream, but the whimper of depression, a man on the verge of insanity with black metal's most fragile musical soundscapes, minimalistic within it's punky roots. At 2:42 "Myspy's" up's the ante with a heavier dynamic and the insanity continues, as if the most depressed person was arguing the point of life in his/her choice. "Major Fuck Off" washes over the listener with a mesmerizing, minimalistic black metal riff, tortured vocals and footsteps as it's better to walk off, after telling every one to "fuck off". "Lethragy" returns LIFELOVER to it's melodic depressive black rock sounds, with minimal use of vocals, and a heavier hard rock sound. "Androider", again rocks out in the familiar depressive shoe gazer direction, taking the melodic route, the irony of how up beat LIFELOVER can be with a tortured vocals. Untill 2:27 when "Androider" takes a dramatic depressive turn with spoken word vocals and shoe gazer instrumentation, adding an awesome dramatic atmosphere with lightly tinkered piano leading to a melancholy ending. "VisdomSord" seeps in with a slow, mesmerizing, melancholy atmosphere and a lightly tinkered off tune piano. An instrumental depressive shoe gazer tune, in it's isolated feeling of being too far away, with no connection to humanity other than the phone. LIFELOVER's DEKADENS closes with the track "Destination: Ingenstans" as the tune opens with bright rock, and sarcastic spoken word, until :55 where "Destination: Ingenstans" takes a psychedelic melancholic turn into some raging rock/ metal.. However, like a bi polar suicide, "Destination: Ingenstans" mood turns depressive and at 2:29 () cries out the most tortured pleas over slow, beautiful, melodic balladry, and then at 3:34 () SCREAMS.......... One could only wonder what happened to this tortured soul portrayed so well and this dramatic ending as only LIFELOVER leaves the suspense to the listener. LIFELOVER's DEKADENS is varied effort of schizophrenic metallic chaos and shoe gazer depressive, blackened tones. Perhaps some LIFELOVER fans will be disappointed in the extremes of metallic rock vs. shoegazer as the the up beat rock tones were unexpected. I prefer LIFELOVER's more minimalistic black elements with depressive shoe gazer. Bi Polar in it's delivery, dramatic in it's execution, DEKEDENS (MCD) is a more than adequate hold over until LIFELOVER's next epic, depressive opus. Honestly, I can barely wait until LIFELOVER delves into darkest depths of the human depressive, psyche..Until the next suicide....

ITP RATING: *** 1/2

PRODUCTION: *** 1/2

SONGWRITING: *** 1/2

PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2


Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-