Pulver

After having delved into the realm of depressive suicidal black metal with mostly more underground bands, I decided to give some of the more popular bands a shot. One artist I often saw being called one of the best artists within DSBM was Lifelover, especially this album, Pulver was mentioned as one of the most defining works within the genre.

Once I finally got around to listening to Pulver, I was immediately hooked by the opener, ‘Nackskott.’ It is melodic, fast-paced, and somewhat groovy. My excitement was sustained throughout the song, until the very end when a sample from Emil i Lönnerberga is played. I am generally a fan of samples being used in metal, but if used improperly can ruin a song. The sample here completely took all of the momentum out of the song, and would’ve been much better if left without it. The next track ‘M/s Salmonella’ helped regain my lost enjoyment of the album, but halfway through the third track I was starting to get bored.

I had decided to listen to the entire album, so that was what I was going to do, but when there was around 15 minutes left, I was wishing for it to soon be over. My main gripe is the fact that the music gets quite boring very fast. Some riffs grab my attention as soon as they are introduced, but after a few seconds already become stale, while others are uninteresting right from the get go. Even if a song has some potential, it is ruined by abrupt use of samples that kill everything a song has going for itself. If all the samples had been cut, and the songs were allowed to flow into each other, this album would’ve been more enjoyable. Some of this will also be due to the album’s length being reduced. The interlude in the middle of the album, ‘Avbrott Sex’ also does nothing for the album except just being there. A lot of songs also just slow down abruptly, which does nothing for them.

Pulver is in a way baby’s first DSBM, as the blend of black metal and rock makes it very accessible to a wider audience. I can’t even see this being a gateway into DSBM, and if you’re already into the genre, this album is utterly worthless. It lacks all the things that make depressive black metal good, and isn’t similar to a lot of other DSBM, so it wouldn’t help anyone trying to get into the genre. Lifelover is definitely one of the most overrated metal artists in general, especially in recent times with a wave of younger fans getting into them and thinking of Lifelover as the only good DSBM band. The only alright song on the album is the opener, and even that song gets old very fast.

This is the most boring and pointless DSBM release I’ve ever heard, and I really can’t understand why it is praised so much. This album does nothing that a DSBM album should, to not even talk about black metal in general. At best this album is mediocre metal, and that is only one of the songs, and at worst this is downright terrible and worthless.

Shortly after their 2005 promo, the Swedish depressive black metal band Lifelover would go on to release their first studio album in 2006, Pulver. This led to a cult following toward the band, and Lifelover pretty much cemented themselves in DSBM history forever. However, it didn't happen quickly; in fact, it was more of a walk outside on a bleak Monday morning. Let's start the review.

One reason why some people turned away from Lifelover was because of their sound. Lifelover's sound is hard to describe on this album, and, fuck it, every other album by them, it really is. Sometimes, it's near-impossible for me to tell what genre some songs are- are they really DSBM? Sometimes, their songs sound gloomy, as in Stockholm and MS Salmonella. Sometimes, they evoke a feeling of false or fucked up joy, as in Nackskott. However, I can't get enough of it. There's something pretty about the mix of their sound and disturbing lyrics that sound like a nightmare when mixed together, but end up being perfection when played by the band members such as Kim Carlsson, Jonas Bergqvist, and others.

The vocals are pretty good. They're not the run-of-the-mill screams and shrieks. Well, okay, sometimes they are, but Kim's voice is a good one for this album. He can manipulate it beyond recognition. His vocals sound like they belong in post-punk/pop songs, but the melodies of the songs here are just that. They fit like a puzzle piece. Not much more to say.

The instruments and the melodies are fucking perfect. They can get stuck in your head quickly, as in Mitt Oppna Oga, Nackskott, and Karlek - Becksvart Melankoli, and can be dark, such as in Sondag, Stockholm, and Herrens Hand. They evoke the feelings of isolation, depression, and gloom amazingly. That's all I have to say for Pulver, and I'd highly recommend this album to start your DSBM journey.

Lifelover is widely regarded as one of the major influences behind depressive black metal and spawned out of Sweden in 2005. They then released four albums before one of the band members, B, died due to an accidental overdose, then after that, they performed one last live before disbanding. This album is most thought of as the driving force behind depressive black metal and conceived as their best album by many people. This is an album that really stands out, and not just because of the album cover (R.I.P. Eleanor).

The instrumentation on this album is pretty sorrowful and a bit melancholy. What they play is relatively simple too, but it is still pretty good and well done. This is shown perfectly with the drums. They aren't very complex and are actually electronic drums compared to an actual acoustic kit. I love the way they arrange the very simple chords and rhythm on this album. I also enjoy the tone that they achieved for the guitars on this album. Ranging from slightly overdriven, to high gain distortion, to purely clean guitars. The guitars also at some times, have some chugging and heavy riffs. The drumming isn't really anything extraordinary, but still pretty well executed throughout the album. Vocals on this album are very harsh as if coming from the depths of a tormented soul. They are similar to black metal vocals but very sad sounding and with more growling and a sort of crying sound. They convey a ton of emotion through this album and perfectly fit the moniker of depressive black metal. The lyrics on this album are kind of odd and out of place and talk about very random topics, but they are fine overall.

If you are looking to get into Lifelover or depressive black metal, this is the perfect album to listen to and I highly recommend it. It fits up to the depressive black metal title by having sad sounding chords, rhythms, and melody, that builds to the atmosphere.

This album is pretty good overall and well loved for good reason and I'm glad this album gets the respect it deserves. Pulver has definitely influenced depressive black metal as a whole in an overwhelming positive way.

-R.I.P. B and Eleanor.

Lifelover was a Swedish band that took the sounds of black metal and rock music and combine them to create a sound that really is quite unique. At the time, the band was mostly constructed of B (R.I.P.) and ( ) with 1983 providing additional vocals and lyrics. The sound was certainly centered mostly around black metal but the elements of rock music really do add a bit of a catchy aspect to the album's dark sound. More often than not, Lifelover is usually classified with the DSBM (depressive suicidal black metal) bands. With lyrical themes such as depression and drug use, this is definitely a justified comparison. Musically speaking, this album is definitely a musical representation of depression.

So, in terms of instrumentation, the album starts off in a great direction and really doesn't deviate away from high-quality songwriting. "Nackskott" is the opener and features some very bouncy, catchy riffs but when you take the agonizing vocals into consideration, this makes for a far more dissonant and depressing (yes, I'm using that word quite a bit here) tune. The vocals are very important in crafting a dark abyss of pure emotion. At times, it sounds as if these vocalists are being tortured by their own despair. "M/S Salmonella" is the following track and already, I'd say it's the album's crowning gem. It's pure gold in the form of black metal. The riffs are simplistic in nature, which is the case with this style of music, but highly effective and absolutely radioactive with emotion. Even the instrumental piece “Avbrott sex” retains this haunting, tortured style without incorporating the use of vocals. In addition, tracks such as "Kärlek - Becksvart Melankoli" incorporate pianos heavier than others but such is the case with a great deal of Lifelover tracks, the piano definitely plays a key role.

It's easy to see why this album is so highly regarded in the black metal community. Lifelover is usually associated with the DSBM bands and, lyrical content aside, they seem to be one of the more unique bands in an already amazing genre of extreme metal. This is a very short review, I'm aware, but I had to throw in my two cents where it was deemed appropriate. It's a shame that Lifelover is no more, and B was definitely a mastermind for the style.

Lifelover was formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2005 by B and () (Kim Carlsson of Hypothermia fame.) Their style is hard to place exactly. There are strong elements of black metal in their music, but also shoegaze and even alternative rock. Lyrically, these songs investigate topics such as depression, suicide, misery, and drug addiction. A lot of people seem to put them in the DSBM (depressive suicidal black metal) category, but I don’t believe they truly fit here. Generally, DSBM has more of a "white noise" type sound. By this, I mean the instruments all sort of blend together to help create this impenetrable wall of white noise, evident on releases such as Xasthur's "Telepathic With the Dead". See the track "Slaughtered Useless Beings in a Nihilistic Dream" if you want a better idea of what I'm talking about. Lifelover don't really get this sort of white noise-esque sound in their music, which is one reason why I find it hard to just call them DSBM.

This is their debut full length album, released on the Australian label Goatwarex. Lifelover’s main points for me have always been the guitars and the vocals. The vocals were done by three of the four members - (), B, and 1853, with B and () handling the instrumental side and 1853 and LR handling the lyrics. The vocals are nothing short of tortured. This band manages to convey misery and suffering better than anything I’ve ever heard, and I think that that fits perfectly with Lifelover’s music and message.

This album has some truly amazing riffs, some of my favourites being from "Nackskott" and "M/S Salmonella". The black metal influence in the guitars shines through in "Nackskott", especially with that intro riff. The guitars fit the atmosphere very well, often heavily distorted. Another great thing about Lifelover are their use of clean guitars to offset the distortion. These passages lend to the sometimes drastic atmosphere changes within the album. They also can sometimes help to set a somber tone better than the distortion could.

Overall, this album is a melancholic masterpiece. It is everything depressive music is supposed to be. It embodies depression, sadness, hatred, darkness, and misery, showing you that life is futile and not worth living.

The very first time I heard Lifelover’s music I could sense that they are a very spontaneous band. Spontaneity is a crucial ingredient to any form of art, but it seems like Lifelover has almost perfected the spontaneous elements in their music.

The best word to describe this album would be “fun”. Lifelover is having fun, the listener is having fun and the music is constantly very basic, but still very effective. On most of the tracks there are simple guitar riffs and palm mutes which are combined with tormented voices, screaming and sarcastic lyrics. Keyboards play an imminent part throughout the whole album and it creates a very strong theatrical atmosphere. This theatrical atmosphere is filled with dark humour and depression. For example - the music on “Vardagsnytt” is quite silly (yet, still very good) and has a very sarcastic atmosphere; then follows the mysterious “Avbrott sex” which is an instrumental track that contains music with a very dark aura. “Stockholm” is also quite a depressing track filled with anguish and despair. It is clear that the band is addressing the everyday reality of life which is filled with both depressing and fun moments. They combine both of these into a very creative mix that will make fans listen to this album over and over again.

There are a lot of experimental elements thrown into the mix. On “Stockholm” one of the band members keeps whistling in the background. On some of the other tracks you can hear noises in the background that sounds like gunfire and people screaming and then there are also samples of children singing. These experimental elements combine very well with the anguished screaming of the vocalist. Overall, I think it is quite difficult to describe the genre that the band plays. On some tracks it sounds like straightforward experimental depressive rock and on other tracks it sounds like pseudo-dark ambient music. This proves that the band is constantly broadening their horizons and redefining their musical perspectives and the general aesthetical concepts that go with it.

I can’t help to listen to this album and then after a few days come back to it again. This album contains a very down-to-earth kind of atmosphere filled with dark fun.

“Pulver” is the second Lifelover recording out of six. Originally released in 2006 as their first full-length, it features B playing guitars, bass and piano, ( ) providing vocals and guitars, plus 1853 performing additional vocals; everyone of them also provided speechs throughout the song, and the whole band along with LR wrote the lyrics.

"Pulver" is actually a masterpiece of innovation in the musical world, creating in my opinion a new genre, made up mainly by different kinds of vocals combining through the songs (speechs, screams, shrieks and clean vocals), brilliant melodies often played by acoustic and/or electric guitars with the help of some piano notes, and swaps from acoustic to electric music. The opener Nackskott is a clear example of Lifelover's style: a somehow happy, acoustic guitar melody takes the song into ( )'s screams, only to take back the former acoustic melody, which then fades into a heavy, electric part in which ( )'s vocals keep on changing from harsh to clean. This pattern is followed by Vardagsnytt too, an even "happier" song (there would be much to say about Lifelover's approach to life, which is evident even just by comparing the name of the band, the music, the lyrics and the band members themselves!) which features low voices along with a brilliant guitar melody, ending into a solo in the end, another time made up by five or six notes sapiently repeated.

Stockholm is even greater: an acoustic guitar melody takes the listener to the point in which the drum machine starts to accompany ( )'s awesome clean vocals, which are then substituted by a whistled melody and another acoustic part, which bursts out into a heavy electric guitar part. Lastly, I would talk about M/S Salmonella, in which the electric guitar melody is aided by few brilliant piano notes; ( )'s voice explore yet another field, with some screams closely related to black metal.

Lifelover's devotion to piano melodies is clear in songs like Medicinmannen, in which B's piano directs the whole track, accompanied by guitar melodies and a long speech in the background, or like the brilliant Kärlek - Becksvart Melankoli, opened by an awesome piano solo, then reached by a clear guitar and some catchy keyboard notes; the song actually, as always in Lifelover's masterpieces, at some point changes into a different mood: ( )'s desperate raw vocals transform the peaceful piano tune into a track devoted to suffering (note the title: Kärlek - Becksvart Melankoli, "love - pitch black melancholy"!), which then resolves itself into another two minutes of great acoustic and instrumental tunes.

Lifelover's lyrics, almost entirely in Swedish, are pure masterpieces, and they will even progress throughout the years (in "Konkurs" and "Sjukdom" they are, to me, unbelievably inspired and touching); they deal with some deep and difficult themes such as anxiety, agoraphobia, drugs, misery and urban alienation, as one can see, for instance, in Stockholm, whose lyrics are related to that argument, or in the apparently happy Vardagsnytt, which can be translated as "everyday news" and talks about Stockholm's dark, desperate side: "jag sitter här, stilla och tyst i gammal misär / solen går ner utanför mitt skitiga fönster [...] staden skall åter gå till sömn i väntan på en ny gryning, en ny dag / i väntan på det oundvikliga" - something like "here I sit, still and quiet in old misery / the sun goes down outside my dirty window [...] the town will once again fall asleep, waiting for another dawn, a new day / waiting for the unavoidable". I have found Lifelover's lyrics - in all of their albums - truely touching and emotional, and since English translations can be found everywhere I would suggest to everyone to read carefully what they are singing about. It will surely be a pleasant experience.

"Pulver" is, to me, one of the best albums of the last years, and its variety is so wide that it can not be included into one or more genres: we have black metal, acoustic piano music, clean vocals mixed up with speechs, screams and growls, electric and acoustic guitars combined and many other kinds of music which is useless to expand upon. Lifelover's genius, managed by B's insane amounts of creativity (his death in 2011 is to me one of the worst losses ever in the musical world), emerges in a pure way on "Pulver", a way which will still evolve in the next albums, gaining more "heavy" and electric sounds on "Dekadens" and "Sjukdom", or more instrumental melodies on "Erotik"; thus, "Pulver" is highly recommended to virtually anyone since its songs are one more beautiful than the other, greatly different and featuring dozens of astonishing, innovative, extremely catchy melodies.

Pulver is perhaps the most futile of albums to critique, since it's hard to believe anyone of the male (or possibly female) persuasion could tear their eyes away from its interesting cover image long enough to read something pertaining to the musical contents, but it's not as if anyone could really blame them. The cover is striking on more than just a sexual level, and I'm sure it didn't hurt the Swedes' chances with this interesting if flawed proposition of hybrid sounds. Basically, Lifelover mix the driving, desperate melodic doom of a Katatonia with tortured, wandering vocals courtesy of the enigmatic ( ) (see also Hypothermia) that best represent the depressive black metal schemata, and through this they drive the stakes of earthy folk and rock influences, with some even more interesting curve balls in store for those willing to delve deep inside its unusual depths.

Pulver opens with two of its strongest songs, so the attraction is very quickly felt for what the band is attempting to create on their debut. "Nackskott" favors a meandering, surf/folk guitar line above which ( ) introduces you to his surly and characteristic pain, scraping a number of registers until the intense bridge of the track which most closely resembles black metal. The track ends with a sample of what I'd assume to be a child's TV theme or folk song in Swedish, creating this unusual disparity. Following is "MS Salmonella" with its driving melodic doom chords and piano overlays (a trick this band will consistently manifest on later work like the strikingly similar "Shallow" from the excellent third album Konkurs). One doesn't really expect the gunshot and screaming samples to erupt into a Celtic Frost groove, but there it is, and thus closes the most consistently impressive chapter of this record.

Apart from these, I was greatly enamored of "Söndag", deeper into the track list, a circular melodic doom track which channels a simplistic Paradise Lost pattern of chords into blissful hopelessness, ( ) careening over its wide channels of sorrow like a galleon of distorted emotions. The lush piano intro to "Kärlek - Becksvart Melankoli" is waylaid by another driving sequence of cleaner guitars, nearly silent programmed drumming and extremely angst-ridden vocals, but it at least offers a few moments of potential. There are also a pair of intriguing interludes found in the roiling, evil noise swells of "Medicamannen" which are offset by the folk and conversational samples, and the turbulent funeral ambient tones of "Avbrott Sex", a melancholic piano striking out across them as if you weren't already creeped out enough. "Stockholm" is another track to use the surf-like, bouncing folk guitars and some delicious, subversive bass, so add this one in the plus category, and the acoustic/piano fusion of "Herrens Hand" is soothing and strange with its samples.

Sadly, the remainder of the effort is not so compelling. "Mitt Öppna Öga" starts off with a decent melodic thrust, but once the sex samples arrive the track has already played out its interesting nature and becomes sour. "Vardagsnytt" bounces along with some of the sillier vocals on the record, but the chord pattern below is bare of any essential atmosphere or patterns. "Nästa Gryning" goes for a dreamy sequence, the vocals ringing out distantly across Romantic parlor tricks in the clean chord selection, but ultimately fails to thrill me despite the 6:25 minutes it spends trying, and the closer "En Sång Om Dig" is a slovenly wreck that might have just been clipped from the recordings and none would be at any loss whatsoever. Other complaints I've heard are with the production, but I must disagree there. The tinny silence of the drum beats is a delightful counterbalance for the thicker broth of emotional range created through the vocals and dirty guitar tones, and the lo-fi quality is welcome as it is with many more traditional black metal acts.

Pulver was a unique experience for its day, but one that Lifelover has consistently trumped with the rest of their output. Considering the experimental attitude of the band, it surprises me just how much of this debut I do hear in the later Konkurs. Then again, the band were on a spree of one album per year so the smaller, natural evolutionary steps make sense, and the wealth of this style had yet to be shaken from their collective systems. I truly enjoy 2-3 of these songs, namely "Nackskott" and "Söndag", and they are not without interesting companions here, but enough of the material drags its feet on the bottom that the album has difficulty finding a smooth current to sail. It's an intriguing vessel to visit, but I rarely feel the urge to stay aboard for long.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I looked for this album for a long time after reading and hearing all the hype around this band. Also judging from the high scores "Pulver" got here on Metal Archives, I thought I would be facing a masterpiece of originality.

Was I wrong...

This was supposed to be some great mix between black metal and pop music, and all I got to listen to was some uninteresting gothlike metal with weird vocals. And this is the main problem I have with Lifelover, all their ideas have already been done in a much better way by other bands. And this impression keeps building up throughout the entire album.

Although the guitars remain slightly noisy in a black metal way, and the vocals are weird and wacky, you don't get much more black metal aspects. The songs are limited in too simple structures. This is usually the trademark of pop music, but where a band like Joy Division (cited by the band as an influence) manage to create great songs, Lifelover simply can not avoid being boring by repeating the same idea over and over again.

So yes, there is some nice piano melody from time to time, even a couple of good pop guitar melodies, but sadly that’s mostly it. The drums are generic at best and don’t bring anything worth mentioning. Same thing about the samples, they could bring an extra dimension to the songs but instead they get quite annoying, like in M/S Salmonella when the sample literally cuts the song in half for no particular reason.

Anyway, Pulver is ok if you are looking for a gift for your (not too picky) metal loving girlfriend or if you just want some not complicated background music, but if you want a more mature black/pop band, I would suggest you look for some Joyless albums or even some real pop music.

“Pulver” is one of those releases that creates an instantly lasting impression. Upon playing this for the first time I found this release totally mesmerising, it has been an album I have come back to time & time again. I would describe the sound as a combination of Cold Melancholic Rock & Suicidal Black Metal. Maybe how Bethlehem & Joy Division would sound doing a collaborative Katatonia cover. Remarkably strange & subtly twisted, rather than all out obvious weirdness.


As you give this more listens it becomes more apparent just how disturbing & truly sick this album is. The samples used make “Pulver” all the more uncomfortable & include Swedish Children’s television samples, porn, fairground type music, the sounds of a Child’s musical toys & spoken word. When bands delve into both the realms of Childhood & pervesity, there is just no way of avoiding the inevitable discomfort when listening. Lifelover pull this off to perfection & so the atmosphere is not only squalid but entrancing. There is also a sense of dark humour that is shadowing this release. Even looking at the first point of contact with the band; the name Lifelover, there is a sense of sarcasm. It is more than ironic when considering what sort of band this is (ie. a fucked up misanthropic freak of a band!!).


When I first heard Lifelover, the first opinion I had was that this is a truly unique band. At this time I had not heard Woods of Infinity. When playing “Ljuset” by Woods of Infinity I found the similarity between these two bands to be striking, even down to the type of samples used. It is slightly disappointing that Lifelover are not an originator of this sound, but still, “Pulver” is an instant classic & deserves this status within Underground Metal’s hall of fame.


The overall delivery of the music is expressive & richly textured, with a fairly low production. Harsh & hysterically screamed vocals are combined with, muttering, musings, whispers, angry retorts, & calm, cold singing. The guitar parts are mainly acoustic, & remain clean throughout. At times, the guitar melodies could be described as Pop, which when described in words sounds terrible but sounds shockingly good. The tracks are not generally super heavy or bassy but carry a heavy atmosphere that suggests the soul being stripped bare. The drumming is mid-tempo & features a use of cymbals which is complimentary to the sound. You won’t find raging blastbeats here, but then Lifelover are not about mindless brutality. There is also the addition of a piano to many tracks which add another layer of melancholy to this psychologically complex creation. The general approach has an dirty Urban feel to it & brings to mind all the darkness, chaos, confusion & perversity found in modern life.


Lifelover are honest, refreshing & mentally stimlating. I generally follow “True” Black Metal & can’t get enough of this album. Lifelover are not strictly Black Metal (nor have the band claimed to be any genre in particular), but they wrote one of the most promising debut albums of 2006! This is no time to worry about petty politics, just fucking get a copy!

"Until the day you die, you will always be ... SHIT" The final words of this amazing and unique album. Lifelover, whose name seems like a total contradiction to me, are a Depressive Rock band from Sweden. "Pulver" is the debut album which was released a year after forming through GoatowaRex.

This band are truly unique in every sense of the word. The vocals are somewhat Black Metal influenced, distorted screams which convey a total hatred towards society and life in general. But the music, as a whole, is a new concept to me. Although it takes elements of genres such as Black Metal, this is in no way a Black Metal album. The riffs are extremely catchy and sometimes reminiscent of some form of Indie/Pop music, but don't let that warn you off. At times, the guitar tones can be clear and then at other points they can be highly distorted to create the depressive atmosphere the band is trying to generate. The guitars play a very important role in setting this album apart from anything else you'll ever hear, as well as the vocals. You have your standard tremolo picking, reminiscent of Black Metal bands, but you also have your deviation from the norm. The drums and bass aren't especially important, although they do increase the atmosphere nature of the music. The addition of melancholic piano sections are crucial in setting the atmosphere and enhancing the overall depressive feel the music can convey. Although the music can have that sombre and downbeat sound to it, the catchy riffs have the ability of making this a far more enjoyable listen in terms of the emotive side the music generates for the listener. The production does allow the listener to focus of every instrument and the part it plays however, it can be rather hazy at times, but this is not a turn off whatsoever. The fact that it's not as polished as people may like, may deter people, but you have to keep the fact that this is a debut album in mind.

The most notable highlight for me is En Sång Om Dig.

First of all, this record almost deserves a 100 just for creating something out of the ordinary. This record may, as a result of this, not appeal to the average black metal fanatic expecting another "Panzerfaust" version 20001. Consequently, I am unsure wether this should be labeled black metal at all, as it draws influences from several different genres. The black metal influence is, in my opinion, more present in the mood, lyrics, atmosphere and attitude than in the actual riffing and song structuring. As for describing the music, it sounds a bit like The Cure meets Ved Buens Ende and Woods of Infinity with a touch of indie pop (Swedish Kent comes to mind, to be honest).


The album starts off with one of the better songs on the record; "Nackskott", telling quite an abstract story of alienation, disgust towards modern society's reigning norms, and finally, blowing "innocent" people to their doom. The guitar sound is crunchy and catchy, maintaining a 60's rock vibe. This guitar tone is present in most songs on the album, sometimes layered with rather heavy fuzz. The bass and drums (drum machine) doesn't hold a special place on the album, and neither do they really need to. This is, as you probably understand, all about the expression and the atmosphere, not musical show-offs. In other words, there are no shred solos or Dream Theater type riffing present at all.


As the album continues the songs - in my experience - gets more and more melancholic and, lyrically misanthropic (of course this is difficult to see without speaking Swedish). Songs such as Söndag and Vardagsnytt describes gloomy feelings of suburban desolation, while Herrens Hand (containing my favorite lyrics) details suicidal, almost schizophrenic thoughts about a depression with no exit in sight, and its grim consequence. M/S Salmonella has the trademark black metal tremolo picking, accompanied by a sombre piano passage that blends in perfectly with the music.


What essentially makes this album so interesting is the blend of metal, rock and sheer narcotic madness. You clearly don't need to play Norwegian style 90's black metal to express the feelings present on this album.


As for negative remarks... Well, this is a debut album, and you can hear it. The sound quality is not very bad, it works fine, but there's no doubt it'd sound much better with a more polished sound, as the music itself is not of the kind that "benefits" from lesser quality. There are also two "interludes", namely Avbrott Sex and Medicinmannen, which I honestly can't grasp or understand the point of. And there are some scattered samples throughout the records which at times seem irrelevant to the lyrics of the song (except for the sample on Herrens Hand, which is quite fitting).


These issues are minor though, and makes me wonder just how potentially great the sophomore album can be (for those wondering, THR will be responsible for the next release).


The few points stated above takes away the solid 100% score, but originality in these days of copycat black metal bands and the metalcore plague evidently pays off, and this is, in my eyes, one of the top releases of 2006.