Lifelover

Lifelover

Company type	Musical project
Industry	Music
Founded	2005 in Stockholm, Sweden
Founder	Jonas Bergqvist, Kim Carlsson
Defunct	September 2011
Headquarters	Stockholm , Sweden
Products	Music albums, EPs, demos

Lifelover was a Swedish musical project initiated in 2005 by Jonas Bergqvist and Kim Carlsson in Stockholm. The band ceased activities in September 2011 following the passing of Bergqvist, who was both co-founder and principal composer. Although often categorized within metal, Lifelover's sound incorporated elements from black metal, post-punk, dark ambient, doom metal, and gothic rock. They referred to their music as "narcotic metal," a label deliberately ambiguous for interpretation by their audience.

Renowned for their melancholic lyricism and immersive soundscapes, Lifelover played a pivotal role in shaping the black metal subgenre known as depressive suicidal black metal (DSBM).

Origins and initial recordings (2005–2006)

In June 2005, Jonas "B" Bergqvist and Kim "( )" Carlsson founded Lifelover in Stockholm. That same month, they produced a demo named Promo 2005, which contained two extended ambient guitar compositions lasting almost 54 minutes, characterized as "improvised misery." By April 2006, the band altered their musical approach while working on Pulver, enlisting LR and 1853 as additional vocalists and lyric contributors. The album was finalized in May 2006 and saw its release through Goatowarex in July.

Erotik, Konkurs, and Sjukdom era (2007–2011)

The group's sophomore album, Erotik, launched on 24 February 2007 via Total Holocaust Records, coincided with the addition of guitarist H. Later that year, Lifelover signed with Avantgarde Music and incorporated Fix (bass) and S. (drums) to support live performances. LR exited the lineup in April 2008. Their debut concert took place in Stockholm in September 2008, shortly before releasing their third album, Konkurs, through Avantgarde the following month.

In 2009, Osmose Productions reissued Pulver and Erotik on CD—Erotik on 21 January and Pulver on 7 May. That May also saw the departure of member 1853 and drummer S. The mini-album Dekadens was issued in July 2009 by Osmose, notable for featuring live drums performed by new member Non—the sole Lifelover record to utilize real drumming rather than programmed percussion. Their fourth full-length release, Sjukdom, came out under Prophecy Productions in February 2011. By this time, Non had left the band, while LR and 1853 had returned to contribute.

Passing of B and concluding activities (2011–2015)

On 10 September 2011, Jonas "B" Bergqvist passed away unexpectedly due to an accidental overdose of prescribed medication; investigations ruled out suicide or foul play. Given his irreplaceable role as primary songwriter and composer, the remaining members chose to dissolve the band. Shortly after his death, Lifelover performed their final scheduled concerts in Belgium and the Netherlands. A tribute event planned for 14 October 2011 was subsequently canceled out of respect.

Although officially disbanded, Lifelover reunited briefly for a single live appearance in November 2015 commemorating their tenth anniversary. This performance took place in Quebec, Canada, marking their first—and only—show outside of Europe.

Band name

The origin of the name Lifelover traces back to an incident where Jonas "B" Bergqvist was labeled a "life lover" by someone he held in low regard. Embracing this, he decided the band would accept any label assigned to them. Former drummer Joel "Non" Malmén explained that each member embodies being a life lover in their unique and individual way.

Members

Final lineup

• Jonas "B" Bergqvist (deceased) – vocals, guitar, bass, piano, lyricist (2005–2011)
• Kim "( )" Carlsson – lead vocals, guitar, lyricist (2005–2011)
• Henrik "H." Huldtgren – guitar (2005–2011)
• Felix "Fix" Öhlén – bass guitar (2005–2011)
• Johan "1853" Gabrielson – backing vocals, lyricist (2005–2011)
• Rickard "LR" Öström – backing vocals, lyricist (2005–2011)
• Fredrik Kral – drums (2011)

Former members

• Joel "Non" Malmén – drums, lyricist (2009–2010)

Discography

Studio albums

• Pulver (2006)
• Erotik (2007)
• Konkurs (2008)
• Sjukdom (2011)

EP

• Dekadens (2009)

Demo

• Promo 2005 (2005)