A new My Dying Bride studio album, in this case their tenth, is an occasion that is one of the highlights of whatever year it drops in, as far as I am concerned. I was particularly intrigued by this one as it sees the return of the violin and a band with three new members (Dan Mullins drums, Lena Abe bass, Katie Stone violin and keyboardist). Of course I had seen the group a couple of times with this line up live but not playing any of the new songs. To let you into a little secret, they did not play any at Damnation as they had not quite learnt them for the live environment at the time. Also this album was being talked about as being the one that pretty much brought together all the elements of the bands previous history, whilst looking towards the future.
The nine track hour long album starts with ‘My Body, A Funeral’ This is at first very much stripped down, concentrating just on Aaron’s vocals and acoustics before the violin gently weeps in. This is sombre and miserable, so in that sense yes it’s business as usual folks. Perhaps you will be waiting for that surge of anger and the growling vocals. If that is the case you may be disappointed on the whole as this album is quite a mellow affair with the moments of abrupt violence pretty few and far between. Here for instance it is an almost thespian spoken word part that bolsters this particular track and enforces the doomed demeanour within. The violin is not overused either but well placed, there are no rampant Skycladian jigs or folk influence with its reintroduction thankfully.
A bit more scathing sees razor-etched guitars bringing ‘Fall To Me’ into play and here the drumming rolls away like ominous thunder in the background. This has a good old groove about it before settling into a serenade, borne on fragrant and poetic vocals. The violin again really adds to the melody of this one and does accompany the rhythm as it picks up on a bit of a mid-paced dash and this track does particular hark back to the earlier days in my opinion. The title track ebbs in with a really lonesome maudlin chord and develops into what sounds like one of the groups more lushly romantic epics reminding a bit of ‘Catherine Blake.’ I am not mentioning any lyrics in this review, would not want to spoil your soon to come discovery of them but you are beseechingly drawn into them here. A change of pace sees a trot into ‘Bring Me Victory’ which as the title suggests is a more upbeat but still not particularly bloodthirsty excursion into things. Still by now you should find yourself totally entranced.
‘Shadowhaunt’ sees the first bite of gruff vocals but only for a snatch around the tempestuous and choppy but still rather slow instrumentation. Keyboards weave around them and this seems a really short track before moving onto the mysteriously entitled ‘Santuario Di Sangue’ my favourite track on the album by quite a long stretch. What does it for me here is the powerful chorus, which leaves you with shivers down the spine. Then there are the sounds of what could be a grave being dug and a horse neighing with a battle going on. The violin then nails you to the spot with a chilling and devilish fragment (reminiscent of its use on the Damned psychedelic ‘Curtain Call’) before the chorus drops back in again. In a word wow! In a way I wish the whole album were in this fashion, if it were it would probably be my favourite of their career. That is not the case, certainly yet, but then again as far as an album of this scope is concerned, these things do take time. ‘The Light At The End Of The World’ still holds that position as favourite Bride album.
You have waited patiently and are rewarded as ‘A Chapter In Loathing’ lives up to its name and admirably loathes with a death metal drum intro and distempered barking vocals. There are more effects with chanting monks and this is all rather haunting as though dead spectres (in this case very evil ones) are trying to break through.
‘Death Triumphant’ plays things out with beefy juddering riffs and another commanding melody that drives its way home, throwing in violin again as well as all other elements, makes this another classic sounding number.
There are a hell of a lot of different textures to this album and it is only on this the tenth or so play when I really started to dissect things that I got to grips with them (well partly) I am sure many others will reveal themselves on repeated listens. Although I do not find this their strongest work at the moment that is not to say it will develop in that direction as both time goes by and I get the chance to see some of the songs played live. Speaking of which at the moment it looks like there are only 3 live festival performances scheduled but winter is the time that we may hopefully get to catch MDB on tour, when nights are at their deepest and darkest. In the meantime, For Lies I Sire will do its best to blank the sun out the sky and turn everything grey!
http://www.mydyingbride.org
http://www.peacevillerecords.com
