My Dying Bride | website | facebook | twitter |
Released on September 18, 2015 via Peaceville Records
For the past 25 years doom metal masters My Dying Bride have been blazing a trail that has seen them move from their deathly origins to fully fledged legends in their genre and despite the band going for as long as they have they show absolutely no signs of letting up especially given that this, their twelfth studio album is as strong as it is.
Feel The Misery kicks off with the intensely powerful ‘And My Father Left Forever’, which showcases some brutal and driving riffs that are complimented by Aaron Stainthorpe’s powerful vocals and some sombre violins from Shaun McGowan while ‘To Shiver In Empty Halls’ starts by harking back to their death metal beginnings with Stainthorpe’s growl back in full force and the contrast between his clean sung vocals are a joy to behold and he even fits in some unsettling spoken word at the end of the track before the demonic growl returns. The beautiful keyboard work courtesy of McGowan in the middle of the track is fantastically emotional and when combined with the rest of the band makes for a stirring track rounded off by a creeping rhyme by the vocalist set to some folkish guitar and this rich vein of form continues throughout all eight epic songs.
Tracks such as ‘A Cold New Curse’ (which is as chillingly bitter as the title suggests), ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’ (A mournful riff led masterpiece that reminded me of a metal version of The Velvet Underground’s classic ‘Venus In Furs’ at first until the harsh vocals kicked in!) and ‘I Almost Loved You’ (an emotional and raw lament) are lessons in how to do epic and powerful music and with material as strong as this, My Dying Bride thoroughly deserve their legendary status and when you reach the last track and album highlight, the vast ‘Within A Sleeping Forest’, you feel confused that you feel this much joy from so much melancholy and misery and this is something to savour.
Every member of the band is on fine form with returning guitarist Calvin Robertshaw along with guitar mainstay Andrew Craighan both showcasing their talents on Feel The Misery, belting out some vintage riffs and solos (the masterful and sorrowful guitars on ‘A Cold New Curse’ are a great example) while Lena Abe provides a powerful rhythmic backbone, the aforementioned violin and keyboard from Shaun McGowan adds the emotional depth with both these instruments and Stainthorpe is still a vocal master switching from styles with both ease and class.
My Dying Bride have always been a band who have done things on their own terms throughout their career and have never bowed to any fashionable music trends and that is extremely admirable and it is that spirit that prevails throughout Feel The Misery.
This is epic and sorrowful music from a legendary band and music that is in turns brutally heavy, beautifully melodic and downright epic. Long may they continue.
