The finest purveyors of the gloomiest of doom, My Dying Bride have been at this for a very long time. It has been more than thirty years and thirteen albums since their debut, yet A Mortal Binding still finds them sounding distinctly themselves, without ever descending into pastiche. It is a tough balancing act, and one that they haven’t always managed to in the past; this time however, one meets them delving the depths of despair with a brooding elegance.
There is no pussyfooting around here, as opener ‘Her Dominion’ comes roaring out as soon as play is hit. Exploding with a greater emphasis on the death part of their sound, the broiling rage, whilst often bubbling underneath, has rarely surfaced quite so explicitly. More flashes also emerge further down the road, most noticeable throughout the grandiose eleven minute centrepiece ‘The Apocalyptist’, a symphony that morphs effortlessly through a multitude of their shades of grey.
Once again, My Dying Bride have gifted us a record that could only have been produced by them. This scratches that itch they have reached time again, in a way very few others have been able to do so – and over such an extended period, too. Whilst the benefit of time is unlikely to raise A Mortal Binding into the very highest echelons of their history, it remains a truly excellent addition to the tapestry of their canon.
