MY DYING BRIDE

"A Map of All our Failures" is the 12th full-length studio album by UK doom metal act My Dying Bride. The album was released through Peaceville Records in October 2012. Since the release of their last "regular" doom metal full-length studio album "For Lies I Sire (2009)", the band have busied themselved with the experimental "Evinta (2011)" album and the 27 minute one track "The Barghest O' Whitby (2011)" EP, so it´s safe to say that My Dying Bride have been as busy as ever.

With "A Map of All our Failures" they prove that they are as consistent as ever too. The music on the album is not surprisingly melancholic doom metal featuring crushingly heavy riffs, hauntingly beautiful leads/harmony work, the occasional violin part, atmospheric keyboards and a gloomy gothic atmosphere boosted by the paatos filled clean vocals/lyrics by lead vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe, who also occasionally growl. As such there are nothing out of the ordinary on "A Map of All our Failures", but only after a few listens it becomes apparent that My Dying Bride have done it again. Produced another high quality doom/death metal release that sets the standard for others to follow.

Standout tracks to my ears are "Kneel Till Doomsday", "Like a Perpetual Funeral" and "Abandoned as Christ", but the quality is consistent throughout. The sound production is a little bit less exciting than on the last couple of albums and overall I´d place "A Map of All our Failures" along side "Like Gods of the Sun (1996)" and "The Dreadful Hours (2001)", which in my world are some of the least interesting albums by My Dying Bride. As mentioned above that certainly doesn´t mean that "A Map of All our Failures" is a bad album by any means. In fact it´s a great album, but compared to their best material it´s slightly sub par. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is still very much deserved though.

If you want some incredibly powerful and dynamic hard rock music that has its feet firmly in doom but somehow has managed to transcend that genre then you ought to search this out. That there is a sledgehammer always in attendance is never in doubt but it is being wielded with great skill so that the walnut at times is gently cracked in two whereas at others it is demolished totally. The vocals can be very gentle or with an edge, the riffs can be slow or something far more dramatic and intense.

There is a heightened level of atmosphere with this album, rock music that is seemingly far more than just that. These guys have been plying their trade for more than 15 years and they are certainly showing no sign at all of resting on their laurels with an album that is the best I have ever heard from them. This is metal that everything going for it, as the band experiment, yet keeps the guitars right in your face and keep the emotion dripping throughout. This is a powering statement and one that all fans of the heavy metal, whatever the sub genre, ought to seek out. www.peaceville.co.uk

This album is the greatest achievement of My Dying Bride for me. The soothing presence of violin and synthesizer has been fully adapted to the group's sound, and the shifts from clean vocals to growling both enhances the contrasts in power dynamics and allow sense of dialogue on some occasions. The composition quality is best from the band's albums that I have yet heard, and they form a solid aural voyage to realms of romanticized aggression and gloominess.

The "Sear Me" anthem from earlier record has been arranged as a long ethereal album introduction, revealing instantly the more tender new emphasis of the group. Though the piano lines are quite primitive, the intro manages to create nice feelings, leading then to series of really powerful "art metal symphony" songs. "Your River" starts to flow from echoing calm guitar string pickings, crashing then to rapids of three forceful riff sequences. After some neat transitional phases the slow solemn descending theme for vocals and long guitar chords starts to recite their sad tales. The guitar themes presented on the beginning of the song are later revisited on the composition, after some adventures in doom metal styled still life from an oppressing winter landscape. I personally like these slow paced glances, and rejoice the lack of "wild guitar solos", which would not have suited in my opinion to these carefully constructed song or the solid integrity of the music. I have understood a swan being considered as a "Songless Bird", and a song with this name follows. Quite stoned drowning in doom metal swamp is evident after some synthesizer introductions, leading later to a very beautiful redemption on medieval appearing ascending motifs. Knife sharp cut to a powerful trashing works convincingly, creating a song that circles pleasantly the extremities of the group's musical stylistic palette. "The Snow in My Hand" continues this philosophy, by starting as contemplative mellow yearning, then more sinister aspects blowing over with full throttle, and only for a moment resting at melodically wonderful eye of a storm. This composition returns to the beginning's theme with touching melodic support from violin on circular form, a concept which is also adopted to the whole album.

The two next long songs coronize this wonderful album with their melodic beautifulness and determination on slow tempo nightmare dreaming. "The Crown of Sympathy" evolves neatly over a large dramatic curve and explores some very ethereal ghastly territories on theatrical narrative sequences. The title track of the album continues the flow of music logically with really wonderful melodic guitar and violin theme merging with deeper aggressive phases. The conclusion after heavy guitar construction manoeuvres leaves a touching impression of real sorrow and experienced human drama. Final track "Black God" closes the album with similar methods as the record was opened, leaving behind an awesome record of gloomy moody music for the moonlit winter nights, and an album I personally consider as masterpiece of heavier rock music with serious attempts towards self-expressionism and controlled building of sceneries for people to behold in awe. I also possess it as an artefact from my own personal history, this nostalgia relevant only for my own experience.

I did not listen much to the following releases of the group, except from few tracks and scarce run-throughs on some parties many years ago. I remember both "The Angel and The Dark River" and "The Light at The End of The World" being quite promising, and I might return to study them later if the inspiration for such listening should sparkle. However some of my tests from mid 1990's and 21st century releases of this group were not totally convincing.

The title track of this CD EP continues the stylistic line of "Turn Loose The Swans" album, merging softer strings to the melodies of brutal metal songs. But somehow this compositions does not however appear very interesting, unlike the glorious studio album recorded earlier year. The second song "Transcending (Into the Exquisite)" floats to the territories of industrial metal with sampled high-pitched rhythm elements and revisitations to the verses from previous long-player. I admit this is interesting move towards new ways of musical expression, but as a listener I do not enjoy this new direction. Also the remix of "Crown of Sympathy" feels totally pointless to me, so this EP did not manage to satisfy me in spite of the promising album covers and fine full CD's produced during the surrounding years.

The three songs EP give some early signals about the forthcoming long-player, which I consider the grandest achievement of this group I have yet heard. The stinging guitar melody themes unite yet more deeply with supporting instruments, and there is much emphasis on song arrangements. Yet however the compositions are not very interesting on this release, I felt "The Thrash of Naked Limbs" appearing as quite hollow heavy metal trashing at the studio without yet reaching contact to desired undivine forces. Atmospheric ambiences of "Le Cerf Malade" are then quite fancy to adore, dark freely floating motives creating wonderful dreamy scenery between more sinister songs. "Gather Me Up Forever" works as a composition better than the opening track, but these two songs do not in my opinion justify rejoicing of this release. There should be more convincing content than wonderful mood conjuring of the ethereal middle part, but certainly the elements are formulating for something grander.

Perhaps the most classic album of the goth romanticed metal group, and was also very much played at the teenage parties I went passing out. The beginning's cinematopic intro gives powerful first impression, and sets wonderful tone for the upcoming songs. The most successful compositions like the iconic "Sear Me" really reach fine spheres of grandiose power, shimmering from melodically solemn themes, repeated with hypnotic power on long structured compositions. "The Return of The Beautiful" stands as the most convincing song of the album, exploring furthest the possibilities on song writing, adventuring on catacombs of aural moods, and also implementing yet deeper violins, synths and audio effects as supporting elements enhancing the narrative characteristics of the composition. The overall rhythmic solutions or instrumental arrangements are not very complex, guitar driven and partly in Latin growled pieces focusing mostly to atmospherics. Very slow and vast riff swamps find fine dynamic counterparts from more rapid sequences. With the faster drive the band manages to conjure pleasant catalysts for catharsis also from slightly lesser magnificent tunes, like on "Forever People" or "Erotic Literature". Most possibly due my own age I have grown to like these late 80's & early 90's heavy metal tones on the sounds, and growing up with Carcass, Napalm Death, Sepultura, Autopsy and the other rock'n'roll groups for the depression era suburb kids allows this larger capacity of enjoyment. There are few poorer moments on the album lowering slightly my overall appreciation for this groundbreaking record. Some tracks like "Vast Choirs" has in my opinion lost some rawness and originality from the original demo take, so I consider that always working of some things further won't make the outcome appear better. But on the whole I believe the work here lead towards yet more successful long-player album following this record.

The title track of this EP stands for me as the most representative example of symphonic gothic metal qualities. Nearly twelve minutes long dramatic composition is enriched with violins and elements from classical music, and stands as perhaps my most favoured song of this group. The structural parts flow in solid and logical manner, illustrating powerful vision to romanticised views to myths and oppressed anxiety.

Sadly the two other tracks added to this CD EP from the vinyl single lower the overall quality of this release quite dramatically; "God is Alone" is in my opinion quite uninspired run-through of boring guitar riffs and growls among basic drum battering, and "De Sade Soliloquay" being more slower piece with unpleasant rhythm alterations and minor musical content without interesting feeling. However the fine elements making this group pleasant for me are shining on the grandiose title epic, making this a worthy disc if not acquired from some compilations. Also graphic artist Dave McKean does debut as the group's album cover illustrator here, his collaboration continuing on the few forthcoming classic releases.

The rush of winter, its piles of snow and dark desolate street views motivated me to listen some old heavy metal records, and I got immersed to some feelings from early My Dying Bride albums. Hence some impression reports for your amusement.

This demo tape from 1990 has some interesting moments and feelings, though it is evident that it does not reach musically similar heights as the forthcoming releases with better production quality. One of their greatest composition for me is already present here as a beta version; Possibly the longer time spent on developing "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium" has ensured the glory of later incarnations of this grim romantic epic. On this early version I liked the raw riff sequences and rustic minimal synths, though the later recordings achieve vaster amount of merits in my opinion. Especially the vocal arrangements appear here slightly clumsy.

"Vast Choirs" is also another highlight here for me - The effect of hollow glue sniffing intro evoking trashy fast guitar motives similar to early Carcass leads to a convincing slower riff passage with gloomy synthesizer enrichments. Structural approach to song composition philosophy isalso strongly present on this track, which succeeds fairly well in its dramaturgical curves, and also brings memories from the violent streets of youthhood powerfully back to my mind. The recording is also in my opinion here more working in its brutality than the forthcoming cleaner version on "As The Flower Withers".

The two other tracks are not so appealing, "The Grief of Age" being more straightforward death metal grinder with few slower licks in the end, and "Catching Feathers" balancing between full throttle smashing and whisper-accompanied guitar riff webs. The sounds of the recording are quite muddy, but pleasant ears open to old school lo-fi tones of early 1990's heavy metal sounds. In my opinion a good starting for succesful career with gothic romanticism, a journey which I personally felt ventured later to bit more duller and commercial straits.

"My form is bloody and it is true, it is the night I wear around me..."

As a long time fan of this band, I was so excited, especially as a progressive rock fan, to see doom metal masters My Dying Bride release a single 27 minute piece. The band has always shown plenty of progressive elements in their music, with long instrumental sections, dramatic vocals, inventive arrangements and rich lyrics. They have constantly refined and experimented with their sombre and highly emotional music, so it's very admirable to see them push themselves with a long and challenging extended piece.

The title refers to a "barghest", a word for an English spirit that takes the form of a huge black dog, with monstrous teeth and claws. Often conjured by acts of violence and betrayal, they torment and prey on solitary travellers. Some sources place the inspiration for the descriptions in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes book, `The Hound of the Baskervilles'. The tale takes place in Whitby, the same town as Bram Stoker's `Dracula'. All perfect settings for the grim and bleak tale that follows.

Beginning with the crack of thunderstorms and howling winds, down-tempo sludgy bass, metal guitar riffs and weeping violin create a mood full of unease and violent rage. The painfully slow riffs in the opening few minutes are completely unmelodic and vile. The music is dissonant, dirty and even slightly atonal, making it hugely oppressive. Aaron Stainthorpe's growls, in the guise of the title beast, are ferocious and predatory. When he switches to clean vocals, he has such a mournful, solemn and deeply moving quality. The majestic winding guitar lines weaving around the violin is effective, with long drawn out notes and squalling feedback heightening the tension. They drift into a quieter and more reflective middle section, before one of those classic My Dying Bride highly emotive and imperial sounding twin guitar melodies breaks through the sound of cracking thunder. Commanding drumming builds the drama swamping Aaron's seductive tones. He effectively uses both clean and maniacal shrieking vocals double-tracked in this section that is highly unnerving and tormented. The climax has a suitably dramatic and nightmarish rush of adrenaline and crushing tension. Squealing distortion, punishing kick-drums and rapid-fire riffing announce the return of the growled Beast, as the piece spirals into chaos and thrashing foul violence. The piece returns again to the rainy misery of the opening.

Aaron sounds as charismatic as ever, his growled voice still truly devilish, his clean voice full of sorrow and regret. When he takes on the inner monologue of the title beast, his growl has appropriate snarl and spitting rage. As always his lyrics are poetic with vivid detail. The band compliment him perfectly, resembling a dark well of swirling aggression and raw primal ferocity.

`Whitby' is a truly uncompromising work by the band. The production is thick, cold and harsh. Some listeners may find the piece too dense and plodding, with little in the way of memorable riffs or vocal melodies. I don't think this is due to a lack of inspiration or the well of ideas running dry, I think it's more a case of the band pushing themselves and their audience in new directions. It's bleak, hard, challenging and slow to unwind. Looking at it from the perspective of a progressive rock fan, these sort of musical statements are hugely satisfying. There are many other albums from the band that I enjoy more than this, that I return to more often, but it's still a fascinating and worthwhile piece. I wouldn't, however, recommend it to new listeners, as I think almost any of their other albums would be a more ideal introduction.

I purchased the album on vinyl LP, with the piece split over two sides. There is no obtrusive cut, as the first side ends just after the mellow section in the middle of the track briefly fades out. The front cover features a stunning painting of the title beast by Aaron, with the vinyl format especially showing off the haunting and moody artwork. The inner sleeve contains the lyrics laid out like a beautiful gothic poem.

With it's grand mix of alternating vocal styles, moving violin, metallic riffs and gothic splendor, `The Barghest O' Whitby' truly encompasses all eras of the 20 year band and reveals all kinds of new possibilities. It's a satisfying and demanding grandiose work of great depth, well worth three and a half stars.

This 27 minute piece is a dark and wicked symphonic poem carved on a slab of hard grey stone.

"Bring Me Victory" is an EP release by UK doom metal act My Dying Bride. The EP was released through Peaceville Records in October 2009. "Bring Me Victory" features 4 audio tracks and a video for the title track. With a 28:10 minutes long playing time excluding the video track, this is an EP where you get plenty of quantity for your money.

...fortunately the quality is high too. The title track appears here in the same version as the one that´s features on "For Lies I Sire (2009)". It´s a goth tinged track and one of the more accessible tracks in the band´s discography. The second track is My Dying Bride´s version of the English traditional song "Scarborough Fair". It´s based on the traditional but Aaron Stainthorpe has written and incorporated two extra verses for the song. The band succeed very well in performing the traditional and especially the last couple of minutes when they add distorted guitars are heavenly to my ears. The third track is equally great. It´s a cover version of "Failure" by Swans. This version could easily have been included on "34.788%...Complete (1998)" and fit right in with the other "experimental" tracks on that album. The last track on the EP is a live version of "Vast Choirs", which is one of the fastest and most death metal tinged tracks in the band´s discography. I always felt it was slightly tedious though, but it´s delivered with the right energy and conviction is this version.

Upon conclusion the "Bring Me Victory" EP is well worth a purchase. Especially "Scarborough Fair" and "Failure" score high in my book and I´d say a 3.5 star (70%) rating is fair.