| Towards the Sinister (Demo) | 1990 | No Label |
The production is, typical for a demo, very vague, with loud and amazingly dark and evil keyboards which give an extra feel to the tracks. Andrew's guitars sound terrible, so does that solo in 'Vast Choirs '. The lyrics are obviously anti-religious, written by the young Aaron Stainthorpe. He was also influenced by a number of other sources, as you can find some lyrics in Latin.
'Towards the Sinister ' opens up with an eight and a half minute long version of 'Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium ', featuring the (then) somewhat new and unusual doomy atmosphere and slower tempo. The next song, 'Vast Choirs', is -if I am not mistaken- the first song My Dying Bride ever made. A more polished version can be found on their debut album. Aaron's grunts throughout the recording are very deep and well performed.
I assume any real fan of the band already has some kind of a copy of this demo, but I really think any fan of the genre should own this one. What happened after this demo? The band got first signed on the French label Listenabe, and then on Peaceville... and the rest is history.
1. Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium
2. Vast Choirs
3. The Grief of Age
4. Catching Feathers
Approx. 24 minutes
| Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium (Mcd) | 1991 | Peaceville |
The addition of this melancholic sounding instrument has made a good song excellent, as anyone who heard the (demo) version without violin (that can be found on the Meisterwerk I compilation) can confirm. The epic, slow death metal riffing, combined with melancholic intermezzi, made this song so typical for the very own style of this band, that even after numerous other releases, everyone is still talking about it. And on their minitour with the Peacefest 2001, the song was played as an encore track and it was the final part of the set.
Next is the track called 'God is Alone', which is more of a death metal song: fast and brutal, though containing more melody and emotion than typical death metal usually does. This song is the title track of the MDB release that drew Hammy's attention to this band and made him decide to sign them to his Peaceville Records label.
Last track on the EP is 'De Sade Soliloquay', a very slow doom-death song with some short faster parts. Aaron's grunts sound rough and brutal due to the rather low production, just like both of the guitars do. All this makes this release sounding energetic and very dark. Pure excellence!
1. Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium
2. God Is Alone
3. De Sade Soliloquay
Approx. 20 minutes
| As the Flower Withers (CD) | 1992 | Peaceville |
The use of a violin sets their music completely apart from other dark metal bands of the time around the release of this album. The violin doesn't refer to classical or folk music; it plays some contrasting melodies simultaneously with the guitar riffs. Vocalist Aaron has a very tasteful death grunt which complements the mysterious atmosphere and elegance of the band.
Long-winded, unpredictable epics like 'The bitterness and the bereavement' and 'The return of the beautiful', in which the violin steals the show, are alternated with in-your-face death metal storms like 'The forever people' and 'vast choirs'. The pounding drum intro and following build up of 'Sear me' is still one of the most typical and impressive moments in the Bride's history.
Aaron't lyrics are very poetic and original and deal with some kind of abstract, dark romanticism. The Latin words in the first track 'Sear me' add an extra dimension of mystery and elegance to the band's music. Even the artwork of this album bathes in mystery and unconventionality.
The Bride was destined to become the ultimate band to refer to in the doom death genre. This debut album contains some of the best material this band offers in their glorious history. If you can listen through the raw and underground production and if you appreciate doomy death metal, then it is a cardinal sin if you still don't own this album.
1. Silent Dance
2. Sear Me
3. The Forever People
4. The Bitterness and the Bereavement
5. Vast Choirs
6. The Return of the Beautiful
7. Erotic Literature
Approx. 49 minutes
| The Thrash of Naked Limbs (Mcd) | 1992 | Peaceville |
'Le Cerf Malade', the instrumental track, is surprisingly dark and sinister, but not really that interesting, in my mind. The other two tracks are quite something. Doom metal just as I like it, great melodies of sorrow and melancholy, all in My Dying Bride manner, spiced up with the beautiful violin. However, they were just warming up for something bigger...
Being an EP, this release is very short, but 'The Thrash of Naked Limbs' offers pure and utter enjoyment to those who enjoy doom metal.
1. The Thrash of Naked Limbs
2. Le Cerf Malade
3. Gather Me Up Forever
Approx. 19 minutes
| Turn Loose the Swans (CD) | 1993 | Peaceville |
'Turn Loose the Swans' is the second full length release from doom/death pioneers My Dying Bride. Without a shadow of doubt, this CD is my favorite of them all. Not only has this album lived up to the high expectations after the debut 'As the Flower Withers', but it has also surprised more or less every doom fan.
Today it is considered to be one of the best and most influential albums in the genre. What makes this album so extraordinary is the amazing atmosphere and the superb mix of standard instruments with the violin. Of course, today this combination isn't that rare, but at the time it was quite special, and perfectly executed.
I have to point out what is for me perhaps the most extraordinary song of them all, 'Your River', the nine minute epic that never fails to send shivers down my spine. Get 'Turn Loose the Swans'. Enjoy it. You've listened to it already and found nothing interesting? Listen again, you must have missed something.
Reviewed by Bojan Janjanin
'Turn loose the swans': a title that sounds very odd to the ears of common mortals is actually one of the most popular and influencial doom metal albums of all time. In comparison with their previous work 'As the flower withers', the tempo slowed seriously down, the production became less obscure -although still very dark- and Aaron proves that besides his still very powerful grunt, he can actually sing with a warm, emotional voice. On this album, he sings about as much as he grunts.
The first and the last tracks are repetitive darkwave melodies creating an atmosphere of sad, dark romanticism. The tracks between them are heavy, long doom epics full of inventive, metallic riffs. Almost every track in this work became a classic, the most popular ones being 'Sear me MCMXCIII', 'Your river', 'The crown of sympathy' and 'Turn loose the swans'.
The dark music adorer can find almost every substyle of doom metal represented within this album: atmospheric doom with clean vocals, heavy doom death, funeral doom (the funeral part in 'The crown of sympathy' is awesome!), all decorated with beautiful violin melodies and an atmosphere of dark, pessimistic romanticism. Aaron's lyrics were always very poetic, but in this album he wrote some of the darkest, tragically romantic verses ever in doom metal.
What can I say more? The most doom metal fans who read this review, already have the album. If you don't have it, you probably don't know much about doom metal yet. Go and buy this album then, you will learn a lot about the quintessence of doom death metal.
Reviewed by Kostas Panagiotou
1. Sear Me MCMXCIII
2. Your River
3. The Songless Bird
4. The Snow in My Hand
5. The Crown of Sympathy
6. Turn Loose the Swans
7. Black God
Approx. 57 minutes
| The Angel and the Dark River (CD) | 1995 | Peaceville |
After the extraordinary 'Turn Loose the Swans', an even better album was an impossible task for the Yorkshire band. 'The Angel and the Dark River' is much different from the previous works, but the depressive sound so typical form the band is once again present.
Aaron only uses his weeping clear vocals, as a death grunt clearly wouldn't fit the music. The violin on this album plays a major part, as everything is more relaxed, melancholic, and even romantic! Of the six songs that you can find on the album, I have to point out the superb 'A Sea To Suffer In', one of my all time favorite songs, and the brilliant opener 'Cry of Mankind'.
To sum things up, 'The Angel and the Dark River' is simply an amazing album. Downsides? None whatsoever.
Note: In 1996 Peaceville released a doublepack edition including Live at the Dynamo festival '95. As it turns out, the band didn't even know the show is being recorded, and found out about it when they saw it in the store! The recording is by no means top quality, with Martin and Rick adjusting their instruments halfway through, and Aaron sounding like he had quite a few drinks before the show. For die hard MDB fans only.
Reviewed by Bojan Janjanin
This album of the super doom-metal band My Dying Bride is, according to many people, one of the best they ever made. It was the album right after their classic 'Turn Loose the Swans'. There are remarkable differences between those two albums, though. Aaron put his grunts aside (it will not be until their album 'The Light at the End of the World' before he digs them up again), the guitars are slightly less heavy and also the production of this album is much clearer and finer than on their previous one.
The album features six songs, lasting for 52 minutes. It is thus very clear that we let ourselves be engulfed by long, slow and epic tracks of the deepest melancholic doom when listening to this album. 'The Cry of Mankind', 'From Darkest Skies', ' A Sea to Suffer in'... all very melancholic songs, in which Aaron tries to show us the dark side of life. In which he succeeds without any problem, if you ask me.
This music bleeds melancholy, the words invoke pure sadness. Martin Powell's violin playing reaches almost divine beauty. It is the best imaginable incorporation of the fragile string sounds into the rougher metal sound produced by the guitars. The band set very high standards to themselves and to the genre of doom-metal in general after the release of 'Turn Loose the Swans'. This release shows their talent by living up to those standards and even putting the standards higher. A real milestone indeed and an absolute must for the collection of any self-respecting doom-metal fan.
Reviewed by Heiko Isselee
1. Cry of Mankind
2. From Darkest Skies
3. Black Voyage
4. A Sea to Suffer In
5. Two Winters Only
6. Your Shameful Heaven
7. The Sexuality of Bereavement*
* Bonus track on the digipack
Approx. 52 minutes
'Live at the Dynamo '95' bonus disk on the re-release includes:
1. Your River
2. A Sea to Suffer In
3. Your Shameful Heaven
4. The Forever People
Note: the re-release version has a different (black) cover.
| Trinity (Compilation) | 1995 | Peaceville |
This collection offers a nice look back on MDB's change throughout the years and their progress since the raw debut EP 'Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium'. For those who have failed to get their hands on the three EP's, this is a nice purchase. For others, I see no reason in the world (other than being a MDB fanatic, like myself) why you should own this CD.
Note that also a boxset named Stories [Editor Note: This was a limited boxset with the 3 orignal EP's and an extra "overall" booklet with some previous unprinted lyrics] and a US version of 'Trinity' with different artwork has been released.
1. Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium
2. God Is Alone
3. De Sade Soliloquay
4. The Thrash of Naked Limbs
5. Le Cerf Malade
6. Gather Me Up Forever
7. I am the Bloody Earth
8. The Sexuality of Bereavement
9. The Crown of Sympathy (Remix)
Approx. 64 minutes
US version has a different cover.
| Like Gods of the Sun (CD) | 1996 | Peaceville |
As on the previous album, there are no grunts, but Aaron changed his vocal style a bit, opting for a more deep, dark type of vocals. I must say I am a bit disappointed with the production, but the music this album offers makes up for that. The album flows very well, and the violin played by Martin Powell fits better than ever.
Note that the digipack and Japanese versions of this album offer a couple of not very interesting remixes, which just maybe reveal a side of MDB that we haven't heard yet. My Dying Bride, once again different, once again superb.
1. Like Gods of the Sun
2. The Dark Caress
3. Grace Unhearing
4. A Kiss to Remember
5. All Swept Away
6. For You
7. It Will Come
8. Here in the Throat
9. For My Fallen Angel
10. It Will Come (Nightmare remix) *
*Bonus track on the digipack
Approx. 54 minutes
| 34.788%...Complete (CD) | 1998 | Peaceville |
After 'The angel and the dark river' it became clear that My Dying Bride opted for a more atmospheric, catchy sound. Aaron chose to use only his normal vocals and he put aside his amazing grunt. But up to 'Like gods of the sun' the band managed to keep most elements of their music intact: heavy, melancholic guitar riffs, awesome violin work, poetic lyrics and an overall pessimistic atmosphere.
I still remember the first time I listened to '34,788% complete'. It is pretty safe to say that it was a kind of unreal experience. First I thought that there was a mistake, that they had put the wrong CD in the box. Unfortunately, it appeared to be My Dying Bride's new work. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears, because here we had a complete transformation of a band. The artwork was flashy and "modern", the lyrics seemed to deal with hookers, pimps and lonely losers. The violin was gone, because Martin Powell left the band, but even worse was the fact that they thought to compensate this with a completely different sound, full of samples, distorted vocals and a trendy atmosphere. Where were the sad and threatening atmosphere, the poetic lyrics, the doom elements in their sound?
Actually, only some parts in 'The stance of Evander Sinque', 'Under your wings and into your arms' and 'The whore, the cook and the mother' remind vaguely of their glorious past, but songs like the triphop track 'Heroin chic' sound like an unnecessary attempt to experiment into musical styles that are too different and distant from My Dying Bride's music.
Reviewed by Kostas Panagiotou
Like I think every other My Dying Bride fan I was shocked when I first heard '34,788% complete'. What had happened to the band that basically introduced me to the Doom-metal genre? Like many fans I was sad, disappointed and angry. However as time passed I noticed a change in my attitude. This CD actually wasn't even half-bad, in fact it was pretty darn good!
'34,788% complete' is a highly experimental album that has little to do with the old sound of My Dying Bride. Post-modern angst has taken the place of dark romanticism. With the departure of Martin the violin went and in its place we have strange noises, samples and keyboards. However it is not true the music is it not doomy anymore. Yes, the nature of the songs has changed but there are doomy bits all over the place. Now you just have to look a little harder.
Wonderful tracks like 'The Stance of Evander Sinque' or 'Apocalypse Woman' are brilliant tracks the band can be proud of. The strange track 'Herion Chic' is possibly the best track on the entire album. Although most people despise this TripHop track in the tradition of a band like Portishead I find it very original and refreshing.
One could say that My Dying Bride should not have released this album under their own name but by doing so I think they have released a My Dying Bride album that grew out to be one of my personal favourites. No, it is nothing like their older or newer work but that is the charm of this album. It keeps challenging and surprising you.
Reviewed by Aldo Quispel
1. The Whore, The Cook and the Mother
2. The Stance of Evander Sinque
3. Der Uberlebende
4. Heroin Chic
5. Apocalypse Woman
6. Base Level Erotica
7. Under Your Wings and Into Your Arms
Approx. 56 minutes
| The Light at the End of the World (CD) | 1999 | Peaceville |
The sound and the style have changed quite a bit in comparison to the old albums, and this record, I'm sad to say, seems rather empty, without real depth and emotions. This isn't something you could say about any of their previous works. Besides grunts, Aaron also uses his screams, which reveal that the band wanted to do something out of the ordinary, perhaps a bit black metalish. That's another thing I'm not thrilled with, but the occasional black metal riffing nicely fits into the atmosphere. The one thing that irritates me quite a bit are the drums, played by ex-Anathema drummer Shaun Steels, which sound somehow hollow and are sometimes too loud. Not to mention one drum section that is practically identical to one part from the legendary 'Turn Loose the Swans' album.
Overall a fine CD, but simply lacks the emotional, depressive sound of the older albums.
1. She is the Dark
2. Edenbeast
3. The Night He Died
4. The Light at the End of the World
5. The Fever Sea
6. Into the Lake of Ghosts
7. The Isis Script
8. Christliar
9. Sear Me III
Approx. 71 minutes
| Meisterwerk 2 (Compilation) | 2001 | Peaceville |
First track on this compilation album is 'Sear me MCMXCIII' from the classic 'Turn loose the swans' album. This track is a romantic, non-metal darkwavesh masterpiece, and could certainly be in my top 10 of the all time favorite dark tracks. 'Follower' was an extra track from the Japanese version of '34,788% complete'(why do those little yellow people always get the extra tracks?) . Those who read my review of this album know that it isn't exactly my all time favorite MDB album, but this track stands pretty well on its own, although I personally think that this urge for experimentation and agony to sound 'modern', doesn't really fit with the sound of MDB.
Next is the demo version of 'Vast choirs', a fast, sinister and sick track that was typical for this band's early sound. Then comes the excellent opener from 'The light at the end of the world', 'She is the dark'. 'Catching feathers'is another example of sinister, sick, old-school My Dying Bride brutality. 'Two winters only' from 'The angel and the dark river' is a very representative example of the dark romanticism that has been the trademark of this band since long.
I don't need to introduce the next track 'Your river', one of the most popular MDB tracks ever with its long, amazing intro and endless build up. A classic on its own! The last two tracks are two covers. It's nice to hear MDB covering unconventional tracks from artists like Lee Hazelhood & Nancy Sinatra and Portishead, but I'm not completely satisfied. It's like eating a sandwich with marmelade and fish. I like them both, but only separately.
The addition of the decadent video of the track 'For you', makes me finally conclude that this compilation album is definately worth your money. After all.
1. Sear Me MCMXCIII
2. Follower
3. Vast Choirs
4. She is the Dark
5. Catching Feathers
6. Two Winters Only
7. Your River
8. Some Velvet Morning
9. Roads
10. For You (bonus video track)
Approx. 61 minutes
| The Dreadful Hours (CD) | 2001 | Peaceville |
I agree with neither and will position myself somewhat comfortably in the middle. 'Dreadful Hours' is without question a MDB album. Every element we associate with MDB you can find on this album (except the violin of course). Aaron moans in agony, grunts in anger or despair and the rest of the band make sure we get a beautiful mix of heavy death/doom with sad emotional dreamscapes. Of course the violin is dearly missed, but the keys adequately replace it for the most part.
Even more than on 'The Light', we see MDB returning to their roots. The album seems to hover in between 'As the Flower Withers' and 'Turn loose the Swans', but also reaches out into newer works, most notably 'The Angel and the Dark River'. The band also adds some new elements here and there, but they are sparse at best. This is simply MDB doing what MDB does best and what the fans like to hear.
Which also leads me to my criticism on this album. While not as strongly as on 'The light', it still sounds a bit like MDB put on the automatic pilot after the shock of the response on the % album; this album sometimes sounds a bit uninspired. I do fear that the experience the band had with the % has now made them a prisoner of their own old sound. I'm not pleading for them to shock their fans again, but a few more surprises would have been welcome.
Incidentally it is nice to see they finally did what has been a rumour for such a lone time and re-recorded 'Return of the Beautiful' from the 'As the Flower Withers' album. I also like what they did with the song, but the album did not need it.
1. The Dreadful Hours
2. The Raven and The Rose
3. Le Figlie Della Tempesta
4. Black Heart Romance
5. A Cruel Taste of Winter
6. My Hope The Destroyer
7. The Deepest of All Hearts
8. The Return to the Beautiful
Approx. 71 minutes
| The Voice of the Wretched (CD) | 2002 | Peaceville |
So, while rumours on the day of the gig where about, I was pretty surprised that when they finally released this live album that it was of a gig I actually attended! After spending a few listening sessions with my ear pressed closely to a speaker to see if I could hear myself on the disk, I decided give up on my vein enthusiasm and simply enjoy this release.
If I compare this to the rather weak recording of the Dynamo festival this disc is much better, and more professionally done. The band, unlike the Dynamo recording, were aware this time around that they were being recorded for possible publication, and gave the best they could. Of course the "age old" issue of the missing violin comes around the corner again, but all in all I think MDB solved it tactfully with subtle keyboard use. It is not a big loss.
As the track list makes it clear, they covered most of their discography pretty well, although they did not play any songs from their debut album (first time ever I saw them not ending with 'The forever People' as encore. Although I must admit it was the first time in 5 or more years I had seen them again). Still the band played a well-balanced set of both old and new songs.
Shamefully Peaceville did not manage to get the track-listing correct at the back of the CD. Something you would imagine is not that hard as Aaron even announces most songs! I have added the correct track numbers in our overview of the tracklist in brackets behind the song titles. In my humble opinion however, this is a very sloppy mistake from a label that has been re-releasing, releasing tons of best-off's and hardly releases any new material. Has the once mighty Peaceville now truly become a cash-in-label feeding of fans gullibility?
Regardless however of whatever motives Peaceville had with this release, the sound quality is good, there is a real live atmosphere and the track-list is highly enjoyable. As such I would consider this a worthy addition to the collection of any die-hard My Dying Bride fan. Of course if your are still struggling to get all their studio albums together, you might want to concentrate on that first.
1. She is the Dark
2. The Snow in my hand (4)
3. The Cry of mankind (3)
4. Turn Loose the Swans (2)
5. A cruel taste of winter
6. Under your wings and into your arms
7. A kiss to remember
8. Your River
9. The Fever Sea
10. Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium
* The numbers beside tracks indicate the real order of the setlist.
Approx. 75 minutes
| Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light (CD) | 2004 | Peaceville |
As the first notes of 'The Wreckage Of My Flesh' hit your eardrums it becomes clear that this album has an emphasis on dark atmosphere, perhaps even more so than any other My Dying Bride album. This feeling lasts throughout the album, on which obscure riffs, low, heavy keys and ominous spoken word parts determine the colour of the sound, which is near pitch black. Especially Aaron's 'storytelling' is an important asset of this album, giving some of the songs an epic, tangible quality. It's almost as if you're there at times. In these respects, the band has finally been able to transcend the previous albums.
This isn't a unanimous success, though. For starters, Aaron's clean vocals and lyrics are a bit of a drag at times. One can only hear him go on about "death", "desire" and "laying (someone) down" so many times before getting enough of it. My guess is that this only goes for those who have known the band for a time, but still. Over more, one is reminded of previous works too often to be able to speak of a truly revolutionary album. The band still walks its own trodden path, which is all but paved after fourteen years of work. It seems that the band has little desire to experiment with their music and have chosen to remain within their own self-styled niche of doom, where their success stems from.
As a final point of criticism I just have to note the horrible cover art. While some will probably not understand what I dislike about it, it reminds me far too much of the style certain popular black metal bands employ to draw the attention of unsuspecting teenagers in music stores. The whole thing looks rather tasteless to me, while we are used too much more imaginative things from MDB. Rather than hire out the work to Andy Green, Aaron should have picked up the (digital) brush himself and done a proper work.
Despite these previous three things, MDB has actually improved a great deal since the last album. The absence of too much experimentation, combined with a more profound idea of the sound they wanted to achieve make this album more focused, pure - more doomy, even - than The Dreadful Hours. One needs only note the crushing atmosphere of the opening track, the dark romantic (MDB pur sang) quality of 'Catherine Blake' and the tasteful use of organ on some songs, etc. to discover that.
In short, this is a quality album. Not spectacular, considering the band's already intimidating oeuvre, but a great deal better than many, including me, would have expected. This is a must for any (aspiring) doom lover and also recommended to those who have put this band aside; this album may very well pleasantly surprise you!
1. The Wreckage Of My Flesh
2. The Scarlet Garden
3. Catherine Blake
4. My Wine In Silence
5. The Prize Of Beauty
6. The Blue Lotus
7. And My Fury Stands Ready
8. A Doomed Lover
Approx. 59 minutes
| A Line Of Deathless Kings (CD) | 2006 | Peaceville |
'A Line Of Deathless Kings' adds yet another chapter to My Dying Bride's legendary career. Over the years, we have witnessed the band's storied ascension through the ranks of Doom Metal, culminating into a near household name. We have anxiously awaited for each of the band's previous eight full lengths, losing a few of our fellow travellers along the way to all things darker and slower. Few bands have shown us such longevity; just as the years steadily mount, such does the hype surrounding each new release. Does 'A Line Of Deathless Kings' come close to the expectations we have so mechanically heaped upon it?
Definitely.
'A Line Of Deathless Kings' doesn't break new ground, but it takes us on a nostalgic journey - a chronological cauldron of the past simmering sweetly with a more focused future. 'A Line Of Deathless Kings' stitches together the more signifigant riffage of My Dying Bride's extensive catalogue and weaves a sonic tapestry of both peculiar vintage and present-day polish. This is not a regurgitation of old, stagnant ideas, nor is it a transparent attempt at commercialism. This is My Dying Bride, and 'A Line Of Deathless Kings' proclaims that loudly.
The production on this release is absolutely stunning. Smooth gloss gently envelops the dreary aural landscapes, much like a laminated cemetary. This serves the performances beautifully, and My Dying Bride is sharper and more poignant than ever before. Every nuance is breathtakingly captured, which I believe will only strengthen the listener's overall impression.
'To Remain Tombless', the album's first track, is a great example of personal evolution. Strikingly original, yet somehow familiar, 'To Remain Tombless' conjures visions of the band's later catalogue with a generous spattering of Death/Doom. 'L'Amour Detruit' utilizes classic My Dying Bride riffing techniques and builds something very warm and modern. 'I Cannot Be Loved' along with 'And I Walk With Them' are both dark, irresistibly catchy, and oddly melodic.
'Thy Raven Wings' begins with a gorgeous, ethereal piano before launching into a gothic marinade of melodic guitar and slow pounding drums. 'Love's Intolerable Pain' is swollen and heavy with maturity; it is very agreeable and at times very moving. 'One Of Beauty's Daughters' makes use of a very Zeppelinesque riff, just quite signifigantly blackened and fine-tuned.
'Deeper Down' is by far the most accessible track on the entire album. It contains a very sinister hook that may worm into your skull, and can only be exorcised by generous amounts of humming. The album concludes with 'The Blood, The Wine, The Roses', a rather groovy little number that is quite original yet still unmistakably My Dying Bride. he song, and album, ends with a ferocious blast of Death/Doom that would have fit nicely on any of the band's earliest efforts. It almost seems like an intentional statement: Been there, done that.
'A Line Of Deathless Kings' is almost entirely populated with Stainthorpe's clean vocals, only occasionally using his trademark growl. This actually favors the songs, as his voice becomes yet another instrument woven carefully into the musical context. Why growl when the feel of the song suggests otherwise? I'm overjoyed Aaron chose this path, as his vocal performance is quite simply the best of his career.
'A Line Of Deathless Kings' is very, very impressive. Fans and Naysayers alike will probably find something they can appreciate on this album, even if the latter faction won't admit it. Seventeen years is quite a trip, especially for a Doom Metal band. Here's hoping the destination is still barely visible in the distance.
1. To Remain Tombless
2. L'Amour Detruit
3. I Cannot Be Loved
4. And I Walk With Them
5. Thy Raven Wings
6. Love's Intolerable Pain
7. One Of Beauty's Daughters
8. Deeper Down
9. The Blood, The Wine, The Roses
Approx. 61 minutes