My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire |
Published March 24 2009
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Fall With Me |
| Genre | Doom Metal |
Aaron Stainthorpe
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Vocals
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| Tracks | 9 |
Andrew Craighan
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Guitar
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| Runningtime | 60 Min. |
Hamish Hamilton Glencross
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Guitar
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| Label | Peaceville Records |
Lena Abé
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Bass
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| Release | 23 March 2009 |
Dan Mullins
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Drums
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| Country | England |
Katie Stone
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Keyboard
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| Similar artists | Paradise Lost, Anathema | ||
In my honest opinion, few bands have ever personified despair in their music as well as My Dying Bride have managed to do over the last 17 years since their Doom/Death debut 'As the Flower Withers' was released. I believe this band has been fairly consistent in putting out solidly good releases, though some were naturally not as good as others, such as 37.788% Complete, which has had a polarizing effect among fans.
The album begins without introduction, kicking straight into opener Fall With Me, fairly standard fare for these Doomsters. While not one of the best tracks on the album, it does what it's meant to do: introduce to us the newest album of the Masters of Melancholy.
One of the most noteworthy things about this album is the long-awaited return of the violin, courtesy of the new keyboard player Katie Stone. Taking a fairly prominent role in the sound, the violin is definitely welcomed back, especially in the track Bring Me Victory, which seems to call back to the older days of MDB, as the violin is paired with primarily harsh vocals, a nice reunion that leads to one of the standout songs of the album. While prominent, the sound is never oversaturated with the violin's presence, finding a healthy balance to present the best possible mix.
As always, Aaron's vocals are superb. His soft croon is remarkable, and his harsh vocals are so fierce it's a wonder that they aren't used more often. It is because of those vocals that the second-to-last track, A Chapter in Loathing, is my absolute favourite on the album. It hits you hard, and holds tight throughout as Aaron releases Black Metal type vocals.
The final track, Death Triumphant, clocks in at eleven minutes. Everyone knows how Progressive bands like Opeth and Dream Theater pull this off, but how is it handled by Doom's finest? In my opinion, beautifully. Never does this song feel repetitive or drag on, like some might expect from an eleven minute Doom Metal song. It is another fine track among the many on this album - in fact, I can't think of any songs I really disliked on this album.
From start to finish, this album is a foray into despair, but not one that hits you from the start. I had to sit on this release for a week or two to make sure of my first opinions - it grows on you, progressively being better with each listen, leading up to finally becoming what might just be one of the best of 2009. The Doom Masters have done it again.
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Performance
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Originality
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Production
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Vocals
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Songwriting
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8 |
7,5 |
8 |
9 |
8,5 |
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Summary
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8 chalices of 10 - JuuKun |
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