Friday, May 1, 2020

My Dying Bride - The Ghost Of Orion (Nuclear Blast, 2020)


It is appropriate that the first post here is about the new My Dying Bride album "The Ghost Of Orion" as they remain one of my favourite bands and have never disappointed me, even the derided "34.788%...Complete" has its merits as far as I am concerned. Having divulged this information it is probably fair to say that the chances of me being completely objective are slim at best so take what follows with a grain of proverbial salt.

The music of My Dying Bride has always been built on genuine emotion, however bleak, and it was inevitable that the well publicised circumstances behind the creation of "The Ghost Of Orion" would make their presence felt for better or worse. Regardless, this is the same band that has personified doom metal for so many years and their distinctive sound remains intact, albeit with greater scope than may have been the case previously.

It has been interesting to see the mixed reaction to "The Ghost Of Orion", ranging from the overly positive through to the blatantly negative, and I can see where some of the criticism is coming from as, once again, their music continues to evolve. References to this being a more accessible release probably have merit as well, not that there is any lack of crushing riffs or plaintive melodies throughout, as the overall sound and production is clear and polished, which is probably to be expected.

I will admit, it does seem strange to see My Dying Bride signed to Nuclear Blast rather than long time label Peaceville but that is ultimately just an aesthetic change as they have stayed true to their well established identity, even with the obvious experimentation employed at times. Where this album ranks in their lengthy discography is certainly up for debate but one thing remains certain, My Dying Bride will continue to move at their own pace and develop with each successive release, "The Ghost Of Orion" merely provides clear evidence of that fact and is ultimately another resounding success.



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