Feel the Misery

With song titles that are as grim as those of A Map of All Our Failures and a divine artwork that’s arguably My Dying Bride’s best since The Light at the End of the World, Feel the Misery could have only been written by these miserable English folks. It’s almost as if we fans should pity them, but then again, I don’t want to know what an upbeat variant of My Dying Bride would be like. My Beautiful Bride playing dreadful gothic metal, perhaps?

At first sight, listening to Feel the Misery may give you the idea that this is a middle of the road kind of record. After all, ‘I Almost Loved You’ recalls the non-metallic tunes of Turn Loose the Swans; ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’ crawls with the same sinister intent as most of A Map of All Our Failures did and the dreamlike qualities of ‘A Cold New Curse’ shares several similarities with the material of The Light at the End of the World (albeit with superior vocals). Yet, Feel the Misery certainly doesn’t leave the impression that My Dying Bride have run out of ideas. Since the guitarists aren’t afraid to approach doom metal from different angles this time (meaning: dynamics), Feel the Misery doesn't appear to be the one-mood-only record that the title may suggest. From the crushing guitar bending ‘Within a Sleeping Forest’, to the subtle melodic black metal-influenced ‘And My Father Left Forever’, to the piercing notes choices of ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’, it’s clear that Andrew and Calvin have yet to run out of musical ideas. The contrast between triumph, drama, physical heaviness and spiritual enlightenment result into a much more nuanced record than that of A Map of All Our Failures and you can bet that it works in My Dying Bride’s favor.

In this regard, I consider Feel the Misery to be slightly more accessible than A Map of All Our Failures. Rarely does the heavier material launch into this behemoth tempos and just on a few occasions could I think of a few heavy doom metal moments that sound as suffocating as the material of the aforementioned record does. Yet, the compositions are written with flexibility in mind; plenty of times avoiding a simplistic verse / chorus format. Cuts such as the roughly melodic ‘A Cold New Curse’ and cathedral-sized opus of Within a Sleeping Forest’ are both multidimensional in their delivery and should be adventurous enough to keep the listener on his toes. Still, the important thing comes down to how everything blends together. Opening up with the unexpected, yet welcoming guitar sting of ‘And My Father Left Forever’ is something I can get behind; including the A Map of All Our Failures-esque ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’ as the record progresses is a smart move and ending with the giant, yet familiar doom crusher that is ‘Within a Sleeping Forest’ makes perfect sense.

Vocally, Feel the Misery does just what it’s supposed to. Aaron may have lost his hair, but certainly not his voice; unlike the late 90’s / early 00’s era, his clean vocal lines are a joy to behold, while the spiteful growls add a sense to dread to the music and basically sound as fantastic as ever. Aaron’s ability to switch between the two without any effort causes ‘Within a Sleeping Forest’ to express emotional turmoil in the best way possible and even when the harsh vocals are left out, the results remain superb. ‘And My Father Left Forever’ sounds as theatrical as it sounds personal, whereas the tender vocals of ‘I Almost Loved You’ could have only been delivered by Aaron to reach the same effects.

I’m not advocating that Feel the Misery is some kind of unexpected flawless medium. While the corrosive, yet triumphant ‘To Shiver in Empty Halls’ reveals My Dying Bride's flexibility, final minutes of random growls and whispers make me think of a less desirable era of this band. The title track features some quality riffs that are covered in gloom; yet the tune itself comes off as something too static and rigid to leave any powerful impressions behind. I’m also not too optimistic about the mesmerizing ‘A Thorn of Wisdom’, which has some strangely loud-pumping bass lines in store and comes off a bit too out of place for its own good. However, the best moments of Feel the Misery are simply superb and worth spinning many times over. You’ll absolutely feel misery – and much more once the record unfolds its emotional baggage unto you.

Eight years ago I submitted a review of this here album and it was rejected. Rightfully so, it was one long gush (and all too soon after the release for a proper perspective). In the time since then I've listened to it... a lot: fun (?) fact, the CD got physically stuck in my car's player at the time. So yes, a lot.

Alright, Feel the Misery. I've always been a sucker for this band but find them optimal when Aaron Stainthorpe combines his crooning with harsh vocals, and that's just what he did here after three albums with barely a growl (four if you count Evinta). I also prefer his more cryptic lyrics (as opposed to the "gothic vampire love"- stuff) and they are present in several songs as well. In addition, mastermind and guitarist Andrew Craighan came up with some great, heavy riffs and more of those gripping, mournful melodies. The stunning cover artwork promised a colorful listen and this is true, for good and for bad.

However, I was indeed ejaculating prematurely. The best songs here are really fucking great - even among their best - but they are unfortunately accompanied by less-than-stellar material.

My Dying Bride have oftened opened their albums with a track that stands apart from the rest of the songs. The bombastic intro on the debut, the minimalistic opener of Turn Loose the Swans, or "My Body A Funeral", a near-ballad, to name a few. This happens here too, with "And My Father Left Forever". It is relatively fast-paced and, for the first time really, Aaron sounds like he's singing his heart out - not that lower register trademark croon, but going higher tonally than before. It's catchy, has interesting lyrics and some crunchy sections.

But it gets (even) better right after with the mighty "To Shiver in Empty Halls", a grinding, powerful epic with a variety of ideas. Aaron's harsh vocals here are top notch, perhaps the best he's sounded. This track is one of their career highs. This song, plus three more, were what led me to wet myself: "A Cold New Curse", "I Celebrate Your Skin" and "Within a Sleeping Forest" are also prime time Bride. The latter even sounds like a transitional song between Turn Loose the Swans and The Angel and the Dark River, without sounding like a copy, and that's high praise indeed.

Which leaves us with the not so good. "A Thorn of Wisdom" is just repetitive filler, with an annoying vocal line over lackluster goth pop. "I Almost Loved You" is a contemplative, quiet piece in the vein of "Black God" and "For My Fallen Angel" but doesn't reach the same level of ethereal beauty. I'm not saying it's bad, I just don't find myself as immersed in it...but I shouldn't expect perfection in everything they do, certainly not on a twelfth (!) album. In that case I would at least need Rick Miah back behind the drum kit (he was inimitable) and Martin Powell back on the violin. While I appreciate that instrument's return (from 2009's For Lies I Sire and onward) - it's such an integral part of the band - I can't say they are as memorable as they were on the early classics. That being said, the band have written many bangers without the violin.

Finally we have the title track. When I first heard that "Feel the Misery" was going to be the album title I thought it was cool in a tongue-in-cheek way, but the song takes itself far too seriously for that to work. The music is very good but it kind of drowns under Aaron endlessly crooning, you guessed it, feeeeeel the misery. Maybe it could have worked if he growled the line, frothing at the mouth. The line as is just sounds overly whiny.

As for the production, it sounds good overall, with a nice guitar tone and an even mix. The pre-order deluxe edition release (vinyl, CD, a bonus CD with different mixes) unfortunately had an earlier, unfinished mix so one needs to listen to later re-presses for a fuller sound.

Sooo yes, my initial glowing rating of 95% or thereabouts was wrong. The best material here definitely deserves a score that high, but the rest gives the album a disjointed feel and are... good enough I guess? (except "A Thorn of Wisdom", which is basically a misstep). In the end, eight years later, I rate this album a solid 86%.

As a fan of My Dying Bride since 1996, it has been one of life’s joys to follow the ebb and flow of the band across the ensuing decades. They’ve had several spectacular moments as well as a few flat points in their output since the 90s, which is fairly par for the course for bands whose lifespan is spread across such a long period of time. At any rate, I felt a lot of anticipation for ‘Feel the Misery’ in the lead-up to its release.

It is with a certain degree of reluctance, therefore, that I have to rate ‘Feel the Misery’ as an album that doesn’t hit the high water-mark of My Dying Bride’s best work and is in fact a disappointment. It’s one of the albums that, after five years of living with it, I barely play at all despite my initial excitement at hearing that Calvin Robertshaw was back in the band. Yes, he re-joined after the bulk of the music was written, but I was still hoping for a bit of that old spirit to come back – a sense of brotherhood and the re-ignition of youthful passions. Alas, this wasn’t to be and maybe it can never be.

There are certainly some positive aspects to the album, as there are to every My Dying Bride album. I’m a lifelong fan of gothic doom music, so I’m already in the right place for base level enjoyment. ‘And My Father Left Forever’ is a decent opening track, with its elevating, ascendant main riff and its serpentine melodic slow sections. It’s certainly one of the album’s highlights, despite not being able to move into top ranking status. ‘To Shiver in Empty Halls’ is also a cracking song, with its huge doom riff and glorious twin guitar harmonies. There’s a darkness in the song and the title that resonates with me. The other highlight of the album is the unexpected and quite effective piano and violin piece, ‘I Almost Loved You’. This latter track has a beautiful melody and is well structured and suitably sentimental, despite lacking a sense of the magic that runs through similar songs like ‘For My Fallen Angel’ and ‘Sear Me 93’, perhaps because it sounds a little forced and lifeless. So there are several positive aspects to this album that require acknowledgement.

Unfortunately, the whole thing is thrown off course by too many oddities that permeate every facet of the album.

Firstly, the vocals are for some reason extremely loose and quite unfocussed in their execution, and they seem to drone on and on. There are so many instances where I wish Aaron would back off and let the music breathe, as Andrew has done quite a decent job as far as riff composition. A case in point is when the doomy riff comes in at around the five minute mark of ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’, and instead of allowing that huge sound to take the listener on a journey, Aaron jumps in with the repetitive “You are…” vocal section. It’s awkward, poorly performed and just doesn’t seem to fit. The same can be said for the chorus of the title track ‘Feel the Misery’. The vocal line just doesn’t fit with the drum pattern nor the guitars, and it just sounds forced – this is noticeable even from the intro of the song as Aaron’s voice stumbles awkwardly across a drum beat that doesn’t match in the slightest. I’m surprised that they actually let that go through editing. It pains me to say it, but the vocals nearly de-rail the whole project.

There are several songs that just don’t live up to reasonable quality control, too. ‘A Thorn of Wisdom’ has an awkward and uninspiring presence and is generally unpleasant to listen to, and the aforementioned ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’ lacks real atmosphere and momentum. The urge to turn these tracks off is strong from the first note and there are too many moments here that demand an immediate skip on the CD player. I’m also left a bit bemused by the song titles – they seem to have been generated by a doom title algorithm or something. MDB’s titles have always been flamboyant, pretentious and esoteric, and I love this about the band, but I struggle to connect with the titles and lyrics here.

The instrumentation also requires some comment. The violin is certainly present, but it’s so uninspired and flaccid. Comparisons are odious, but compare the violin work on this album to Martin Powell’s work on the first four releases; the quality and effect here is so dull that I feel the misery for all the wrong reasons, and the instrument is simply tokenistic at this point. The drums are also a problem, and although Dan Mullins does the best job he can, the performance is very ill-fitting, as if there was little rehearsal as a full band prior to the recording sessions. The drums fail to anticipate the subtle flourishes in the music and between riffs, and this impacts the sense of cohesion in the sound. Again, compare the unsuitability of the drums here to Rick Miah’s 90s work. Even compare it with the drum work on recent Katatonia and Moonspell albums, bands who sound tight and very much a solid musical unit. Session drums might be a necessity if you can’t find a permanent replacement, but it amazes me that a band with My Dying Bride’s legacy and enduring popularity can’t lock in a world-class drummer like most other bands seem able to do.

Yes, it’s unfair to compare an album released in 2015 to the 1990s material, but I do so only to highlight the awkwardness of the unit that performs on ‘Feel the Misery’. They feel like ring-ins and wannabes, and while I’m sure they’re all very nice people, it’s just not up to par considering the reputation and proven track record that the band has.

I also found the packaging and artwork to be really disappointing. The front cover is amazing, and when I first saw it I couldn’t wait to see what lay within the booklet. It turns out that very little is in the booklet, with the stained-glass theme from the cover proving entirely absent. Why? What does the stained-glass window have to do with feeling misery if it’s not elaborated upon in the booklet? The band photo is also probably the single worst image I’ve seen of this great institution that is My Dying Bride and well beneath their dignity. The lack of continuity of theme in the booklet also undermines the art concept in the first place, yet it ironically suits the mish-mash performance of the album. Nothing here, whether musically or visually, meets the dignity and nobility of My Dying Bride at their best.

So overall I have to say this album is not a success. Calling it ‘Feel the Misery’ is also asking for trouble, and while they claim it’s more about the misery of society and a comment on life, it’s nevertheless a big call that they can’t really live up to except ironically.

I don’t hate this album by any measure, but I also don’t really want to listen to it, and for one of my favourite bands that’s quite an indictment.

Since releasing the slightly odd but very exciting EP The Barghest o’ Whitby, My Dying Bride have been in surprisingly rich form: surprising because the band were patchy at best even at their creative peak and rich because every release has added something new to an already colossal artistic record stretching back more than 25 years. This album admittedly snagged me due to its snazzy cover art, though the gulf between this colourful image and some of the previous bleak emblems is somewhat reflected in the concomitant variety of Feel the Misery. I say just somewhat reflected since staunch MDB supporters don’t need to run screaming for the exits: this is not an about-turn in style as on 34.788%…Complete but a refraction of the band’s many qualities through a stained glass kaleidoscope.

If my preceding comments seem intriguing, rest assured that a truly boring reason explains the colourful nature to which I alluded. Quite simply, the production on this album is what MDB needed to make the most of their formula, since full-lengths such as Like Gods of the Sun, For Lies I Sire, and this album’s predecessor, A Map of All Our Failures were respectively flavourless, restrained, or gritty in a manner that would not suit the material here. A Map of All Our Failures was an attempt to regain the leaden heaviness of the band’s earlier days, though with more of a tendency towards funeral doom than death metal, while the sparser melodic features of those three albums seem particularly apparent in light of the lack of depth in the sound. Feel the Misery benefits from the most lush production in MDB’s career and makes use of that quality to highlight intricate melodic riffing, gracefully twisting leads, and a healthy keyboard presence that could draw comparisons to The Dreadful Hours or, outside the Bride catalogue, Draconian and recent Funeral, though is ultimately more adventurous than both those bands.

If the words “good, clear production” and “melodic” did nothing for you, perhaps you will be interested in the following - huge, memorable doom riffs. It’s key to the appeal of Feel the Misery that the woven tapestry of lead melodies is balanced by several brutish slugs that whack ‘Within a Sleeping Forest’ and ‘A Cold New Curse’ up the scale from ‘listenable’ to ‘exciting’, not factoring in the catchiness of the hook in ‘To Shiver in Empty Halls’ and the sheer crushing sloth of ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’. The guitarists had a fine outing the last time in Bride colours, yet here they include both sides of the equation, ensuring that power meets its partners in delicacy and detail. What truly makes Andrew Craighan and Calvin Robertshaw successful, however, is how wide-ranging and distinctive their contributions are, never failing to capture the essence of MDB though also scooping handfuls of inspiration from modern melodeath (the chugs and slickness of the fills), death metal (occasional bursts of pace and anger), post-metal and rock (the shading during lulls in the action), and both sides of the doom metal divide, funeral and gothic. Along with a sterling drum performance from Dan Mullins, the eight songs weave in and out of different styles with hardly a join showing, seemingly dashing off ideas with the nonchalance of improvisation.

Nevertheless, there have been middling MDB albums that have included most of the above characteristics, so it falls to the actual songs and particularly Aaron Stainthorpe to seal the deal. The frontman does exactly what one would hope in the vocal department, mixing up the rhythms, phrasing, and mood of his emotional clean vocals, then interspersing some of the longer compositions with a brief burst of satisfactory growls, as befits the musical approach. He and Lena Abé turn ‘A Thorn of Wisdom’ to their advantage in its sparse first half, the listener’s attention being attracted by Stainthorpe’s peculiar stress (a whole lot better than some of his past melodrama) and the prominent post-punk bassline. Lyrics are thoroughly winning too, covering the fertile ground of Stainthorpe’s poetic narratives, some romantic darkness, and a few more obscure pieces. There are magnificent lines in ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’ about “the sexual wisdom of a thousand years”, yet I take my hat off to what is surely a tongue-in-cheek comment in ‘A Thorn of Wisdom’, where Stainthorpe glibly declares he “sometimes enjoys solitude”. Yeah, and I sometimes enjoy heavy metal.

There is a great deal more that I could say about the songs, though to leave something for others to explore, a few comments should suffice. The structure of the album is a little odd, pushing three of the most complex songs up front and then darting through four shorter numbers (at about the pace of the average continent) before finishing up with another epic; odd this may be, but it gives us Bridesmaids a chance to really get our fill of the classic elements before risking a little more in the more straightforward title track and no-frills ballad ‘I Almost Loved You’. The mixture of heavy and light plus slow and very slow in the longer numbers is rather more complex and progressive than the structure of ‘Feel the Misery’ with its repeated refrain, though that means my attention is focused first on trying to unravel the intricacies of ‘And My Father Left Forever’, then - just as that would begin to drag - the simpler material arrives and I find myself not ungenerously inclined to a ballad. In general, I’ve hated Bride ballads since the brilliant ‘Sear Me MCMXCIII’ thoroughly emasculated me aged 18 but again these are well-planned, ‘A Thorn of Wisdom’ doing little to offend and even packing a decent riff in its latter stages, while ‘I Almost Loved You’ goes full-on piano with Stainthorpe a delicate presence and escapes with a judgement of bearable.

My Dying Bride are a band that are difficult to understand and Feel the Misery is no exception. It takes quite some time before all of the pieces come together, whether that be the awkwardness of the song structures, the slowness of the music, or merely Stainthorpe’s idiosyncratic manner of using his voice. However, I feel that this is one of the most joyous examples of the band exploring the limits of their sound without overstepping the boundaries and - in the same way as Cradle of Filth’s excellent Hammer of the Witches - proves that the early ‘90s British upstarts still have a lot to offer. There are some exquisite songs on here, not least the hulking ‘Within a Sleeping Forest’ and gripping slow-motion of ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’: I don’t know about just feeling the misery, because there’s so much to experience here.

It happened again. My Dying Bride made a second sub par album. The first time this happened, it was called 'Like Gods of the Sun', which was a straight up, no frills, traditional doom album with Aaron just talking/moaning into the mic. It helped to cap off the last of original sound, and lead to even better albums down the road. That album has aged surprisingly well, the plagiarized Black Sabbath riffs notwithstanding.

This album was highly anticipated largely due to the return of original guitarist Calvin Robertshaw and the departure of his long standing replacement Hamish Glencross. The questions about this were many, and the answers have been few. The biggest was if Calvin's return would herald in a return to the bands more classic sound. Thankfully that answer is no, going backwards isn't progress.

Sadly, Aarnon's father died during the making of this album. This explains why there's a sense of hatred never heard in the music before, and why some of the songs really feel out of place. It's tragic effects are felt throughout the album, mostly on the opening track,'And My Father Left Forever' and it's followup 'To Shiver in Empty Halls', which is a somewhat mundane song until the last three minutes or so when it becomes rapturous. There are many familiar hallmarks with a few new ingredients thrown in. There are similarities to 'The Dreadful Hours' more than any other release, and unlike the 'The Barghest o' Whitby', there are actual funeral doom elements present. This is the bands slowest effort to date, which is why it sucks that this album really isn't up to par.

For all this album has to offer, it really doesn't go anywhere. The anger it's trying to put off clashes with the general misery the band displays, and we're left with an awkward smattering of hatred and woe. As the album continues it does get better. 'Within a Sleeping Forest' is probably the best and slowest song on the album. It's almost as if we nearly got something mind blowing but instead were left with some interesting new ideas shoehorned into familiar wares.

Another problem is the one the nose title, 'Feel the Misery'. It's meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek and requires little to no thought. Devoid of the bands usual poetic titles that require, or at least provoke thought, this one is straight to the point. It's ironic that the album with the most colorful artwork would be their worst sounding.

It always sucks when a great band makes a bad album, especially when said band is My Dying Bride. Rating this album is very difficult, because upon the first listen you'll be disappointed. This is a solid '40'. This is probably the Brides' most challenging album. It will grow on you, but it ultimately it's not one of their higher points. This album is for die hard Bride fans only.

I was beyond ecstatic to hear that Calvin Robertshaw was re-joining the Bride, being that he was responsible for some amazing guitar work on the band's seminal early records. However, upon hearing that Andrew Craighan was writing the majority of the music, I was a bit concerned. Don't get me wrong: He does superb work and is responsible for the lion's share of the band's greatest riffs. My concern stemmed from that fact that the last LP that was written solely by Andy was The Light at the End of the World, which unfortunately did not inspire much of an emotional response from me. Superficially, it had all of the elements that Turn Loose the Swans had (minus the violin), but it just did not resonate with me to the same degree and proved somewhat of a disappointment. That being said, I understand that he wrote the majority of The Dreadful Hours as well, which ranks among the band's greatest works. Yet my concern remained, as I so desperately want to love everything that my favorite band releases. And I wondered...can Andy write almost the entire record himself and reach the greatness the band is capable of?

As is often the case with me, I was not entirely thrilled upon my first listen. I often have preconceived notions of how I want the record to sound, and if it does not have the same qualities I desire from a previous album it can take some time for me to adjust. But slowly and surely, the excellence of this album began to emerge. I began to realize that there were full songs that I truly responded to emotionally. These songs, largely belonging to the second half of the record, each possess the key elements that lead to what I yearn to feel....melancholy, anger, beauty, power, quietude. And quite strangely, I felt hopeful as well. A strange paradox: The band’s best records have always made me feel good, despite their miserable content! Let's begin with A Thorn of Wisdom. Upon the first listen, I was quite shocked. The reverb drenched keyboards immediately brought to mind Depeche Mode in one of their more ambient moments. The song slowly builds into an atmospheric, beautiful gothic voyage. It is quite simple, but the vocal melodies are heart wrenching and emotional. Aaron sings with a tone that is a bit more straightforward on this song (as he does on I Almost Loved you). Perhaps the best way to describe this is that there is less 'whimpering' in the vocals, very similar to the singing on Thy Raven Wings. The song gradually builds to some captivating electric guitar melodies cascading over the gothic choir that appears just before, preceded by a rumbling bass line. It's simply a gorgeous song, while being a bit unique for the band (you can't quite compare it to anything else in their back catalogue).

The following trio of I Celebrate Your Skin, I Almost Loved You, and Within a Sleeping Forest are astounding. Along with A Thorn of Wisdom, this is one of the strongest 4 song passages in the band's history. This section of the record moves back and forth between the highly atmospheric and utterly beautiful side of the band, and the crushing doom death that highlighted records such as The Dreadful Hours and Turn Loose the Swans (while retaining its own identity - it is NOT a carbon copy of their earlier works). I Celebrate Your Skin opens with a plodding drum beat that continues throughout the song as uniquely different guitar riffs appear over it. A riff not too far removed from Turn Loose the Swans enters with an effective clean vocal line, to be followed by a wondrous twin guitar harmony passage that recalls the bands early work (think the early EP's here), replete with dominating growls. The lyrics that Aaron bellows during this section help to create a classic MDB atmosphere. When the opening riff returns the violin appears to augment it, and you get that magical feeling that only the band that created Swans could bring into the world. We then return to the isolated drums, soon to be joined by a haunting ambient section with choirs and church bells. The latter part of the song features a very strong doom riff (full guitar chords are bled into the song for the first time), and a vocal melody that lures you into its web. I Almost Loved you is starkly gorgeous. I've heard some compare this neoclassical piece to For My Fallen Angel, but it's actually much closer in line with the neoclassical tracks from Turn Loose the Swans (due to the darkness and melancholy it personifies). It's simply haunting and achingly beautiful, and the violin/keyboard work is searing.

Rising out of the ashes of tranquility heard on this neoclassical masterwork, we have the album's closer: Within a Sleeping Forest. This song manages to encompass almost every great quality of the band - it's a very diverse and crushing piece of art. We're treated to haunting guitar harmonies and weeping violin sections, cryptic doom death sections with hellish growls recalling the bands early style once again, and even a section that sounds like an old Cathedral riff amongst it all. The lyrics here are amongst the best on the album, Aaron spinning the tale as the weeper (clean vocals) and the demon (growls). Each riff is stunning, and it's amazing how the band reaches into their past and blends it with the present to create yet another masterpiece to close the record out. The growls on this record are fucking powerful – Aaron really lays into it and gives us some of that unique/avant-garde atmosphere that drew many of us to the band in the early years.

As for the rest of the record: The first four songs are very good as well. The title track has a crushing, palm-muted chorus, which is followed by a timeless mid-section with mournful, layered violins and memorable vocal melodies. The twin gut punch of To Shiver in Empty Halls and A Cold New Curse introduces the growls to the record, and my lord is it effective. The former immediately reminds of the bands early works again with a cryptic riff and demonic roars, to be followed by several medium tempo melodic riffs as the growls continue. The song features a mid-section that reminds of Iron Maiden (until the death doom and vicious growls return to assault you, giving way to an otherworldly clean guitar melody and sinister whispers until the songs closing). A Cold New Curse volleys back and forth between lush, funereal atmospherics and heavy as hell riffing complemented by the growls. The 3 sections in this track featuring growling are utterly stunning, wicked, and once again entirely convincing. We can also look at the unique verses and vocal melodies on the albums’ opening track as something new for the band.

Mr. Craighan: Not only did you quell my fears, but this is the band's most consistent and convincing record since the Dreadful Hours. It is easily among their best records, which is saying a lot for the band that released classics such as The Angel and the Dark River. The kings of doom have returned to their full glory, and I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us with Robertshaw back in the band!

Bring out the bottles and obsess over sad memories because My Dying Bride has returned with their thirteenth album, Feel the Misery. For 25 years, they have been the measuring stick in depressive doom metal, releasing one great album after another and influencing countless bands in both death/doom and gothic/doom genres along the way. And this new album continues this legacy and cements My Dying Bride's position at the top of their craft.

This album marks a change in the lineup with the departure of long time guitarist Hamish Hamilton Glencross. But that also allows Calvin Robertshaw to return who performed in all of their classic albums in the 90s. However this change in lineup hasn't made a big difference in the sound of My Dying Bride. The album consists of trademark My Dying Bride riffs that mixes slow death metal riffs with massive doom metal riffs. The death metal riffs chug along most of the time and provide the album with enough aggression. They never get boring or feel stuck, the riffs feel destructive and move fluidly with a purpose throughout the songs. They also never get too repetitive as new riffs are introduced in almost every new verse. Bigger, doomier riffs are also used which are most notable in Within a Sleeping Forest. The riffs are often accompanied with some mournful guitar leads. The bass is not always distinguishable but when there are some independent basslines, they are typically sorrowful like in A Thorn of Wisdom.

All songs here are long but the album still can be divided into two parts. One consisting the longer songs that exceed the nine minutes mark and the other consisting relatively shorter songs that only exceed five or six minutes mark. As the songs progress, violins and keyboards are introduced within them. However they are used more prominently in the relatively shorter songs than the longer ones. Both violins and keyboards are very melancholic and they mostly used for atmospheric purpose. But they can also take central stage like in I Almost Loved You which is a neoclassical piece in the vein of Sear Me MCMXCIII and For My Fallen Angel. While the drums are not present in that song, they are in others and the drumming in the album is solid and dynamic. Sometimes the drums plod along but change pace before it can get monotonous. They enable the flow of the songs very effectively.

Aaron Stainthorpe growls, sings, recites and whispers over all these instruments throughout the album and his vocals are as good as ever. His crooning clean vocals are absolutely mournful and they will definitely make you feel the misery. His growls are also wretchedly hateful. He does not growl fast like in older albums but even with slow pace he can get the job done in style. You can really feel the emotion in his voice. He is not just blurting out the words, he means them. The lyrics are also very depressive as expected. Along with the pensive gothic imagery, there's also enough nihilism which will appeal to your inner misanthrope.

My Dying Bride has done it again. With Feel the Misery they have released yet another miserable opus that will satisfy their loyal fan base and also anyone who likes their doom metal depressive. When the scene is plagued with this so called new wave of retro hipster doom where 70's psychedelic rock rip off wanna be bands get passed as doom metal, My Dying Bride keeps bringing the much needed fix of misery that all misery junkies desire. While listening to this album you will have no choice but to feel the misery and be doomed.

Out of all the pillars that support the doom metal temple, the column that is My Dying Bride has always stood the firmest. For a quarter of century the Yorkshire loners have released albums so draining that they can anchor listeners beneath their own sorrows. As each opus holds your heart in a cold embrace, the euphoric sensation that this band can summon from their haunted music is simply unparalleled in the metal world. As various members come and go and soundscapes change like the wind, their morbid message of misery has never strayed off course. Before you even listen to their 12th album, you can tell it’s going to be wretched just from the title: “Feel The Misery”.

As per usual, all is not well in My Dying Bride. They’ve had all kinds of line up trouble that has ultimately left them with no fixed drummer (Dan Mullins is considered a live and session member at this moment) and lead guitarist, Hamish Glencross, was fired then replaced by original member Calvin Robertshaw last year. All this is simply kindle for the slow burning fire that forms My Dying Bride’s music- this drama is nothing compared to the imagery “Feel The Misery” portrays. The first song for instance, ‘And My Father Left Forever’, was written about singer Aaron Craighan’s father recent death. The heavy lumber of guitars and funereal bass capture the despondent nature of death and the upsetting tone of Aaron’s vocals evoke his emotional pain towards his father’s passing.

This album is layered with altering soundscapes. Some complement each other such as ‘I Celebrate Your Skin’ where affectionate violins contrast the downcast guitars in an oddly comforting way. Others such as ‘Within A Sleeping Forest’ represent the internal battle of emotions that the songs portray where lamenting keyboards hide behind the truly superior riffs and authoritative vocals. However in this whirlwind of confusion everything crashes together with results of bitter heaviness. In contrast, luscious landscapes of blossoming guitars and gentle bass sway in the breeze of tranquillity during ‘A Cold New Curse’ and ‘I Almost Loved You’. Yet the intimidating vocals in the former song command a dominating character which sounds like My Dying Bride circa ‘The Dreadful Hours’ (2001).

The sheer meandering dynamics of this album are generally wild. ‘To Shiver In Empty Halls’ begins sounding more like an Insomnium tune where some memorable riffs and a hard rhythmic stamp outline the spine of the song. Aaron’s distinct vocals vary from anguished to lamenting depending on the tone of the instruments. A mellow interlude emerges out of the darkness to lull you into a false sense of dreamlike security but suddenly the soothing heartbeat of piano is torn apart by tormenting screams. The title track is more light-hearted however its dynamism is just as unsettling. The strained strings of violin from Shawn Macgowen take the lead to stir up a mournful energy however there is always a balance between bliss and bitterness: the constant repetition of “Feel the misery” reinforces the sonic resemblance of despair, even if he does seem to repeat the same line a little too frequently.

Originally written (by myself) on http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/68553/My-Dying-Bride-Feel-the-Misery/