Woe, what did I just read? My Dying Bride are – allegedly – canceling all of their 2024 tour dates. And I daresay, the RMR crew much enjoyed the Maryland Death Fest’s enigmatic choice words for the band. By the time of writing this blurb, nobody really knows what the matter may be. And oddly, they did that just before their newest piece A Mortal Binding was up for release.
It would at least make some sense if this were their 13th record. That honor, however, was bestowed on the 2015 piece Feel The Misery which found some enthusiastic praise over here. Whereas the ghostly Orion one of 2020 didn’t quite convince the review desk. So, with some mortal trepidation, we hit play on their newest piece. Will the number 15 do the trick1 and pull this tour truck out of the mud? Mortal trepidation in the making.
Some out there think MDB served the same or similar fare for the last 25 years or so. And they have a point. It has been similar fare of trademark Doom Metal to often great effects over time for this band. Albeit, the aforementioned Feel The Misery was probably the one outstanding beacon of later records. Now, A Mortal Binding projects a much sturdier sound than its predecessor ever did with Aaron Stainthorpe in fine form. Heavy, powerful yet measured chugs and mournful solos that majestically waltz down Doom Lane. Accompanied by thunderous and often outstanding drum work and Shaun MacGowan‘s2 haunting violin that speaks out at any other corner of the piece.
In a way, you get Doom Metal sprouting some sort of a weird mix of the gothically tainted and blackened melancholy of Felled, strange hints of early Rotting Christ, and the harsher airs of older My Silent Wake.3 And this truly is a step up and forward from the somewhat meager airs The Ghost of Orion displayed. A Mortal Binding‘s heavy stomp convinced the grouchy geezers over at the Review Desk way better this time. And whilst MDB truly didn’t reinvent themselves (Unthroned Creed will answer to that), a few golden nuggets shine brightly.
Thornwyck Hymn and the excellent The 2nd Of Three Bells – for instance – had us bow our heads in sorrow and tearful awe. Those are thunderously good Doom Metal pieces, just as the doctor ordered. The Apocalyptist unceremoniously blew us out of the water, a true tour de force of those masters of hurt and sadness. In contrast, the aforementioned Unthroned Creed contains typical trad MDB fare that could easily be interchanged with Feel The Misery (the song of 2015) and – could thus comfortably live on both albums. As to the rest of the tracklist, we’re torn. A Starving Heart and Crushed Embers are good tracks, true. And yet, they somewhat listlessly bob about the soundscape with stuff we already encountered somewhere before.
Thus, A Mortal Binding provides somewhat of a holdall for every Doom Metal fan with a penchant for the good ol’ Peaceville train. The equivalent of comfort food for doomsters if you will. But despite its shortcomings, this is a very good record. It effortlessly clinks into a long line of MDB‘s studio albums along a distinguished career of sorrow and woe. A motley bunch of well-written songs fashioned by a band that’s a true master of its trade. Only, the RMR reviewers constantly looked for that push beyond what came before – but couldn’t quite find it anywhere. And that places this blurb nowhere near the level of sadboi tune that would make us mark it for any of those upcoming year-end lists. Sad – we’re feeling the misery all over again.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Nuclear Blast | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 19 April 2024