yeah, I'm in agreement here.
It may be a tried-and-true formula, but their execution of it is simply sharper here than it's been in recent years. (That said, how many metal bands deviate from their formulas?)

MDB has yet to release a bad album.

I gave it a listen this morning and I think it's another solid album by the band. I don't think these guys could ever put out something bad, but I agree that it's too safe and there's almost nothing on it that surprised me, other than there being more growls than I thought there'd be. It's just kind of a shame, because this band has always taken some risks on albums and there's really nothing on A Mortal Binding that's unique or strange. It's just 7 well-written but very similar songs.

Then there's Dan Mullins - he's a perfectly competent drummer but I find him so dull and his work here is no different. When I think to all the drummers this band has had over the years, he gives the least interesting performances.

I do like that the violin makes more appearances than usual, and I believe it's in every track. MDB have had this annoying tendency to use the violin sparingly on a lot of their albums since its return, which wasn't the case when Martin was with the band.

If I had to guess, the band probably recorded a few more songs during these sessions that'll come out as an EP later this year or in early 2025. It'll be interesting to see how they are; if they saved some of the more experimental songs for that or if it'll be more of what's on the full length.

I’m actually feeling this one way more than The Ghost of Orion. Some amazing riffing especially in The Apocalyptist and Crushing Embers. Thornwyck Hymn has quickly grown on me to be one of my fav tracks, there’s no weak tracks here.

I've tried a few different albums from them and they're all pretty good but none have really blown me away... not an indictment; they just got a mammoth fucking discography that I'm still working through. This one sounds very solid - it does have a good flow, and the melodies start to engage you once you're in the thick of it. I could see it growing on me for sure. It's all a little stiff and rigid, but they pretty much are just sticking to what they know and doing it with finesse, so it is what it is. I can respect it. I like the heavy guitars on here.

In an interview I watched on YT recently, Andrew confirmed that an EP will follow and that two songs were already recorded. He implied a third is being written and his claim was that it's an epic similar in scope to "Return of the Beautiful". I will post it if I can find it.

I'm not a regular listener of My Dying Bride, and seeing that there were a few comments referring to this release as generic made me expect something correct but boring. I'm glad I was wrong, just a great quality in the flow of the songs, dynamic enough and powerfully emotional in many moments. Almost all the songs have invited me to listen to them again, great album.

Thanks, that's great news that he confirmed an EP is coming. I think I found the interview:

He talks about it at 12:26 in the below video:

Seems they did well to make something at all (statement from Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/MyDyingBrideOfficial

It all started when they canceled their appearance at Maryland Deathfest for this year (and were replaced with Agalloch so that's a fair trade), they never ever tour North America so for fans this side of the world, that was a thing to look forward to. According to MDF, the cancelation was abrupt and no explanations were given. So fans were upset and MDF let everyone in on the fact that MDB were canceling all the shows for the rest of the year. All this before the album even released on Friday. We were expecting the band were calling it quits but that statement suggests they're merely taking a break.

Hmmm, this stinks. I sad state of affairs.

They did tour North America eons ago....I saw them headline at a small club in New York in '97 touring on behalf of "Like Gods of the Sun".

As a huge listener to their discog, I can say with some assurance that this is one of their best albums - and certainly the best of this recent elder statesmen era of the band that we can count from 2012's A Map Of All Our Failures. Just a well paced, massive unabashed doom album that plays up the misery and intensity.



Yeah they opened for Dio in the States too back in the old days but outside of festivals like MDF and 70k Tons, they don't come out here all that much in recent times.

I’m not sure which of the other LP’s you have listened to thus far, but if you are looking for something that is less ‘stiff and rigid/sticking to what they do well’, I would recommend Feel the Misery (out of the more recent LP’s). It’s quite a bit more dynamic and diverse, the song structures are often more complex & interesting, the shift and range of different tempos is more present, and the quality of the riffs is more consistent (and feel more fresh and urgent overall), which compensates for some of the ‘sticking to what they know’ energy. The last 2 LP’s are less successful in all of these areas. My opinion is colored as I have been listening to the band since 1992, so despite my best efforts, I am alway comparing what they release now to their earlier works, which are certainly more essential than their releases over the past decade or so.

Here’s a review of the album that perfectly represents my feelings about it: https://www.angrymetalguy.com/my-dying- ... PpsmbF843u

Except this is a better album than Feel The Misery and The Ghost of Orion - which I'd place on equal footing for having a subtle thread running through the songs. But all the experimentation they crammed into those records sounds muted compared to A Mortal Binding which is heavy, demanding and unsubtle from the start.

See, people like to complain that MDB don't change things up much (someone even wondered stupidly if they're the AC/DC of doom) so when they give concessions like include de rigeur cello interludes and a whole album of stripped down orchestral bits called Evinta, these gestures either go largely ignored or outrightly reviled. Feel the Misery and The Ghost of Orion have some new interesting bits going but the stifled nature of experimentation holds them back. You tend to remember songs standing out - "I Almost Loved You", "To Outlive The Gods" - than the album being a complete work.

A Mortal Binding treads along like an album with things to say. It is a laborious experience but in the best way. MDB are done giving concessions, done with weird experimentation and are all about the RIFF here; have you heard this riff before? Probably, but has it been played with such weariness, such self-awareness? This band sounds old but not in the retire already way - in a grand, wisely, majestic way. The riffs are studied and with that British doom stiffness (most doom-death riffing can have a stiff gait to it, let's be real) but they hold thick and unrelenting. It's the sound of a seasoned band pulling from past maneuvers but they make it work every time. Each song here merely reinforces the other and the mood is unified in shape and character. Andrew Craighan at the helm of the songwriting is at his most single-focused, the riff overshadows all in its path with the violins peppering the distance. Has Lena Abe's bass ever sounded this TOOL- influenced before? What the hell? And Aaron Stainthorpe is so mesmerizing, fuck. I haven't felt this invested in an album since Panopticon's The Rime Of Memory.

This is album of the year type stuff.

Yeah I'll give you that - I just turned on Feel the Misery and won't judge it yet, but the newest album is a lot heavier and more guitar-driven for sure. Good analysis of the new album - of the kind of substance of it, the feel, that's often what matters the most.

Feel the Misery is very good - I know I said earlier none of their stuff has truly blown me away, but it definitely has a way of worming its way under your skin, subtly growing on you. They know what they're doing.

Nails it.

We clearly disagree here, which is fine of course. It seems that you have listened to the bands' discography extensively (as I have) and are a huge fan (as I am). I will likely never consider this to be a better album than Feel the Misery. A Mortal Binding sounds more uniform, and that is one of the reasons it is less interesting to my ears (but it is about much more than that as I discuss below), whereas Feel the Misery felt more adventerous, fresh, energetic, dynamic and diverse. I simply responded to Feel the Misery at a deeper level emotionally. I don't find anything remotely stifled about the more unique or experimental bits on Feel the Misery - in fact, these and the other qualities I mentioned keep me going back to the album, and have the opposite impact on me - I view it as an album that stands out due to these very qualities.

I agree regarding Lena's bass: Some of the bass lines that she plays when chords are ringing out, during fills or even juxtaposing against the guitar riffs are excellent. Stood out to me almost immediately. As for the vocals? I can't believe how good his growls sound at his age, blown away! Absolutely ferocious. In fact, sometimes the vocals sound so mighty, vicious and menacing, that they outpace the guitars (as Andy has eschewed playing more wicked, death metal influenced riffs), and that is a bit of a problem for me. I really enjoyed it when the ferocity of the guitar riffs matched the venom of the harsh vocals in the past, when the tempos varied more significantly and there were more obvious dynamics. With the clean vocals I hear a lot of good melodies, but I don't hear any melodies that reach the heartfelt depths, quality and memorability of their best material. Some come close (The 2nd of Three Bells, Crushed Embers), but nothing quite gets there for me as of yet. This certainly poses a problem when grading the record as a whole. I also agree that this album is all about the riff, which is fine in principle. It's a matter of how one perceives the execution of this approach. This is probably where I disagree most strongly with your assessment. Regarding the riffs, I don't think they make it work every time at all. Not even close. They've only made it work every time, on every song, on a handful of albums across their discography. The lack of consistency, where one riff is great but the next is merely good (or even average at times), happens all too frequently. Andy boxing himself into such a limited range of scales and notes, instead of being a bit more adventerous, becomes an issue for me across the length of an entire record. Whether playing single note riffs, guitar harmonies, heavy open chords, or clean guitar arpeggios - I know he is sticking to this limited pallette and melodic structure, and I think they are capable of more than this (as they have accomplished greatness in thsi regards in the past).

As for songs that stand out - The 2nd of Three Bells and The Apocalyptist clearly stand above the rest of the material on the album, so that's my perception of A Mortal Binding thus far (as opposed to a complete work). Nor do I think a person is 'stupid' for saying they are the AC/DC of doom (although that is a bit rich IMO) - this is art and any judgement placed on it is entirely subjective (I don't totally disagree with that statement, nor do I totally agree with it). They are sonically nowhere near the band they started as, but they also have not changed or evolved anywhere close to the degree that a band like Anathema did. And personally, I'd place The Rime of Memory a full tier above A Mortal Binding, without question, for reasons too exhaustive to list. Don't get me wrong - there are wonderful aspects to this album, it is a clear improvement over The Ghost of Orion, and I enjoy it - I just feel the band is capable of more and it does not reach the heights of their greatest works, and that is unfortunate when I really wanted to love this, not just like it.

Gave the new album a couple listens and so far I agree with ElfJuice here. I really want to love this album, but it lacks the adventurous, dynamic songwriting that made Feel the Misery a late-career highlight. As a result, I'd say the album is fine overall, but I just don't connect with it emotionally too much.

Great album that continues to reveal itself with more listens. Loving the heaviness, lyrics and these long songs that are not just mournful but menacing too. The vocals are simply astonishing. I'll be coming back to this one again and again.

I'm still not impressed by the new album. Weirdly enough, it gets better once it you're past the first few tracks.

I'm also not convinced that 'I Almost Loved You' is a highlight from Feel the Misery. The heavier songs are far more enjoyable.

Have to say this is sounding a lot fucking better on second listen - it's a really simple thing, but the focus is so laser sharp. Everything feels so precise and the ideas are delivered in this way where you hang on every note - all the other stuff stripped away seemed to have given them this whole focus on these great, weighty riffs and songs, and it feels like it's about half the length it really is. I like to hear bands experimenting, but I also do really enjoy when a band can dial in on what they're good at like this.

In an interview I watched on YouTube recently, Andrew confirmed that an EP will follow, and two songs were already recorded. He implied a third is being written, claiming it's an epic similar in scope to "Return of the Beautiful". I'll post it if I can find it.

So far I'm not very into this album, though it may be I just need a few more listens to start rolling with it. The Apocalyptist is my favourite track of the bunch. I like its glacial pacing and almost funeral doom aesthetic (edit: in the latter half at least). One of their best in years.

Growing on me a lot, Her Dominion, The 2nd of Three Bells and The Apocalyptist are absolute flawless tracks, and Crushed Embers has such a perfect ending that makes me really emotional. I think is by far the best release I have heard from this month.