My Dying Bride – For Lies I Sire
Since its formation in 1990, My Dying Bride has been one of the pioneers of the doom/death metal genre. The band has been through its ups and downs over the years from poking and prodding at their sound, to mixed results at times. While garnishing a loyal fan base, this inconsistency has had its drawbacks, mainly in the way that the metal community looks at the band. For some, My Dying Bride hit their peak with 1995’s The Angel And The Dark River, while others lean more towards their present material, with 2004’s Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light being held on a high pedestal.
No matter one’s opinion of the band’s catalog, there is one aspect of the band’s sound that has always been agreed upon; Martin Powell’s violin work. In My Dying Bride’s heyday, that violin was a huge part of shaping the dark textures and sullen melodies that shaped some of the band’s early masterpieces. Once Powell left in 1998, the band continued on without replacing Powell, experimenting with their sound while retaining the depressingly morbid vibes.
After the solid performance of My Dying Bride on 2006’s A Line Of Deathless Kings, the line-up was shaken up by the departure of long-time bassist Adrian “Ade” Jackson and keyboardist Sarah Stanton. Frontman Aaron Stainthorpe used this blessing in disguise to re-work the band, with the major addition being A Forest Of Stars keyboardist/violinist Katie Stone. For the first time since 1996’s Like Gods Of The Sun, the violin would play a key role, as evident by My Dying Bride’s new album, For Lies I Sire.
My Dying Bride’s tenth studio album is a fascinating slab of doom metal. The band’s past clashes with the present, engaging the listener with poignant dynamics that hasn’t been heard from the band in years. The re-emergence of the violins has opened up new ways to freshen up the band’s sound and possibly bring back some of the older fans longing for the days of “Turn Loose The Swans” and “The Cry Of Mankind.” While none of the tracks on For Lies I Sire approaches the depressing beauty of those two tracks, there are several stellar tracks that can be mentioned alongside with the best of the band’s latter-day body of work.
“My Body, A Funeral” is another strong opener from a band that has opened every album on a high note. Darkness and despair drip from the tongue of Stainthorpe, with the band holding up their end by keeping the pace as slow as humanly possible. The violin has a major part in building tension throughout the track. New drummer Dan Mullins does a great job, with insane fills halfway through that bring some much-needed energy to the percussion work that A Line Of Deathless Kings lacked.
Unlike the past couple of albums, For Lies I Sire mixes the epic numbers with a few quick and to-the-point tracks. In the former category, “Fall With Me” is surprisingly catchy, with decent harmonic leads, harsh whispers, and a hopelessness aurora from the ever-present violin. “Echoes From A Hollow Soul” is seven minutes of sheer poetic gloominess, with a heavy emphasis on the keyboards, lending a melancholy mood to the proceedings. “Santuario Di Sangue” is one of the few tracks where the violin plays a lead role, something My Dying Bride disappointedly doesn’t do enough of on the album.
The shorter songs are consistent and relatively harmless, using being the faster-paced tracks, helping to add some variety to the album. The only notable misstep is with “A Chapter In Loathing,” a ill-advised and flat attempt to go back to the days of “The Forever People.” Stainthorpe harsh growls are awful and out-of-tune, lacking any of the power and finesse of earlier albums. While the band itself does a good job, Stainthorpe’s vocal performance overshadows any positives.
For Lies I Sire is on par with My Dying Bride’s past few albums, with the violin work a welcomed presence in the band’s core sound. Stainthorpe’s clean vocals are fantastic, even if he really doesn’t sing as much as he does melodic spoken word, and the guitar duo of Andrew Craighan and Hamish Glencross are still bringing interesting riffs and compositions to the table. Fans of the current-day catalog of My Dying Bride will find themselves excited by another opportunity to dive into the brooding and downtrodden mind of the band, while older fans may actually find the return of the violin to be a much-needed step forward towards the band’s glory days of old. If you thought My Dying Bride was boring and plodding before, For Lies I Sire won’t change your mind, but doom metal aficionados will salivate at the haunting soundscapes on display throughout the album.
Rating: 8.0/10
Label: Peaceville Records
Web Site: http://www.myspace.com/officialmydyingbride
By Dan Marsicano
(+16 rating, 4 votes)
I enjoyed the album but I have to agree the vocals (which with this style are a major focus point) were horrible, which is a damn shame cause this started out as an amazing album.