My Dying Bride – The Barghest O’ Whitby

My Dying Bride – three words,one meaning, many faces! After having already one release for this year, the versatile, quite extraordinary and some might say, uncommon anniversary album “Evinta” in May 2011 things here simply turn impressions upside down. Let’s take a look further.

“The Barghest o’ Whitby” is MDB’s latest EP consisting of a single with the amazing duration of 27 minutes. Well, this might not be of a surprise to all those of you, who are familiar with the band’s long music statements throughout their entire carrier, but my friends this is by far their longest one!!! It actually is a three piece EP that turned out one long song. Unlike their anniversary “Evinta” , which consisted of some new interpretations to some oldies, here you will recognise the band that consists of 2 guitarists, a bass player, a drummer -Shaun –Taylor Steels is back to where he fits best- a vocalist/mourner and a violin player!!!Yes, my friends, this is MY DYING BRIDE as we all want them to be!!!

With a slow rain opening the long journey, followed by nearly a “Turn loose…” era riff, accompined with a mournful violin melody, the chills have already taken their first action…After 4 minutes of music Aaron growls his first lyrics into a slumber of doom and all I can say, is that this CANNOT be true!!!
At around the sixth minute a double bass rhythmic dance just sticks to your memory at first contact and there comes a slow and burning fade out of themes, that goes up until minute 14 where a clean guitar is followed by a lead in the likes of “Cry of mankind”!!! Somewhere there opens the next chapter of the song, with a riff straight from the latest works of MDB…Mourning as well, but also leading to the fast moment of the track also with the classic torturing way of our beloved ones!!!

The counter reads 22:00/27:05 and fire is unleashed, when their pure death metal starts to rumble with brutal vocals turning into a great rhythmic headbanging and returning as a savage dog to finish each and every one of us…The ending of the song is so intense that simply orders you to replay the whole track back from the start. One thing I can say for sure, I NEVER expected such a release from MDB after so many years of let’s say a turn of style. “The Barghest…” contains all their carrier extremes into one piece perfectly combined…
Let’s just hope this will be the awakening of this great beast!!!Enjoy!!!