By: Thomas
Gonzales
Album Type: Full Length
Date
Released:
06/03/202
Label: Nuclear Blast
“The Ghost of Orion” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.
Your Broken Shore
2. To Outlive The Gods
3. Tired of Tears
4. The Solace
5. TheLong
Black Land
6. The Ghost of Orion
7. The Old Earth
8. YourWoven
Shore
2. To Outlive The Gods
3. Tired of Tears
4. The Solace
5. The
6. The Ghost of Orion
7. The Old Earth
8. Your
The Review:
Befitting
of a band with such maudlin themes, My Dying Bride rise from the ashes of despair
to deliver their latest in soul crushing Death/Doom, “The Ghost of Orion”. Not
unlike previous albums, “The Ghost of Orion” is an
unrelenting journey of mournful introspection, written almost entirely in
solitary isolation by guitarist Andrew Craighan, as his band mates were
suffering the very trials of life that comprise the inspiration for their
works.
Founder
and lead singer Aaron Stainthorpe was understandably absent during the writing
process for My
Dying Brides’ latest release, as his daughter fought against the
remorseless tendrils of cancer, what he calls “the cruelest of God’s bitter and
loveless creation”. Though absent in their inception, the tumultuous experience
is ever present in his delivery of the words he expels throughout each track. I
am a sucker for a good concept album, and to share in such a difficult period
for the band, “The Ghost of Orion” becomes a cathartic exercise in unified
suffering. By taking on the weight of tragedy alongside the band members, the
listener is a part of the story, feeling the paternal longing for healing, and
the bitterness of unanswered prayers. It is heavy a burden on the human spirit,
but one that can be comforting to anyone who has been through such pain.
Like
“Feel
the Misery” before it, “The Ghost of Orion” was conceived
in the wake of turbulent and uncertain seas. Having several members absent for
various familial reasons, and losing guitarist Roberts prior to writing,
Craighan gratefully bore the burden, and composed his most personal work to
date. Because he did not have other members to soundboard with, this album
feels more like a singular concept, a woven sonic tapestry of epic design.
While there is a LOT of Andrew in this composition it isn’t until his band
mates added their unique talents to the recording that the true vision came in
to focus. Tracks like “Tired of Tears”
are given extra weight when held to the light of circumstance, and fits nicely
amongst previous titles from the band. Single “Your Broken Shore” is seeing extensive play on streaming platforms,
and is a perfect introduction for the uninitiated.
“The
Ghost of Orion” features rhythm work from ex-Paradise Lost drummer Jeff Singer, and production by master
soundsmith Mark Mynett. In its own way, “The Ghost of Orion” is a refinement
of My Dying
Bride’s sound, a return to form if you will, opting to focus less on
complexity, and more on executing the basics to perfection. Through this
approach, the band hopes this album can be “easier on the ears”, allowing
newcomers to experience their art without the barrier of primal brutality.
Where
lesser bands would’ve given up, My Dying Bride persevered; delivering to their
fans a poignant and accessible new entry into the pantheon of Doom-Death
masterworks. My
Dying Bride set out to broaden their scope, and succeeded without
jeopardizing the sound they’ve developed over their career. Is it still
pummeling? Sorrowful? Grim? Of course, it is. However, it is so much more than
that; “The Ghost of Orion” is a reimagining of how a Doom album is
written. Stainthorpe has even admitted that sections of the release are, dare I
say, “catchy”!? There are weeping violins, soft instrumental interludes, and
even sections of clean classical vocals, all adding to the allure of somber
darkness. My
Dying Bride has one again proven themselves as front runners in the
genre, and deliver one of the first must hear albums of the year.
