We’re back on the doom metal wagon; this time with one of the genre’s legends, My Dying Bride. What is there to say about such a group at this point? They built a career around dark yet hypnotically beautiful mosaics displaying looming dangers hiding in the shadows. Records like Turn Loose the Swans and The Angel & The Dark River are still held as two of the most important and greatest records not just within doom metal, but within all of heavy metal. Their career may have hit a slump in the mid-to-late 2000’s, but they never produced a record that was close to being referred to as “bad”. One could pinpoint the reason behind the slump as being the group’s many roster changes, but each member that has come and gone has fit the role. Only two of the original members, vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe and guitarist Andrew Craighan, remain under the My Dying Bride name on their newest record, The Ghost of Orion.

Both Craighan and Stainthorpe have done a great job over the years retaining the sound of My Dying Bride. The Ghost of Orion is no exception. Stainthorpe’s baritone has always been unique in how it can set the tone alone with how much emotion he packs into every word. This comes to light in its most visceral form as he reminisces over the hardships and fear he faced when his five year old daughter was diagnosed with cancer on “Tired of Tears”. This track is definitely the biggest stand out lyrically on The Ghost of Orion while the rest remain safely within lyrical motifs explored in the past. Tales of love are told from more bleak angles in My Dying Bride fashion on “To Outlive the Gods” and “The Long Black Land”. For the rest of the tracks, stories of incoming death are portrayed with phrases the set the songs in Pagan times. These topics are nothing new in the grand scheme of things, but with enough variation and Stainthorpe’s powerful vocals they are strong enough to stand with much of their past work.

One thing I noticed is The Ghost of Orion is one of My Dying Bride’s most accessible releases, if not their most. For the most part this doesn’t effective the quality of the record. Stainthorpe’s scathing growls are kept to a minimum, but still rise with the climaxes are most tracks. Most of the instrumentals are restrained which does give the record a less explosive feel than their past efforts, but also gives The Ghost of Orion a defining trait separating it from the rest of their work. Andrew Craighan’s guitar work is is still slick as ever tying every guitar note into the next for a swaying vibe on “Your Broken Shore” and “To Outlive the Gods”. I am a little surprised that there is a distinct lack of hard-hitting chugging riffs that only show up in minor dosages with the exceptions of “The Old Earth” and “Tired of Tears”. The latter is so effective with the addition of Shaun Macgowan’s sultry violins coasting along the crushing guitars. I do wish they utilized their signature violins more on the record, but that’s mostly because of my love for violins in metal when used to contradict the harshness.

There are a couple massive issues that hold back The Ghost of Orion substantially. First are the long interlude-like tracks that meander with no direction. A song like the title track deserves more variety in its windy acoustics to make it stand out rather than being a run-of-the-mill acoustic section in a world where every metal artist is trying to copy it. The same can be said for the closer “Your Woven Shore” which does have some nice cellos thanks to Jo Quail but overall is weak especially as a closer. “The Solace” is the other one which uses many of the same notes and structures for its almost six minute runtime. Inviting Lindy Fay Hella for some mystic female vocals was a nice touch, but something about the production makes her voice lackluster.

The production on The Ghost of Orion is fine in some respects, but where it really becomes grating are the drums. Specifically the snares, the distortion on them make them feel stiff. Doom metal needs strong and hefty drums to drench the listener in despair, but not ones that are awkward aside the rest of the instrumentation. This isn’t helped by the fact that they are so far in the front of the mix that everytime I listen to the record it becomes more and more difficult to ignore. This is nothing against Jeff Singer who is calculated with his patterns and pacing. He also offers a few flares here and there that are ear grabbing. It’s a shame he couldn’t have had better production to match his skills.

I’m not sure if I would call The Ghost of Orion’s My Dying Bride’s worst record, but even so it doesn’t say much with a strong discography like theirs. There is still enough to make the record good. This is also a slight change in sound which is interesting when placed aside the rest of their work. Although there are some issues that I find difficult to ignore, this is a record that may appeal to those who are hardcore doom metal fans more. Check this out if you haven’t, and those new to doom metal should definitely give this a chance.

Favorite Tracks: “To Outlive the Gods”; “Tired of Tears”; “The Old Earth”

Rating: 6/10

Released: 03/06/2020

Label: Nuclear Blast

Genre: Doom Metal

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