Metal Underground.com

After twenty five years of nothing less than stellar releases, My Dying Bride has truly earned the right to be called a legend - a word thrown around all too often these days. In celebration, or perhaps to coincide with reaching the quarter of a century mark, the band is unleashing twelfth studio album, the aptly titled, "Feel the Misery." After so long, can the despots of despair still forge metal as it's bleakest? What do you think?

The album opens with perhaps the hardest rocking song on offer, "And My Father Left Forever," which has been available to stream prior to the album's release for a little while now. It contains some solid riffs, mixed with gothic darkness and a trademark chorus submerged in sadness. The track itself isn't too far removed from black metal, at least in some areas, featuring a frantic picking riff among a galloping drum beat, as well as the sort of gloomy doom one would expect from My Dying Bride.

From there, the band offers plenty, from the death growl laden, "To Shiver In Empty Halls," which features a proper doom stomp to it, in addition to the first clear use of pianos on the record. Those are most prominent on "A Thorn of Wisdom" and "I Almost Loved You," the latter of which is a strong contender for the most depressing song on "Feel the Misery," though it faces stiff competition from "A Cold New Curse," which has that excellent ability few bands possess where the song actually makes the listener feel colder just hearing it. The title track itself was one of the most surprising efforts since it's something of a sing along, albeit a completely miserable one.

With "Feel the Misery," My Dying Bride continues a twenty five year streak of producing excellent metal music, offering plenty of variety within one pitch black area. Fans of the early death/doom style will find plenty here to enjoy, whilst the record follows on just as well from previous release, "A Map of All Our Failures." This, the band's twelfth studio album, may not rank as one of the best, but it's a great addition to an already stellar catalogue.