Search - My Dying Bride :: Meisterwerk 1

IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARTISTRY OF MY DYING BRIDE.

jeffpuckey | Fort Riley, KS | 01/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Buy this album. If you are new to the sound of My Dying Bride BUY THIS ALBUM. DO NOT BUY ANY OTHER MY DYING BRIDE ALBUM UNTIL YOU HAVE LISTENED TO THIS ONE--JUST DON'T!WHY? The answer is simple. My Dying Bride are as avante-guarde as gothic doom gets. They are notorious for experimentation, which results in outrageous style changes. No two MDB albums sound alike--often completely dissimilar, but, at the same time, once you have acquired a taste for the band's experimental nature, you will always recognize a MDB tune. The songs may change, but the soul is the same. This CD is a "best of" compilation, and spans the range of MDB's stylistic experimentation. It will give you (the listener) perspective--you will know which albums to buy and which to avoid. MDB began with death vocals and later developed a style combining clear vocals with the death growls. This was a unique combination ("Turn Loose the Swans" has been called the "ultimate gothic doom album," and developed a cult following). Eventually the death vocals were discarded ("Like Gods of the Sun" was a CMJ All Music Guide top pick--and probably the best MDB album containing clean vocals--one of my favorites). "The Light at the End of the World" continues the tradition the band started with "Turn Loose the Swans"--combining death AND clean vocals.This CD contains a video (The Cry of Mankind), which was the main reason I purchased the CD--a great bonus. This is also one of the most user-friendly ECD's I have come across--you don't have to install any files to get it to run on Win95/98--plug it in and watch the movie!IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GOTH ROCKERS! MY DYING BRIDE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE SISTERS OF MERCY, BAUHAUS, ALIEN SEX FIEND, CHRISTIAN DEATH, ETC. My Dying Bride is gothic doom--the godfathers of gothic doom metal are Black Sabbath. The Black Sabbath influence is definitely there, but MDB are also extremely experimental (esp. with vocal styles). Do not buy this if you are looking for a cool goth rock band that sounds like the other goth rock bands you already listen to, and, if you do buy this CD and do not like it, don't act likea brat d say that the band.... Gothic, as I have stated before, is not a style of music. It is a theme around which many styles of music, cinema (film noir tradition in particular), architecture, and literature are built. Good luck with your listening experience! Amazon.com's sound samples are a great help!"

From the lab of MDB: a collection of experimental metal...

vulcan_ | Denver | 01/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Meisterwerk I provides the listener with a good taste of what My Dying Bride is all about. The eight tracks cover quite a bit of experimental doom metal, from the deathly growls and muffled percussion on 'Symphonaire Infernus' to the more clean-cut gothic sounds of 'Grace Unhearing'. Beautiful musicianship prevails on each track, as smooth but rustic guitar and percussion work flows harmoniously with the deep and wintry lead vocals.My only complaint comes on some of the longer pieces, where the harmony tends to become somewhat repetitive on the latter portion of the tracks. Nevertheless, Meisterwerk I acts a diverse MDB sampler for newcomers as well as a solid, potent release for diehard MDB and doom metal fans alike."