The Angel and the Dark River - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
Remastered reissue of the bands third full-length originally released in 1995, includes 4 bonus tracks 'The Sexuality of Bereavement' and 3 tracks live at Dynamo '95, 'Your River', 'A Sea to Suffer In' & 'The Forever People'. Digipak. 2003.

Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Making Opeth look pop. March 26, 2004
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

~This is thee modern Doom metal album to own as far as I'm concerned. The opener The Cry of Mankind is one of the most beautiful compositions I've ever heard (in metal or otherwise). The piano and gutiar melodies blend into an etherial abiance that the band had never achieved before. After I heard this song, I knew that their last album Turn Loose the Swans was no fluke. And while the end of the song is a cacophony of the sounds including that of a seashore, a woman gently whispering "Hello." and a chorus of voices pushing the first track into double digit time... the actual meat of the song is heavy yet magnificent enough to even make Enya cry.

~And while the other songs brood about in the direction Swans was taking (gutteral guitar riffs seamlessly blended with violin piano and keyboard accompanyments making the listener wonder why the keyman Martin would join the cheesy Cradle of Filth instead) they are far from filler. This might in fact be the last My Dying Bride album to have lyrics that don't retread into old territory or otherwise sound forced. The Death metal vocals are absent, but weren't a neccesity to their sound at the time. Most obvious on display in Two Winters Only, which could almost be mistakenly called Doom metal's answer to a power ballad. With each note it is obvious that time was taken in recording this album. But perhaps patience is necesary for the average listener.

~The final track Your Shameful Heaven (along with Cry) displays the band's willingness to experiment with more straight-forward song structures. Yet it is far heavier than any other track on the album, with a midpaced almost thrash-like appeal. And it makes a nice sandwich of the original studio recorded material.

~This newly remastered edition seems to include the Live at the Dynamo mini disc. Which was a brilliant idea, yet I notice that one of the tracks is missing, (Your Shameful Heaven I believe). This is unfortunate since the album includes The Sexuality of Bereavement, which could have been sacrificed for the missing track due to it's original and remastered appearance on the Trinity album.

~Still I give the album 5 stars for it's original content. Looking back many might wonder why the band hasn't truly evolved from the sound they established on this and Turn Loose the Swans, (with the exception of the experiental but not unlikable 34.788% Complete)? Perhaps there is no perfect answer, not every band can get better plus evolve with each album like Death did. But then I'm not so sure that My Dying Bride need to.

~I highly recommend this to any Doom fan (and maybe even the goth interested, although that's an inappropriate title here). Also I think thrash, speed, death and black could learn something from My Dying Bride. This an an excellent album to start with, and this album in particular is completely on the opposite end of the spectrum from more upbeat bands like In Flames or Iced Earth. the lyrics are very downtrodden and ready to take you to a level of sadness you may not even know existeted. At their shows more often than moshing you'll hear audience applause instead. But make no mistake, the band can tear up the heaviest tunes with the best of them. And you needn't worry about them treading into blues, country or... cowpunk as I call the last album Metallica.

5 out of 5 stars

No way!!! October 25, 2003
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

There's no way I'm the first one to talk about this one!!!
No matter what music you like, this will be in your top5. I promise!!!! Give it a chance. PEACE....

4 out of 5 stars

Goth Metal delight February 25, 2004
I got this album a long time ago after seeing an add for it in a Relaspe magazine. Later to know I didn't know so many was into this band and they are legends. This is really my first true taste of this newer goth metal..doom metal...whatever you call it. It's Gothic to me. Sad, sincere, heavy and beautiful. The first track is the standout track with a sample that plays throughout the entire song for 10 minutes and works great with progression and contains some really cool piano with dark guitars. Some parts in the middle of the cd drags at parts for no reason but outside of that is great. However, what The Angel and the Dark River has that is really great is the neat use of violins. Not as background music either. It matches up with the guitar so great. Makes it heavy and pretty yet very mystical. This album gives me the vibe of being in a strange dark twisted relationship with my girlfriend.

5 out of 5 stars

I was a fan and this one is their best (from non-metal fan) March 3, 2004
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I lost this one a few years ago & I just wanted to have this feeling again' so I purchase it again !!! 2track is the best
the doom era has pat away most of the bands became alternative rock bands I see it as a good thing !! enjoy!

5 out of 5 stars

The Angel & the Dark River September 6, 2004
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

First of all, I must say I love the title. Second, the music, as with most of My Dying Bride's work, is phenomenal. Even though I've always felt that Aaron Stainthorpe was the bane of MDB, he can't destroy their masterful works. The opening track, "The Cry of Mankind," is one of my favorite MDB songs ever. The only complaint I have with this album is the live tracks. They were a nice addition, but they don't sound quite that good. Anyway, I recommend The Angel and the Dark River to any fan of good dark metal.

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