Tracklist
1. Wreckage of My Flesh
2. Scarlet Garden
3. Catherine Blake
4. My Wine in Silence
5. Prize of Beauty
6. Blue Lotus
7. And My Fury Stands Ready
8. Doomed Lover
My Dying Bride skillfully fuses elements of Doom, Goth and Death in a manner which journeys toward the depths of utter darkness. Sweeping caliginous melodies strewn with moribund lyrical passages of woe and despair call into being a melancholic atmosphere that is truly their own. 'Catherine Blake' characterizes the death metal prejudices of the group's earlier efforts for brief moments, in turn lapsing into chilling spoken word movements of distressful verse. A haunting acoustic guitar line carries the introspective 'My Wine in Silence', a powerful melody throughout. It is important to note the manner in which the distressful lyrics focus upon lost and broken love and the relationships centered upon emotions resulting from those conditions. Oftentimes, the moody dirges created by the strings and keys are purely sublime in the absoluteness of their somberness. The tonal environment of this album is brooding in its entirety. These compositions are constructed masterfully as My Dying Bride have become true maestros in illustrating sadness as an art form through their music. This record is mandatory for any fan of doom metal. Quite highly recommended for anyone else with the slightest of interest in the darker side of music.
