Tonight is the first time I've seen in a while where the Astoria isn't rammed to the rafters with people & unbearably hot. While a half empty room possibly isn't what MY DYING BRIDE would prefer - it certainly bodes well for a more enjoyable concert experience from my point of view.
First up, support act NOVEMBRE are interesting enough, sitting somewhere between the likes of OPETH and modern day KATATONIA. However, some of the material from their forthcoming album "Materia" sounds meandering and shrill - especially compared to the far more complex and heavier material from past releases. Despite the band obviously being accomplished musicians, I find my interest waining by the time they play their dire cover version of DEPECHE MODE's classic "Stripped" (already re-worked in a far better manner by RAMMSTEIN).
After a brief introduction we are treated to a cracking opener in the form of "For You" - as northern doom masters MY DYING BRIDE take to the stage. Without much further comment it's then straight into "My Hope, The Destroyer" - making this a very effective opening salvo with two firm classics in the bag. Aarons voice as usual is absolutely superb - clear and powerful, full of emotion and almost CD perfect. It's a shame his usual stage antics (such as rolling around the floor in agony) are somewhat subdued this evening - he really goes no further than touching up the mic stand and "twitching a bit".
On the positive side, MDB finally seem to mixing up their setlist a little, with old and new material sitting together in equal measure. Highlights of the evening include "Like Gods of The Sun" and the first live airing of "The Blue Lotus" - which sounds absolutely immense. There's also the surprise airing of "The Whore, The Cook and The Mother" (which is possibly my favourite track on the often berated "37.488% Complete" experimental album) and it sounds absolutely brilliant. And of course, several of their staple live classics like "The Cry of Mankind" & "She is the Dark". The evening comes to a close as excellently as it started - with an encore consisting of "The Dreadful Hours" and the almost death-metal-esque "Forever People".
As usual the sound in the Astoria is less than perfect - and the songs that suffer the most are from their older catalogue for some reason (Cry of Mankind is very muddy sadly). Apart from that, things are great, and the guitars sound particularly meaty - which is what you want for those gut-rumbling, doom metal riffs. These days I try and stop the Astoria spoiling gigs for me by ignoring it's utter crappiness, as without fail the venue seems to kill even the best of sound! The place is a serious toilet.
Overall a solid, satisfying gig - my only gripe is the lack of crowd chemistry from the band this evening. MY DYING BRIDE have never been ones for massive crowd interaction, but tonight they seem to be in an especially "no-nonsense" mood. Odd considering they've not played in the UK since 2003 and you'd think they' be a little more up for it. Aside from a few "cheers!" and "thankyouverymuch"'s in-between tracks Aaron says very little, and only he really opens up towards the end of their set, telling us "you should all visit the north - a pint of beer only costs 10p". If only it were true!!
Setlist:
For You
My Hope, The Destroyer
The Thrash of Naked Limbs
The Blue Lotus
The Whore, The Cook And The Mother
Like Gods Of The Sun
The Prize Of Beauty
The Cry Of Mankind
She Is The Dark
Sear Me III
Catherine Blake
----
The Dreadful Hours
The Forever People
