My Dying Bride are one of the leaders of today's doom/gothic metal scene and I don't think that anyone can question their estblishment as such, over the last years.
Sure, most of their releases are already classics, but can they rule on stage as much as they do in studio? This album proves that they can!
This recording took place on March 1st, 2001 at 013 Club in Holland. When it comes to live albums from classic bands, one (especially me) cares the most about four things.
Band performance, production quality, track listing and the crowd interaction. MDB had a difficult task ahead of them since the amazing dark atmosphere from their albums is hard to recreate live and they do have some complex songs. Well they show their teeth from the beginning with She Is The Dark and The Snow In My Hand. Even if you still had some doubts about their live performance you can kiss them goodbye after that.
The sound and overall production is not a great achievement but it still is surprisingly good. I couldn't spot any noticable glitches and everything sounds just right.
The choice of songs is rather good, enough to satisfy old fans and win some new ones. It's enough to give you a good taste of what MDB is all about, even if As The Flower Withers LP is left out of the picking. The track listing trully helps in creating the melancholic atmosphere and the amazing mood swings that they can create so well. I won't rush into any more details about the tracks, since they all definately rule enough for me to pass any more judgement.
As everyone knows these kind of concerts don't concern much interaction with the crowd, so don't expect any singing from the crowd or anything that can give away their existance besides some clapping and cheering.
Speaking of cheering, the first thing that everyone noticed once I had the CD playing in the old four wheeler, was that Aaron almost always finished the songs with a really bored T'nk ya, cheerzzzzZZzzz.... and it always extracted some laughter from me and my passengers. I just think that the whole contrast was funny, that's why I mentioned it.
Anyway, you get the point. Whether you are and old or new fan or you just want to discover what MDB is all about, this is a great addition to your collection.