CoC : My Dying Bride - Meisterwerk II : Review

My Dying Bride - _Meisterwerk II_
(Peaceville, 2001)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10)

"Sear Me MCMXIII" is the proper way to open a good My Dying Bride compilation, in my opinion, and part two of MDB's collection does just that. Although it features naught but piano, violin and voice, I feel this song epitomizes much of the spirit of My Dying Bride. Towards the end of the disc, "Your River", another well-chosen track from arguably the greatest doom metal masterpiece ever, _Turn Loose the Swans_, wraps up the set of MDB material that can be found in _Meisterwerk_. The two covers originally released in the _Peaceville X_ compilation [CoC #31] then finish things off -- a somewhat debatable option. In between, the disc flows in much the same way as the first _Meisterwerk_. On the rare side of things, the album features a good demo track from _Towards the Sinister_, a demo version of "Vast Choirs" (originally from _As the Flower Withers_) and "Follower", an unreleased track from the mostly ill-received and hardly MDB-like experimentation of _34.788%... Complete_ [CoC #35]. Also included are the acoustic "Two Winters Only" from _The Angel and the Dark River_ [CoC #8] and "She Is the Dark" from MDB's latest studio album [CoC #44]. All of this provides significant insight into MDB's various doom and death metal stages and shows a remarkably large portion of what the band has been about across the years. In the same fashion as part one of the compilation [CoC #51], _Meisterwerk II_ offers some good value for money in terms of the rare tracks it contains, whilst sprinkling the proceedings with the superior quality of some better known songs. This second disc achieves a better mix of classic songs than the _Like Gods of the Sun_-drenched first part and provides a thoroughly entertaining listen as well as interesting collector's tracks. Those who do not own the MDB discography yet are advised to look into Peaceville's massive series of re-issues as well; some of the greatest gems of doom metal are there to be found.

(article published 12/8/2001)

CHATS
7/3/2002	P Azevedo	My Dying Bride: Thus Spake the Wretched
1/14/2002	A Bromley	My Dying Bride: The Hand of Doom
12/9/1999	P Azevedo	My Dying Bride: The Bride Returns to the Bleak Rainy Moors
11/19/1998	P Azevedo	My Dying Bride: The Bride No Longer Wears Black
4/9/1997	A Bromley	My Dying Bride: Behold the Bride
3/14/1996	A Bromley	My Dying Bride: Dying With Pride

ALBUMS
11/27/2012	P Azevedo	8.5	My Dying Bride - A Map of All Our Failures
6/15/2009	K Sarampalis	6.5	My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire
7/13/2008	P Azevedo	7	My Dying Bride - An Ode to Woe
10/23/2006	P Azevedo	7.5	My Dying Bride - A Line of Deathless Kings
9/26/2006	P Azevedo	7.5	My Dying Bride - Deeper Down EP
12/17/2005	Q Kalis		My Dying Bride - Anti-Diluvian Chronicles
10/10/2005	P Azevedo	9	My Dying Bride - Sinamorata DVD
3/23/2004	P Azevedo	9	My Dying Bride - Songs of Darkness, Words of Light
7/3/2002	P Azevedo	9.5 / 9	My Dying Bride - For Darkest Eyes DVD Anathema - A Vision of a Dying Embrace DVD
7/3/2002	P Azevedo	10	My Dying Bride - The Voice of the Wretched
10/19/2001	P Azevedo	9	My Dying Bride - The Dreadful Hours
1/10/2001	P Azevedo	8	My Dying Bride - Meisterwerk I
12/9/1999	P Azevedo	9	My Dying Bride - The Light at the End of the World
11/19/1998	P Azevedo	7	My Dying Bride - 34.788%... Complete
2/4/1997	P Azevedo	10	My Dying Bride - Like Gods of the Sun
3/14/1996	A Bromley	8	My Dying Bride - The Angel and the Dark River

GIGS
7/3/2002	P Azevedo	My Dying Bride / Mysterium	Catharsis in Doom
3/13/2001	V Anderson	My Dying Bride / Katatonia / Soundisciples / Beyond Dawn / Thine	The Snow in Their Hearts