After their previous release, Turn Loose the Swans, My Dying Bride set their standards very high indeed.With this, their third full length album, they achieve what few bands can: create an incredible album on a different path from that of their previous one. Where Turn Loose the Swans was raw and quite death in its musical approach, The Angel and the Dark River hardly has any growling and the guitars are more melodic. You know immediately it's MDB because through this change in style their spirit still transcends. The songs are sad; they talk of Love, Death, Religion... Aaron's usual inspiration for his lyrics, but the music gives us a different perspective from that of past and future albums. Indeed, never again has MDB been even close to accomplishing an album as complete as this. The first track, The Cry of Mankind, lasts over 12 min and is probably the best in this album, maybe even the best song MDB has ever written; a tale of how Jesus looks down on Mankind and sees how we are destroying ourselves thus rendering his sacrifice useless. An epic which shows straight away what we can expect from the rest of the album: Slow grinding guitars inter playing with each other, harmonising often, which together with Martin's violin and keyboards (the best I've ever heard!) create that melancholic sound which is the trademark of MDB. Aaron's laments complete the painting in sad dark hues; there is a bit of growling in some songs but somehow it is not missed (for those of you who think DOOM must be growled this is a lesson on how to deliver intense vocals without reverting to growls). A review on this album cannot be complete without commenting on the incredible drumming by Rick Miah, who is, to my liking, the best DOOM drummer in the business (sadly, he is no longer a member of the band). Not one of the tracks has a simple rhythm, his use of the double bass and the cymbals adds the final touch to an already perfect album. The Angel and the Dark River is a must for anyone interested in DOOM and will serve as a comparison for other DOOM albums for a long time to come. Essential listening.

Amazing, truly Amazing! This cd will elicit intense & varied emotional responses. From the joy of love (Black Voyage), to the anger of a lost relationship (A Sea to Suffer In), to the sorrows of death (Two Winters Only)!! This is the most HUMAN of all releases...EVER!! The violining is truly "otherwordly"...sounds like the weeping of angels! Listen to this in a candle-lit room while sipping Merlot!!!!

My Dying Bride could be said to be an accquired taste. Their brooding, melancholic doom metal is not fitting to the majority. This band is wonderfully unique in the genre, largely due to the darkly symphonic overtones contributed by the bands keyboardist/violinist, Martin. His occasional full-length violin solos and keyboard fills seemlessly flow together with Calvin's sombre single note lines and painfully slow, dark drop-tuned riffs. Aaron also does a lovely job on vocals, forgoing doom/death metal grunts for solid, achingly honest clean vocals that range from apathetic, mumbling lows to epic, symphonic highs. Their best album, in my opinion.

This is My Dying Bride's masterwork. From beginning to end, the power and melodrama is perfectly evident, and even displays shades of the epic sense they derive as fans of Dead Can Dance. His voice is not as assured as it is with later releases, but the emotion and despair is palpable. This is in my top ten in ANY genre. Some have complained about the guitar sound in the production, but, trust me, you get over it by the second track. If you don't own it, buy it, and find out what all the cool chaps on your block are talking about.

Most of My Dying Bride's material is very, very good. However, it is hard for me to get in to anything they have done since this album. The reason-this album is so good. I haven't heard any of their earlier albums, but what I have heard of the albums after this (I do own two of them) is a band trying to fit in with their peers. On this album, however, they seemed to be playing from the soul. Call it the `Dark Side of the Moon` of gothic metal and you would probably not be far off. Furthermore, I don't mind death metal vocals. After hearing this album, however, it just pisses me off that he used them in other albums. His voice is a perfect mixture of gloom and schizophrenia, and it mixes perfectly with the violins and pianos that glide beautifully over the crunching guitar licks. For anyone who loves dark, heavy music, this is an album you must have. One warning though; the music is very creative and well written, but the tracks can get pretty long. It may seem to drag at first, but give it time. Once you see the whole picture, it will grow on you untill it becomes one of your favorite metal albums.