Band:	My Dying Bride
Album:	An Ode To Woe
Style:	Death doom metal, Gothic doom metal
Release date:	April 28, 2008
A review by:	Jeff

Disc I [CD]
01. To Remain Tombless
02. My Hope, The Destroyer
03. For You
04. The Blue Lotus
05. Like Gods Of The Sun
06. Catherine Blake
07. The Cry Of Mankind
08. The Whore, The Cook & The Mother
09. Thy Raven Wings
10. The Snow In My Hand
11. She Is The Dark
12. The Dreadful Hours

Disc II [DVD]
01. To Remain Tombless
02. My Hope, The Destroyer
03. For You
04. The Blue Lotus
05. Like Gods Of The Sun
06. Catherine Blake
07. The Cry Of Mankind
08. The Whore, The Cook & The Mother
09. Thy Raven Wings
10. The Snow In My Hand
11. She Is The Dark
12. The Dreadful Hours
13. The Forever People

Recorded at the famous Paradiso of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) in April 2007, "An Ode To Woe" is the last live album of My Dying Bride. This sumptuous pack features the recording of the concert on a CD but also the whole concert recorded live on a video DVD. Really this packaging is just beautiful, we're in front of a magnificent Digipack and I think that all the fans of My Dying Bride will have to buy this live album if they don't want to miss something.

First I have to say that the tracklist of this concert is good. It's impossible to play all the songs of a whole discography but here, My Dying Bride did a good compromise between their old albums with songs like "My Hope The Destroyer" or "The Cry Of Mankind" and new ones like "To Remain Tombless". The concert is good, well that's My Dying Bride which means that you'll see something special, with a really charismatic band which unfortunately for some of you, is not really communicative and doesn't move a lot. The live is good, probably better than their previous one "The Voice Of The Wretched" which was simply boring. On the other hand, this is doom Metal and the difference between a real studio recording and a live album is not so big. This live album is well done with a perfect interpretation but if you're looking for different ambiances, you will probably be disappointed. Except the audience and the really dark and cold atmosphere of the concert (it's really hard to feel that on the CD? that's better on the DVD of course) there is nothing so different. The band doesn't talk a lot to the audience etc, well that's My Dying Bride you just have to live with it!

The sound of this new live album is perfect. The video recording is great, seriously there is nothing to say against "An Ode To Woe" and if you like MDB, you'll appreciate this release. On the other hand despite the fact that the previous live album of the British combo was released in 2002, we got only three years ago one other DVD ("Sinamorata") and I'm not sure that it was a must to release a new live album... Well it's a good product at least but it may be good not to have a new DVD frequently?

If you're looking for good live, don't worry you'll not be disappointed by the new My Dying Bride. On the other hand be aware that despite its really good quality, you'll not be surprised by this new release. This is just one other Live if you see what I mean? Well you know what to do now, if you're looking for a great packaging and a nice live album, "An Ode To Woe" is a beautiful piece of work, but if you're looking for new things, I don't think that "An Ode To Woe" is a must?