My Dying Bride’s latest opus and 12th full studio album, Feel The Misery, is set for release on September 18th via Peaceville Records. Today the band unveils the riveting video for the title track.

Using The Raft Of Medusa by French romantic painter Théodore Géricault as visual inspiration as well as taking cues from the bands own bleak and foreboding music, My Dying Bride's latest video is a harrowing tale of tragedy and loss.

Filmed on the stunning Pembroke coast of South Wales and in particular, St. Govans Chapel, the scenes were set to play out the narrative as vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe takes the role of a lone musician and poet who stumbles upon a fallen maiden while combing the seascape for curiosities. Clearly the victim of a recent shipwreck, she is gathered up and removed to a suitable, sombre resting place, all the while the mournful 'Feel The Misery' plays alongside, marrying the rich visuals with the melancholic song.

Directed by James Sharrock (Invadetvproductions.com) and Ryan Mackfall, James explains: “The concept for 'Feel The Misery' has been in my head for a while. It is loosely based on the famous painting Raft Of Medusa by Theodore Gericault painted in 1819, and when I heard the song it invoked the creative idea I had been thinking about.”

Bringing the video concept into context James continues: “In May this year I read in the news reports of a "Ghost ship" carrying 350 starving Rohingya Muslims vanishing off Thailand. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand refused to engage in search-and-rescue operations, instead pushing the boats back to sea, letting the people starve and refusing to accept the asylum seekers – similar to the story behind ‘Raft of Medusa’ . It was only later in the year as we were filming the music video down around the Pembrokeshire coast that the media took a greater interest in the deaths of asylum seekers in the Med. The song has allowed me to bring to life not only issues that are currently facing us all, but a masterpiece that reflects a similar tragedy from centuries ago.”

With crushing epic doom spanning eight tracks, and featuring the return of original guitarist Calvin Robertshaw to the fold, this is undoubtedly amongst the band’s heaviest, darkest, and most majestic works to date, marking My Dying Bride’s 25th anniversary in punishing style, with the title track also set to feature as the album’s debut video.

Feel The Misery sees a notable return to the band’s old haunt, Academy Studios in Dewsbury West Yorkshire for recording, where all of My Dying Bride’s classic early albums were produced. Mixing once more takes place at Futureworks in Manchester UK with the band’s long-time studio engineer/producer, Mags.

The band comments on the themes of Feel The Misery: “Contained within are all the grandeur and mastery of the melancholic one would expect to find on a recording from this group of musicians. The crushing of hearts and the solemn farewells to friends and lovers twinned with the destruction of flesh and the passions of cruelty are laid neatly for the listener to devour and savor. Eight new compositions detailing the path of life through dark doors and the burdens we all must endure simply to make it to the end, My Dying Bride have returned with a foreboding new album which may enlighten, delight and consume the soul in one epic sitting.”

Feel The Misery will be released on CD, vinyl, plus a special edition 2CD/2x10” vinyl set in deluxe earbook format, with exclusive music and expanded booklet.

 

Feel The Misery tracklisting:

“And My Father Left Forever”
“To Shiver In Empty Halls”
“A Cold New Curse”
“Feel The Misery”
“A Thorn Of Wisdom”
“I Celebrate Your Skin”
“I Almost Loved You”
“Within A Sleeping Forest”

The album’s lead track, “And My Father Left Forever”, is streaming below.

Vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe commented: "It is a picture of fallen bodies and broken limbs and the despair of having to collect them all up carefully, as they are your kinfolk, and place them gently together back into the earth from where they came."

My Dying Bride has been the leading light of doom metal since their debut album As The Flower Withers was released on Peaceville Records back in 1992. The band's heavy atmospherics and expertly crafted compositions make them among the most essential and legendary acts of the gothic doom/death genre.