LIKE GODS OF THE SUN

Like Gods of the sun is MDB's fourth album and for the second time in a row it features only clean vocals. It can't be compared to its predecessor though; this album rocks far more and is much more accessible then any other MDB album so far.

The sound is heavier then Turn Loose The Swans or The Angel and the Dark River, it's still dark and gloomy but decidedly less dreary. A first reason is the upgraded tempo, not that MDB embraced speed metal but they maintain a mid-paced tempo on most songs, sounding almost as if they suddenly embraced grunge! Almost, as the inclusion of the sad violins, keyboards and even some organ on the superb opener makes the music too majestic to be grunge. Still, Alice In Chains and Sabbath fans that are interested in hearing a gothic take on their kind of music should lend their ears.

A second reason why I find this album an improvement over the previous two albums is that the songs work a lot better for me. The riffs are catchier, the songs flow better and there is more diversity. Simply put, every song is more recognizable. In its entirety, the album slightly overstays its welcome though. Despite some great parts, the 4 songs at the end are a bit uneven.

Aaron's clean vocals work really well on this material. They're still an acquired taste but they sound much steadier and more involved then on the preceding album. And he's not alone, the entire band sounds inspired and enthusiastic this time. It's something of an achievement really, to be doom and still convey a sense of fervour and hunger through the music.

This album was not met with uniform enthusiasm upon its release and still doesn't rate high in most MDB fans' ranking. So I would rather recommend this album to other lovers of doom and goth-rock who have avoided MDB so far because of the feared gruff vocals. While the album is not uniformly excellent, most songs have always moved me a lot. 3.5 stars