Band: Mourning Beloveth

Title: A Disease For The Ages

Label: Grau

Distribution: Suburban

Release date: 12/05/2008

Review: CD

The world of Doom Metal is huge, yet Ireland is one of those countries that make this genre unique. The Doom / Death-formation Mourning Beloveth is probably one of the best known Doom-formations from Ireland, and this fourth studio album proves why Ireland belongs to the top. The five tracks, having duration of fifty six minutes, go mainly on in the vein of the former release, A Murderous Circus, yet the whole sounds more mature, more professional and more overwhelming than ever before. Opening track The Sickness, the first part of those deconstructive emotional album, starts somewhat (old) My Dying Bride-ish, yet Mourning Beloveth certainly do not just copy this protagonist. Also early Anathema and Mythological Cold Towers may have been of influence, yet on A Disease For The Ages, Mourning Beloveth do finally define their own approach of introspective, inner-depressive and self-destructive, sad Doom superiority. Also the other tracks (Trace Decay, Primeval Rush, The Burning Man and Poison Beyond All) bring grieving and old school-oriented Doom / Death à la early My Dying Bride, Anathema, Mar De Grises, Necare, Saturnus, Officium Triste and so on, introducing the ‘clean’ vocals of guitar player Frank (very ‘traditional Doom’-influenced and bringing a feeling of Candlemass, Trouble and Solitude Aeternus) and coming with a deep-organic atmosphere and a splendid production, raw yet mathematic.

85/100

Ivan Tibos.