Review by Michael on December 19, 2020.

Eight months after My Dying Bride delighted us with The Ghost of Orion, they release a new EP called Macabre Cabaret. I often wonder with many bands what the point of an EP is, if not money-making, but with My Dying Bride I have never been disappointed, except for the dreadful I am the Bloody Earth EP from 1994.

The first song, immediately the title track 'Macabre Cabaret', starts with the usual stylistic devices. A wonderfully doomy, catchy and absolutely melancholic track, which offers a beautifully sad acoustic part in its middle. It makes you want to sit by the sea and toast the approaching end of the world. Global warming, pollution, war, arms race, ignorance, selfishness, stupidity and Corona - we did it!!! It's not far now....which, of course, is not what the lyrics are about, but tragic love and death, if I'm interpreting this correctly now.

'A Secret Kiss' is a song that could have easily been on The Angel and the Dark River 25 years ago, the sawing guitars and death metal-like vocals from Aaron in places are pretty cool. I wish My Dying Bride would tend in this direction more often again. Thumbs up for both songs.

The next two songs should have been spared, though, in all honesty. 'A Purse of Gold and Stars' has become quite a bore - why? The song is more of a sonic background to Aaron's chanting, more of an ambient piece. The only positive thing about the song is the piano at the end of the track. The fourth song 'Orchestral Shores (Buiksloterkeerk Cathedral Mix)' is also nothing that the world necessarily needs. It is a rather quiet acoustic version of 'Your broken Shores' from the last album The Ghost of Orion. I think instead of the two (fortunately not too long) songs they should have put one or two "real" tracks on the EP, then it would have been a round thing (although CDs always are...). So then remains but a somewhat bland aftertaste.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10