My Dying Bride
34.788%... Complete

I still remember the day I bought this record from my trusted dealer. At first, I was a bit hesitant due to the numerous criticisms surrounding this "34.788%... Complete" released in 1998, still considered the most experimental album by My Dying Bride. Although I had to listen to it several times to understand it, in the end, I wasn't disappointed.

The changes are evident. The songs are full of electronic influences, and the atmosphere is distinctly different from any previous record. The guitar riffs are much less gloomy, and Aaron Stainthorpe sings with a psycho voice and uses many filtered voices. Even the themes have changed. If in the past their lyrics referred to a kind of dark past with a gothic scent, now Bride sing the depression of everyday life in the bed of a dingy apartment in the suburbs of a metropolis where passively the lives of thousands of people intersect. And let me say that the result is anything but negative from this point of view. The lyrics of this record, though controversial, are among the best ever seen in the band’s albums.

The record really starts off great. "The Whore, The Cook And The Mother" is one of the most ingenious songs written by My Dying Bride, worth the ticket price on its own. The main riff of the track is captivating and morbidly fascinating, while still revealing beautifully incredible sadness melodies. Chilling is the acoustic break in the middle section between guitar arpeggios and electronic sounds before returning to the initial structure. Unfortunately, it's fair to say, the album doesn't maintain the same levels as the opening track. "The Stance Of Evander Sinque" is full of disturbing melodies but fails to entirely convince, although it's not a bad track. However, in my opinion, the third track "Der Uberlebende" is disappointing, consisting of a beautiful but overused riff that ends up making the track repetitive.
The fourth song "Heroin Chic" is by far the most controversial track in My Dying Bride's entire career. Pure Trip-Hop that moves between disturbing sounds and the depressed voice of the singer. An interesting track, certainly innovative but not entirely successful in my opinion. After the sufficient "Apocalypse Woman", we finally return to high levels with "Base Level Erotica", the track that most closely resembles My Dying Bride’s past. The Doom influences, although mixed with Gothic and electronic, come back strongly, creating the heaviest song on the album. A wonderful finale with "Under Your Wings And Into Your Arms", the only track from this album still performed live. It's not hard to understand why: the song is a typical Metal sprint at the end of the album. Thanks to the perfect insertion of melodies veiled with melancholy alongside a powerful and fast riff, the track, not long compared to the others, continues its enchanting and spirited run.

In conclusion, this is a decent album, but in my opinion, not entirely successful. The right score is 3.5, but I give it 4 for the beauty of some moments and because this album truly manages to recreate a sadness perhaps more everyday compared to other records by the English band. Unjustly massacred by critics, "34.788%... Complete" is an album that deserves a listen, especially in its initial and final parts. It's just a pity for the central songs of the album, which in my opinion don’t do justice to My Dying Bride’s genius.