The Apocalypse Finally Arrives Down Under My Dying Bride w/ Mikko Kotamäki - Northcote Theatre, Melbourne. Words/Photos by Dan Mc Kay
The Apocalypse Finally Arrives Down Under
My Dying Bride w/ Mikko Kotamäki - Northcote Theatre, Melbourne. Words/Photos by Dan Mc Kay
Mammon's Throne
The evening began with Melbourne's own Mammon's Throne laying the groundwork for what was to come. The local extreme doom quintet, fresh off their crushing self-titled sophomore effort, proved why they're considered one of Australia's most formidable heavy acts.
My Dying Bride
Mikko Kotamäki's presence loomed large from the opening notes of "My Hope, the Destroyer." The Swallow the Sun frontman didn't attempt to replicate Aaron Stainthorpe's theatrical anguish; instead, he channeled something rawer, more primal. Where Stainthorpe painted gothic landscapes with his voice, Kotamäki carved them from stone with a crushing weight that felt inevitable.
The setlist read like a love letter to the band's golden age of misery. "Like Gods of the Sun" transformed the Northcote Theatre into a cathedral of doom, its crushing riffs reverberating through bodies like seismic shifts. When they launched into "The 2nd of Three Bells," you could feel the crowd collectively exhale—this was the My Dying Bride we'd waited decades to witness in the flesh.
"From Darkest Skies" showcased the seamless chemistry between Kotamäki and the remaining members. Andrew Craighan's guitar work remained as emotionally devastating as ever, each note dripping with the kind of melancholy that built the band's reputation. The rhythm section locked into those familiar, trudging tempos that make doom metal feel like watching continental drift in real time.
The emotional crescendo arrived with "The Cry of Mankind"—a track that's soundtracked countless 3am existential crises for metalheads worldwide. Kotamäki's interpretation was less theatrical weeping, more like witnessing someone's soul actually leave their body. The crowd's hushed reverence spoke volumes; this wasn't just a gig, it was a religious experience for the faithful.
"The Snow in My Hand" and "Feel the Misery" showcased the band's evolution through their catalog, while "She Is the Dark" reminded everyone why My Dying Bride perfected the art of beautiful brutality. Each track felt like turning pages in a book of sorrows, with Kotamäki proving he could inhabit these songs without simply copying their original delivery.
"The Apocalyptist" closed the main set with appropriate finality—this wasn't just the end of the show, but perhaps the end of My Dying Bride as we've known them for three and a half decades. The crowd's desperate calls for more were answered with "The Raven and the Rose," a fitting epitaph for what felt like both a beginning and an ending.
The band's guitarist Andrew Craighan has spoken positively about the collaboration with Kotamäki, and it showed. This wasn't a tribute act or a desperate cash grab—it was a band adapting to survive while honoring their legacy.
For those of us in the underground metal scene who've championed My Dying Bride through their darkest hours, this Melbourne show felt like watching a phoenix rise from ashes, even if it emerged wearing different plumage. Whether this lineup continues beyond these Australian dates remains uncertain, but for two hours in a cramped venue in Northcote, doom metal felt truly alive again.
The kings of misery have shown they can still rule, even with a different voice leading the congregation in prayer.
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Rob Halford
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