Album by Matt Ford
Released August 19th, 2016
Crisis Ridden Label

Reviewed by Pete O’Neill

The standard Western European view of death is as a cessation of life or, conversely, life as a force that can overcome death.

Matt Ford creates a self assigned ‘Doom Folk’ mode of music.

His first album has, to paraphrase his words, been based upon death.

The recipe for By The Death Bed contains (amongst other things and other worldly things).

Ingredients: a few musicians based in a MattCave painted red.
At least one lifetime or more of catharsis.
A variety of soundscapes from underground trains and beaches to the distilled joy of Joy Division.
Centrally arrange these around an Edvard Munch work (The Scream painter) BY THE DEATHBED.

Method: Take these elements and objects.
Compress, steep and percolate.
Use pre-arranged digital equipment to transmute into sounds and music.

Matt has ‘baked’ this album to his own family recipe and followers of his music may revel in the specific style portrayed, whilst newcomers may find a familiar style in his expressions.

On the opposite side a ‘scousism’ (cutting opinionated comment from Liverpool-born resident). ‘Effin ‘ell mate, ‘effin that’d put Morrisey in therapy or Dyer Rob from Craven’s (funeral parlour).

As with any form of music or sound, the beauty is in the ear of the behearer (sic) beholder.

I do recommend a listen to By The Deathbed while you are alive.

Illness, madness and death, where the black angels watched over my cradle and have since followed me through life. E Munch.