MY DYING BRIDE (Doom)
My Dying Bridehttp://www.mydyingbride.org/
http://www.myspace.com/mdbride
is a British doom metal band formed in 1990. My Dying Bride is one of the three bands responsible for the formation of death/doom metal, along with Anathema and Paradise Lost. To date, My Dying Bride has released one demo, three EPs, several singles, nine full-length studio albums, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, one live CD/DVD release, and several video releases. The band recently released its tenth studio album titled For Lies I Sire.
Early years (1990 - 1992)
My Dying Bride was formed in Halifax in the north of England in June 1990 after lead guitarist Andrew Craighan left his former band Abiosis to join Aaron Stainthorpe (vocals), Calvin Robertshaw (guitar) and Rick Miah (drums). After six months of rehearsing, the band recorded and released their demo, Towards the Sinister. Its title was taken from a line in the song "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium". The band could soon release their first single, God Is Alone, on a small French label called Listenable. After the single had sold out almost immediately, they were picked up by Peaceville Records, and they could release their first EP, Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium, which also featured their latest recruit, bassist Adrian Jackson. These early songs were death metal in a traditional sense, though much slower than most, which obviously was a hint for the coming musical style. The EP was soon followed by their first full-length album, As the Flower Withers. Except for the more traditional heavy metal, the album also featured elements of classical music, especially through the adding of keyboards and violin, and death/doom metal was born.
Turn Loose the Swans (1992 - 1994)
"As the Flower Withers" was followed by a big tour in the UK and the mainland Europe, and in 1992 they recorded their next EP, "The Thrash of Naked Limbs". Another tour was planned, but cancelled when their current drummer had a bad fall while shooting the accompanying video. The video was anyway a success on MTV and the EP as well as the band was hailed by fans and critics, calling My Dying Bride the creators of the new doom-gothic metal genre.
In 1993, Martin Powell joined as My Dying Bride's keyboardist and violinist, and they started the recording of their second studio album, Turn Loose the Swans. Released the same year, it was their first album to utilise clean vocals as well as death grunts, giving My Dying Bride an even more authentic and characteristic sound. With the joining of Martin Powell, the usage of violin increased even more since their As the Flower Withers album. The album was followed by a tour and the release of another EP, "I Am the Bloody Earth", in 1994.
The Angel and the Dark River (1995)
1995 saw the release of My Dying Bride's next album, The Angel and the Dark River. The album is described by the band itself as:
"An opus was born [with] Six epic tracks, averaging around nine minutes each immersed the listener in MDB's full sinister glory [...] at the very forefront of the advanced metal scene, hailed in the press and with a flurry of like-minded bands following in the shadows."
"The Angel and the Dark River" advanced the music with the total abandonment of death grunts, which added a more traditional Doom feel to the songs. The album was followed with a successful tour with some of their first festival gigs, and soon after the fans saw the release of their first compilation album, Trinity, a collection of songs from their first three EPs. In the end of 1995, My Dying Bride travelled on a three month tour with fellow metal band Iron Maiden, winning over thousands of new fans.
Like Gods of the Sun (1996 - 1997)
Like Gods of the Sun continued in the direction of "The Angel and the Dark River", in that it did not contain any growling vocals by Aaron Stainthorpe.
"34.788%...Complete" and hiatus (1998 - 2001)
The somewhat experimental 34.788%...Complete was next, which along with the following The Light at the End of the World polarized fans over the band's new direction. My Dying Bride entered something of a hiatus after this, releasing two retrospective albums Meisterwerk 1 and Meisterwerk 2. These albums lay halfway between best of albums and rarity compilations.
The Dreadful Hours (2001 - 2004)
It was not until 2001's The Dreadful Hours that My Dying Bride managed to win round the bulk of their former fans. More innovative than The Light at the End of the World, yet retaining all the key elements of the My Dying Bride sound, The Dreadful Hours was a slightly darker release.
Between 2003 and 2004, the band's label, Peaceville, re-released their entire back-catalogue in digipak format, with rare bonus tracks (demos, remixes, live performances etc.) added to each release.
Songs of Darkness, Words of Light (2004 - 2005)
2004's follow-up Songs of Darkness, Words of Light showed a band continuing to expand and refine their sound and purpose. A substantial increase in live performances — once an unheard-of rarity — has led to much greater recognition by a new generation of fans.
The band's next release came in May 2005, when they released the fancifully-titled Anti-Diluvian Chronicles, a fully-fledged best of box set featuring three discs and thirty tracks.
A Line of Deathless Kings (2006 - 2008)
The band spent the winter of 2005/2006 writing material for new studio album A Line of Deathless Kings. The album was released on October 9, 2006. It was preceded by the EP Deeper Down on September 18. Shortly before the release of A Line of Deathless Kings, Shaun Taylor-Steels announced his permanent departure from the band due to persistent problems with his ankle.
In early 2007, Jackson announced his departure and session-drummer John Bennett from The Prophecy could no longer stay, citing a lack of time due to work commitments. Replacements were found in Lena Abé on bass and Dan Mullins on drums.
For Lies I Sire (2008 - present)
In November 2008, pre-production for My Dying Bride's tenth studio album was announced, entitled "For Lies I Sire, has begun, to be released March 23, 2009. The band has entered the Futureworks studio in Manchester, and Andrew Craighan has stated the feel of the album is, in his words, 'heading for empty and bleak with flashes of rage.'
Due to Sarah Stanton's pregnancy she has been replaced on keyboards by Katie Stone, announced on June 27 as an official member of the band. Stone is also a trained violinist and will play the parts Martin Powell used to play in live performances. She will perform violin on the upcoming album as well. Sarah Stanton is however still listed as a member on the band's official website.
Musical style and lyrical themes
Their music is characterised by romantic, sensual lyrics, often using gothic themes and imagery, and an obsessive attention to atmospheric detail. The lyrics are often inspired by Old English in its choice of words and metaphores, and in their song "For My Fallen Angel" (from Like Gods of the Sun) they included a quotation from a Shakespeare poem.
Although their early demos were built on slow yet otherwise traditional death metal, with uncharacteristic death grunts, later albums would start mixing death grunts with clean vocals, starting with Turn Loose the Swans. The Angel and the Dark River saw the abandonment of death grunts altogether, with The Light at the End of the World seeing their return. With their first full-length album (As the Flower Withers, 1992), they took a step towards classical influences with the frequent usage of keyboards and violin.
The music of My Dying Bride has been noted as "dripping with treachery and pain" from a "lyrical fascination with deceit and transgressions of every variety". According to Last.fm, they are known for their "slow yet extremely heavy riffs and haunting lyrics. Relentlessly slow, thick, heavy chords allied with remarkably morose lyrics make My Dying Bride a unique proposition and certainly a challenge to the listener".
Current members
* Aaron Stainthorpe - Vocals (1990-)
* Hamish Glencross - Guitar (1999-)
* Andrew Craighan - Guitar (1990-)
* Lena Abé - Bass (2007-)
* Dan Mullins - Drums (2007-)
* Katie Stone — Violin, Keyboards (2008-)
Former members
* Martin Powell - Keyboards, Violins (1991-1998) (ex-Anathema (UK), ex- Cradle of Filth, ex-Cryptal Darkness)
* Calvin Robertshaw - Guitar (1990-1999)
* Bill Law — Drums (1998-1999) (ex-Dominion (UK))
* Rick Miah - Drums (1990-1997) (ex-Abiosis, ex-Khang, ex-Lazarus Blackstar)
* Shaun Taylor-Steels - Drums (1998-2006) (ex-Solstice (UK), ex-Anathema (UK), ex-Ironside)
* Adrian Jackson - Bass (1991-2007)
* Sarah Stanton - Keyboards (2002-2008)
Session members
* Jonny Maudling - Session Keyboards (Bal-Sagoth)
* Michelle Richfield — Guest Female Vocals in "34.788%... Complete" album (Dominion (UK), Sear (UK), ex-Anathema (UK), Antimatter)
* Yasmin Ahmed — Keyboards (1999-2002) (ex-Ebonylake)
* John Bennett - Session Drums (The Prophecy (UK))
Discography
Albums
* (1992) As the Flower Withers
* (1993) Turn Loose the Swans
* (1995) The Angel and the Dark River
* (1996) Like Gods of the Sun
* (1998) 34.788%...Complete
* (1999) The Light at the End of the World
* (2001) The Dreadful Hours
* (2004) Songs of Darkness, Words of Light
* (2006) A Line of Deathless Kings
* (2009) For Lies I Sire
Demos, singles and EPs
* (1990) Towards the Sinister (demo)
* (1991) God Is Alone (7")
* (1991) Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium (EP)
* (1992) The Thrash of Naked Limbs (Single)
* (1993) Unreleased Bitterness (7")
* (1994) I Am the Bloody Earth (Single)
* (1994) The Sexuality of Bereavement (7")
* (2006) Deeper Down (Single)
Compilations
* (1994) The Stories (box set)
* (1995) Trinity
* (2000) Meisterwerk 1
* (2001) Meisterwerk 2
* (2002) The Voice of the Wretched (live)
* (2005) Anti-Diluvian Chronicles
* (2008) An Ode to Woe (live, also contains DVD version)
Video releases
* (1997) For Darkest Eyes
* (2005) Sinamorata
* (2008) An Ode to Woe (live, also contains CD version)
Commentaires