Lineup: Aaron Stainthorpe - vocals Ade Jackson - bass Andrew Craighan - guitar Hamish Glencross - guitar Shaun Steels - drums Sarah Stanton - keyboards (live)
My Dying Bride were formed in June 1990, by Calvin, Aaron, Andy and Rick, and after only six months of intense rehearsing, their now legendary demo 'Towards the Sinister' was launched upon an unsuspecting world. Shortly after the release of the demo, a 7" single was released by the band on the small French label, Listenable. The 'God Is Alone' 7" went on to sell out almost immediately, which caught the eye of Peaceville Records, who offered the band a deal just one year after they had formed.
'Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium' was the bands' debut release (an EP that featured the bands latest recruit, Ade, on bass), followed shortly by their first full length LP, 'As the Flower Withers', which saw the band pushing the frontiers of Avant Garde Doom Metal, even further than on their earlier releases.
After shows throughout the UK and a short tour of Europe, the band were in the studio yet again recording their Kerrang! chart high flyer, 'The Thrash of Naked Limbs', the bands second EP. While filming the video for this single, drummer Rick fell badly, damaging his wrist, which sadly lead to the cancellation of their planned full length European tour with label mates G.G.F.H.
Recognized throughout the world now as a pioneering Gothic Metal act, My Dying Bride went a step further in recruiting long time session musician for the band, Martin, an acclaimed violinist and piano player.
In late 1993, a mammoth European tour began, to coincide with the release of the bands latest full length opus, 'Turn Loose the Swans'. The tour was a huge success as far as the actual live shows were concerned, but serious automobile accidents in thick snow, theft of equipment & illnesses, marred an otherwise fruitful outing.
In '94 the band went to ground. Not much was heard about My Dying Bride but they were far from idle.
Apart from releasing the EP 'I am the Bloody Earth', the year was spent preparing material and fermenting a sound that was to become the opus 'The Angel and the Dark River'. Six epic tracks averaging around nine minutes each, immerse the listener in My Dying Bride's sinister glory. A rich tapestry to the ear and a deep trouble to the soul 'The Angel and the Dark River' is My Dying Bride's most challenging and assured release to date.
'The Angel and the Dark River' was released by Peaceville Records on May 8, 1995, and was followed up with an extensive European tour, including major festival dates such as the Dynamo Open Air festival in Holland.
During the Autumn of 1995, My Dying Bride's first three EPs were re-released on a single CD compilation, titled 'Trinity'. The end of the year saw a successful tour in support of Iron Maiden in the UK and Europe.
In 1996 My Dying Bride released 'Like Gods of the Sun'. Extra attention had been paid to production, which resulted in a much 'cleaner' sound. The release of this album was followed by two European tours, one in 1996 with Cathedral, and one in 1997 with Sentenced. In 1997 the band also hopped over the ocean for the first time: a US tour as support act for Dio was launched in April. Despite this support tour being a success, the last few weeks of the tour were canceled when drummer Rick became ill. Sadly, his illness prevented him from staying in the band altogether and My Dying Bride had to go and look for a new drummer.
In 1998 hard work was done by the band on the new album, which got the rather unorthodox title '34.788%... Complete'. During rehearsing the band lost yet another member, Martin. In the meantime a temporary drummer had been found in the person of Bill Law, drummer of Dominion. So with a drastically changed lineup My Dying Bride went into the recording studio.
After release of the album things went quiet again around My Dying Bride. The silence was broken by the announcement that the band planned to start working on their sixth album rightaway instead of touring. Another revelation was the fact that a new permanent drummer had been found in the person of Shaun Steels, former drummer of Solstice and Anathema. With Johnny Maudlin helping out on keyboards, My Dying Bride recorded 'The Light at the End of the World', which was released in November 1999. This album is basically a return to the sound of My Dying Bride in the period between 'Turn Loose the Swans' and 'The Angel and the Dark River', but with a whole new perspective on this sound. The band also recruited Hamish Glencross as second guitarist, though his work can not yet be heard on 'The Light at the End of the World'.
In 2000, the band celebrated its 10 year anniversary with tour in Western Europe and the creation of two compilation albums titled Meisterwerk 1 & 2. Shortly afterward, the band went back into the studio, to record the next opus 'The Dreadful Hours', which was released in July 2001. Again, Johnny Maudlin was recruited for sorting out the keyboards. In addition to seven new tracks, the album featured a new recording of the 14-minute epic song "Return of the Beautiful', renamed 'Return to the Beautiful'. And the story continues...
