The following release for My Dying Bride was their second EP, “The Thrash of Naked Limbs”, released on February 12, 1993 via Peaceville Records. This release saw My Dying Bride begin to move in a slightly different direction, forgoing some of the Old-school Death Metal for more of the Doom-laden Death Metal.
My Dying Bride received so many favorable responses to their elaborate use of symphonic ornamentation and violin in their groundbreaking first full-length “As the Flower Withers”, that by the time they got to “The Thrash of Naked Limbs”, (the bands second EP) they had no choice but to make keyboardist/violinist Martin Powell a full-time member of the band.
Overview:
As I stated in the introduction, “The Thrash of Naked Limbs” was somewhat of a turning point for My Dying Bride, where the band put less emphasis on the faster driving Death Metal and focused more on the foreboding side of the bands signature sound. Airs of wretchedness conjoined with elegiac reveries of misery are now the governing concept.
While the title track is a slow, gloriously heavy Doom-Death masterpiece. The din of a mournful bell tolls to begin "Le Cerf Malade", an opulent instrumental, rife with bleak and morose undertones. This airy, ambient track shows us a side of MDB we have not yet witnessed. There is a small section with lyrics in the song, featuring a fragment from the fable "Le Cerf Malade" by the 17th century French poet Jean de la Fontaine. The title literally means “The Sick Stag”. As with the title track, "Gather Me Up Forever" is another triumphant Doom-Death standard, featuring hefty breakneck passages.
In conclusion; I found “The Thrash of Naked Limbs” to be an exceptionally well composed mini-opus. With sophistication, the band take great care in underscoring every little nuance within each song.
More Information:
The EP was also released as part of the limited box-set, "The Stories", alongside the band's other singles, “Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium” and “I Am the Bloody Earth”. All three were released on one disc on the compilation “Trinity” in 1995.
The song's video, available on “For Darkest Eyes” features much slow motion footage of a girl writhing in her sleep, interspersed with barely visible footage of the band walking with torches. The video version of the song is an edited version, two minutes or so shorter than the EP version. A live version of the title track is also available on “For Darkest Eyes”.
Click this link to follow My Dying Bride on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyDyingBrideOfficial
Click this link to watch the official music video for “The Thrash of Naked Limbs”: https://youtu.be/pJUCAe-8C0w
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