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intothewellsabyss
Jun 7, 20233 min read

SEVEN DAYS OF BEREAVEMENT: A MY DYING BRIDE RETROSPECTIVE, PART FOUR.


My Dying Bride’s debut EP, “Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium” was soon followed by their first full-length studio album, “As the Flower Withers”. Released on May 22, 1992 via Peaceville Records, this is the only full-length My Dying Bride album on which lead vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe utilized his Death growl as the sole vocal style.


Overview:

Following up on the success of their “Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium” EP, the bands first full-length album "As the Flower Withers" proved to be an even greater success for My Dying Bride, as it pushed them even further into the forefront of the Doom-Death Metal scene. The music on the album is of course, an amalgamation of pulverizing and murky Doom-Death Metal, Gothic undertones, Classical ambience, and a hint of ripping OSDM. The suffocating dirge of Doom-Death crushes you as if the crashing waves of the ocean are all around you, engulfing you, filling your lunges with salty ruin. While the faster, more accelerated passages leave you feeling a sense of urgency, as if the 11th hour is fast approaching. This is not cheerful, light-hearted music. This is the sound of the devil’s choir singing praises to the damned. Nevertheless, as there is always order in chaos, there is also beauty in Death. Manifesting from the confines of this relentless, groaning misanthropy looms the delightful, but bewitching chime of a violin and keyboard, giving you, the listener a false sense of hope in this world of darkness. Then, Aaron Stainthorpe’s throaty, guttural growls kick in, ultimately shattering any thoughts of optimism.


The album opener, "Silent Dance" is a romantic, but short classical intro. "Sear Me" is a crushingly heavy Doom-Death track, contrasted by vocal-like guitar harmonies and violins. "The Bitterness and the Bereavement", is another daunting Doom-Death track, featuring more beautiful violin as it gouges its way through the harrowing drudgery of guitar heavy Doom. By this stage, any shred of hope that you may have left is torn to shreds by Stainthorpe’s blistering vocals, and the remorseless riffery of Craighan and Robertshaw. “The Forever People” is an extremely demented slab of ruination, comprised of fast-paced old-school Death Metal with a touch of Doom. “Vast Choirs” is unrestrained, not being confined to the restrictions of musical stylings. For “The Return of the Beautiful” MDB resounds the horns of the apocalypse, forgoing any sense of conventional arrangements for a more unrefined Stygian concept. And, on that note, Stygian is the perfect word to describe “As the Flower Withers”, for it is as dark as the Cimmerian gloom which shrouds the land of the dead.


In conclusion; My Dying Bride’s willingness to venture into the unknown, exploring territories outside of their realm was ambitious and bold. Where many would have resigned themselves to follow trends, MDB dared to differentiate themselves from the norm. To bring elements of Gothic, Classical and Ambient music into their blend of Doom and Death Metal was unheard of at the time. Henceforth, the addition of the violin and keyboards successfully intensified the melancholy and darkness of the bands sound. Was it insanity or pure genius? I say it was a little of both! In the end, what is to question? The bands ingenuity, unwillingness to compromise, and their stellar songwriting/musicianship is why they are an essential part of Doom-Death history and future.


Note:

Many of the tracks on “As the Flower Withers” have appeared in a different form on other My Dying Bride releases. "Sear Me" was the first in a trilogy of songs to bear the title, followed by the keyboard and violin-only "Sear Me MCMXCIII" in 1993 and "Sear Me III" in 1999, which is more similar in style to the original, being a full band composition. "The Bitterness and the Bereavement" evolved from an earlier demo, which was released independently as "Unreleased Bitterness" in 1993. This version of the song also appears on the digipak re-release of “As the Flower Withers”, and on the rarities/best-of compilation “Meisterwerk 1”. "Vast Choirs" is a reworked version of the version that appears on the band's first recording, “Towards the Sinister”. This version is widely available on both “Meisterwerk 2” and the 2004 reissue of “Trinity”. "The Return of the Beautiful" was re-recorded for 2001's “The Dreadful Hours”, with its title being slightly changed to "The Return to the Beautiful". Live versions of "The Forever People" can be found on the limited edition versions of “The Angel and the Dark River” and “For Darkest Eyes”. This song is often played as the last song of the set in many of the band's live shows.


Click here to listen to “As the Flower Withers” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/as-the-flowers-withers/73595203



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