Lena Abé
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | June 1, 1990 in Bradford, England |
| Headquarters | Bradford , England |
| Products | Studio albums, EPs, demos, live albums, compilation albums |
| Website | www |
My Dying Bride is a doom metal group originating from Bradford, England, established in 1990. Over their career, they have produced 15 studio albums, five EPs, one demo recording, a box set, four compilation albums, as well as a live album and a live CD/DVD.
Together with Anathema and Paradise Lost, they played a crucial role in shaping the death doom metal and gothic metal scenes during the early 1990s. These three bands, collectively known as "The Peaceville Three," were all signed under the Peaceville Records label.
Formation and initial period (1990–1992)
The band was created in June 1990 by guitarist Andrew Craighan, drummer Rick Miah, vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe, and guitarist Calvin Robertshaw. Prior to this, Craighan and Miah had been members of Abiosis. After half a year of rehearsals, they recorded their demo Towards the Sinister, which was produced by Tim Walker from Voltage Records. The demo's title was inspired by a phrase from "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium". Their debut single, "God Is Alone", was released through the French label Listenable and quickly sold out. This success led to signing with Peaceville Records, through which they released their first EP, Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium, now featuring new bassist Adrian Jackson. Their debut full-length album followed shortly after, titled As the Flower Withers.
Turn Loose the Swans era (1992–1994)
After releasing As the Flower Withers, My Dying Bride embarked on tours across the UK and Europe before recording the EP The Thrash of Naked Limbs in 1992. A scheduled tour was canceled due to their drummer sustaining an injury during a video production. In 1993, Martin Powell joined the lineup as keyboardist and violinist, expanding on the band's earlier use of violin. That same year saw the release of their sophomore album, Turn Loose the Swans, which was followed by touring and the release of the EP I Am the Bloody Earth.
The Angel and the Dark River period (1995)
In 1995, My Dying Bride unveiled The Angel and the Dark River, supported by a successful tour that included festival performances. They also released their inaugural compilation album, Trinity, which gathered tracks from their earliest EPs. Later that year, they spent three months touring alongside Iron Maiden, broadening their audience reach.
Like Gods of the Sun phase (1996–1997)
Their fourth studio effort, Like Gods of the Sun, maintained stylistic continuity with its predecessor but notably omitted Aaron Stainthorpe’s growled vocals. This album featured songs such as "A Kiss to Remember" and "For My Fallen Angel," with the latter presenting an orchestral arrangement incorporating violin and synthesizers. It also marked the final appearance of violin until its return on For Lies I Sire.
34.788%...Complete and subsequent hiatus (1998–2001)
Following their experimental album 34.788%...Complete, they released The Light at the End of the World. The band then entered a period of inactivity, during which they issued two retrospective compilations, Meisterwerk 1 and Meisterwerk 2, featuring rare and previously released tracks. At this time, founding guitarist Calvin Robertshaw departed to take on tour management duties and was succeeded by Hamish Glencross.
The Dreadful Hours (2001–2004)
The Dreadful Hours was released in 2001, showcasing fresh compositions produced by guitarist Andrew Craighan and engineered by Mags. Between 2003 and 2004, Peaceville reissued the band’s earlier albums in digipak editions, which included additional demos, remixes, and live recordings—except for The Light at the End of the World.
Songs of Darkness, Words of Light (2004–2005)
In 2004, My Dying Bride unveiled Songs of Darkness, Words of Light. The subsequent year brought forth Anti-Diluvian Chronicles, an extensive three-disc compilation featuring thirty selected tracks.
A Line of Deathless Kings (2006–2007)
During the winter of 2005/2006, the band composed new material that culminated in the album A Line of Deathless Kings, released on 9 October 2006. This was preceded by the EP Deeper Down, which came out on 18 September. Shortly before the album’s launch, Shaun Taylor-Steels permanently departed due to ankle injuries.
In early 2007, Jackson exited the group, and session drummer John Bennett left because of professional obligations. Bassist Lena Abé and drummer Dan Mullins joined as their replacements.
For Lies I Sire, Evinta, The Barghest O' Whitby (2009–2011)
Work on My Dying Bride’s tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire, began in November 2008 and saw its release on 23 March 2009. Keyboardist and violinist Sarah Stanton was temporarily replaced by Katie Stone during the recording due to Stanton’s pregnancy; Stone was soon succeeded by Shaun MacGowan.
On 26 October 2009, the band issued the EP/DVD Bring Me Victory, which included the title track and video, a doom metal rendition of Scarborough Fair, a cover of Swans’ "Failure", and a live performance of "Vast Choirs" from As the Flower Withers recorded at Graspop in 2008.
To celebrate their twentieth anniversary, My Dying Bride released Evinta on 30 May 2011, reinterpreting earlier songs into neo-classical and ambient arrangements. Later that year, on 7 November, they issued the EP The Barghest o' Whitby, featuring a singular track lasting twenty-seven minutes.
A Map of All Our Failures and The Manuscript (2012–2014)
The album A Map of All Our Failures was released on 15 October 2012.
On 13 May 2013, a four-track EP titled The Manuscript was released, containing three songs recorded during the sessions for A Map of All Our Failures. These tracks were later reissued along with The Barghest O' Whitby in the compilation The Vaulted Shadows, which came out on 26 May 2014.
Following their appearance at Maryland Deathfest in 2014, guitarist Hamish Glencross was dismissed and original guitarist Calvin Robertshaw returned to the lineup.
Feel the Misery and move to Nuclear Blast (2015–2019)
My Dying Bride released Feel the Misery, an eight-track album, on 18 September 2015. In March 2017, they signed with Nuclear Blast Records. That same year saw drummer Dan Mullins depart and be replaced by Shaun Steels, who had previously contributed as a session drummer on A Map of All Our Failures.
After canceling four festival shows in 2017, frontman Aaron Stainthorpe clarified that the band was still active and working on new material. The cancellations were later explained as related to his young daughter’s cancer diagnosis; she has since entered remission.
On 4 December 2018, Shaun Steels was replaced by Jeff Singer due to "unresolvable drumming issues," with Singer completing drum recordings for the forthcoming album.
On 24 May 2019, the band released A Harvest of Dread, a deluxe five-disc collection featuring rarities, demos, and live performances accompanied by a 92-page hardcover book. Later that year, Calvin Robertshaw departed once again and was succeeded by Neil Blanchett on guitar.
The Ghost of Orion (2020–2023)
My Dying Bride unveiled their 13th studio album, The Ghost of Orion, on 6 March 2020. This release marked the band’s longest interval between albums, coming five years after Feel the Misery. The initial single, "Your Broken Shore," was introduced on 20 January, followed by the release of "Tired of Tears" on 7 February. Later in the same year, they issued their seventh EP, titled Macabre Cabaret.
A Mortal Binding and Stainthorpe’s Departure (2024–present)
In February 2024, the band announced their 14th studio effort, A Mortal Binding, which was released on 19 April. Prior to the album launch, singles "Thornwyck Hymn" and "The 2nd of Three Bells" were made available.
Two weeks before the album’s release, all scheduled live performances were canceled due to internal disagreements. Vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe revealed that operating without an official manager contributed to creative tensions and stress within the group. This situation necessitated a pause to avoid a significant conflict, despite the inconvenient timing.
On 6 December 2024, it was confirmed that live shows would resume in 2025 with Mikko Kotamäki from Swallow the Sun stepping in as vocalist. Stainthorpe's departure was made official on 9 October 2025, marking his absence as permanent.
Current
- Andrew Craighan – lead guitar, bass
- Lena Abé – bass
- Shaun MacGowan – keyboards, violin
- Neil Blanchett – rhythm guitar
- Dan Mullins – drums
Live
- Mikko Kotamäki – vocals
Former
- Rick Miah – drums
- Martin Powell – keyboards, violin
- Bill Law – drums
- Yasmin Ahmed – keyboards
- Adrian Jackson – bass
- Sarah Stanton – keyboards
- Katie Stone – keyboards, violin
- Hamish Glencross – rhythm guitar
- Calvin Robertshaw – rhythm guitar
- Shaun Taylor-Steels – drums
- Jeff Singer – drums
- Aaron Stainthorpe – vocals
Former live
- John Bennett – drums
- David Gray – drums
- Robb Philpotts – rhythm guitar
Timeline
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bar Ahmed from :01 /01 /1998 till :01 /01 /2002 color :Keyboards bar Stanton from :01 /01 /2002 till :01 /01 /2008 color :Keyboards bar Stone from :01 /01 /2008 till :05 /01 /2009 color :(Keyboards & Violin) width:(11 &3) bar Macgowan from :05 /01 /2009 till:end color :(Keyboards & Violin) width:(11 &3)
bar:Miah from:start till:end-26y-6m-26d color=Drums width=11 bar Law from :01 /01 /1998 till :01 /01 /1999 color=Drums width=11 bar Steels from :01 /01 /1999 till :07 /01 /2017 color=Drums width=11 bar Mullins from :07 /01 /2017 till :12 /04 /2018 color=Drums width=11 bar Singer from :12 /04 /2018 till :04 /30 /2022 color=Drums width=11 bar Mullins from :04 /30 /2022 till:end color=Drums width=11 </timeline>
Discography
- As the Flower Withers (1992)
- Turn Loose the Swans (1993)
- The Angel and the Dark River (1995)
- Like Gods of the Sun (1996)
- 34.788%...Complete (1998)
- The Light at the End of the World (1999)
- The Dreadful Hours (2001)
- Songs of Darkness, Words of Light (2004)
- A Line of Deathless Kings (2006)
- For Lies I Sire (2009)
- Evinta (2011) – also recognized as a remix album
- A Map of All Our Failures (2012)
- Feel the Misery (2015)
- The Ghost of Orion (2020)
- A Mortal Binding (2024)