Few bands can lay claim to having released an unassailable genre classic, but My Dying Bride are unquestionably one of the few. Whilst the band’s output has remained remarkably consistent in terms of quality over the years, there are few listeners who fail to recognise the grim, gothic atmosphere of the still-stunning ‘turn loose the swans’. An album that truly announced MDB to the world (it followed ‘as the flower withers’, a raw, wounded record that only hinted at the heights the band would scale here), ‘turn loose the swans’ remains a deliciously dark masterpiece that proves highly evocative for both long-time fans of the band and newcomers alike. Already re-issued once, back in 2003, in re-mastered form and with three bonus tracks, this updated, twentieth anniversary edition, presents the album unadorned on the first disc, but throws in an entire second disc with a band commentary documenting the making of the record, a device Peaceville have used to great effect with Darkthrone’s recent spate of re-issues. For fans who have embraced the darkness for twenty years, it is a wonderful chance to get the inside story from vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe and guitarist Andrew Craighan, both of whom vividly go into the recording of an album that has resonated down the years.
Firstly a few words about the album and the package within which it is presented. This is not a full-blown review because, quite simply, enough ink has been spilled upon the majestic grandeur of MDB’s masterwork to fill several volumes; however there are a few pints that deserve to be mentioned in brief. Firstly, the packaging. The 2003 re-issue was wholly dissatisfying on this point, the album presented in a tri-fold digi-pack with minimal artwork (the now famous cover, the rear print and some murky band photos notwithstanding) and lyrics printed in Spartan style. It didn’t feel special, and whilst the album itself (bolstered with the aforementioned bonus tracks) remained a snapshot of perfection, its housing felt poor in comparison. Here, however, the band (who had an active part in the layout) and Peaceville have rectified previous errors, presenting the album in a handsome digi-book with much clearer cover art, additional photos, lyrics and liner notes. The discs are housed in clear, sleeve mounted casings front and back and the whole package feels sturdy and well thought out.
With regards to the music, the album, it appears, has not been re-mastered, but it’s safe to say that the album disc sounds pristine, the desolate wail of Aaron’s voice set against roaring, deathly guitars and a violin that evokes nothing so much as the isolated, wind-swept moors of the north with its haunting melodies. Lyrically, meanwhile, Aaron channels Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare, with a touch of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Victorian romanticism and Shelley’s aching, lovelorn lyricism for good measure. This is truly music to lose oneself to, and it’s best played when the listener is alone, with only a bottle of the darkest wine and a blazing fire for company, thus allowing the music to fully take hold of the imagination and to lift the listener into MDB’s unique, ebony-clad world.
The commentary disc is where long-term fans of the band will be heading first, for there is no doubt that they’ll be on familiar terms with the record, and it proves to be engaging listen. Aaron and Andrew prove to be marginally less willing hosts than the ebullient Fenriz, allowing more of the music to play unmolested than that heavy-metal motor-mouth, but their input provides a great deal of insight into the workings of a band who have unarguably carved out their own unique niche in metal. Aaron in particular speaks eloquently of the passion that sparks at the heart of MDB’s sound, and, as a long-time fan, it is a particular pleasure to hear more about the motivation behind his wonderfully literary lyrics. Meanwhile Andrew speaks knowledgably about not only the music, but even the technology utilised in its creation, providing plenty of back stories into writing process and even the eventual fate of various pieces of the band’s gear. It’s the sort of detail that might leave the uninitiated somewhat perplexed, but for the patient fan it’s a chance to hear a band who often remain in the shadows, giving comparatively few interviews and maintaining an air of mystery that is quite unusual in these unguarded and often gauche days of media intrusion. Certainly it is the perfect addition to an album that has gained such stature amongst the band’s dedicated fans.
Should you, then, buy this album? If you do not own a copy (and if you don’t then shame on you) then it is essential. This is a heavy metal masterpiece that draws from the doom metal might of Black Sabbath, the nihilistic rage of Godflesh and the avant-garde wonder of Swans and ties it all together with lyrics which are, even shorn of the music, to be considered works of art. If you do own the album (and this, I believe, is my fourth copy in one form or another) then, given the price, the packaging and the extremely interesting commentary disc, it is still highly recommended. For those who crave only the music, then this re-issue will not add anything to your store, but for those who crave a complete, definitive package that charts the artistic growth of one of the UK’s most important heavy metal bands, then this will prove a most worthy purchase and a perfect opportunity to succumb, once more, to the beautiful darkness.
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