Band:	My Dying Bride
Album:	Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium
Style:	Death doom metal
Release date:	March 12, 1991
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium
02. God Is Alone
03. De Sade Soliloquy

Having already released a demo, "Towards The Sinister" (1990), that was only a glimpse of what would follow, My Dying Bride, with their "God Is Alone" 7'' caught the attention of a rising force at the moment, Peaceville Records, and signed a contract with them, unleashing to the world their first official release under the veil of a label, "Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium" (1991).

This EP is deeply influencial for the whole doom/death metal scene and no-one can deny it since there's enough proof in it that can make all the disbelievers run in terror. It's only 1991 and My Dying Bride manage to compose from this early state one of their most renowned compositions, "Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium", a song that is deeply representative of the band's sound in the near future, but also representative of the sound that a big part of the still-in-birth doom/death metal scene would follow. In 11+ minutes My Dying Bride manage to compose an ultimate doom/death metal hymn, flowing slowly, but also having its more upbeat moments escalating the intensity of the song, with the riffing being either slow and doomy or more death metal oriented and fast in outburst passages. What is really remarkable is the use of the violin that makes the overall aesthetic of the song more fragile and dark, adorning the sound of the band in a unique way, and we shouldn't forget the slight use of keyboards that make the overall suffocating powerful atmosphere more affected. Aaron Stainthorpe, interpreter and lyricist of the band from their very beginning, shows clearly his poetic intentions, being not afraid to spit curses here and there through his vivid interpretation with his grunting vocals that seem, at times, to have a more howling approach.

"God Is Alone" is a pure death metal composition (don't forget that it is only 1991 and during that period death metal was unleashing its greatness to the world), brutal, groovy and bombastic, one of the most violent compositions ever composed by My Dying Bride (along with "The Forever People" etc) and "De Sade Soliloquy" is a lurking in the dark doom/death metal piece, filled with outbursts here and there, having an intense groove as it flows and being a powerful song, with everyone in the band showing his grandeur.

"Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium" is a remarkable release, atmospheric and powerful in its very own way, by one of the most important and deeply influencial acts of the doom/death metal scene in the way it developed, just don't miss it.

"Make yourself all honey and the flies will devour you?"