SYMPHONAIRE INFERNUS ET SPERA EMPYRIUM

"Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium" is an EP release by UK death/doom metal act My Dying Bride. The EP was released in March 1992 and it was the band´s first release on the Peaceville Records label. My Dying Bride were signed to the label on the grounds of the "God is Alone (1991)" EP/single. The 11:38 minutes long title track was made into a video (in an edited version). It had some showings on the MTV Headbanger´s Ball show, which was the most important heavy metal video media in those days, if you wanted your music to reach a bigger audience. There´s been one lineup change since "God is Alone (1991)" as Adrian "Ade" Jackson was added to the ranks as the band´s permanent bassist, making My Dying Bride a five-piece for the recording of "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium".

"Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium" features three tracks and a full playing time of 20:12 minutes. The 11:39 minutes long title track fills up the whole of the A-side and the two shorter tracks "God is Alone" and "De Sade Soliloquay" fill up the B-side (on the original vinyl version of the release). All three tracks had seen a release in other versions before being released on "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium". The title track was released in a shorter and not as developed version on the "Towards the Sinister (1990)" demo tape while the other two tracks are available on the "God is Alone (1991)" EP/single. They appear here in re-recorded versions.

Stylistically the two shorter tracks are fairly standard and predominantly mid-paced old school death metal. They really aren´t anything out of the ordinary, but it´s with the title track that My Dying Bride made their mark on the early death/doom metal scene. We´re invited into the doomy and melancholic world of My Dying Bride complete with extremely heavy distorted guitar riffs, growling vocals, and melancholic violin playing. The song structure is quite interesting too as the song shifts style a couple of times throughout the playing time from gloomy doom to mid-paced death metal brutality.

The sound production is decent, but not really great sounding, and it´s also audible the band either didn´t have much time to record in the studio or didn´t quite have the necessary playing skills yet, because it´s all slightly untight. So while "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium" definitely should be counted among the seminal death/doom metal releases from the early 90s, it´s not a perfect release by any means, but it is an interesting glimpse into what My Dying Bride would become on their debut album. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.