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My Dying Bride > As the Flower Withers > Reviews
My Dying Bride - As the Flower Withers

Mysterious, mournful and moving. - 80%

Absinthe1979, February 8th, 2023
Written based on this version: 1992, CD, Peaceville Records

The mighty musical entity that is My Dying Bride had its beginnings in the esoteric and otherworldly, and it’s a beautiful thing to behold so many decades later. 'As the Flower Withers' is a slab of adventurous and dramatic metal born in an age of experimentation and growth, yet its foibles remain evident, however endearing they may be.

Created out of youthful enthusiasm and an irrepressible originality, the Bradford masters spewed out a mysterious demo as well as two subsequent EPs that introduced the band to the world. They are the veritable essence of underground atmosphere: obscure yet poetic lyrics, turgidly dirty riffs and that indefinable quality of darkness and decay that they would later polish into a more user-friendly gothic doom style.

Their debut album, ‘As the Flower Withers’ is quite a mystical sort of release. One of the undisputed leaders of early 90s death doom, there is a sonic quality to the album that is virtually impossible to replicate today, swathed as it is in mystery and an almost impenetrable blanket of moroseness. The first time I heard the album was as a teenager in the mid 90s, and even by that stage MDB had evolved their sound into something markedly different, so I remember it was a strange chew upon first bite, yet it was, and remains, utterly fascinating.

Featuring an almost warm yet isolating production courtesy of Peaceville owner Hammy at Academy Studios, the band provides an even split between slow-march twin-guitar doom and frenetic death-stampede metal, as if they wanted every possible element of the music they loved to be present. The drums are slightly muffled and muted, the guitars are upfront and already demonstrating that glorious penchant for melody, and soon-to-be-full-time member Martin Powell's keys and violin add a deep sadness to the whole. There's no polish to the sound here, but there is a sense of clarity, with all of the instruments working together effectively.

Opening track ‘Silent Dance’ immediately signals a uniqueness to the release, with its swell and sweep of strings and tense drama. No mere death metal album, this. What follows is a variegated journey through slow and emotive doom movements and high intensity energy that betrays the band’s early influences. The scope here is epic, yet it is also soil-drenched and decaying. There is little in the way of sheen or shine here.

Highlights are many. ‘Sear Me’ would kickstart what would become a trilogy of ‘Sear..’ tracks, and I would argue that all three are masterpieces. The twin guitars upon simple drum beat found here makes this track one for the ages, and the addition of the violin line is a masterstroke. Other tracks burn with energy, such as ‘Vast Choirs’ with its frenzied guitar solo (I can’t think of another instance where this occurs in their career…), and ‘The Forever People’, which has managed to survive as a live staple to this day. Even when My Dying Bride returned to a heavier sound post ’34.788%... Complete’ they would never really engage with this degree of death energy again.

‘The Return of the Beautiful’ is probably the highlight here, with a mournfully slow opening riff with Powell’s haunting violin piercing through the gloom before launching its near 13 minutes into more choppy waters. It’s an epic song, replete with five lyrical divides which help to develop the narrative in the structure of a conversation between too adversaries (I think...). It’s Aaron Stainthorpe at his most seriously and pretentiously poetic (which is saying something), with Latin phrases adding to the ancient grandeur. It's fantastic.

And as for shortcomings? For a debut album released in 1992 that basically forges, or at least helps to develop, a new style of metal, it would be churlish to be too picky about the overall sound, or the fact that despite the constant shifting of pace and style, it tends to feel a bit monotone at times. Aaron has yet to introduce his deep romantic croon to his vocal repertoire, and his gruff growls here serve the songs well but don't really do much for me personally. The fact is, as much as I genuinely enjoy the album, I don’t often pick it up off the shelves for a spin these days.

The curious album cover by Dave McKean shares DNA with Paradise Lost’s ‘Shades of God’, which was also released in 1992 and created by the artist. The four page fold-out inlay card contains lyrics on one side and McKean’s montage-style art and photography on the other. It’s a handsome package and as suitably obscure and quirky as the music it represents.

There is no question that this is a monumental album that still stands proud today, with its gloomy spirit and forlorn strings. The sense of romance and lost love would become more pronounced on subsequent releases, which I feel is a good thing, yet ‘As the Flower Withers’ stands tall as a somewhat obscure, yet utterly compelling doom-death monolith that belongs in every collection.

How to trap the whole death/doom aura in amber - 87%

Perkele, January 24th, 2023

To me, an effective album is a product in which songwriting, production, and lyrical themes all work in unison to convey a specific and intentional mood. I need to experience some level of "synesthetic" pleasure from it (I'm being pretentious now, yes).

On "As the Flower Withers", My Dying Bride manage to give me exactly that. A quick look at the cover art, and by the first eerie notes of “Silent Dance” I am already teleported to some pseudo De Sade novel in sonic form. I can vividly imagine a castle or mansion, where an 18th-century aristocrat is raving maniacally on eros and thanatos in front of a fireplace. I could also draw comparisons to the corrupted sophistication of Nicola Samorì's artworks or, for the gamers here, the atmosphere of titles such as Layers of Fear or Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

Now onto the practical aspects, let's mention the musicianship on display. For a band in its infancy, it is certainly very competent. The guitars do their job in providing a collection of memorable – though one could say canonical – riffs, not skimping on variations in dynamics and tempo. The keyboards are employed as little accents to provide extra ominosity to the more pivotal moments of the songs: the whirling section at the end of "The Forever People'' is a perfect example, such a nice detail! The violin is given a more prominent role, mostly on the slower episodes like "The Bitterness and the Bereavement", with more freedom overall to range over the doomy chords. In some way, it functions as a more organic, visceral lead guitar. We are not yet dealing with a violin feast such as the following three LPs – and especially "The Angel and the Dark River", to me their creative pinnacle – but it stands way in the foreground. Not yet a full member, Martin Powell was already key to My Dying Bride's sound and, from an artistic standpoint, I think they were never fully themselves again after his departure. It should not be understated how by 1992 there were few prior examples of integrating violin into extreme metal, if any at all: they were daring from the very start. Aaron's growls are technically rough but rich and expressive, they sound just right for the music. Unfortunately, I believe he was never able to reach this level again in his career, when it comes to harsh vocals. The catch is there is no trace of clean singing, thus it might appear a bit unidimensional to some folks. Rick Miah, the original drummer, deserves equal credit for his work, in a genre where drums are easily overlooked. He really enhances the cadenced parts as well as the more straight-forward death metal accelerations with some elaborate playing, and his contribution is highlighted by both songwriting and production.

Maybe paradoxically, the latter is both filthy and clear, with a beefy low end and gnarly treble, but enough room for each instrument to breathe. Compared to other death/doom classics from the same era, such as "Serenades" or "Transcendence into the Peripheral", the sound on this one has aged much more gracefully. Actually, I find it odd that producer Paul Halmshaw is the same as Anathema's debut, because to me he did a much better job here. However, we are still far from the flawless standards achieved by collaborating with Robert "Magz" Magoolagan on subsequent releases.

A feat of this record is how well it is paced. The band didn't always get this aspect right, with many of their later works often resulting bloated, or plagued by awkward tracklisting choices (yes "The Light at the End of the World", I am looking at you now). Here, every track flows beautifully into the next, and the record moves like a tight unit. Maybe I can complain about "Erotic Literature" (bonus on the CD release) left for last: it would have been a strong opener, showcasing the album's main qualities. It's also a shame not to climax with the epic "The Return of the Beautiful". On the other hand, this results in an almost perfect alternance between slow and fast tracks. You can tell the greatness of this record when that's the biggest issue I can think of. By the way, speaking of "The Return of the Beautiful", are there still people who deem early MDB as plain death metal? They have to listen to this one (again?). It is quintessential death/doom that the Englishmen themselves were hardly able to improve when they reworked it on "The Dreadful Hours".

As much as I like “As the Flowers Wither”, it is obvious to me in retrospect how this was only the beginning for My Dying Bride. They needed to move forward, gradually explore new directions, and in fact I'm happy they did. At the same time, this makes this album all the more important and unique in their discography, as it immortalizes a specific moment in time for them and for British metal scene as a whole.

Bask in my growing sorrow - 100%

Inhuman_Abomination, October 17th, 2020
Written based on this version: 1992, CD, Peaceville Records

My intro to My Dying Bride came in at Angel And The Dark River and Like Gods OF The Sun, with all the sombre tones and sickly morose violin. To me, My Dying Bride represented the perfect blend of heavy doom and gothic/romantic direness; without falling into cliché tropes. My version of Angel And The Dark River came with the bonus disc of Live At Dynamo ‘95, with two songs I hadn't heard before. There was one track that really stood out on that disc, and that was the 'The Forever People'. A song that I couldn’t find on any other releases, as extreme metal was a hard find in the mid-nineties. Being the young lad I was; I was seeking out everything that was heavy and harsh, or different in the metal realm. I would religiously search the music stores to find new albums to listen to, and low and behold I found this “import” CD. It cost an unholy amount of money, but it had that track on it, and I wanted it.

At first listen, I didn’t know what to think. I could tell that it was them, the riffs were undeniable, but there was something off... way off. It was gross, but I couldn’t stop listening to it. The intro, ‘Silent Dance’, was deceiving. It gave you the sense that this was going to be a sad affair. That should you choose to continue listening, the feeling will be that of a funeral or the loss of something dear to you; and the onset of ‘Sear Me’ backs up that sentiment. The song’s opening riffs are a dirgy lamentation, with melancholy violin and guitar harmonies. These sombre moments did nothing to dissuade you from your initial instincts. However, things turned violent quickly, as the song morphed into gross death metal. You are dragged from sadness to pure anger, followed by a bleak nothingness that accompanies you to the bottom. The dynamics of this song become a reoccurring theme throughout the album. The songs ‘The Bitterness And The Bereavement’, ‘Vast Choirs’ and ‘The Return Of The Beautiful’, together with ‘Sear Me’, make up the main body of the album. These songs are rife with filthy death metal, bleak doom passages, blasts when needed, and frantic leads to punctuate the intensity. ‘Vast Choirs’ stands out as the masterpiece of this album, and ‘The Return Of The Beautiful’ being the unofficial title track. ‘The Forever People’ and ‘Erotic Literature’ are the maverick tracks on the album. They are the shortest songs on the disc, well short for My Dying Bride, clocking in at just over 4 and 5 minutes respectively. These two songs are also the least schizophrenic, being almost straight up filthy death metal as the main focus, but no less stellar than the rest of the songs.

Having recently gone over the entire discography ever since the release of Ghost of Orion, I always come back to this release. For me, As The Flower Withers is the rawest and most violent version of My Dying Bride. The songs have that aura, that to me, the band name embodies, that aura being of grief, sorrow, anger, and bleakness. Coupled with the fact that the playing is loose enough to be raw and unhinged, but tight enough to not be an unlistenable mess. It always surprises me to see this album rated so low on the archives. Perhaps people are put off by the fact that Aaron doesn’t do any clean singing on it, or that Martin Powell was used as an enhancement, instead of a main attraction that he would be on later releases; but never the less, As The Flower Withers is perfect in my mind.

The bride sounds pissed off - 88%

colin040, May 12th, 2020

While My Dying Bride have never been my favorite band as far as early doom/death metal goes, As the Flower Withers remains one of those records that manages to capture a band’s essence oh so well; ambitious, yet imperfect its twisted effects might surprise those who are more familiar with the band’s gothic/doom efforts.

Indeed, the bride sounds at her most pissed off here and those who yearn for a more tender side of the band might not get a kick out of As the Flower Withers. Sure, even here My Dying Bride sounds strangely ‘gothic’ – but more in a suspenseful and eerie manner than anything else; bringing to mind vivid images of medieval plagues more so than romanticism and whatnot. Considering that the band was just starting out at the time, it’s no coincidence that they still had a clear interest in death metal at this point. Sometimes it emerging through a sudden explosion of dirge riffing; as presented in ‘Sear Me’, in which the guitar attack sounds unexpected, but never unwelcome. However, 'Vast Choirs' also goes straight for the kill, where the churning riffs bring to mind Morbid Angel’s riff sprawling madness around the four minute mark - whereas the foreboding mid-paced territories sound rather grim; partially due to the eerie violins. There's also the occasional prominent blastbeat that allows the faster tempos to sound far more intense and Aaron’s throaty, yet intimidating rasps shouldn’t be dismissed either; his presence allow songs sound emotionally draining in the best way possible.

As mentioned before, As the Flower Withers features a bizarre mix of gloom and death metal. ‘Sear Me’ promises a funereal crawl that’s introduced by a low-key drumbeat and a hypnotic guitar lead before the madness begins. Continued is the straight up death metal attack of ‘The Forever People’ – the fastest song on here, sounding somewhat out of place given its straightforward delivery. The more gradually tempo changes appear far more effectively on the remaining songs. Closing the album with ‘The Return of the Beautiful’ works perfectly fine in the context of As the Flower Withers; slowly unfolding itself like a hellish symphony, the song explores a variety of themes and sections without appearing to be incoherent throughout its duration.

Despite the arguable low point of ’The Forever People’, in which My Dying Bride sacrifice their suspenseful writing for a near-straightforward death metal track, As the Flower Withers is a superb example of an early doom/death metal record that has little in common with My Dying Bride's later outputs (only Turn loose the Swans and The Barghest o' Whitby share strong similarities from what I've heard). The band would never sound this pissed off again and I can't be the only one who prefers this era over their later works.

A step towards the right direction - 80%

AgeOfTheWiccans, April 1st, 2017
Written based on this version: 1992, CD, Peaceville Records

"As The Flower Withers" begins with an absolutely amazing intro called "Silent Dance". Nearly two minutes of atmospheric misery that shows very clearly the goal of the band: great doom is coming for you. It is a very dark and melancholic intro that introduces us to MDB. Even at the beginning of this record, the band is playing with slow tempos, wretched gloom and doom and with that, they surely got my attention.

The beginning of the first track, "Sear Me", is already very promising. Here we encounter the accented drumming, the well-crafted rhythm guitars and a very good work of lead. Here also we see MDB playing with a crucial instrument that will come back in their future releases: the violin. The violin is played by Martin Powell and it gives the extra dose of melancholy.

As for their style, we do know that they were playing in the field of death metal, but the gothic elements were nowhere to be found. "The Forever People" is a good example because of its fast tempo and the wicked growls, something which actually changes the mood a bit. It is a good song nonetheless, but it is clearly more of a death metal song than a doom song. The mixture of delicate and destructive moments are missing here, they are really just thrown out which tip the balance towards the death metal territory.

It is then the turn of ''The Bitterness And The Bereavement'', a song much more obscured, doom-oriented with a slow cadence. For ''Vast Choirs'', here the doom is almost gone and we hear the influences of Death and early Bathory. The song is a true splinter fired at unprecedented speed. Aaron's voice descends into deeper and cavernous growls and throughout the eight minutes of the song, there is not a moment of respite. The best song is ''The Return Of The Beautiful'' because it alternates with each different steps and unites with discomfort and devotion. Aaron Stainthorpe still growls here and there, but his sadistic laughter tops it up for me. Finally, ''Erotic Literature'' comes actually fairly anonymously.

As for this album, there are a few problems of production, it has its rough edges, but otherwise you can already see the potential of the band. For a first release and a genre that was developing at the time, ''As The Flower Withers" has its quirks especially on the structures on some of the songs. If you ask me, this is a little unfair to measure the first effort of MDB because they proved on their subsequent releases what they were capable of. In short, they missed the target by not much with this album, but the vocals are pure death metal. Aaron was a much younger man back in 1992 and he was not afraid to use his voice because Aaron's grunts are present on the six tracks. His voice is strong even on the long songs. If you leave the last lines of "The Return Of The Beautiful", his vocals resonate with brutal assault.

"As The Flower Withers" is not a bad release, it is just a step in their progression, but it is still below the high standards of this extraordinary band. The production could have been better, but overall MDB still deliver a fairly good album of death/doom. Aaron's performance is damn good, the lyrics are beyond doubt poetic and some great tunes like "Sear Me", "Bitterness And Mourning" and "The Return of The Beautiful" are also well composed. The next chapter proved to be a masterpiece....

The True, (Very) Ugly Birth of Death-Doom - 35%

Deathdoom1992, May 8th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2004, CD, Peaceville Records (Reissue, Remastered, Digipak)

Through my eyes, this record is very much overshadowed by its 90s successors, and a completely different sound for the band. Forget the awesomely creepy violins and funereal pace of Turn Loose the Swans, this opus focuses much more on intense death-doom, so much so that none of Aaron Stainthorpe's famed wail features on this record, instead the sole vocal style is a raw, guttural growl. It has an odd atmosphere as well, feeling lifeless and alien in concept and structure.

Notably, the album is very different from any of the band's later releases, save for a couple of EPs succeeding the release of this record, and rather than the beautifully eerie draw of later records, the main attraction to this one is it's raw, unadulterated sound. The sound is like a forced mixture of the band's early death metal and gothic, doomy stylings. The album also feels lacking in musical cohesion, the band sounding like individuals playing rather than one force.

So it is far from their strongest effort musically, and kind of an unsure version of Turn Loose the Swans, the riffs are top quality from Andrew Craighan and Calvin Robertshaw as always, the bass maybe a little quiet for my taste, but well-played all the same. Furthermore, although the drum sound is strange, Rick Miah turns in a mind-blowing performance, truly great stuff and one for all gothic metal drummers to study, balancing simple, atmospheric playing and heavy-hitting death metal playing. The vocals are pretty cool too, as Stainthorpe's raw vocals are terrifying but always understandable, even if his lyrics weren't always at this point in time. Martin Powell, for once, underwhelms here, adding nothing except for some orchestral flourishes on the opener. Lastly, the production is so odd and effectively useless, it does nothing to balance out any of the instruments, but simply allows them to float around, and adds to the archaic feel here.

My personal favourite songs are "Silent Dance", the ominous opener and "Sear Me", a perfect example of death-doom at its finest, elevated by Stainthorpe's and Rick Miah's stellar performances on vocals and drums respectively. "Silent Dance", however, is an orchestral intro which is a masterclass in building up mood and atmosphere, with its gradually swelling sound building an increasing sense of dread, until the opening swing of "Sear Me" kicks in a full two-and-a-quarter minutes after the album begins.

Other songs include fan favourite and live staple "The Forever People", similar to the earliest tracks recorded by the band, being 100% high-octane death metal, with once obvious flaw: My Dying Bride are crap as a pure death metal band, and "The Return of the Beautiful", a precursor to their later classics, but lacking in defined direction; the band could maybe have pulled the song off had they been more experienced songwriters, however it smacks of novices playing professionals, being long, rambling and with some really odd lyrics.

To conclude, not really essential to the casual MDB fan, only to the hardcore fans, completists (where I fall), and fans of death-doom, as I regard this record as the true, ugly birth of the genre. To analyse this record for what it is, however, would involve me deriding it as lacking in many areas and pitifully underdeveloped. To be frank, the only necessity here is "Silent Dance/Sear Me", and that's it. One last thing: what gives with the cover art guys?

Sorrowful hatred - 97%

Cause of Death, September 30th, 2015
Written based on this version: 2004, CD, Peaceville Records (Reissue, Remastered, Digipak)

When it comes to My Dying Bride, the band have obviously released a number of masterpieces over the years, so choosing one is quite difficult. However, as a death metal fan, I've always been particularly partial to the band's 1992 debut, "As the Flower Withers". While almost all My Dying Bride albums feature at least dashes of death metal, "As the Flower Withers" remains the band's only pure death metal album (or pure death-doom, if you prefer). However, many classic trademarks of the My Dying Bride sound are still apparent - a couple of the tracks use violins, and the lyrics have a certain dark, gothic, very "literary" quality that has long-since become one of the band's trademarks. I suppose, in a way, that this is what makes the album so special to me. It manages to perfectly capture the extremity and power that is synonymous with classic, old school death metal, but does so by utilizing its own methods and creating a unique, unsettling atmosphere that, while in keeping with the traditions of the genre, is wholly original and practically unique to this album.

Take, for example, the violins that set off "The Return of the Beautiful". Few bands in the death metal scene have made use of violins, fewer with success. But there is something haunting and utterly spine-chilling about the violin in this track, it sounds like an undead orchestra performing as you descend the black abyss to Hell. That, coupled with the powerful death-doom riffs that churn beneath it, and the cryptic (and sometimes quite disturbing) lyrics, sung in Aaron’s infamous rabid, flesh-starved death growl, puts together a piece of music that feels so complete and perfect. It’s not just this track, either…the violin in “The Bitterness and the Bereavement” is the stuff of nightmares. It’s sorrowful, yet hateful at the same time, and it’s worth applause that any band can capture both emotions simultaneously – mixing them together to create its own interpretation of the framework laid by the gods!

But it’s not just the violin, the more traditional death metal material is equally effective. Look no further than album closer “Erotic Literature”, which is loaded to the brim with relatively fast-paced, catchy riffs. It also features one of the strongest riffs on the entire album, an extremely catchy epic doom metal riff at 1:41. Or “Vast Choirs”, an 8-minute epic that begins with several fast-paced, thrashing death metal riffs (bordering on grindcore), before it slows down into an epic death-doom monolith. There is also the classic “The Forever People”, which features a quite strange (yet still effective) pinch harmonic-laden verse riff bookended by a more traditional death metal riff. The songwriting here as well, while it may seem a bit naïve to some listeners, always inspired me a great deal. The aforementioned “The Return of the Beautiful”, for example, takes a lot of twists and turns during its length, transitioning from brutal death-doom, to more melodic passages accompanied by violin, to a strange ambient passage, which then bursts into a fast-paced pure death metal bridge. There’s something about this song that feels like an experience, to me. It feels like a full palette of everything one could wish for in extreme death-doom, and aligned perfectly to create this majestic, masterpiece of a song. Other tracks, like the more laid-back “Sear Me”, are slower and focused more on melodic, quasi-gothic arrangements, with quite a bit less going on, but we see the band’s genius even here, just for the sheer emotion the band is able to put forth.

Vocally, this is one of Stainthorpe’s greatest moments…mostly because he growls the entire way through, without once stopping to sing or perform any other vocal style. Which, while I enjoy his later work as well, is quite refreshing considering how fucking monstrous and insane his growls sound. This is likely the most rabid and hateful his voice would ever sound, and its interesting to think that this is the same man who would go on to sing so tenderly in “Two Winters Only” just a few years later.

Overall, while the band would go on to create further masterpieces later on in their career, this album has remained among the band’s best albums to me, due to how original and unique it is. I’ve always hoped that the band would, one day, revisit this sound on a future album…though it will most likely never happen. We can look at this album, the two mini-LP’s that bookend it, and ”Turn Loose the Swans” as an example of pure genius at work, before the band began to utilize their genius for different means (but still undeniably great).

Medieval landmark in '90s metal - 83%

gasmask_colostomy, October 1st, 2014
Written based on this version: 2004, CD, Peaceville Records (Reissue, Remastered, Digipak)

This is a very difficult album to review in a balanced way. As the Flower Withers is undoubtedly an influential, atmospheric slab of unique death doom, yet it is also undoubtedly a dated, poorly recorded slab of haphazard death doom, wherein lies all its charms and repellants. As the first My Dying Bride album it clearly has a few songwriting wrinkles that are yet to be ironed out, but those idiosyncracies made the album a milestone in the early development of the genre. As such, it sometimes works very well and sometimes quite poorly, and has dated in a way not unlike doom death peers Anathema's Serenades album, also released in the early '90s. We thus end up with an album that sounds much older than its release date, which is only partly intentional.

The combination of instruments and the atmosphere that they generate make As the Flower Withers sound like a blast of foetid air from the Middle Ages. Vocals are always gruff, tortured, and ragged; however, this rarely renders them indecipherable, except when they are pronouncing Latin words (I am assuming a limited general knowledge of Latin), which is naturally an aging factor. The guitars are heavily distorted, very deep (MDB were one of the first bands to regularly tune down to C and below), and are usually utilized at minimum pace, which seems to exaggerate an everyday toil and struggle that wouldn't be out of place in your average labourer or (I'm going by the lyrics here) monk. The slow riffs are more emotionally than physically crushing, playing in a mournful, melodic style, usually with both guitars contributing layers of the riff.

There are some faster death metal sections on about half of the songs, which seem like an accurate depiction of the brutal sweep of a bloodthirsty crusade: the guitars are a little crusty here and tend not to riff technically, focusing more on pure speed and nastiness. There are blastbeats during these sections, but the drums do not dominate like in most extreme metal. In fact, they do not penetrate to the fore at all on this album, which is something of a blessing in disguise, since they can sound plodding and would spoil the contemplative melancholy of the lead instruments. Bass is surprisingly thick and meaty and just about stops the recording sounding too bare and weightless, though the basslines themselves are often difficult to pick out.

What really set this album album apart - and continues to do so - is the violin. Remember that this was released back in 1992, when there wasn't even a gothic bandwagon to jump on. The violin isn't merely for show either. It creeps and aches and wails in a way that even Gregor Mackintosh of Paradise Lost could never manage (and I consider him the most talented and original guitarist of all the original death doom bands), adding a layer of menace and emotion that means the album remains more than an exercise in style and possesses its own medieval character. The violin doesn't dominate, but it crops up on the majority of the songs here, particularly those which sound like MDB's later output. The constant threat of this unknown element gives the album an unpredictability, meaning that it stays exciting even at a slow pace.

The level of invention on As the Flower Withers extends beyond the addition of violin and is its strongest point. 'Sear Me' and 'The Return of the Beautiful' are both doom epics that contain huge riffs, a distinct atmosphere, and enough progressive touches (sorry, no choruses) to ensure the listener remains unsettled until the end. 'The Forever People' is the only track that could be classed as death metal and, since the style of death that MDB play was never revolutionary, is the least interesting thing here. 'Vast Choirs' is also more death metal in style, but throws in enough changes in pace and mood to elevate the average musicianship.The hypnotic, monkish chants over the fast riffs are a touch of genius and there is a frenetic, thrash-like solo too.

The main problems with the album are its dated feel (you can argue for atmosphere all you like, but the recording quality is poor) and the slightly haphazard construction of the songs. MDB songs have always been progressive and structurally asymmetrical, but this trait is most pronounced in their early material and (especially if your mood does not match that of the album) it could make the songs seem directionless. This is mostly down to personal taste, but more adventurous doom fans will be enraptured.

Influential for sure, but not their strongest - 70%

chaos_aquarium, July 24th, 2009

A band’s debut album is always an interesting one. In some cases it exemplifies a band at their creative peak, while in others it shows a band still struggling to find their own identity. In the case of My Dying Bride with their influential debut, “As the Flower Withers” the former option best describes it their premiere effort.

First and foremost, at the time this was pretty revolutionary stuff. Mixing death metal, doom metal and doing it in a way that came off as dark and sad, was quite unheard of at the time. For the most part, the band succeeds, with this being their heaviest full length to date.

Aarons beautiful clean vocals were inexistent at this point in their career, with death growls being his style of choice. His gutturals are raspy and very raw, and add a very distinctive style to the band. The riffs are all heavy as hell and exemplify the brutal nature of both doom and death styles perfectly. Something that may come to a big surprise to fans of their newer material would be the amount of blasting found on the album, and it is in that where the only problem with this album lays, its struggle with identity.

“As the Flower Withers” shows a band unsure of where they were headed in their career. Some songs such as “The Forever People” and “Vast Choirs” are straight up death metal. These few tracks are not terrible, but the aggressive and fast paced nature of them seems fairly out of place on an album from a band that are known for making beautiful, down tempo epics.

Other songs like the opener “Silent Dance” and the classic tracks “Sear Me” and “The Return of the Beautiful” are beautiful pieces of death/doom that lay the groundwork for their oncoming opus “Turn Loose the Swans”, but they do seem as if they are missing something. Without Aaron’s clean vocals to contrast his rather raw harshes, there is something about these songs that feel unfinished and as if they are not playing these songs to their full gloomy potential.

All in all though, “As the Flower Withers” serves as a very competent debut that laid the groundwork for many future classics such as “Turn Loose the Swans” and “The Dreadful Hours”. Although it may not be anywhere near as strong those albums, it still serves as essential listening for any fan of My Dying Bride or doom metal curious of their roots.

Now you hear it, now you don’t - 68%

differer, May 26th, 2009

Listening to a classic album is always hard. This is often because you “know” the music is great before having heard a single note, which makes it very hard to form an unbiased opinion of your own. Less frequently do you bump into an album like ‘As the Flower Withers’ – everyone is fully aware of its historical significance, but the actual musical quality has remained a subject of some debate to this day.

There were no clear predecessors to the sound My Dying Bride reached on their debut. Or, rather, did not reach: what was to later become their trademark is remarkably seldom heard here. Instead of being the ultimate definition of melodic death/doom, the music here seems much like a death metal band wanting to try something different – and not entirely succeeding. There is the special case of the main theme of ‘Sear Me’, where the future appears like a dreamy premonition, but this is an exception. The fact that the band were still in the midst of finding their style is crystal clear – the parts that most resemble what was to follow are easily the least interesting ones on the album. Take ‘The Return of the Beautiful’ as an example; the effort is there, but the song is hopelessly numbing with its simple chord-based riffs repeated endlessly. The famous violin is an obvious plus, but ultimately can’t do much on its own.

What is by far more interesting (and all too often overlooked) is My Dying Bride’s take on straight-up death metal. Listen to ‘The Forever People’ or ‘Erotic Literature’ and tell me this is not one of the most original DM acts of the early nineties. I know that’s saying a lot, but there you go – the fast-ish riffage bordering on technical doesn’t sound much like anything else made at the time or later. And this appears on ALL the tracks (save for the intro, of course), creating the kind of musical variety without which this release would be close to having no value at all. Even if this is not where the album’s significance stems from, it is not only the most interesting but also the most important part of the music, in my honest opinion.

Given the band’s status today, it is easy to forget that on ‘As the Flower Withers’ they were youngsters just starting a career. It shows, in ways that (depending on your attitude) you will either accept or hate. Not love, in any case. The only band members performing their part even adequately are Aaron – whose growls are a major high point of the album – and violinist Martin, whose work brings undeniable uniqueness to the overall atmosphere. As much as I am a fanboy, it must be said that the guitarists can just barely play what they intend to, and the drummer, while having a rather exceptional style, could not hold a steady tempo if his life depended on it. Beginning musicians’ common flaws, these – a little irritating, certainly, but to my ears forgivable. The songwriting leaves much to be desired as well, in particular the way how the two different styles are mixed is patchy, to say the least. The tracks seem to have been put together more or less at random, with little or no concern over the big picture. Actually, even MDB’s more recent material suffers from this. If you ever happen to think one (any) of their songs is logical in its musical development, I suggest you learn to play it, if at all possible – you will soon notice that ‘logical’ most definitely isn’t the correct word. Still, it can always be thought of as originality rather than lack of talent, and on this album their early stage as an outfit offers an acceptable excuse.

The production is something I wouldn’t bash much, even if it’s not exactly up-to-par with modern standards. The music can be heard (with a little effort, at times), and as far as I’m concerned, that’s good enough. Low-budget as the mix may be, it actually fits the music quite well and plays a part in creating an overall mood for the album. I have a funny feeling that having “better” production would not make this any better in general, and might even take something essential away from the effect the music has.

Now, I initially caught up on ‘As the Flower Withers’ relatively early on and have since grown to appreciate (almost) everything the band has ever put out. Their debut was a remarkable release for its time – in retrospect, anyway. It might not be as remarkable anymore, but if you ask me, it is compulsory listening to anyone who’s even slightly interested in My Dying Bride. Chances are you will learn something.

Not aging well - 53%

Noktorn, February 17th, 2008

While numerous people own 'As The Flower Withers', I haven't heard of more than a handful who actually like to listen to it regularly. Or listen to it at all, for that matter. Before My Dying Bride became an overwrought gothic metal band (admittedly one that's occasionally very good, though they have enormous difficulty stretching those very good moments into actual songs) they were a rather clumsy and droning variety of doom/death metal which hasn't quite been replicated anywhere else. Then again, there's a reason WHY it hasn't been replicated: it's very awkward, strangely atmosphered, and lacking accessibility or memorability in just about every way. I can't deny that this is an album of immense historical and musical importance, but I can see little reason to listen to it when there are numerous other doom/death albums that are far superior. I guess that a variant of that point might be salient, though: there aren't really any other doom/death albums that sound like this in particular, so if you have a peculiar desire for something so plodding and dismal, this is really your only bet.

There's an orchestral intro (of course), and then 'Sear Me' enters, marking the best and most important part of the album. The reason that it takes both those titles is the same: this track sounds the most like what My Dying Bride would later become, and in actuality, the main verses are probably some of the best material that My Dying Bride ever turned out. The distinctive melodic riffing, the gently subtle violin, the unique drumming, and Stainthorpe's growls (they were the best they ever were on this song; it's all downhill from here) mesh flawlessly to create something verging on the sublime. In fact, 'Sear Me' is also notable for having dismal midpaced sections which are, if not especially interesting, listenable enough to not impact the song negatively, allowing it to rest at its comfortable level of greatness throughout its nine minute duration. Then the rest of the album just sort of stumbles/falls and I stop paying attention.

While I realize that the conventions of doom/death metal were in no way set in stone around 1992, I still find this to be a very clumsy album. This is not a synthesis of doom and death metal into a single entity as much as it is an abrupt collision of the two genres into each other. Reasonable given the time, yeah, but expecting to get punched in the face doesn't make that punch any more satisfying or acceptable than had the punch been a delightful surprise. 'Sear Me' is easily the most well-crafted and, for lack of a better word, logical song on the album. The rest is a fumbling combination of midpaced death/doom sections, weirdly distant and plodding moments infused with awkwardly employed violin, and fastish death metal which sounds kind of like... I don't know what. Some Bolt Thrower, maybe? Whatever, either way, nothing quite sounds like this album.

'As The Flower Withers' does have a good deal of atmosphere. The closest replication of it, and even it is a rough one, is the sort of thing that Xasthur does; that dismal, desolate feeling of emptiness that's specifically designed to be more void than substance. It's more active music, and so the atmosphere is more active, I suppose; there's a modicum of aggression and bitterness at points which distinguishes it somewhat, though nothing like what you would hear from Winter or similar artists. The main issue that really hurts this album is just how jumbled it is. There's riff after riff that really goes nowhere of significance, with some agonizingly long stretches of repetition of the simplest ideas drawing a great deal of attention to the fact that, quite honestly, the band didn't really know what they were doing or how to go about it. That's a fair thing when you're blazing a new trail, but it's nothing that I can really celebrate. Additionally, the old Xasthur issue comes back again: while there's a great deal of atmosphere, it's not an interesting atmosphere that particularly demands to be explored.

I think the production actually hurts this album quite a bit. 'The Return Of The Beautiful' was re-recorded for 'The Dreadful Hours', where it has a more powerful, clearer production, which makes the track much more engaging, if still not very exciting. The production on 'As The Flower Withers' is low-level studio, with a strained, cheap-sounding guitar tone, plastic drums, and vocals which are just sort of slapped over the top of the instruments. Everything feels very messy, and it seems like the band falters during the faster, more demanding portions, where it feels like the instrumental chops of those involved just aren't that good. These qualities give the whole album a dull, listless feel, which is atmospheric, but also isn't very interesting. Too much of this album feels arbitrary; a lot of the riffs just feel like random collections of notes, and the vocal patterns seem improvised on the spot with no connection to the music as a whole. It just feels like work to listen to.

I file 'As The Flower Withers' as another one of those albums that I appreciate but don't really like. It's an album designed for a very specific niche of metalheads who would like this sort of thing that I don't happen to be part of. It is very important, and I do recommend that everyone give it at least a couple listens, but it's not something that I find particularly entertaining in any way. I generally just listen to 'Sear Me' and put something else on, as I imagine that many others do as well.

Joyriding just isn't in their vocabulary - 87%

Gutterscream, January 19th, 2006
Written based on this version: 1992, CD, Peaceville Records

“…adorn magnificent costume for I come to judge the world…”

And the air freshened, not with the proven aural aroma of bearish, deep groove death/doom, but with something that would become its wide-eyed sibling, a child that would take the role of a pupil crying the provision ‘the student shall surpass the master’. The master in this case is the death/doom bands, good or bad, already treading ground, setting standards, planting roots, sowing oats. And the student? As the Flower Withers.

Just as Aristotle arguably improved upon the teachings of Plato, My Dying Bride unrolls the not-so-dusty scrolls penned by Paradise Lost, Bolt Thrower, Amorphis, and even Goatlord, and illustrates them with hues the death/doom genres dreamed of in hushed celestial nightmares. With Symphonaires…, sleeping eyes fluttered, flinching with every inharmonious, sour string note remorselessly laid to the title track that would still be mere ornamentation of a bad sleep. But there it was dangled in front of us in almost tangible glory, and with that realization came the knowledge and hope that it wasn’t over, that something more revolutionary was right around the corner, and that the hibernating beast would awaken with more than just hunger on its mind. Of course, the beast is what it is – a death and doom hybrid not at all panther-like in its foundation, but this smarter creature, this heir to the sound, will eventually wake up and its narrow eyes will gleam with vengeful melancholy.

It would not be an immediate interruption of slumber, however.

Of the seven songs, four travel beyond the seven minute mark with one finding the outskirts of twelve, and in that perpetual time Aaron will bellow from the pit of his stomach with lyrics awash in acidic prose. Peculiar timing and rhythmic shifts bear the fruit of signatures most uncommon as death and doom styles battle for dominance at the borders. “Silent Dance” is a noteworthy false start, an orchestral anomaly that’s an allusion to what had been heard fleetingly on last year’s ep and acts only as an intro in the thought of, but not like Frost’s “Innocence and Wrath”. Stalking into existence is the drear of “Sear Me”, a Latin-tongued half-caste gushing with a great sweeping doom rhythm that even in its mirthless tread manages to instill an odd, hopeful reverie onto the listener. Rays of light keyboard backdrops this joylessness for another streaming spasm of atmosphere. The comparably short “The Forever People” is more a cannonball of death aggression, straight and deadly with frenetic force somewhat like finale “Erotic Literature” that also engages a tragic interlude sneakily backlit by keys. “Vast Choirs” possesses some of the slowest drones as well as some of quickest charges on the disc.

“…I can see from your smile you’re not here for the sunset…”

Finally gonging the baptism of violin are “The Bitterness and the Bereavement” and “The Return of the Beautiful”, two colossi amongst songs that in their altogether twenty-minute length define despondency, lyrics or no: a frustration of poverty, a solidarity of anguish and life, the companionless (“…away bastard dogs, down from your throne, a dagger glints in my hand, you’ll perish alone…”), the sixth hour of wandering lost through a dank lightless cave…emotional and physical relevance is infinite here, which is probably why it works as well as it does. Of course, some will find these tedious regardless of the atmospheric vestige, the soundtrack to a train ride to Snoresville, but who wants to please everyone?

Solos are short-lived and offered in passing (usually in the faster parts), seemingly happy to let the countless quasi-main riffs to tow the line, which isn’t bad because most of them are quite commendable, but if they’re not that hot they’re usually diverted promptly.

While this isn’t wholly entrenched in multi-instrument atmosphere, it isn’t a dainty toe in the water either, and compared to previous efforts As the Flower Withers is a bold, leering assurance to what boiled in the minds behind My Dying Bride. As a student the band was still learning, swooping in like an owl that’s homed in on its prey…or is that a swan?

Somewhat stupid, self-aggrandizing fun fact 98I&^: For about seven or eight months in '92 I actually trained as a pro wrestler at Iron Mike Sharp's School of Professional Wrestling in Brick, NJ. When I knew it wasn't the full-time career for me, I set out to have one semi-pro match before I quit. Lord Bane, my barbarian-type character, lumbered to the ring to "Sear Me" starting at the 0:27 mark. More than one person asked me who the band was.

“…marvel at the hanging gardens…”

Let the bride die... please let her die... - 88%

Funeral_Shadow, February 28th, 2005

I don't listen to this album a lot and it isn't because the CD sucks or the band is terrible. It's not everyday that I listen to such bands like My Dying Bride because listening to this kind of music will (and I mean WILL) get you depressed... real fast. In My Dying Bride's case, this is a good thing.

Most doom metal is very epic, but when you talk about doom/death, many people might beg to differ and slab on the "gothic" or "dark" metal label. This album though is different... unlike Katatonia and other top contenders in the doom/death genre, this album is epic... every song has a deep vibe and "takes you places" let's just say. It doesn't take you to paradise or Shangri-la, but when you hear this album (especially the second track Sear Me,) you feel like you're standing out in the middle of a desolate, abandoned park in the rain as leaves fall towards you from the dying trees.

The opening riff on that song sets the tone of the album and immediately sets the mood of all the music on this "wretched" album. Everything on this album is slooow, yet has a very crunchy production to it. The guitar/bass sounds have a very disharmonic sound to the overdrive, the drumming is raw and the vocals further demonstrate the iniquity behind this album. From hearing the vocalist, you can feel that most of these songs of despair aren't just gimmick like most bands try (with their over-hyped evilness and/or sadness,) it all feels and seem real, which makes the music even more credible.

As I said before, most of the songs on this album are super slow (hence the long times for most of the tracks) but there are moments in some songs where it goes to a death metal onslaught attack. "Sear Me" has this mini break in the middle, and somehow My Dying Bride made this transition quite enjoyable; it's not like some groups which try doing this and sounds awful. Still, the fast break establishes that sorrowful sound behind the music so it doesn't ruin the mood. A song like "The Forever People" is another track which is quite speedy (and is the shortest track with lyrics) but it maintains that "My Dying Bride" quality and sounds very blasphemous. Most of the other tracks are very much the same but distinctive; they all don't sound the same.

The sole purpose of any doom metal album I believe is to set that specific depressive mood to you, the listener, when you're playing their music. This CD really accomplishes what it is meant to do, and that's to create a unique, atmospheric mood of despair and doom. At the same time, it's quite a listening experience and just doesn't serve as a means for someone to go and kill them self. This kind of music really brings me to tears... it really does. For any fan of doom metal and/or death metal, this underrated classic is highly recommended and for anyone who doesn't know much about the doom/death genre, this is a great masterpiece to start with. Just be warned this isn't a CD you could listen to everyday so yeah. Anathema, Katatonia, Paradise Lost and many others may have had their glorious doom/death days, but My Dying Bride will remain one of the inevitable champions of the doom/death genre that really hits you like a crestfallen bulldozer. This indeed is a classic... a lost classic.

Now if you'll excuse me, because of this music, I'm going to hang myself to death from my room doorknob with a grey sock... don't ask.

Ear Candy: Sear Me, The Forever People... mostly all of the tracks.

Dawn of a new Era - 85%

Azrael, September 20th, 2003

How could nobody review this album!? It is such a special album that it has to be reviewed.
Altough not my favourite Bride album (I'm still deliberating between "Turn Loose the Swans" and "The Angel and the Dark River) it still carries those unique moments that are memorable.
The first and obvious thing is that this is the rawest Bride album, which may not suit everyone's taste. For me it's just fine. Apart from that, this kind of production which makes this album great. But maybe it's just me.
The album kicks off with Silent Dance, nice synth effects but for me it's just a filler. But it is a nice prelude to their legendary Sear Me. Damn i love this song! it's one of the highlights of the album. The drum intro it's just Exquisite and it builds to the melancholy riffing. The music then changes into this Death/Doom metal style but still retaining that bitter sweet sadness.
Aaron's echoing growls are amazing and his knowledge in Latin is really evident in the lyrics.

The Forever People is my least favourite in this album. Too bad because it's popular amongst their fans. It's a bit repetitive for my taste and altough the vocal arrangements are the same as the rest of the album, i don't like them that much, they seem emotionless. But maybe it's me :P

Now this is Fuckin Doom! The Bitterness and the Bereavement is a materpiece! The Violin is now introduced in the album through this song, and such sadness! It has to break you down through the first listen. The guitar work is cool especially when it changes in the "Blessed in the womb..." part. But then it descends to that memorable riff that left me humming for weeks

After the sample Vast Choirs starts off in a really Melodic Death style before it descend to our usual dose of Bride. Btw Aaron's sinister laugh is wort an ear! :] Seriously, this is a stoner, especially when Aaron sings. The most memorable part (at least for myself) is that part before "Poena damni", it's just so fuckin cool that it has your head bangin in no time. Overall it's a very versatile song.

This is my favourite Bride song of all time.The Return of the Beautiful is an epic song of life. It's a cycle which every being has to go through, from birth to death. It's about self conflict, paradox, lust and the return to the beautiful which is earth itself. The amount of riffs is uncountable and the atmopshere which we are put in is unique. It all builds up in a rather bleak and gloomy manner and then it explodes into the Battle part. Very Impressive. Then it just flows to a sudden end. Aaron's vocals are impressively sad and emotional. I don't have anymore to say exept that the lyrics are written in a way that it should effect everyone in a different way. My Fave Bride moment.

The album closes with Erotic Literature, not bad, but after Return I don't know what could be better! It features some cool drumming/guitar combination and some nice moments, especially after the "I cannot die" part. Again, it's a versatile song but it doesn't quite fit the ending of such an incredible album.
I would have preferred that Return would have ended this album.

One of the best debut albums, highly versatile in taste and music. It was their first opus and the start of a highly succesful carrer, thus epitomizing the genre of Doom metal.