Main Questionnaire:

You have started back in 1991 with the French company Listenable Records, but after God Is Alone EP you changed the label. And since then you are under Peaceville banner. After almost fifteen years in the business how do you feel?
Actually, we did start in 1990 with a demo, then the 7” single with Listenable Records a year later. Those two releases attracted the attention of Peaceville Records, who promptly signed us up. The last 15 years have certainly been interesting.

Can you speak a little bit more about the early days when you gathered for the first time in Yorkshire? How was for a young musician to get involved into the music industry at that time?
It was very easy to form a band back then because the Metal scene here in the UK was huge and everyone wanted to start a band. I couldn’t play any musical instruments so I was obviously going to be the vocalist, and it really didn’t matter how good or bad you sang because Death Metal vocals are very harsh anyway. There were dozens of local bands at that time and a few good venues too, so we did quite a few really good gigs with a lot of good friends.

Since the beginning, MY DYING BRIDE was an unconventional combo. Why did you choose such a name for a band that sound so hopeless and tragic?
I was always fascinated with the tragedy of lost romance and broken hearts and I knew that I wanted to compose seriously melancholic music, so I needed a name that would fit these criteria. I thought “My Dying Bride” was painfully sad (“My Dying Child” was not ‘romantic’ enough) and so the band was formed.

As a Doom/Death Metal band you managed to create a real cult in the Underground in the early ‘90s. Knowing that your music is not one for the masses, what is that that makes you sing only about the sad and dark side in life?
I simply find this side of life more interesting than the lighter side, and every single pop band is singing about happy things, so I was going to do things differently. The emotions and passions that grief and desire generate are very powerful and often destructive and I think these things are worth studying at close hand. It actually makes me feel happy when I write sad songs.

Managing yourself all the time was a good path to follow or do you think now that maybe it would have been better if you’d have a real manager to do the “dirty” work for you?
That’s something that I have thought about many many times. It has been enlightening being in complete control of every move we make from photo-shoots to videos, to LP covers and merchandise. No one tells MY DYING BRIDE what to do. But then again, I can’t help wondering where we could be in this business if we had handed over control to someone with music industry skills and a stronger passion for success, not that we are short of passion for success but it’s certainly not priority. I guess we’ll never know.

What is your determination to continue creating this kind of perdition songs?
We like doing this and so don’t feel the need to stop just yet. We don’t care about record sales or trying to please as many people as possible because that’s not why we formed the band. Success & money are great, of course, but that’s not what fires the engines of this ship. Our creativity will always come first so if at some point in the future, our label decide to drop us, we’ll still write and simply self-release via the internet.

To express yourself through the meanings and languages of art (be it music or photography) is something like making peace with your own fears and feelings? A therapeutically exorcise of what is depressing and low mood in this miserable life?
Cathartic is the word. Creating all this misery around me, all this bleak hopelessness, leaves me feeling alive and fulfilled, which may sound a little odd but that’s the way it is. Keeping negative thoughts locked up inside your head will surely send you to an early grave.

If you’ll find the woman of your life that will make you the happiest man alive, then do you still think that MY DYING BRIDE will continue to keep this particular sound of desperation?
Yes, it will because I can keep my ‘real’ life separate from ‘the singer of MY DYING BRIDE’. My life is good, positive and happy, his is dire, black and utterly haunting. I could not possibly live that way.

Now, a pretty silly question maybe, you’ll judge. I don’t know if somebody already told you, but are you aware that your appearance is somehow similar to the look of Jesus Christ? And not just because of the video for The Cry Of Mankind composition, but due to your image expression!
Yes, I get this quite a lot. When we toured the USA, so many people came up to me after the show to express just how much like Christ I am. It’s fun really just so long as no-one gets too serious and tries to crucify me.

Ha ha, you’re quite something, really! Now, religious beliefs… I know very well that you are not a religious person, on a contrary. But why do you find the Bible stories so fascinating to use their symbols into the lyrics? Why do they inspire you?
Because they are so strong that they can change people’s lives, and not many stories have that kind of power. The Bible is universal (kind of) and so references from it can be appreciated by many more people. There are some good, strong characters in the book and so it’s rich pickings for any story teller, whether you believe in it or not.

I remember that Live At The Dynamo EP was released against your wishes. What happened then and why were you not positive with its publication?
It was released while we were on tour with IRON MAIDEN and so we didn’t get the chance to check the sound quality and packaging ourselves, which we normally ALWAYS do. We lost control for a very brief moment and the label was made aware of our dissatisfaction. It’s not actually a bad record.

The last album was called Song Of Darkness, Words Of Light… Can you describe this opus through its symbols, musically and lyrically?
I could but then it would ruin it for everyone else. And it would take me a week to write. Plus, it’s much better for people to make up their own minds about each record rather than have the artist tell them what it’s all about. It’s MY DYING BRIDE. It’s quite dark.

There is a paradox here, the one of “light” presence in the title, but the complete absence during the album in fact. Philosophically speaking, can we take an explanation for this? Is maybe a dreaming for the “light” hope inside the title, something for whisper to taste its spirit?
It’s a lure. Like Sirens of the sea promising eternal love to passing sailors. We lure them in and we dash their spirit with an unending tidal wave of misery and anger, laced with dark beauty and a terrifying romance.

It was supposed that the cover artwork should be created by you, but you admitted during an interview that what you’ve done was too surrealistic for your band mates. Can you describe the concept of that cover to make us a view about it?
Actually, have a look at www.azzron.com because that’s where my artwork is kept. I have not stated which image I wanted to use for Songs Of Darkness…. Because it may cause a great deal of unnecessary debate amongst our more devoted fans, and we wouldn’t want that would we?

Catherine Blake… why this name and what represents? Is there a story behind it?
She is just a very small part of a very big story and I thought it is intriguing to use such a character as the headline rather than the usual epic sounding title. I Also wanted a name that sounded quite classical and Catherine Blake does that. She is not based on any real person. The full story is in the booklet with our Sinamorata DVD.

For The Prize Of Beauty a video was shot. It is said to make some controversy, is it true? Why?
I have no idea why. I have not heard this before. We were a little disappointed in the finished item because it has no reflection on the lyrics at all, but videos are arduous affairs and we have little input when it’s ‘other peoples equipment’.

What about the clip for Blue Lotus? You choose another director for this one, am I correct?
Yes. Dave Palser, who also directed The Cry Of Mankind video.

You have covered over everything that is extreme, almost, from Death, Doom, Progressive/Experimental, to Black Metal and Gothic, even some Dark sounds. But it’s obvious that Doom Metal is your specialty in this sombre area. Other styles incorporated into your music in the future?…
Who knows? We just start writing and see what happens, with no master plan or even direction. Our material evolves in it’s own special way and we let it choose it’s own destiny.

Only one record for the actual contract with Peaceville, but then what? Will you re-sign with them or maybe have in mind to move on to another roster? The actual music industry is quite like quicksand…
We would like to stay with Peaceville as they never really pressure us much with deadlines, and allow us to create our music without saying stupid things like ‘can you make it a bit more commercial?’ They give us free reign, a luxury I doubt any other label would provide. 

What can be told about the special release of the Anti – Diluvian Chronicles? What is the story behind this title?
From “Antediluvian”; to mean very old, antiquated. A good word to represent our history.

Did you actually think to an album with an orchestra, maybe a combination of operatic vocals, either female or male?
We would love to work with an orchestra and maybe a few opera singers too, and maybe we will, although we have no definite plans yet. It would only work well if the additional musicians really made a difference and were not there simply to back us up.

Or even a conceptual disc?
I have thought about this but I’m not really sure it will work so well because I might restrict my writing in order to remain within the story being told. I prefer to compose without any restrictions at all.

You have now a new DVD called Sinamorata. Interesting name, once again… who was with the idea and what brings new this DVD release for your fans?
Sinamorata is a made up word from the original “Innamorata” to mean ‘in love’. We altered it slightly to make it a bit more sinful. As for the actual DVD, well we like to give the fans something to look at from time to time so here’s a live show, some bootleg live material, photos, fan videos…

Many fans want the violin feeling back in MY DYING BRIDE sound. Will you take in consideration the possibility of bringing again a violinist as a member of the band?
Yes, we will. We would like to use violins again in the future but we simply have not been able to find a musician as good as Martin. When we do find one, he/she will probably become a permanent guest musician.

You have new songs in preparation for the next studio opus. How would you present them for the time being? Is there any release date already scheduled?
We have had a few technical problems with writing and so have decided to delay it for December (it is about the December of 2005, ed. note). I can’t tell you about it yet or even when it will be released.

Is there any chance to see you in the near future on a full European Tour as headliners?
We are hoping to support the next LP with a full European tour, but I’m not sure when that will be.

Other projects keeps you busy or the BRIDES is the only musical catharsis for you guys?
We all do different things on a personal day to day level but MY DYING BRIDE is the only musical project that we are working on. I don’t really think we’d have time for anything else.

What other plans are imagined for the BRIDES?
Well, it’s the creation of the next LP really. It took a few months to write it, and then are a few weeks to record, then a few months to get into the stores, then we tour. So all this will probably take about one year and we have not thought about what happens after that.

Last words from you, maybe something as a motto or just a thought for our readers?
I’m not really much of a preacher so I’ll just encourage people to write down their thoughts and don’t keep them bottled up inside their head, where they may become self destructive.

Individual Questionnaire:

How do you perceive life through your own mind’s eyes? Is it something worth a living or is just a subsidiary existence leading us to another level of universal uncertainty?
Live for the day because it’s all over when you die and no-one can prove me wrong. Life can be very fulfilling if you have the impetus to reward yourself with its colour and fabric and not dwell in a bleak vision of your own creation.

Some of your words say “Look after your body. You have nowhere else to live.” It has a deep essence, but also a lot of humour. Are you a funny guy in the normal life?
Not exactly funny but I do have a balanced sense of humour and enjoy many comedy moments personally and via the media.

If I would ask you to reflect your visions through just a few lines, how would they sound like? Literally speaking, of course.
My visions can be quite diverse and surreal and not easy to put down in this type of format and so that’s why I create my art and my lyrics, so have a look at them for answers.

General Questionnaire:

Artwork, covers, artistic expression… You are involved in all that (www.azzron.com), and many covers for MY DYING BRIDE records were created by your hand. Is Art another nature of your personality?
Art is very important to me because, like my lyrics, it is a way of exorcising my mind of negative thoughts and getting them down as a tangible format. The world might just be a better place if we laid down our thoughts on paper instead of keeping them trapped in our heads.

Have you already saw the latest movie of Mel Gibson, “The Passion Of Christ”?
Actually I have not yet seen this movie but I imagine that it causes controversy just alike any other film with a religious topic. If it is as good as “Monty Python’s The Life Of Brian”, then I’m sure I’ll love it.

How it works with the new label of Andrew and Hamish, Blackdoom Records?
They are still a very young label and have only released a couple of CD’s but they are having fun. Check out more at www.blackdoom.com.