MY DYING BRIDE — Trinity (review)

Boxset / Compilation · 1995 · Death-Doom Metal

3.5/5 · 2018-05-10
UMUR

"Trinity" is a compilation album by UK doom/death metal act My Dying Bride. The compilation was released through Peaceville Records in September 1995. The original version features material from the band´s first three EPs: "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium (1992)", "The Thrash of Naked Limbs (1993)", and "I Am the Bloody Earth (1994)" and the A-side track from "The Sexuality of Bereavement (1994)" single. The 2004 re-release features "Vast Choirs" and "Catching Feathers" from the "Towards the Sinister (1990)" demo as bonus material (and a different cover artwork).

The idea to release "Trinity" was great as the three EPs were either out of print, or released in a limited number of copies, which made it hard for the fans to purchase them. There are also quite a few listeners who don´t bother with EPs because of the relatively short running times, and that´s a problem you don´t experience here as "Trinity" (the original version) features 9 tracks and a full playing time of 64:16 minutes.

The quality of the material is a bit up and down though. "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium (1992)" is a pre-album release, and it´s obvious at this point, that My Dying Bride were slightly immature as songwriters, and that they were still searching for a unique identity. The title track from the EP is where you´ll hear most nods toward the sound on the debut album. Especially the sections which feature violin. Ultra doomy riffs, melancholic violin themes, and growling vocals in front. The two shorter tracks from the "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium (1992)" are pretty standard quality mid-paced death metal tracks, which are both decent, but not really great.

Out of the three tracks from the "The Thrash of Naked Limbs (1993)", it´s the title track and to a lesser degree "Gather Me Up Forever", which are worth the price of admission. The ambient and atmospheric "Le Cerf Malade" isn´t that interesting and honestly I think it´s a typical EP filler track.

"I Am the Bloody Earth (1994)" originally featured three tracks but Transcending (Into the Exquisite) which is a remix by Stevie Dachau featuring elements from various tracks from "Turn Loose the Swans (1993)" is omitted on "Trinity". Instead the title track and Crown of Sympathy (Remix) are accompanied by the A-side from "The Sexuality of Bereavement (1994)" single. A track which was also included as a bonus track on the limited edition digipack version of "The Angel and the Dark River (1995)" (but recorded during the sessions for "Turn Loose the Swans (1993)"). Transcending (Into the Exquisite) isn´t the most interesting track, so it´s no big loss that it has been left out of this compilation. Crown of Sympathy (Remix) isn´t very interesting either though, as it more or less sounds like someone just put the drum track through a chorus effect and not much else. I much prefer the original version from "Turn Loose the Swans (1993)". Both "I Am the Bloody Earth" and "The Sexuality of Bereavement" are pretty decent quality tracks though.

So there are both some quality material on the compilation, some more standard quality material and even a couple of pretty redundant tracks. "Trinity" does serve it´s purpose well though, as it helps increase the availability of hard to get non-album material and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.