My Dying Bride - back touring /lineup change.

[Blizzard Beast]

He's doing a gig with High Parasite tonight so I'm sure he'll have something to say about that announcement these days.

[Carnage]

His voice is a huge part of their sound, I wouldn't even pretend to have an interest in them without him. The few live clips I've seen with the stand-in fella were woeful. Band: done.

[Western Viking]

It's an awful shame what has happened with them but it's not MDB without his vocals, been listening to them since Turn Loose The Swans and were always a bucket list band for me to see live but it looks like I never will now.

[Naraka]

Has any reason been given for the split?

[Pagan Saviour]

Not really - vague statements from both sides.

Polaris described it earlier in the thread

My understanding is that Aaron's daughter has been long over the worst of that, although it no doubt took a lot out of him. Basically, over recent years Aaron and Andrew have drifted apart in different ways and communication was poor. They just finished an album this year and one of them agreed to various gigs and appearances (Andrew I suspect), and then Aaron, who also likely has access to the official email account put cold water on them after they were booked. One American festival (Maryland I think) got nervous with the poor communication and cancelled their appearance, which Andrew didn't seem happy with. Regardless of the rights and wrongs, it was all highly unprofessional. Somewhat bizarrely, Aaron recently did full vocals on another album, produced by Gregor from Paradise Lost, and has since toured with them. Andrew still wants to tour, and likely needs to pay off recording debt, and got a new vocalist. Right now, everything between them is on ice, and they likely know they need each other. I get the feeling their problem isn't with each other as such, so everything might be smoothened over in time. But it's weird.

I'd say the time just came to sort it once and for all. I doubt MDB were in a financial position to proceed with a non participating party still on the books and having to fork out a wage for his stand in whilst they're at it.

[Emphyrio]

Glad I caught em a couple of times. His voice was/ is a vital component.

[Blizzard Beast]

Dreadful hours was the last MDB album that interested me. Some good tracks here and there on the later stuff but the magic was long gone.
With the trend of bands playing classic albums in full I was hoping MDB would have been all over that for a flower withers, turn loose or angel and the dark river set but unlikely now.
Was lucky enough to have seen them a couple of times back in the day.

[Cailleach]

I love the track the Poorest Waltz, but aside from that none of their material  since 2006 has really interested me. I am glad i got to see them twice with Aaron over the years. I have no interest in seeing them with this new vocalist. 

[Pagan Saviour]

Rich Walker delighted with this development I'm sure

[Blizzard Beast]

I love the track the Poorest Waltz, but aside from that none of their material  since 2006 has really interested me. I am glad i got to see them twice with Aaron over the years. I have no interest in seeing them with this new vocalist. 

That song sounds very like a slowed down version of Carnun in parts.

[Polaris]

Aaron's irreplaceable, but like others I think their last great and consistant album was The Dreadful Hours. I could imagine Aaron and Andrew hooking up again after an album or two.   

[Carnage]

Songs Of Darkness... would be where the classic run ends for me, I'd rate it as highly as The Dreadful Hours. I don't think they've done a bad album (Turn Loose The Swans is the only one I don't like but I know I'm very much on my own there) but the quality definitely dipped after SODWOL.

Maybe the new guy will prove us all wrong (if they record with him) but Stainhope was so unique that I doubt it - especially going by the few recent live clips I've seen.

[Alphonsus]

I would guess touring was definitely an issue here in that I think Stainthorpe never really enjoyed or wanted to do it much.
It is maybe not unheard of either when one member of a group is like that thinking of Entombed for instance and Entombed AD.
Suppose that is total speculation really.