Aaron Stainthorpe is thought for portray bleak, devastating emotional landscapes because the voice of My Dying Bride. However with the emergence of Excessive Parasite, a brand new mission that fuses metallic with gothic rock and darkish synth-pop, the veteran frontman has discovered a renewed sense of vitality and one thing nearer to happiness.
In a latest look on the Brutally Scrumptious podcast, Stainthorpe defined how the thought for Excessive Parasite didn’t emerge in a dramatic cut up from his long-running band, however as an alternative got here to be as a sluggish transformation.
“It type of advanced over months, I suppose. So I did not get up and immediately go, ‘Proper, I am doing this now.’ It simply type of advanced, and when one thing evolves at a slower tempo, you have received time to get used to it. It isn’t an enormous shock, and also you begin to develop into that different particular person,” he defined (through Blabbermouth).
“I mentioned it earlier than, I am going to say it once more: I really feel 10 years youthful. And so it should be good for my well being. And weirdly — I do not understand how this works — I am consuming higher and I am ingesting much less and I am exercising extra. So no matter I’ve determined to develop into or do is basically useful on so many various ranges.”
Eternally We Burn, the band’s debut album launched final September through Candlelight/Spinefarm and produced by Gregor Waterproof coat of Paradise Misplaced, has already began attracting consideration, each from longtime followers of My Dying Bride and new listeners. The help from the previous has been each encouraging and stunning.
“We all the time see My Dying Bride shirts on the gigs, and folks come over and I am signing My Dying Bride merch on a regular basis. That can by no means cease, which is nice. And a whole lot of them have come alongside for the journey. It will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is positive. Nobody band is everybody’s cup of tea. A few of them completely find it irresistible, and so they’ve purchased all the pieces, which is totally improbable. So, yeah, the MDB followers are coming alongside for the journey and for essentially the most half loving it.”
Musically, Excessive Parasite presents a distinct power, however not a completely international one: “My Dying Bride did loss of life metallic and doom. A few of the loss of life metallic stuff was fairly speedy. It wasn’t all doom. So, we knew methods to nod our heads fairly quickly again within the previous days. And this is a little more of that. The songs are clearly a lot, a lot shorter. They’re tremendous catchy.”
The brand new format has launched a singular problem for Stainthorpe: what to do with himself when he’s not singing.
“I mentioned I really feel 10 years youthful as a result of the power that the music brings and the power that the youthful members of Excessive Parasite give off, it simply makes me really feel nice. So on stage, I am truly having enjoyable. With My Dying Bride, I by no means had – I would not name it ‘enjoyable’ on stage, as a result of the songs are actually emotional and so they’re tremendous heavy. It was draining mentally for me with My Dying Bride. With Excessive Parasite, for the primary time ever, I stay up for getting on stage, and I love being on stage with Excessive Parasite. And I’ve by no means felt that.”
“At this age in my life, you type of assume, nicely, you have finished this factor for an extended, very long time, and that is all you are gonna do… After which immediately one thing else comes alongside, and it flips the coin fully. And as I say, I really feel 10 years youthful, I am filled with power and I am unable to watch for the following gig,” he added.
The transition has not solely introduced musical satisfaction but additionally opened up inventive doorways that Stainthorpe hadn’t explored earlier than.
“As a result of I’ve by no means reinvented myself earlier than, it is all very, very new. It is all tremendous new to me. I do not know what I am doing half the time, however it simply feels good. I’ve received a brand new lease of power, and I am doing issues I’ve not finished earlier than. Which is sweet at this stage of my life, to be doing model new issues. It is nice. And I’ve began studying my poetry at gigs as nicely now.”
“In January this yr, I did a present in a church in Belgium with Darkher and Sylvaine. It was good. And I am engaged on a number of extra of those types of occasions. One thing’s arising in October, I imagine, the place I will be performing once more with Darkher and the Lifeless House Chamber Music group, performing some poetry and a few variations of My Dying Bride songs that folks would’ve heard earlier than. So, once more, issues I’ve by no means finished earlier than. [And I’m] actually having fun with [it].”
That poetry is deeply intertwined with the lyrical world he’s recognized for, and for Stainthorpe, it serves as a brand new vessel for a similar feelings.
“I nonetheless like writing the actually heavy lyrics as a result of that is actually the place my coronary heart is — the deep, significant stuff. And whereas in the meanwhile that is not lyrics for My Dying Bride, it is poems which I will carry out reside. So I am nonetheless venting my feelings, however as an alternative of singing them with My Dying Bride, I am talking them to people who find themselves bewildered typically, however for essentially the most half, having fun with it. As a result of a whole lot of my poetry may be very very like My Dying Bride lyrics. It comes from the identical coronary heart, similar soul. So, should you like My Dying Bride lyrics, you are just about gonna just like the poetry.”
As My Dying Bride prepares for reside exhibits in 2025 with Swallow The Solar frontman Mikko Kotamäki taking on vocal duties, Stainthorpe appears to have discovered peace with a twin identification, one rooted in legacy and one other boldly getting into unfamiliar terrain.
