Celebrating 15 years together, MY DYING BRIDE have released this deluxe 3-disc boxset “Anti-Diluvian Chronicles” which spans material from the band’s entire career. Previous “best ofs” entitled Meisterwerks 1 and 2 were only really a snapshot of the music available and were closer to “B Sides and Rarities” than any sort of definitive collection. So this really is the first time their work has been collected in such a way.

The package itself is beautifully put together. The hefty box contains new artwork by Lady Morgana, and inside each of the 3 CD’s are contained within their own seperately tracklisted slipcases. Also included is a poster of the band, and a 40 page colour booklet including new promotional photos and an extremely in-depth interview with leadsinger Aaron Stainthorpe. From a collectors point of view, this set is an absolute delight - but is there anything new here (amongst the 30 tracks on offer) that would warrant interest from listeners already well acquainted with Britain’s masters of Doom?

Out of everything included on the collection there are actually only three tracks that have not been released previously – namely three brand new remixes of the tracks “My Wine In Silence”, “The Raven and the Rose” and “The Wreckage of My Flesh”. Normally remixes have the tendency to be a “thrown together” afterthought, but to my surprise the new versions actually add something extra to the original songs, creating interesting re-interpretations - rather than the usual “original song with added crap dance-beat”. “The Raven and the Rose” seems to include completely different vocals, or this may just be a cleverly created effect. Either way it’s a great version of an already excellent song.

What you perhaps need to bear in mind is a lot of people will not be willing to pay up to £20 for this box-set when they are only getting three new songs. Again, collectors are really going to be the only ones interested here if you already have the band’s back catalogue. Taking a step back however, and assuming the role of someone unfamiliar with the work of MY DYING BRIDE, and “Anti-Diluvian Chronicles” becomes the absolutely essential introduction to the band.

The tracklistings on each CD seem to be well thought out rather than cobbled together like your usual “Record Company Cash-In”. Each era of the band is covered, in clusters of 2 – 3 songs, so that things don’t seem too disjointed. From the slow, death metal/thrash influenced Doom of early material such as “Symphonaire Infernus” and “The Forever People”, to the more accessible hook-laden “Like Gods of the Sun” era, even including tracks from their experimental “38% Complete” album, and right up to the sweeping, sorrowful gothic style of current works like “My Hope, The Destroyer” and “The Blue Lotus” – it’s all here, catalogued in over 3 hours of music. It seems to be put together in such a way that it never gets boring, and makes it quite feasible for the listener to take in all 3 CDs in one sitting – without being totally overwhelmed by all the doom!

Overall it’s fantastically put together and well thought-out, and while not really offering much of worth to long term fans, for the un-initiated this is the definitive collection - and an absolute must for anyone looking to discover the band.

Standout Tracks:  Raven & The Rose (Remix), Cry of Mankind, Symphonaire Infernus.

Overall Score:   9 /10