In a recent conversation with The Razor’s Edge, Aaron Stainthorpe shed light on the uncertain creative future of My Dying Bride, eight months after the announcement that Swallow The Sun’s Mikko Kotamäki would be handling live vocals for the band in 2025.
“Well, weirdly, when we did the last album, we always record more songs than we actually need, so we’ve got something left over for an EP. So when we did [2024’s] A Mortal Binding, again, there were a couple of songs left over for an EP. And then we had a big argument. But those songs are still somewhere, I think, probably with Mark Mynett, the engineer. And so there are two songs that no one’s ever heard — except, obviously, My Dying Bride — waiting for the go-ahead,” Stainthorpe said (via Blabbermouth).
“But I know there’s been turmoil at Nuclear Blast as well. All my contacts have gone, so I don’t know what’s happening at Nuclear Blast, and I’m not entirely sure what’s happening with My Dying Bride, but two songs are floating around in limbo at the moment. Regarding brand new My Dying Bride songs, well, I know they’re writing new stuff at the moment, but we haven’t got the argument out of the way yet. So until that’s sorted, I won’t be singing for them,” he added.
When asked whether he hopes to mend the rift with his bandmates, Aaron reflected: “Well, I’d like to think so, because there’s 30 years of really, really good, really good work. And a band as respectful of that shouldn’t just wither and die. So we need to work on fixing that.”
The band’s internal challenges became public when Andrew Craighan spoke to Metalirium about the decision to bring Kotamäki on board for live duties.
“Despite all the problems, the band was willing and ready to perform the remaining shows in 2024, but, unfortunately, there was no willing singer. The band only discovered this at the very last minute, which led to the cancellation. Given that the album had just been released, the band was not prepared to be sidelined. As a result, a meeting was organized to discuss the possibility of a replacement. Mikko was the unanimous first choice.”
On Aaron’s current standing within My Dying Bride, Andrew was candid: “As Aaron has, in truth, distanced himself from the band, we are only aware of his activities through social media and online interviews. The band contacted him in March 2025 to enquire about his intentions with My Dying Bride, but he has not responded. We first learned through social media that he was on a hiatus from MDB. Although he states online that he is still part of the band, he has not engaged with us since April 2024. So, in response to your question, the band does not know what his plans with MDB are.”
Meanwhile, Kotamäki has already taken the stage with My Dying Bride across Europe, performing at events like Rockmaraton Fesztivál in Hungary, Pit Of Metal in Slovakia, and Dark River festival in Finland.
The picture painted by both sides suggests a band caught between unresolved personal disputes and a desire to keep performing. The two unreleased songs from A Mortal Binding now hang in uncertainty, much like the future of My Dying Bride itself.
