Mourning Beloveth

Mourning Beloveth

Mourning Beloveth is an Irish death-doom metal group from Athy, County Kildare, formed in 1992. The group’s core early line-up includes Darren Moore on vocals, Frank Brennan on guitars and clean vocals, Brian Delaney on bass and guitars, and Timmy Johnson on drums. The current membership includes Brian Delaney. Its music is classed as death-doom metal, doom metal and funeral doom metal.

Early releases and line-up changes

The band records its first untitled demo, Burden, in 1996 after the line-up comes together fully. It is recorded in eight hours with Adrian Butler at the desk and contains two songs. Butler later joins on bass, after Delaney switches from bass to guitar. This line-up records the Autumnal Fires demo in 1998, which receives a “Demo of the Issue” honour from Moondance Magazine. The demo runs for about 40 minutes, combines songs with classical piano, and introduces clean vocals into the group’s sound.

Albums and wider recognition

After touring Ireland, Mourning Beloveth supports Cathedral in May 1999. It then records Dust at Academy Studios with Magz, completing the album in seven days. Released in 2000, the record is described as a long-form doom/death work with a stronger use of clean and growling vocals. It later receives attention from magazines including Terrorizer, Metal Hammer (Greece), Heavy Oder, Was, Metal Ireland, Doom-metal.com and Aardshock. Sentinel Records reissues Dust in 2003 with new artwork, a new song from the The Sullen Sulcus sessions, and “Forever Lost Emeralds” from the Autumnal Fires demo, all remastered by Stuart Anstis.

The follow-up, The Sullen Sulcus, is recorded at Academy Studios between 20 April and 5 May 2002 and released in December that year by Aftermath. It runs for more than 65 minutes across six songs and pushes the band further into a heavier, more melodic style. After this, the band signs a four-album deal with Grau Records.

Touring and later releases

Mourning Beloveth tours with Cradle of Filth and plays its first UK show in Bradford. It also undertakes the “Doomination of Europe” tour with Morgion, The Prophecy and, for part of the run, Americans Morgion. The tour visits Portugal, Spain, England, France, Belgium and Holland. In the United States, the band later tours with Morgion, Orodruin and The Prophecy, with Anto filling in on drums for Timmy Johnson. It also plays Doom Shall Rise, where it meets Tom from Grau Records, and appears in Germany, Groningen and at Belgian Doom Night.

The band records A Murderous Circus at Klangschmiede Studio E in Germany with Markus Stock in November 2004, issuing it in 2005. Later releases include A Disease For The Ages in 2008, Formless in 2013 and Rust & Bone in 2015. Its recorded output also includes a split with Lunar Gate, released as a limited 7-inch in 2003.