The Thrash of Naked Limbs is the third EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 by death/doom metal band My Dying Bride

My Dying Bride

My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in 1990. To date, My Dying Bride have released eleven full-length studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. The band released their tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire,...

. This EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 was also released as an vinyl record

Gramophone record

A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

. By this time, the band was a 6-piece, having added session violinist and keyboardist Martin Powell

Martin Powell

Martin Powell is an English musician. In 1991, Powell auditioned for the position of bass-playing in the band My Dying Bride, but was turned down as the band had just filled the position...

 as an official band member.

The EP was also released as part of the limited box-set, "The Stories

The Stories

For the 1970s band, see Stories The Stories is a boxset of three EPs by death/doom metal band My Dying Bride. The boxset was released as the EPs had become quite rare around the world. The Stories had a high amount of sales and ended up selling all 3,000 copies, causing it to be equally as rare as...

", alongside the band's other singles, Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium

Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium

Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium is the second EP by death/doom metal band My Dying Bride. "Symphonaire" was made only a few months after signing to the Peaceville Records label. The song was also released as a vinyl record and an audio tape...

 and I Am the Bloody Earth

I Am the Bloody Earth

I Am the Bloody Earth is a three-track EP, released by British doom metal band My Dying Bride on 24 January 1994.The EP was released as part of the limited box-set, "The Stories", alongside the band's other singles, "Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium" and "The Thrash of Naked Limbs"...

. All three were released on one disc on the compilation Trinity

Trinity (My Dying Bride album)

Trinity is a compilation album by death/doom metal band My Dying Bride. The album combines tracks from previously released EPs. This compilation CD also has two different versions of the front cover. The American release version has a different cover to the version released in the rest of the world...

 in 1995.

The song's video, available on For Darkest Eyes

For Darkest Eyes

For Darkest Eyes is the first video release by death/doom metal band My Dying Bride. Created first as a VHS in 1997, then later being reproduced as a DVD in 2002 however it was given 2 different version of the front cover...

 features much slow motion footage of a girl writhing in her sleep, interspersed with barely visible footage of the band walking with torches. The video version of the song is an edited version, two minutes or so shorter than the EP version. A live version of the title track is also available on For Darkest Eyes.

The lyrics to "Le Cerf Malade" are a fragment from the fable 'Le Cerf Malade' by the 17th century French poet Jean de la Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine was the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional...

. The title literally means 'The Sick Stag'.

Track listing

1. "The Thrash of Naked Limbs" – 6:13
2. "Le Cerf Malade" – 6:31
3. "Gather Me Up Forever" – 5:17

Personnel

• Aaron Stainthorpe
  Aaron Stainthorpe
  Aaron Stainthorpe is the vocalist for doom metal band My Dying Bride. He was born in England but moved to Germany when he was six months old, because his British army officer father was stationed in the country...
  
   - vocals, artwork, photos
• Andrew Craighan
  Andrew Craighan
  Andrew Craighan is one of My Dying Bride's guitarists. Along with Aaron Stainthorpe, he is the only original member of the band still in the lineup. He played the guitar from 1989 to 1990 in the band Abiosis....
  
   - guitar
• Calvin Robertshaw - guitar, photos
• Adrian Jackson
  Adrian Jackson
  Adrian Jackson is My Dying Bride's former bassist. He was a member of the band from 1991 until January 2007 when he moved to the USA.-Equipment:* Warwick Thumb Bolt-On bass* Sansamp Processors...
  
   - bass
• Martin Powell
  Martin Powell
  Martin Powell is an English musician. In 1991, Powell auditioned for the position of bass-playing in the band My Dying Bride, but was turned down as the band had just filled the position...
  
   - violin
• Rick Miah - drums