The first EP in more than a decade for My Dying Bride and a prelude for their next full-length _A Line of Deathless Kings_, _Deeper Down_ will almost unavoidably be judged just as much for the new material it contains as for whether it lives up to the old tradition of My Dying Bride EPs. Back in the '90s, MDB released a succession of impressive EPs whose character ensured they remained relevant in the band's discography: their debut _Symphonaire Infernus et Spera Empyrium_, _The Thrash of Naked Limbs_ and _I Am the Bloody Earth_ (later collected as _Trinity_). Is _Deeper Down_ likely to gain a similar status? And what does it indicate about the forthcoming album?

_Deeper Down_ consists of only one exclusive track, "The Child of Eternity", which is disappointing compared with the old EPs. The rest is made up of an edited version of "Deeper Down" from the upcoming full-length and a live version of "A Kiss to Remember" from _Like Gods of the Sun_. This particular version is taken from the _Sinamorata_ DVD performance, so there's no great value there.

The opening edit of "Deeper Down" shows a clean sung track with a very nice flow to it; a reasonable attempt to create a single for My Dying Bride that shouldn't offend die-hard fans in any way. The exclusive track "The Child of Eternity" starts off with some demonic snarls before going back to clean singing. It surprises the listener with a traditional guitar solo near the end, but apart from that it's not an unusual track by any means; it is a competent song that doesn't necessarily sound like an unwanted leftover from the recording session (regardless of whether it is just that). Throughout the EP Aaron tends to sing in a less plaintive style than he has on previous occasions, though the full-length will show whether there is indeed a significant change in that area. As for the live rendition of "A Kiss to Remember", while it fits in well due to the similar singing style and its single-like quality, I find it mostly redundant, though certainly not unpleasant.

_Deeper Down_ is unlikely to go down in MDB history alongside their older EPs, because there isn't enough exclusive material and what there is, while competent, isn't remarkable enough in the context of MDB's discography. Rabid fans are advised to purchase regardless, in order to get an early taste of what's to come and make sure their collection has no holes, but others should wait for the full-length rather than pay for just five minutes of music they can't find elsewhere.