Martin Powell is an English musician. In 1991, Powell auditioned for the position of bass player in the band

My Dying Bride My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in Bradford. Since their inception in 1990, they have released 13 studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. Alon ...

, but was turned down as the band had just filled the position. Upon informing the band he was also a violin and

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

player, he was hired as a session musician, before becoming the band's permanent violinist and keyboardist. Around 1998, Powell and My Dying Bride parted ways and he joined

Anathema Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...

, in the role of live keyboardist, only to depart two years later. In 2000, Powell joined the British heavy metal band

Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...

along with drummer

Adrian Erlandsson Adrian Erlandsson (born 27 October 1970) is a Swedish heavy metal drummer who is a member of At the Gates (1990–1996, 2007–2008, 2010–), the Haunted (1996–1999, 2013–), and Nemhain (2006–). He has also been a member of H.E.A.L. ...

and guitarist

Paul Allender Paul Allender (born 17 November 1970) is a lead guitarist best known for his work with the British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. He was a longtime member with stints in the band from 1992–1995 and then again from 1999–2014. Cradle of ...

after the departure of Les 'Lecter' Smith. The band then went to record the album ''

Midian Midian (; he, מִדְיָן ''Mīḏyān'' ; ar, مَدْيَن, Madyan; grc-gre, Μαδιάμ, ''Madiam'') is a geographical place mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and Quran. William G. Dever states that biblical Midian was in the "northwest Ar ...

''. The following year, the band released their transitional mini-album '' Bitter Suites to Succubi''. In 2003 they released the album ''

Damnation and a Day ''Damnation and a Day'' (subtitled ''From Genesis to Nemesis...'') is the fifth studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 10 March 2003 and is Cradle of Filth's only album on a major label, Sony Records, afte ...

'' using a small orchestra and choral section for which Powell wrote the score. Powell wrote several songs for both that album and was also a songwriter for the band's 2004 album ''

Nymphetamine ''Nymphetamine'' is the sixth studio album by Cradle of Filth. Recorded between February and July 2004, it was released on 28 September by record label Roadrunner. ''Nymphetamine'' marks the first recorded appearance of guitarist James McIlroy ...

'' on which he also played guitars on several tracks as well as keyboard duties. He was nominated for a

Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...

with Cradle of Filth in 2005. In that same year, Powell and CoF parted ways. After his departure from Cradle of Filth, Powell returned to university where he earned a first class degree in music (and won The Phillip John Lord Composition Prize) and completed a PhD in music composition in 2013. Powell is featured on the

Type O Negative Type O Negative were an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, percussi ...

DVD '' Symphony for the Devil''. He played live keyboards for

Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creati ...

in 2006/7. He toured with

Alternative 4 Alternative 4 is a band formed by Duncan Patterson, known for his work with Antimatter, Íon, and Anathema. The band's name is taken from the Anathema album '' Alternative 4'', an album written largely by Patterson, whose title in turn derive ...

as live keyboard player in 2011 and 2012. He wrote and played keyboards for the 2013 album "When the Circle of Light Begins to Fade" from Australian band The Eternal. He also toured as live keyboard player for Solstafir in 2016. In 2016 he wrote and played keyboards on

Lawnmower Deth Lawnmower Deth are an England, English thrash metal band, who parodied the genre and recorded three and a half albums. Initially active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they reformed in 2008. Biography Main career (1987–1993) Lawnmower Deth ...

's first single after 22 years "I am Cob" which received airplay on BBC Radio 2 courtesy of

Simon Mayo Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo (born 21 September 1958) is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022. Mayo has presented across three BBC stations for extended periods. From 1986 to 2001 he worked for Radio ...

. Most recently he played and composed keyboards for the Dutch band Bleeding Gods' album, "Dodekathlon" released February in 2018. Powell also wrote and played on the album "Waiting For The Endless Dawn" by The Eternal, released in 2018

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Martin Living people Heavy metal keyboardists English heavy metal keyboardists English heavy metal guitarists English violinists Musicians from Sheffield Year of birth missing (living people)