My Silent Wake – Lost In Memories, Lost In Grief

My Silent Wake
Lost In Memories, Lost In Grief
Label: Ardua Music
Out: May 3^rd, 2024
Playing time: 43:45

My Silent Wake are highly productive. Founded in 2005, the English band have released eleven studio albums to date. Plus, various singles and EPs. But almost four years have passed since “Damnum Per Saeculorum”. In May, “Lost In Memories, Lost In Grief” was released. The album was recorded at Greg Chandler’s Priory Recording Studios. The artwork was created by Matthew Vickerstaff (Cradle Of Filth, My Dying Bride, Mayhem etc.).

At first, “The Liar And The Fool” is somewhat reminiscent of a Pink Floyd theme. But only briefly. The guitars are soon roaring, and an interplay of growls and clear vocals can be heard. With “Wolf”, things really get going right from the start. Epic Doom with hints of Death Metal. The organ leads the melody for the most part. With “Lavender Garden”, one regrets that no scents can yet be added to the songs. A gentle hint of lavender would be nice. Unfortunately, the permanently audible Hammond cannot replace this. Otherwise, great Epic Doom in the footsteps of My Dying Bride. The riffs on “When You Look Back” sound a bit like Black Sabbath, although there are no growls to be heard. Calm, almost contemplative Doom. The Brits pick up speed with “Another Light”. However, “The Last Lullaby” brings the listener back to calmer, more sustained Doom realms. Clear vocals dominate at first, before Ian Arkley joins in again with his growls. A Hammond can be heard in the background. In the middle section, things speed up again, driven by the drums. “No Time” starts almost in Funeral Doom style. And the quiet area is hardly left later on either. Once again, Hammond fans get their money’s worth. In comparison, “The Judges” offers an almost upbeat conclusion to the album.

“Lost In Memories, Lost In Grief” offers a variety of different Doom sounds. For the most part, the Epic direction dominates. But you can also hear more contemplative sounds right up to the Funeral Doom area. Even after almost twenty years of band history, there are still no signs of wear and tear. The dozen of studio albums is now full. And, of course, one would like to hear many more albums of this quality.

My Silent Wake – Another Light: https://youtu.be/nBUMV3JQ3ug?si=VtabkqbZSq5oRgnN

Lineup:

Ian Arkley – Guitar, Ebow, Growled, semi spoken-word vox
Addam Westlake – Bass Guitar
Gareth Arlett – Drums
Simon Bibby – Yamaha Reface YC organ, Clean Vocals, Whispers

Track list:

• The Liar And The Fool
• Wolf
• When You Look Back
• Another Light
• The Last Lullaby
• No Time
• The Judges