My Silent Wake
MMV – MMXXV
Label: Ardua Music
Out: 22. August 2025
Last year, English Doom metallers My Silent Wake released their twelfth studio album ‘Lost In Memories, Lost In Grief’. This year marks the band’s twentieth anniversary. To mark the occasion, My Silent Wake have collected a two-CD compilation of their work. Fittingly, this release is called ‘MMV – MMXXV’.
The addition of ‘MMXXV’ (2025) to ‘Hunting Season’ indicates a new song. I found two parts of this song on earlier albums, firstly on ‘Shadow of Sorrow’ (2006) and as ‘Hunting Season II’ from 2014 (‘Eye of the Needle’). So now it has become a ‘Hunting Season’ trilogy. A calm, melodic song. Melodic even when the entire instrumental section kicks in. The calm, melodic ‘A Bleak Fateful Night’ is also new. Can Doom Metal songs also be called ballads? The third song in the group of new releases, “With Equanimity”, is one, or rather an instrumental ballad-like interlude. Almost exclusively dominated by acoustic guitars. This is where My Silent Wake show their musical diversity. ‘Lavender Garden’ (‘Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief’, 2024) comes from the more recent past. With this song, the English tend more towards Epic Doom. ‘Berceuse’ (‘Damnum per Saeculorum’, 2020) is characterised by ethereal female vocals that are subtly accompanied by electric piano and synth strings. On ‘Of Fury’ (‘Damnatio Memoriae’, 2015), there are some sound gimmicks to be heard first. The second CD starts with the title track from the 2006 debut album ‘Shadow Of Sorrow’. Heavily distorted guitars and Hammond passages are the musical accompaniment for singer/growler Ian Arkley. ‘Solitudo’ (‘Eye of the Needle’) is another experimental instrumental interlude. The gimmicks used are varied. For example, “Third Season” (“Silver Under Midnight”, 2013) starts with birds twittering. This is later followed by calm, clear vocals and an almost upbeat rock song. With ‘Lost’ (original on ‘Shadow of Sorrow’), there is also a live song on this double album.
On “MMV – MMXXV” you can hear an impressive variety across various sub-genres of Doom Rock / Metal. Bandleader, singer, growler, guitarist and keyboarder Ian Arkley has put together an impressive showcase of his twenty years of work. The majority of the songs are characterised by many melodic arcs. This should not only be listened to by Doom fans, but by fans of all Metal genres.
My Silent Wake – A Bleak Fateful Night: https://youtu.be/Xxag2UNjSVU?si=xbzrXoQLNAmT9heK
Track list:
Disc 1 – 01:12.20
- Hunting Season MMXXV
- A Bleak Fateful Night
- With Equanimity
- Lavender Garden
- The Liar and The Fool
- Berceuse
- Killing Flaw
- Ghosts of Parlous Lives
- Volta
- Of Fury
Disc 2 – 01:13:26
- Solitudo
- Tower Walk
- Third Season
- Strange Attractors
- Light and Shadows
- Et Lux Perpetua
- Bleak Endless Winter
- Wilderness of Thorns
- Lost (Live)
- Into Silence
- Shadow of Sorrow
- Your Cold Embrace
