It seems to be a fine time for atmospheric British doom right now. We are only just digesting recent albums from My Dying Bride and Arð and here comes another UK treasure. Active since way back in 2005 and conceived in Southern climes rather than the expected Northern territories of our sceptered isles, My Silent Wake have consistently worked their way through 12 studio albums. Not all have been the same and some have taken a more experimental and ambient direction. I appear to have missed the last one ‘Damnum per Saeculorum’ of 2020 and looking at its expansive number of songs with shorter running times, would hazard a guess that it is an example and differs quite a bit from the doom death of predecessor ‘There Was Death.’ All good as I return where I left off.

One constant in the group since formation is vocalist and guitarist Ian Arkley who is responsible for past memories and ongoing grief through the years. What I do find quite amusing is that the bassist and drummer who have been with the band for past decade or so were also in Amputated. You couldn’t really have two groups at further ends of the metallic periodic scales if you tried. There is a range here that moves from fragility and delicacy such as the gorgeous melody that immediately warms on opener ‘The Liar and the Fool’ to solid weight and ballast that is undeniably heavy. Arkley handles the angered elongated roars and Simon Bibby the cleaner fragrant croons, both working in perfect synchronicity with each other. The opening track is a great one, a statement of what is to follow and full of divine and graceful harmony as well as parts that will encourage fist-pounding bravado. We are told to “escape while we can” but don’t really want to even though second and more concise number ‘Wolf’ is riding hard on our tails. Classic weeping guitar lines, pounding drums sees it galloping in to feast and gruffly growling. Complete with spoken word passage it unfolds like a dark fairy-tale and no doubt will go down excellently live.

Another evident facet of the album is Bibby’s weaving keyboard lines which give things a bit of a proggy flavour. Check the video for childhood memories of ‘Lavender Gardens’ below and get the full essence and effect of them and the band in flow. We are told Bibby uses a Yamaha Reface YC organ and to me it gives songs that sort of organic sound reminiscent of recent Borknagar albums. Learning that the song is about dementia and the recent loss of Arkley’s mother it is an even more poignant tribute and bound to touch anyone currently going through similar grief at hands of this terrible disease. The song is almost as difficult to shift as the scent of lavender itself but even if that puts you off there is plenty more perfume to come as we get lost in reflection and remembrance of the past on ‘When You Look Back.’ The urgent deathly flourishes of Another Light’ are hard hitting, urgent and pounding before the soothing caress of ‘The Last Lullaby’ takes from times of innocence, to growing up and facing the real world and all its hardships. Naturally with that it has a sombre and serious tone and I would imagine with lyric booklet hopefully included with the CD you will be able to easily follow the themes and narrative of the album more fully. Still it’s not difficult when you have tracks like the lament that is ‘No Time’ a sobering listening experience etched in utmost grief.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, there is a warmth to be felt and the Priory Studio Greg Chandler mix and master allows this to filter through. Overall this is a heartfelt and honest album with some excellent song-writing which is guaranteed to touch and move anyone who encounters it; and is that not exactly what we are searching for in the music we listen to?

(8/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/MySilentWake

https://arduamusic.bandcamp.com/album/lost-in-memories-lost-in-grief