The UK’s gothic/death/doom band My Silent Wake have worked hard over the years, and not just to shake off the Christian metal tag (for which they are not!). Forming over five years ago out of a thrash band of all things, these Devon dwellers know a thing or two about creating a gloomy atmosphere.
‘Death Becomes Us’ is the closest thing musically to normal doom, there are very harsh vocals, not even death style, quite raspy and a couple of single note twiddles remind me of black metal once in a gloomy moon. Even though the band have attempted to make shorter songs, they clock in on average of 5 to 6 minutes, but at least there is no time wasted, it is all stretched out and produced with a strong production that they have found in Kewsound studios. ‘Bleak Endless Winter’ has all the melancholy of Anathema in the mid section whilst maintaining MSW’s impeccable taste of doom-laden sorrow and power in the preceding and remainder of the track. ‘Between Wake and Sleep’ starts out quite bouncy, in fact I think of Inspector Gadget’s theme tune, but this quickly settles into some fine catchy notes and rhythms followed by a synth driven explosion. The mix of downtrodden clean vocals quickly builds an idea in ones mind, a certain path to follow, and then you get a massive jolt when the death vocals appear, a good use of phrasing and clever arrangement. The additional use of analogue synth to the music oozes out during ‘Journey’s End’, I honestly thought this was a Hawkwind cover, it oozes trippy happenings and space rituals of mammoth proportions, even some latter day Nachtmystium comes to mind. MSW may have struck gold with this their fourth album, a purchase worthy of any atmospheric, or even death doom fan, true doom fans will avoid as this is not true doom, in fact I think of the Yorkshire collective when I hear this band, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and the aforementioned Anathema.
This is a solid listen; a sense of accomplishment should be applauded on the arrival of ‘IV Et Lux Perpetua’.
http://www.mysilentwake.co.uk
http://www.darkbalance.com
