My Silent Wake-Damnatio Memoriae

House of Ashes Productions
2015

Produced, engineered and mastered by Greg Chandler (Esoteric) at Priory Recording Studios in West Midlands, UK, is the latest & possibly greatest release from British death/doom band My Silent Wake. It features some of My Silent Wake's strongest material to date and this long player serves as the proper follow-up to 2014's well-received "Eye of the Needle". Opening by way of the aptly-titled "Of Fury",  "Damnatio Memoriae" features eight (Stone Cold Forever) tracks in all for a total run-time of 54:55. As per usual group founder/visionary mastermind Ian Arkley (Century Sleeper, Seventh Angel, ex-Ashen Mortality, ex-Paramæcium, ex-The Other Window) is the driving force behind My Silent Wake (MSW) and here on the band's latest release this multi-talented front-man/songwriter not only exceeds all expectations as a vocalist, but proves himself (once again!) praise-worthy as both a guitarist and keyboardist! Of course long-time fans of MSW won't find that little piece of information all that surprising. Since forming the band back in 2005, with a self-titled, 2-track EP released that very same year, Ian Arkley has released one spectacular recording after another with this new one moving the grand total of full-length albums up to eight! They've all been dangerously good in their own right so why should "Damnatio Memoriae" be an exception? Other than seeing another change in the band's line-up (which is something that has become common place for MSW over the years!) the only real difference between "Eye of the Needle" and "Damnatio Memoriae" takes place in the style department. They are both wonderfully atmospheric and (in regards to the individual song arrangements) technically-amazing, but whereas five out of seven numbers on the band's 2014 album are drawn-out and experiential in nature (the "Eye of the Needle" number "Three Furies" has a run-time of over 21 minutes after all!) much of "Damnatio Memoriae" is short and to the point. Other than "The Empty Unknown" (with a run-time of almost 14 minutes!) My Silent Wake's new album ends up being more direct in it's approach and (in general) things feel a bit more streamlined and focused. Speaking of which, MSW does feature a new cast of characters for album number eight here. Now trimmed to a (power) trio, My Silent Wake (MSW) is rounded out on this album by bassist Adam Westlake (Leppe, Striga, ex-Husk) and drummer Gareth Arlett (Amputated, ex-Awake by Design, ex-Control the Storm) and with that streamlined line-up we get a streamlined sound. Please note that the term "streamlined" should not be seen in a negative light. For example it does not mean that less thought and care went into the recording of this album. It does not mean that album number eight isn't as well-crafted, imagined or (frankly-speaking!) clever as previous MSW releases. And it most certainly does not mean that this album is any less praise-worthy or recommend! Instead of all of that noise, "Damnatio Memoriae" is streamlined in order to put more of an emphasis on traditional doom and Gothic doom. And to that point, "Damnatio Memoriae" is classic Gothic/doom metal the way it used to be. Try on the likes "The Innocent" and "Chaos Enfolds Me" and you just might find yourself blissfully whisked away in time and space to the early nineties. The sweet sounds coming from your speakers might feel vaguely familiar (what with the great "Now it Destroys" sounding as if it could have originally been released anywhere between 1990 and 1993!) and chances are you might have a slight case of déjà vu. That's especially true if you find yourself on the other side of 40 of all places! Only here on this eight-track album you get to enjoy timeless doom/Gothic doom with the benefit of a much-improved production job! One example would half to be "Highwire". Back some twenty or so years ago (when this kind of gloriously extreme Gothic doom was in it's prime!) a lackluster production would have tragically muffled the rich bass playing of Adam Westlake. Seeing as Greg Chandler's skills are so exemplary (his stellar work-history speaks for itself) not even once is that a problem on "Damnatio Memoriae". Every key piece falls smoothly into place for MSW and this album sounds crisp and distinctly clear. Despite it's clean appearance and overall smooth finish there is still something dirty about "Damnatio Memoriae". One can't help but feel as if My Silent Wake's new album is (sublimely) raw and rough. What's more, "Damnatio Memoriae" might very well be the HEAVIEST MSW album to date! And I do not take that statement likely! Even slowed down the material here is HEAVY and it's almost as if Ian Arkley went into this album with this ideal in mind. Well, that and the great idea about making this punchy album feel as natural as humanly possibly. It very much feels like a guitar, bass and drums kind of album. While I wouldn't compare the actual music of "Damnatio Memoriae" to the following band, early Black Sabbath comes to mind as structure-wise and performance-wise this aggressive LP strikes the perfect balance between man and the traditional instruments that are usually associated with classic metal. This suggested correlation goes hand in hand with the great news that My Silent Wake is currently in the process of raising funds in the hopes that "Damnatio Memoriae" might receive the royal vinyl treatment! Over at the linked website MSW explains why a vinyl release is necessary and I could agree more band when they say "We’re doing this campaign because as doomsters through and through, we feel our music can be best appreciated on glorious plastic! Unfortunately the goal is only at 39% perfect, but with 53 days left* we're all hoping they make it! If you're a fan of the band and/or a collector of heavy metal vinyl be sure to head to the group's pledgemusic page as ANY and ALL donations will be appreciated! Of course there are some real goodies to be found on the page so PLEASE do your part if you can! Otherwise, "Damnatio Memoriae" will be released on CD even if a official release date has yet to be announced. Whether you are new to this band or a long-time fan I highly-recommend "Damnatio Memoriae". And the end of the day this is Gothic doom metal/classic doom metal of the highest quality. It's also a album that has been made possibly thanks to one of the genre's true unsung heroes, Ian Arkely. 


*As of this posting.

Pneuma Hagion-Trinity I

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Formed at the start of 2015 by R. (The Howling Void, Hordes of the Morning Star, Intestinal Disgorge, Tethered to a Dying Animal, Serpentine Tunnels, Endless Disease, etc.), Pneuma Hagion is a one man black/death/doom band from Texas. Written, recorded, mixed and mastered by the "band" itself, "Trinity I" is Pneuma Hagion's first demo and it was actually released back on January 28th. For those of you who are keeping count at home that is indeed a remarkable turnaround time as Pneuma Hagion went from it's official formation to finished product in less than a month! To quote the old TV show of the same name, "That's Incredible!". High fives all around! Wait, what was that you said? You say you want more information before you take a huge bite out of this three-track demo? That's fair enough. How about we start from the beginning then? Good? OK. "Trinity I" was actually first sent to me back in mid-February by my good friend and fellow blogger, Metal Mark. Incidentally, Mark received the demo from the mysterious R himself and it came with the heading "Beherit meets Teitanblood". As to the question of why I didn't knock out a review of "Trinity I" back then? Who knows? I have no idea why I do the things I do anyway so who bloody knows why I'm just now getting around to this ghastly beast of blackened death doom. Besides, it's not like it's important to the story at hand. So anyway, I was told by the forwarded e-mail to "Imagine a blend of Beherit's "Drawing Down the Moon" and Teitanblood's "Seven Chalices" mixed with a touch of Coffins". So I did as the email requested and you know what? "Trinity I" is all of that and more. But, it's also none of that but rather a horrific sneak peak into the nightmare world of R. That's an odd response to this demo I realize, but "Trinity I" isn't your typical black/death/doom release. For sure it's plenty sick and twisted and main man R does a good job handling everything from the vocals & instruments to the demo's production. So yeah, "Trinity I" is every-bit the apt descriptions it's been giving. And yet there is something more here that I can't quite put my finger on. Even with it's short length the demo has plenty character and Pneuma Hagion's mixture of all things dark and oppressive produces quite the emotion response from the listener. The demo is atmospheric and most certainty evil in all the right ways. "Trinity I" is creepy and it paints the picture of a man that is being hunted and haunted by something otherworldly and assuredly unholy. It's all these things, but still I feel as if I'm missing a huge piece of the puzzle. Maybe you can find that missing piece for me? Head here
if you dare try!

Helevorn-Compassion Forlorn

Solitude Productions/BadMoodMan Music
2014

Due to be released on September 22nd, "Compassion Forlorn" is Helevorn's third full-length album since forming way back in 1991. As the (long-overdue) follow-up to "Forthcoming Displeasures" this eight-track album also holds the distinction of being the first sign of new material from this Spanish band in four years! Last time around (or if you will when the group unearthed "Forthcoming Displeasures" for the good of the doom metal community!) Helevorn had the distinction of coming in second place in the Metal Storm Awards category "The Best Doom Metal Album of 2010". Along the way the group also appeared on "December Songs", a Katatonia tribute compilation, with the song "12" and performed at festivals like Wave Gotik Treffen XX in Germany (with October Tide, Katatonia, The Foreshadowing...), Devilstone Open Air in Lithuania (with Grave, Tankard, Mayhem...) and the Dutch Doom Days in the Netherlands (with Shattered Hope, The 11th Hour, A Dream of Poe...)! All of which begs one question. How exactly do you go about one-upping your last (highly adored!) work? How do you build upon what you had (in this case a near-perfect blend of doom metal, melodic death metal goth metal) while simultaneously pushing your band in a new direction? On "Compassion Forlorn" it helps to look at the whole picture. First Helevorn (in what proved to be an inspired move on the part six-piece band!) went and signed up a male choir for several numbers. Next thing you know the band went about securing the services of Irish female singer/songwriter Lisa Cuthbert and the guitar player Pedro Zubiri (ex-Golgotha and ex-Blind Panic) for the song "Els dies tranquills". In both situations it paid for the band to seek some outside out as these small additions only add to the powerful presence of album number three. And speaking of powerful presences, Josep Brunet (the group's all encompassing front-man since day one!) is a master on the mic! Brunet's voice, which has equally been described as majestic and menacing, does much more then just compliment the often-times atmospheric nature of Helevorn's sound. As the captain of the ship this superb lead singer navigates the group through tranquil and treacherous water. Granted it does help when you find yourself in the company of -a fabulous crew that includes lead guitarist/long-time member Samuel Morales (Desmodus), guitarist Sandro Vizcaíno (ex-Movement, ex-Elemento.6, ex-Hedshock, ex-ShockWave, ex-Toxic Waste, ex-Virus), bass guitarist Guillem Calderón (Ancient Realm, ex-Desmodus, ex-Decomposed Torso, ex-Thrownaway), keyboardist Enrique Sierra and drummer/additional long-time member Xavier Gil! Still, front-man Josep Brunet breaths life into "Compassion Forlorn" as much as he gives these eight tracks a gothic undertone! As good as the band sounds here musically it must be noted how fantastic the album sounds as a whole! Recorded and mixed at Psychosomatic Studios in Mallorca (Spain) by Miguel Ángel Riutort "Mega" and mastered once again by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Paradise Lost, Arch Enemy, Kreator...) at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, "Compassion Forlorn" sounds great on every front! From the actual performances of the band members and guest to the the overall direction that Miguel Ángel Riutort "Mega" and Jens Bogren took the album in everything just has that perfect feeling....likes puzzle pieces fitting smoothly together to create a beautiful portrait! Fans of gothic metal/doom metal couldn't ask for a better album to sink their teeth into as "Compassion Forlorn" is dark, foreboding and ghastly (the use of keys helps see to that!). Then again it's also one album where melodic moments, tremendous lead solos and sweeping passages all tie together nicely with slowed down death metal so there's a little bit of everything for everyone! For Helevorn an album like "Compassion Forlorn" is the perfect addition to their body of work as a whole while it also brilliantly showcases the growth and maturity of this long-standing Spanish doom act. "Compassion Forlorn" might just be long-overdue, but it is one album that is well-worth the wait for fans!