Band/Artist: My Silent Wake
Release House: Ardua Music
Genre: Epic/Doom Metal
One Sentence Synopsis: The 12th full-length album from the UK musicians of doom.
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: Album
Release Date: May 3rd, 2024
Estimated Length: 43 minutes
MSRP: £7 for digital download, €21.90 for vinyl
Website: Click Here
Trailer/Video: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 5.0 Moons (out of 5)
It’s been four years since we’ve gotten a full-length album from My Silent Wake, and six years since we’ve gotten a metal album, as Damnum Per Saeculorum (2020) was more acoustic/folk/avant garde. While I am a fan of the more experimental albums, I’ll always have a soft spot for the doom, and Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief is most definitely that.
Theme
Opening strong with “The Liar and the Fool,” you know you’re in for something new. In the past, Ian Arkley supplied the main vocals, clean and growling, and Simon Bibby would provide background vocals, you now have a blend of the two of them sharing the same amount of responsibilities of vocals with Ian on growls and semi spoken word and Simon doing all the clean vocals and whispers; their voices complimenting one another really well like a My Silent Wake/Thy Listless Heart supergroup.
“Lavender Garden,” one of the singles released, lyrically and musically is one of their most beautifully dark songs to date. Throughout the album we’re blessed with quite a bit of organ, and it really stands out on this song. Simon’s and Ian’s vocals do a great job expressing the pain in the story along with the amazing guitar riffs and breakdowns. “When You Look Back” is another great example of all of that, the guitars and bridge especially.
Presentation
The intricate guitar work throughout this album, from the solos to the bridges, is beautifully atmospheric. Accompanied by the organ and Simon’s haunting vocals, it’s just intensified. I feel this especially in “The Last Lullaby.” How they mixed the different styles of vocals and blended them with all of the instruments is quite impressive, not to mention all the different tempos and lengths. They went through a great deal to make sure that their fans got something familiar but also very new and different from their previous releases.
That’s one thing that caught me by surprise was the length of songs, as I’m used to the majority of My Silent Wake’s songs being close to 10 minutes long each, whereas on this album half of the songs are under 5 minutes, and the longest track is 8 minutes. The song “Another Light” almost feels like an interlude coming from them as it’s under 3 minutes long.
Audience Fit
For fans of My Dying Bride, Novembers Doom and Paradise Lost. Metal heads and doom heads especially, particularly those who love atmospheric doom metal.
Closing Thoughts
Four years have felt like forever, but it was well worth the wait! Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief delivers an epic atmosphere that stems from years of experimentation and growth. My Silent Wake went all out on this one!
Theme: 4.5 Moons (out of 5.0)
Presentation: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
Audience Fit: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
Final Score (not an average): 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
