My Silent Wake have always been different from the rest and stood apart from their peers. Their music is unconstrained by expectations, blissfully unaware of the rules that govern the genres they wander through; the only limits upon their sombre sound being their own far reaching imaginations. Nestling amongst their canon of heart wrenching doom lie albums of unexpected experimentation and exploration, albums that embrace acoustic and ambient textures, that paint in different hues and dream in different colours.

 

Damnum Per Saeculorum is My Silent Wake’s eleventh full length album and the fourth which walks a different path. All the power and emotion of the band’s revered doom metal classics are still here, but captured within dreaming soundscapes and medieval themes. This album captivates your senses and enfolds you in an atmosphere so rich and deep it is wonderfully inescapable. Recorded in various locations and different times as 2019 slipped away and 2020 struggled into life and featuring vocal and lyrical contributions from friends and family, Damnum Per Saeculorum grew organically, taking form, shape and substance as the seasons changed. This album is a living thing, a world in itself, a place to visit as much as an album to listen to.

 

Opa Loka Records will reveal the path to this country of old ghosts and fragile enchantment on July 29th, laying something truly special before the eyes and ears of the world. Damnum Per Saeculorum is perhaps My Silent Wake’s greatest achievement to date and will become a loved treasure to all those who navigate its winding bridleways and river paths.

 

 

Track Listing:

 

1 – An Affectionate Remembrance
2 – Warhawks
3 – Diadem
4 – Bacchanal
5 – Arfryn
6 – All Our Fears Are Over
7 – Fertile Ground Pt 1
8 – Of Loss And Regret
9 – Fall In The Sea
10 – To Feel The Caress Of Long Dead Lovers
11 – Triple Life
12 – The Rhyme Of Winter’s Children
13 – Monochrome
14 – The Mourning Earth
15 - Berceuse

 

MY SILENT WAKE – DAMNUM PER SAECULORUM
LABEL: OPA LOKA RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: JULY 29th 2020

 

 

For fans of: Cities Last Broadcast | Hagalaz Runedance | Corvus Corax | The Moon And The Nightspirit

 

{tab=title="ONLINE" class="green"}

http://www.mysilentwake.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/MySilentWake/

https://www.instagram.com/my_silent_wake_doom

https://twitter.com/mysilentwakeuk

https://myspace.com/mysilentwake

https://www.reverbnation.com/mysilentwake

https://mysilentwake1.bandcamp.com/

https://mysilentwake2.bandcamp.com/

{tab=title="LINEUP" class="red"}

Ian Arkley - Guitars & Vocals
Addam Westlake - Bass Guitar
Gareth Arlett – Drums
Simon Bibby – Keyboards
David MacLean - Guitars

{tab=title="BIOGRAPHY/LOGO" class="orange"}

My Silent Wake was formed from the dying embers of Ashen Mortality in May 2005 by Ian Arkley (Seventh Angel, Ashen Mortality, Century Sleeper, Paramaecium, The Other Window, Attrition). He was joined by ex members of Ashen Mortality, Andi Lee and Jasen Whyte (Bloodwork), and also Alan Southorn (The Other Window) Kate Hamilton joined just prior to the recording of the debut album. Steve Allan joined on drums in 2007. Steve also did the sound engineering on all early MSW recordings.

 

In June 2005 the first recording took place at Kewsound in North Somerset. The 2 song EP which comprises over 16 mins of music was recorded in just 10 hours. One of the songs from the EP ‘Encircle’ appeared on the cover CD of the Nov/ Dec edition of Zero Tolerance magazine.

 

In 2005 My Silent Wake recorded their debut full length album (again at Kewsound). The album was recorded in just 4 and a half days.

 

After work on Shadow of Sorrow was complete, drummer Jasen Whyte began to suffer from a painful wrist injury which meant that playing live was not an option. The band decided to use the time to write and record the follow up to SoS. During early 2006 My Silent Wake began working on an ambitious double album project.

 

The resulting album ‘The Anatomy of Melancholy’ was released in 2007. That year My Silent Wake played many gigs in Switzerland, Norway and the UK and filmed two promo videos for a future DVD release with director Andrew Spencer.

 

The follow-up ‘A Garland of Tears’ was recorded in a few days at the start of March ’08 with Artwork by Matt Vickerstaff. The album gained favourable reviews including a KKKK review in Kerrang! magazine.

 

In 2010 MSW released a split album with The Drowning the album IV Et Lux Perpetua was released on Dark Balance. MSW toured Europe at the end of the year with Norway’s In Vain. Tank (Seventh Angel) joined on drums and Steve, Jasen and Andi left the band.

 

In 2011 a live and rare album was released in June on Dark Meadow. The band played some gigs including Doom Over London II with Mike Hitchen on rhythm guitar (a regular fill in for Andi from 2007 onwards). Jasen guested at the gig in London.

 

During the next couple of years, some new acoustic songs were slowly taking shape in the studio. Jasen, Tank and Steve provided percussion for these recordings. New contributers Marc Ellison and Andy Stamp were also involved on acoustic guitar and violin. A new track appeared on Dark Meadow’s Christmas compilation and an acoustic compilation limited to 100 copies was released. MSW also played at Immortal Sphere fest in Switzerland. A new video to Journey’s End was also posted on YouTube.

 

In 2013, 2007’s The Anatomy of Melancholy was re-released on Bombworks Records and the doom album ‘Silver Under Midnight’ was released in June on the same label. This album features contributions from Martin Bowes of Attrition and Greg Chandler of Esoteric.

 

Mark Henry played drums in the summer 2012, but left the band the following year. MSW were also joined by Adam Westlake of Striga on bass. For a while Rich Alden joined on 2nd guitar, being replaced when Mike Hitchen from The Drowning rejoined. Kate took a break from the band but returned around the time of recording ‘Eye of the Needle’, the band’s ambient project. Shortly after this she left the band. A split album with Pylon was released as well as the acoustic album which had been recorded over a couple of years; Preservation Restoration Reconstruction came out on vinyl through a Kickstarter project and CD.

 

Amputated’s Gareth Arlett joined on drums and the new album Damnatio Memoriae was recorded at The Priory with Greg Chandler who also guested along with Martin Bowes. The album was released in June 2015 on House of Ashes. ‘Eye of the Needle’ was recently finally released on CD on Stone Groove, having only been a download album until this point. Music from this and other MSW releases were used on the soundtrack to the film Doomsday by Neil Johnson. Recent MSW vinyl releases include And Everlasting Light on Fragile Branch/House of Ashes and Damnatio Memoriae which was a Pledge Music project. Damnatio was promoted by Imperative PR and many favourable reviews were gathered including 4Ks in Kerrang!

 

Simon Bibby from Seventh Angel recently joined MSW on keyboards.

 

Over the last few years there have been regular gigs including another show at Doom Over London, various festivals and a support slot to Draconian.

 

A compilation to mark ten years of the band was released early 2016.

 

MSW has recorded an ambient / experimental album due for release in 2017 and begin the year with a tour with A Sickness Unto Death.

 

Following the recording of ‘There Was Death’ in 2018, guitarist David MacLean joined to replace The Drowning’s Mike Hitchin as live guitarist and after a handful of gigs became a full-time member of the band.

 

In 2019 MSW we invited to contribute a cover for Officium Triste’s 15th anniversary cover album ‘Born to Lose / Doomed to Die’ (choosing ‘To the Gallows’) and also began working on two new albums; an acoustic/ambient/experimental collection entitled ‘Damnum Per Saeculorum’ due in summer 2020, and the next as yet untitled heavy death/doom album.

{tab=title="DISCOGRAPHY" class="blue"}

Shadow of Sorrow - 2006
The Anatomy of Melancholy - 2007
A Garland of Tears - 2008
IV Et Lux Perpetua - 2010
Silver Under Midnight - 2013
Preservation Restoration Reconstruction - 2013
Eye of the Needle - 2014
Damnatio Memoriae - 2015
Invitation to Imperfection - 2017
There Was Death - 2018
Damnum Per Saeculorum - 2020

{tab=title="GENRE/COUNTRY" class="grey"}

Gothic/Death/Doom Metal
United Kingdom