My Silent Wake - Shadow of Sorrow (Bombworks)
2006
1. "Wake" [intro]
(1:01)
2. "Shadow Of Sorrow" (8:39)
3. "Burning" (6:10)
4. "Hunting Season" (15:23)
5. "The Mist" (3:01)
6. "In Darkness" (5:28)
7. "Lost" (6:16)
8. "Through Greenest Meadows" (15:01)
9. "Shadow Reprise" (1:34)
BONUS TRACKS
10. "Your Cold Embrace" (9:03)
11. "Encircle" (7:38)
My Silent Wake sounds like it might be the name of some modern metalcore or emo band. In fact, this is far from the truth. My Silent Wake is a gothic doom metal band from England featuring the vocal and guitar talents of Ian Arkley, who has also been the main man behind Seventh Angel and Ashen Mortality, as well as the guitarist for Australian death/doom metallers Paramaecium. Musically, "Shadow of Sorrow" is dark, moody, majestic and melodic, yet still very heavy. Arkley's vocals are mostly of the death metal variety, which normally turns me off almost immediately. I have grown extremely tired of death growls over the years as they all seem to sound the same. However, on "Shadow of Sorrow" they seem to fit perfectly. Clean vocals are also used sparingly. These vocals echo back to the days of Seventh Angel. Actually, some of the music on "Shadow of Sorrow" reminds me of some of the slower, doomier moments on "Lament for the Weary" as well. It's worth noting that "Shadow of Sorrow" is chock full of thoughtful and inspired lyrics as well, that add to the overall appeal of the album. Frankly, I find it hard to put into words exactly how good the music is on this CD. While Ian has been involved in many great projects in the past, My Silent Wake is most definitely one of the best. (That's saying a lot since Seventh Angel's Lament of the Weary is quit simply one of my all time favorite albums.)
I must also make mention of the cover art by Rexorcist, one of my favorite cover artists. Rex has also done covers for Ultimatum, Seventh Angel and Tourniquet, among others.