British leaders of the Doom Gothic Metal way, My Silent Wake, have unleashed a new statement of faith in the form of Damnatio Memoriae. While I'm sure there are those of us, myself included that keep hoping for another Seventh Angel album following the absolutely amazing Dust of Years from 2009, I am happy to have anything new that wields the talents of mainman guitarist/vocalist Ian Arkley.

 

Following the success of their last release Silver Under Midnight, MSW have crafted yet another remarkable offering that delivers an assortment of dark, brutal and dauntingly skilled precision Metal songs. Damnatio Memoriae is a solid offering and delivers few surprises. Fans will rejoice in the bands ability to stay both current and consistent in their musical endeavors, however I must admit that they have yet to outdo what is in my opinion their crowning achievement 2010's IV Et Lux Perpetua.

 

Damnatio Memoriae (damnation of memory) represents the latest chapter of uncompromising Metal deviance  in the history of MSW. The creativity of this band never ceases to amaze as they continue to evolve their sound while holding on to the core principles that have established them as extraverts in the Metal underground. "Of Fury" begins the album with a monstrous pounding. The feel here is  a more primal undertaking I think than any of the bands previous releases. Continuing with "High Wire", it is nice to hear the band really open up to the aggressive nature of their music.  Most of the songs contained on this album differentiate between moderately timed structures and dark brooding tendencies. "Black Oil" gives credence to the latter. This is probably my favorite song on the CD as it is a totally captivating doom monger of a song which I am a hardened fan of. Surprisingly there is none of the more folkish compositions that the guys have included on the last couple of albums. The  awesome volume control intro of "And So It Comes To An End" is followed by a great amount of passionately driven melodic dexterity which ruthlessly drives home a comparatively despondent sentiment. Picking up the pace considerably is "The Innocent" which serves as a beautifully written anthem. The lead work here is very eloquent and the change ups make this possibly the most epic song that MSW have ever penned until that is, the next song which is nothing short of epic in its 13:57 duration. "The Empty Unknown" is a chilling proportion that absolutely bleeds charisma. A beautiful melodic, doomy, drudging masterpiece that could easily find them being labeled the Pink Floyd of Doom Metal. Ian Arkley's death growls are spine tingling as ever and worthy of praise.

 

My Silent Wake have presented another exceedingly notable contribution to the underground Metal realms. I so wish these guys could be given the opportunity to tour abroad with this release, they are deserving of so much more respect and consideration than what they are given.

 

-Priest