Wonderbox Metal

Interview with My Silent Wake

My Silent Wake’s eighth album Damnatio Memoriae is full of dark magic and heaviness. I quizzed main man Ian Arkley about this latest release…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

We are My Silent Wake, a UK based death/doom band with many other influences. We were started ten years ago from the members of the final line-up of Ashen Mortality minus my ex wife. I am also the founding member of Seventh Angel and other bands and projects over the years.

Give us a bit of history to My Silent Wake

We were formed in 2005. We have recorded eight albums and 2 split albums and played in various European countries. Although we have had a number of line-up changes I have always been the main vocalist and guitarist in the band so the sound hasn’t completely changed over the years, though it has developed in various directions. We have recorded acoustic and ambient music as well as death/doom and like to keep things flexible rather than be restricted in the style of music we play.

Where did the band name come from?

It was something I came up with and have very little memory of why it came about. I’m sure I wanted the meaning to be slightly ambiguous. I remember our drummer commenting that it sounded like My Dying Bride. I couldn’t see it at the time, but it has been commented on since and I think this gets us compared to them when a lot of our music is nothing like them. It is so hard to come up with a band name that you are always going to be happy with but I think it works fine.

What are your influences?

Having said all that, MDB are (of course) an influence as well as many other doom bands, other metal and rock bands, death/doom and Gothic bands. I would say some of our main influences would include Trouble, Sabbath, Paradise Lost, MDB, Dead Can Dance and Zeppelin. I am also a fan of medieval and folk music which comes to the fore in our acoustic songs.

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

Right now as I type this, Sorcerer. I listen to a wide range of music that has recently included: Obsequiae, Attrition, Hawkwind, Pentagram, Grand Magus, Roy Harper etc….At Bloodstock fest this year I enjoyed: Agalloch, Wolf, Nuclear Assault, Lawnmower Deth, Opeth, Conan, Ihsahn, Enslaved, Godfesh and Rob Zombie to name a few.

What’s your favourite song on the album and why?

Not sure which I like the best, but probably The Empty Unknown. I wrote the lyrics and Adam wrote the music to this and I think it has come out well especially with Greg Chandler’s huge vocals which are interspersed with mine and Martin Bowes’s atmospheric synth in the mid section.

What are the subjects/themes of the songs on this album?

There are a variety of thoughts and meanings in the songs but I can put the main ideas within them in a nutshell ‘Of Fury’ is about destruction of property, people and ideas by tyrants, religious leaders etc and those that follow them in this; ‘Highwire’ is about being split in your ideas and directions; ‘Now it Destroys’ is about the end of a relationship; ‘Black Oil’ is about depression and the damage done by certain experiences in life; ‘And so it Comes to an End’ is about infidelity and the after effects; ‘The Innocent’ is about the abuse of vulnerable people such as children; ‘The Empty Unknown’ is generally about the need to rebuild and redeem yourself after a massive loss and it talks about the suffering felt during those times; ‘Chaos Enfolds Me’ is similar in its subject matter to ‘Now it Destroys’

Give us a bit of information on your songwriting process

No set process, just coming up with ideas and forming them into a song – sometimes lyrics first, sometimes music. Sometimes the songs are a collaborative effort and sometimes written by one member so there really are no rules.

How did the recording go?

Great! It is always both fun and productive working with Greg and the studio is a fantastic place to record. I think the sound on the album is perfect for the songs and the results are better than we could have hoped for. As usual we didn’t have much money to spend on this but it was our biggest budget out of all the MSW albums. I love Greg’s production as it seems to retain some rawness and is extremely heavy, unlike a lot of modern production. We had previously recorded ‘Silver Under Midnight’ and the Seventh Angel album ‘The Dust of Years’ there. I knew Greg back in the Ashen Mortality days but we got back in touch when I saw Esoteric in Bristol. That was an amazing performance which required getting my ears syringed.

How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future, and what’s next for your band?

Not sure about direction musically, as this depends on how the songs develop and come together. We have no set rules for the way we want an album to sound but maybe a loose idea of the overall direction. In the near future I hope to get a live album done with at least one new song and a ten year anniversary double compilation. I have been working on some more medieval ideas with my friend Luke, who played with us on the split album with Pylon. We are also making an announcement of a new member very soon.

Thanks for the interview!

Animus Mortis – Testimonia (Review)

Animus Mortis are a Chilean Black Metal band and this is their second album.

This is an intriguing blend of Progressive and Post-Black Metal that lasts 40 minutes and makes a very good impression. It’s Black Metal for the modern age, taking influence from the aforementioned sub-genres to add to their Blackened pot, creating something unusual.

This sits nicely alongside albums from bands like Entropia, Thaw, Outre, Hope Drone, Tempel, Decline of the I, Wayfarer, Deafheaven and many others that play Black Metal with a non-standard spin on things. Bands such as these take up the mantle of Post-Black Metal, (willingly or not), to expand their musical horizons and add to their Blackened palette.

Chants, screams, growls and all manner of other vocalisations are used to great effect to provide a rich vocal performance. These are multifaceted and varied, allowing the singer ample avenues for exploration and experimentation. Wailing, shrieking and moaning torment appear to be his choicest methods of delivery; these are frequently layered on top of each other to create a nightmarish juxtaposition against the more resplendent music. I imagine it could be somewhat of an acquired taste for some people when confronted with his style, maybe rather preferring the more standard screams that appear less often.

The music is highly emotive and has an understated epic feel to it. It has a heart that’s twisted and warped though, kind of like Deathspell Omega with added Shoegaze. The music can be quite beautiful, with uplifting sections as well as parts that are more barbed and dangerous. The vocals supply the main ugliness and horror to the music, with the singer frequently sounding inhuman or possessed, adding a disturbing aura to the songs.

This is a compelling release due to the fact that it attempts to do something a little different from the norm and largely succeeds. The ubiquitous blast beats, the gleaming guitar melodies and the corrupted vocalisations all merge together to produce something greater than the sum of its parts.

This is music to become entranced by. Let Animus Mortis lift you up and help you explore the less-travelled paths that they wander. It may seem a daunting proposition, but it’s one that’s worth it.

Neter – Idols (Review)

Neter are a Spanish Death Metal band and this is their second album.

This is well-recorded and precise Death Metal that mainly shies away from the faster, more brutal end of the spectrum and instead concentrates on rhythmic execution and melodic accompaniment.

This isn’t to say that the band don’t know how to knock out a blast beat when they need to, (there are plenty of these), it’s just that this isn’t their only or even main mode of assault.

Sharing aspects of bands such as Bolt Thrower and Morbid Angel, Neter combine this with elements of the Polish scene like Decapitated and Vader. As such, Idols covers quite a bit of ground, all in a solid, proficient manner.

The rolling double bass and pulsating guitars are clipped and efficient, lending a vitality and instant-appeal to the music. The guitars knock out riffs with ease and these roll out of the speakers in a very ear-friendly fashion. Solos and leads are done well and add to the songs.

The singer seems more than qualified for his position and growls his heart out alongside the pummelling drums and undulating guitars.

The entire album sounds familiar enough to be instantly appealing, yet not too similar to the band’s Death Metal heroes that it becomes off-putting or derivative.

Idols is competent Death Metal played professionally. Check it out.

Doomed – Wrath Monolith (Review)

Doomed is a solo project from Germany and this is his fourth album playing Doom/Death Metal.

Doomed’s third album Our Ruin Silhouettes was a good example of quality Doom/Death that ticked all of the right boxes for the genre. Curiously, this new release has a song on it called Our Ruin Silhouettes yet the actual album named this did not.

So how has Doomed progressed on this new release? Well, it’s still the familiar Doom/Death style that lovers of the sub-genre will be so familiar with, (how could it not be?), although on this latest album this seems a bit more riff-hungry in places, with a little more of the Death Metal side of the Doom/Death equation coming to the fore.

The Funeral Doom marches and depressive moods are still present and correct. Doom/Death is a very specific sub-genre, and once you move too far away from the core of this style you’re not playing it any more. The guy behind Doomed knows exactly what he’s doing though and these compositions milk the most from the emotional misery while at the same time allowing for sufficient variation in writing and pacing so that these 51 minutes don’t feel as agonisingly slow as the music can be.

Guest vocalists add further interest to the songs, and these compliment the main Deathgrowls which are as deep and as enjoyable as they previously were.

Due to the ramping up of the Death Metal influence, the guitars have a bit more energy to them in places and as it’s all wrapped up in a crushing production. The riffs seem to jump out of the speakers like eager puppies. Although admittedly, these are dark, misery-drenched puppies determined to drown you in woe.

Hmmm. Misery puppies?

What the Hell, let’s go with it.

Strong leads, melodies and solos abound. As one of the cornerstones of the style, the forlorn melodies are carried out really well. The songs do a laudable job of manifesting the negativity that sits at the core of the music.

The album showcases the Atmospheric side of the band in addition to the depressive. Synths and keyboards add extra layers to parts of the songs and there’s even a hint of a Progressive Metal slant on some parts of this release. If this is further developed even more on future releases then this would be a valuable addition to the Doomed sound, as it already seems to be becoming.

Wrath Monolith is a very impressive album that’s pretty much at the top of its game. I find Doom/Death to be a sub-genre that can easily become a little stale, so I’m pleased to report that this is not the case here. The music holds the attention easily and this is an album that has a lot to offer. As stated, there’s a surprising amount of variety and interest to be had here and it seems that Doomed’s songwriting is just getting better and better.

Very highly recommended.

Decrepid – Osseous Empire (Review)

Decrepid are a UK Death Metal band and this is their second album.

This is Death Metal for all of the purists out there. It’s Old-School in nature and takes a good influence from USDM greats like Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and Deicide, as well as elements of UK legends Desecration.

Featuring a decent sound and plenty of good riffs, the songs on Osseous Empire make an immediate impression. The combination of well-thought out guitars and Death Metal heaviness makes the album an easy listen to anyone familiar with the style.

The songs are very rhythmic and riff-heavy, with the band seemingly conscious of the necessary ingredients for a working, holistic song rather than just a collection of guitar parts.

Leads and melodies are few and far between, although solos are included to add colour and spice to their attack.

The vocals are deep growls that are extremely satisfying in their delivery. The singer’s performance is faultless and there’s even the odd scream included to add flavour.

If you’re a fan of Death Metal then it’s hard for me to understand how you wouldn’t like Decrepid. I suppose if all you care about is the ultra-modern, ultra-brutal, ultra-fast or ultra-technical then they might not be for you, but if you like well-constructed songs that have all of the components of timeless, Classic Death Metal then Decrepid are an excellent choice.

This really is an impressive album. Undeniably Old-School without sounding stale or irrelevant, Osseous Empire has massively impressed me with its charismatic songs and atavistic Death Metal personality.

One to get hold of immediately.

Interview with De Profundis

Paul Nazarkardeh, (guitarist), was kind enough to answer a few questions about the latest De Profundis stormer Kingdom of the Blind. This is the second interview I’ve done with this exceptional band, the first occurring shortly after their Frequencies EP was released; I think it’s important to support good music wherever and whenever you can, and De Profundis are one of the best Death Metal bands in the UK at the moment. A bold claim? Not if you’ve heard Kingdom of the Blind…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself

As the interview title probably suggests – we are De Profundis. We hail from the United Kingdom and play an intricate, mercurial form of death metal, free of gimmickry and bullshit. In truth, the best possible introduction to De Profundis can be found in the first song of our upcoming album Kingdom Of The Blind – Kult of the Orthodox. It introduces us better than I possibly could here.

Give us a bit of background to De Profundis

De Profundis has existed for 10 years, and have evolved and transformed much in that time. Kingdom Of The Blind will be the band’s 4th LP, following on from last year’s Frequencies EP. The band have played in 24 different countries alongside names some familiar names such as Immolation, Marduk, Rotting Christ, Malevolent Creation in 2009 supporting the legendary Iron Maiden in India. Needless to say, the band has kept busy.

De Profundis 4 Where did the band name come from? For me it will always remind me of a Vader album!

Haha – some would say Vader, some might say Abruptum, some might even think of Oscar Wilde. The term translates from the original Latin as ‘From the Depths’.

What are your influences?

Since De Profundis hasn’t always been the same collection of 5 individuals (hell, since I joined on guitars in 2013 in the grand scheme of things I’m pretty new) the collection of influences in our music don’t remain constant. The name Death is often mentioned in reviews, which is pretty justified. Chuck Schuldiner’s work has had a massive influence on me, as it should on any extreme metal artist with a functional pair of ears. Other than that it varies. Personally, when we wrote Kingdom of the Blind I was listening to bands like Carcass, Akercocke and Atheist as well as copious amounts of King Diamond/Mercyful Fate. I’m sure the other members of the band would give very different answers.

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

Well, as I’m writing this I’m listening to Ulver’s Bergtatt. I’m not sure why I find myself listening to so much black metal in the summer months – testament to the farce that is the British summertime I suppose. As far as new releases by bands, that becomes a lot harder. The new Paradise Lost is a great return to form, and I’ve high hopes for the new My Dying Bride. What I’d prefer is for some new music to be recommended to me!

There’s a lot of involved, intricate playing on Kingdom of the Blind, including some quality bass-work. How do you go about writing and arranging your songs?

The beginnings of a song usually come from me or Shoi. We’ll bring some guitar riffs we’ve been playing about with along to rehearsal and start bouncing those ideas off each other. As you can hear, Arran is by no means a typical bass player. Rather than us prearranging lines for him, he works alongside us to come up with bass lines that compliment our playing. Our frontman Craig then handles quality control, which he’s rather good at as he certainly isn’t afraid to tell us if an idea that we’ve been working on sounds like shit – which keeps us instrumentalist musos in place.

De Profundis 3 Do you ever see yourselves writing ever longer and longer songs in the future? I can imagine, potentially, you becoming more and more Progressive in the future.

Way ahead of you – De Profundis have a whole discography worth of longer more drawn out songs. With this album we’ve sought to do quite the opposite – trim the fat and leave only muscle. Earlier De Profundis material is full of longer, slower songs, but that isn’t what this current incarnation of the band represents. Kingdom of The Blind is the first De Profundis album that I feature on, and I can say both as a member of the band and a fan for many years that this streamlining in favour of the acute over the obtuse is part of the reason why Kingdom of the Blind is undisputedly the best De Profundis album to date.

Progressive is an interesting adjective. Although I agree with you, I think it’s a word that is horrendously abused in metal, especially in this day and age. It seems that every ten minutes I hear another flavour of the month band regurgitate the same hackneyed and insipid clichés under the supposed buzz word of “progressive” music, when anyone not sucked in to the paper thin marketing can clearly hear that the far more fitting term would be “regressive”! On the contrary, I think that De Profundis has been a band that have been progressive for the majority of it’s existence and I think that on Kingdom of the Blind this is rather evident, as it also is in the bands previous record The Emptiness Within. That being said, no two De Profundis records are the same – which is an ideal any truly progressive band has. No-one calls the early Morbid Angel records progressive, but at that time there were very few bands who would have the nerve to write anything as unorthodox as God Of Emptiness, and that’s what I consider to be a progressive mindset.

What’s your favourite song on the album and why?

I have a few. I’ve a special fondness for Illumination, as it was the first full song I was part of the creative process for. I can’t possibly neglect to mention the sheer ferocity of Kult of the Orthodox or the morbidity of All Consuming, but another favourite of mine is Thrown To The Wolves, with it’s juxtaposition of left-field guitar work with straight up old school death metal aggression.

What does the future hold for De Profundis?

Kingdom Of The Blind is finally set for a release on September the 28th of this year under our new label Wickerman Records. Though we’re looking forward to the release, we don’t like to sit idly by waiting around either. We’re already well into the creative process of album number 5. De Profundis will also be hitting the road shortly after the release of the album with two of death metal’s biggest names, where we intend to help as many people unfortunate enough to not know of us as possible by exposing them to the Kingdom of the Blind.

Haemophagus/Subjugation – Split (Review)

Haemophagus are from Italy and Subjugation are from Turkey. They’ve teamed up for this short and brutal split.

I was very impressed with Haemophagus’ début album Atrocious, and on this split they continue to impress with two tracks of quality Grindcore-infused Death Metal.

Hibernated World is an Old-School Death Metal revenant that stumbles and crawls its way out of the crypt. Savagely jagged riffs and evil, underground melodies combine with a cocky swagger to create a song that is confident and assured.

The vocals are dark growls that seem like they’re spewing acid and vile warnings. This feeling continues on into the second song Monsters in the Park, where the vocals are a little deeper but no less caustic.

This second track is faster with the rotting horror of the first replaced by a two minute grinder that still can’t resist a good groove in the last part of the song. Both are very good tracks but I favour this latter one very slightly.

Subjugation are a new band for me. They offer us three tracks in total and their Deathgrind has a Swedish Death Metal edge to the guitars, mixed with the taste of an older, less-polished Rotten Sound.

The vocals are ultra-deep and rough around the edges; they’re both uncompromising and satisfying.

Monuments to Greed is their first song and it’s a decent calling card for the band. Fast but not overly so; there’s some Swedish groove here too and it hits the spot.

Trembling on Broken Glass continues the theme only with a faster approach. The Swedish feel is still here in the sound of the guitars and it lends the band an immediacy to their already in-your-face style.

The final song Under the Whip is the longest at just under 3 minutes in length and is probably the most brutal of the three. The blasting eventually changes to a mid-paced chugging assault to see out the song, and, like Haemophagus, Subjugation’s final track is probably my favourite.

This short hit of Death Metal/Grindcore is just what the mad doctor ordered and is definitely worth a few spins.

Recommended.

Israthoum – Antru Kald (Review)

Israthoum are a Black Metal band from the Netherlands and this is their latest EP.

Having enjoyed their 2012 album Black Poison and Shared Wounds, this EP is a welcome snapshot of what’s happening with the band in 2015.

A short release at just under 14 minutes in length, it nonetheless showcases the core of what Israthoum are all about and makes a lasting impression.

The riffs on this release sound serrated and it’s good to hear that their Black Metal is just as sharp and as dangerous as ever.

The vocals are still scathing and unhinged. The singer’s inhuman screams seem infused with passionate vitriol and dark vision. As the EP progresses it appears that his fragile grip on this reality becomes ever more tenuous, with his performance becoming increasingly deranged.

I’m pleased to say that the band’s songwriting skills have not diminished either. Each of these songs displays Israthoum’s mastery of the genre that they clearly love so much. Dark riffs, Blackened melodies and blasting hatred combine with a sense of dynamics and ritualistic flair to create compositions that tug at the mind, enticing and promising untold rewards, if only you’d just take one step closer to their world…

Antru Kald is a short but compelling release, with subsequent spins simply reinforcing the impression of a band who really know what they’re doing when it comes to creating Black Metal art.

Memorable and addictive, Antru Kald is worthy of praise and your attention. Get on it.

Manzer – Pictavian Chronicles – Volume 1 (Review)

Manzer are a Black Metal band from France and this is a compilation of earlier releases and rare tracks.

Manzer play Thrashy Black Metal with a real underground feel and lots of savagery. Fast and furious, Manzer carve their way through an impressive 78 minutes of music on this collection. It’s a lot to sit through if you’re not completely in the mood for their Thrashed-up Blackened assault, but it’s definitely worth the effort as there are some real gems on this release.

The singer has a raspy voice that lets you know in no uncertain terms that this is not a band to be messed with. These occasionally descend into demented howling and early-Slayer-esque screams, bringing out the Thrash influence in the singer’s charismatic voice.

I like that these songs, for the most part, have a really good mix of Black and Thrash Metal in the right amounts. Old-School Thrash with lots of flair and character is dragged down into the filth and given a blasting, dirty, Blackened skullfuck until it knows its place and does its master’s bidding. First-wave Black Metal and Old-School Thrash collide, fight it out and result in Manzer.

It’s a very satisfying listen and gets straight to the point of the matter. Blackened Thrash can be a bit tiresome sometimes, but I find that, despite the length, I still enjoy this release a great deal more than similar releases from other bands that might have less than half the running time.

In addition to the original songs there are some live tracks and also covers of Venom, Abigail, Motörhead and Mercyful Fate.

A very enjoyable collection of volatile, raw Blackened Thrash. Recommended.

IIVII – Colony (Review)

IIVII is a solo Ambient project from the US. This is his début album.

This is an album of expressive, minimalist soundscapes; Electronica fused with a cinematic, Sci-Fi quality that seeps from the tracks like a foreboding aura.

Stylistically this is the moody spiritual sibling of Celestite by Wolves in the Throne Room. The feeling is that with Celestite you’re gazing up at the heavens, marvelling at the vastness of the universe, while with Colony you’re surrounded by space in the cold, empty embrace of the cosmos.

You really do feel like you’re on a derelict space station orbiting Saturn, with the crushing enormousness of the galaxy weighing down on you. You’re watching, waiting, feeling.

Colony is oddly moving, with each song acting as its own narrative while still remaining part of a larger story-arc. The music shapes the listener’s emotions as it progresses, drawing you in, ever closer, until you feel like you’re right in the midst of the darkness. With pretty much everything designed to give the impression of cosmic wonder and isolation, Colony succeeds on every level.

The cover art is somewhat of a perfect visual representation of the music in many ways. In fact, IIVII is crying out for a visual aspect to accompany the music. It’s not that the music isn’t enough on its own, (it is), it’s more that it has an entire other level to offer the listener; a visual medium to enhance the soundtrack.

This is expertly judged, with each track really giving the impression of a far-flung, lonely colony, adrift in the endless night. It’s the perfect soundtrack for its science fiction-theme.

Perfect for lonely, dark nights.