Good day Ian! I’m glad that you find time to
answer my questions, yet I even don’t know from where it would be better to
start because I see that you have a lot of news – as always. Well, let me try
with that one – My Silent Wake did release Ep “The Last Man” on bandcamp page
in digital format not so long ago. This record consists of two totally new and
of two well-known songs. What would you like to tell about this album?
Hi Aleks.
The EP was released just prior to the album release as this song is the one we
consider to be the 'single' from the album. These days you don't normally
release a 7 inch as it is so expensive to produce but we wanted to do the
digital equivalent. The last track is from the forthcoming acoustic album and
the two middle tracks are alternative mixes of two songs from 2010's Et Lux
Perpetua.
First new track “The Last Man” is already
released onto brand new full-length album “Silver Under Midnight” via Bombworks
Records. But I’m sure that we couldn’t imagine how does new work sound only
taking as example this single song; so which direction did choose My Silent
Wake in this year?
As ever we
really didn't choose a direction but let the songs develop in whatever
direction they wanted to go. We have always tried to refrain from holding a
song back and making it fit into a particular genre but doing what comes
naturally. There are a variety of styles on the album as there has always been
on every MSW release but it is always recognizable as MSW. As ever, there are
clean and death vocals, a variety of instrumentation and songs from the heart.
How would you explain your tendency to compose
and play such diverse songs? There are a lot of old bands who play the same
stuff for years and sometimes even for decades! Do you understand such artists?
Maybe it is
because I enjoy a wide range of music and because MSW always had the philosophy
that we would play our songs in whatever style we wanted to play them in and
not be restricted by genre or musical fads. I do enjoy some artists that only
ever play one kind of music and who have a very distinct musical style but for
myself I would find it too restrictive.
Is it true that Greg Chandler of Esoteric took
a part in record session of “Silver Under Midnight” and helped you with some
vocal lines?
I had
worked with Greg before and have known him for ages. Before we even started
work on the album I knew he would be good doing parts of the album. He has an
incredible growl!
Let me guess… consider Chandler UK
Yes it was
recorded at the excellent Priory Studios in Sutton Coldfield. I had done the
last Seventh Angel album there and wanted to work with Greg again. He was
amazing and worked extremely hard on this album going above and beyond what
most people would have done. He did some guest growls on the Seventh Angel
album and I knew this would be perfect for MSW.
None could tell that My Silent Wake is just
another death doom band, as you always have something new to show. I see that
you even still use native Australian instrument didgeridoo, how did you find
it?
We only
used the Didgeridoo once on the song Tunnels from 'A Garland of Tears'. We used
a dulcimer on this album for the intro track and 12 string guitar on many
songs. There is a whole host of instrumentation on the forthcoming acoustic
album.
Yes, “The Last Man” Ep also has another new
track, it is a short “ritual” track “OHM” which will be included into another
new album of My Silent Wake “Preservation Restorian Reconstruction”. As you say
– it supposes to be an acoustic album, what did drive you to make such move as
you had limited edition of “Acoustic Collection” in 2012?
We have
always done acoustic songs as well as metal and this is an ongoing thing with
MSW. We have a collection of songs recorded over a couple of years and chose
the standout tracks for this new acoustic release.
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“Ohm” is Hindu mantra, and though we could to draw a parallel with Christian “Amen” I would like to ask you a general question about leitmotiv of this album – is it meant to be “spiritual” side of My Silent Wake?
I think you
mean Om. The track in question is OHM which
stands for 'Oh Heal Me' and is a desparate cry for help from somewhere,
anywhere. The song has a very ritual feel to it and this works well with the
lyrical content. This song was written at an extremely low point in my life.
Oh, I’m sorry, I missed! But you say that this
album is rich of different instruments, so I guess it doesn’t sound like that
simple stuff when guys just seat with one guitar around the fire and sing about
flowers on a sunny day. How did you work over acoustic album? And does its
conception differ from “Silver Under Midnight”?
It was
formed over a couple of years. Some songs were written a few years ago in my
garden summer house when I had a lot of time to work on them and a lot of
things in my life to write lyrics about. Some of those songs are the most
complex on the album. I wouldn't enjoy just strumming simple songs, they all
have many layers and a very deep meaning for me. The song 'Another Day' has a
lot of different sections and is one of those songs which is really hard to
remember because of this but I like the way it has turned out. Silver Under
Midnight and Preservation... were written over long periods of time and both
feature songs which have been very carefully crafted. Some of the songs on
Preservation came together quite quickly and the intro to both albums called
'Midnight' is one example of this, being written and recorded in one afternoon.
Some songs don't need a lot of time to develop and the different approaches
creates a lot of variety.
What is My Silent Wake for you? An emotional
output, a therapy? A need to artistic self-expression? Or just a kind of
obsession?
All of the
above Aleks! It is the band that I have been able to do a lot of things I only
dreamed about before. Having so much diverse musicianship in the band has been
amazing and the whole history of MSW has been enjoyable and exciting. Sometimes
writing these songs has been a huge help during some pretty horrible times in
my life.
How does that story with supporting of
“Preservation Restoration Reconstruction” through kickstarter go now? Are you
closing to a final goal?
Some people
have been so generous with this! We had one person pledge 300 pounds and 4
people pledge 100 pounds each plus loads of other generous pledges and we are
above the target so can do a really good job with this release. I have been
pretty stunned by the response for this and it has been very encouraging for
us.
Ian, what is your opinion about modern death
doom scene? I can name a lot of good bands who have original approach to their
music but in the same time there’re somehow much more bands who play the stuff
which was already written and recorded 15-20 years ago.
I think it
is pretty healthy. I don't listen to a great deal of death/doom these days
though I do still enjoy it a lot, and some bands that we are friends with are
doing an amazing job, like The Prophecy, Dalit, The Drowning, Esoteric and
others and they are keeping things fresh and powerful. I have seen all these
bands live and they are all fantastic.
I certainly
had a time just over a decade ago when things were quiet as life had so many
other commitments but when I got back into making music a real priority, things
fell quickly into place. I have always loved making music from an early age. My
mother has a recording of me singing 'Mull of Kintyre' as a child with a gruff
little voice and strumming a toy guitar.
Ian, you also took part in project Century
Sleeper and recorded “Awaken” album with James Allin in 2006. How did he involve
you into it? And can you say that there’s left a space to grow for Century
Sleeper?
Maybe this
is something we could explore again - I certainly enjoyed making that album. I
have currently lost contact with James but hope to remedy that situation as I
like him a lot and we got along very well. I flew over to Seattle
I suppose that not all of our readers know that
you started in thrash (and later – doom) band Seventh Angel which was born in
1987.
Yes the
band started late 80s and did two albums which got released on Under One Flag.
The band split up for about 16 years and got back together and recorded The
Dust of Years. We played a few gigs and did two tours.
What is a current state of Seventh Angel? Last
full-length “The Dust of Years” was released in 2009, but I see that band’s
status is “active” still.
I don't
think we will ever split up again. We did a tour last Autumn and were thinking
of recording again in the not-too-distant future.
You had a long break with Seventh Angel, but
you’ve used it to practice in Ashen Mortality which played “doom metal with
folk influences”, such definition looks pretty original. How did you come to such
form of realization?
It was a
case of marrying the forms of music I enjoy the most and the kind of music I
wanted to be playing. I wasn't listening to much thrash at the time but was
enjoying bands like Paradise Lost and Anathema and wanted to do something along
those lines mixed with my love of medieval music.
How do you see a place of your bands onto local
or world doom scene after all these years spending in a very heart of Albion ’s metal underground? Well, I even don’t know if I
can ask you about your participation in Australian band Paramaecium.
I don't
really see us as part of any scene as such and we remain quite an obscurity. I
quite like it that way, but obviously we would like more people to hear the
music. The Paramaecium album was enjoyable and it was great to work with Andrew
who is a good friend. I hope one day we can collaborate again.
What is a reason for remaining in such
“obscurity”? Don’t you think that you could gain better result and find more
listeners if you did focus onto Seventh Angel or Ashen Mortality?
Seventh
Angel is still going and I think these days both bands have a lot of interest.
I don't want to become famous or some sort of rock star I just want to do the
music I enjoy. If no-one listens that is a shame but it won't stop me making
music. A lot of people have found MSW deeply helpful in their lives and are
very loyal fans and that means a lot to me.
Ian, I would like to thank you for your
patience, thank you for your time too. I hope My Silent Wake will release
“Preservation Restoration Reconstruction” really soon so good luck man! Do you
have few more words for our readers?
PRR will be
released on vinyl and CD later this summer so look out for it. Those who have
never heard MSW - take a listen to some of our songs. Thanks for the interview!
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