My Silent Wake’s Ian Arkley Takes On Our 10 Questions Of Biblical Proportions
Source // deadwebzine.files.wordpress.com
My Silent Wake’s recent Death/Doom Metal release, Damnatio Memoriae, is a firm favourite here at Worship Metal so what better time to ask founder, lead guitarist and all-round UK Underground Metal legend Ian Arkley (Seventh Angel, Paramaecium, Ashen Mortality) our 10 Questions Of Biblical Proportions….
1. So….what are you up to then sir?
“When I started this interview I was working on a freight train on an overnight engineering job in a tunnel. Now I am at home watching Bargain Hunt on TV after sending off some Pledge Music items of My Silent Wake merchandise.”
2. Which album/artist/gig/experience made you first realise you ‘Worshipped’ Metal?
“In my garden in the early eighties, the newly released Saxon single “And The Bands Played On” was played on the radio and immediately I was hooked.”
3. Name the one album that epitomises Heavy Metal over all others.
“What a difficult question! Probably Unleashed in the East or The Number of the Beast.”
4. Which guilty pleasure album do you listen to the most? Be honest now.
“I had to ask my girlfriend about this one. She reckons a Neil Diamond live album is my most guilty pleasure album but sadly I don’t feel any guilt for listening to any forms of music. If I like a song it doesn’t really matter what style it is. Some bands Metal fans might dislike that I enjoy would possibly include James, early U2, The National, Editors and Doves. I listen to most forms of Metal, Goth, Indie, Folk, Classical, Medieval, Rock etc but absolutely despise modern Pop music and a lot of modern Metal shite.”
5. You have one opportunity to introduce your band(s) to the entire world, which album from your back catalogue do you blast them away with?
“Probably The Anatomy Of Melancholy due to its variety and the amount of work that went into it.”
6. You find yourselves booked on a mammoth, 12 month, non stop, around the world tour, what 5 essential items do you take with you in order to survive?
“Phone / wallet / medication / pants / tunes”
7. What’s been your most memorable experience on the road?
“Touring abroad (and breaking down) with Ashen Mortality in a Ford Fiesta somewhere in Germany. The whole band was touring in that car.”
8. You’re given the chance to handpick the ultimate 4-piece Rock and Metal supergroup (living or deceased). Who’s in the line-up?
“John Bonham, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and ….let me think, Robert Plant.”
9. Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is blatantly the greatest thing ever invented but what’s the second greatest invention of all time?
“Trains.”
10. It turns out Ozzy’s luscious long hair is imbued with time-travelling qualities and just one stroke of his lion’s mane can transport you back to any Rock/Metal gig of your choice. Who do you go and see?
“The supergroup mentioned above [in the] mid ’70s.”
Fun interview! And the new album is well worth checking out.
Cheers Ben! Love the new album, a highlight of 2015 for me \m/
Drawing on similar influences to Ashen Mortality, My Silent Wake is a more experimental progression for Arkley, with more open soundscape arrangements, but also a heavier aspect to the sound.