Silent Mass is a tough-as-nails name and they’re described as being for “anyone who has prayed for a darker and heavier Enya.” I’d be darned if I’m not among those who have! Initially a solo project by Ammo Bankoff in Los Angeles before the pandemic, the band has since expanded to include audio engineer and guitarist Robert Duncan, drummer and producer Alex Posell, and bassist Kevin LoBiondo. The lineup has performed at sold-out shows in Berlin and Los Angeles, as well as at the New Colossus Festival in NYC.
Silent Mass is preparing to unveil their debut LP “The Great Chaos” on June 20, coinciding with the Summer Solstice. The album’s lead single, “Land of Heart’s Desire,” delves into the impact of unfulfilled aspirations on those around you while their latest single, “Nest Of Flowers,” explores what I can only describe as the blind faith of the fool, who walks unfamiliar roads trusting that tomorrow will bring a better today.
According to Ammo Bankoff, “Nest of Flowers is an ode to walking a directionless path into the unknown. It’s a reminder to trust that a way out always reveals itself in time.“
“Nest Of Flowers” is a truly haunting piece of music that simply defies conventional genre tropes. Though the band self-describes itself as “midnight dream pop meets shoegaze,” its sound is dense and distorted like you would expect from depressive black metal, but the vocals are soft, tender, and emotional like those of dream pop indeed. Neither too harsh nor too mellow, the track strikes a very unique emotional balance and an aesthetic experience incomparable to pretty much anything else out there. If you were hungering for something truly new and fresh, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
