Today I’m pleased to present Silent Mass, an ethereal goth band based in Brooklyn, New York. Silent Mass originally began as a solo act in Los Angeles by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music photographer Ammo Bankoff. Her debut single “Total Recall”, a cover of the song by English 80s post-punk band The Sound, was released in 2020 by L.A.-based record label Dune Altar as part of the charity compilation album Do You Feel That Way Too? A Tribute to Adrian Borland & The Sound (Adrian Borland, the frontman of The Sound who suffered from schizoaffective disorder and severe depression, committed suicide in 1999). Shortly afterward, Bankoff teamed up with audio engineer and guitarist Robert Duncan, and the two of them relocated to New York, where they were soon joined by drummer and producer Alex Posell, turning Silent Mass into a three-piece band.

Their music is a captivating blend of post-punk, ethereal wave, shoegaze, goth and 90s alternative, influenced by such acts as The Cranberries, Chelsea Wolfe, Cranes, Beach House, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance and Enya. They liken their sound to “chilling in a misty vale, listening to Enya, sipping red wine, while a raven in the distance caws your name.” After listening to their songs, I say that sounds about right!

They released their debut single “Rose + Crown” in June 2021, which they followed that December with “A Cold War City”. After a two-year lull, they started releasing singles again this past March, beginning with “Land of Heart’s Desire”, followed a month later with “Nest of Flowers”. Today they drop “The Great Chaos“, the third and title track from their forthcoming debut album The Great Chaos, due for release on June 20th, which also happens to be the Summer Solstice.

Written by Bankoff, the track was mixed by Robert Duncan IV at Mourning Sun Records and mastered by Allene Norton. About “The Great Chaos”, Bankoff states it “finds beauty in the spiral of self-discovery. It’s a love song about mourning a version of your past self.” Musically, the song is moody and dark yet strangely beautiful, with haunting and lush orchestral synths overlain by an arresting combination of gorgeous chiming and shimmery guitar notes, accompanied by enchanting tribal drumbeats that add wonderful texture to the track. Bankoff’s ethereal droning vocals accentuate the track’s overall mysterious vibe as she ponders “Can you find a way out? Can you find a way out of this nightmare?” It’s a marvelous song.

And here’s the album on Bandcamp, with all five of the singles released thus far available for streaming:

Silent Mass’s Socials: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube