While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose
Pre-orders accepted, shipping from 03.11. onwards!
Buy it either: lethalconflict.com, ebay.co.uk or huuto.net (Finland only)
Tracks:
1. The Furthest Shore
2. To Wander The Void
3. Living Sepulchre
4. Vessel
5. Vast Oceans Lachrymose
6. Epilogue
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Band online:
http://www.whileheavenwept.com/
http://www.last.fm/music/While+Heaven+Wept
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=2228
http://www.myspace.com/whileheavenwept
Review:
Well time passes really fast after all. Six years have passed since 2003 the year when Of Empires Forlorn by the Virginia, US based Doomsters While Heaven Wept was released and to me it is like just yesterday. We are now on 2009 and yes we all have been waiting for so long for the follower Vast Oceans Lachrymose album. Its release has been announced almost immediately after the release of the Of Empires Forlorn followed by many specific details given by the bands main man Tom Philips that made the agony for the final musical result bigger and bigger. It was not only the statement that While Heaven Wept would follow a little different musical path adding a more powerful meanwhile progressive touch into their music, it was mainly the fact that the standards of this band were already very high and everyone deep into their music was anxious enough to hear what more this band could do that will be better than their already released masterpieces.
Six years have passed and it seems that after a long period of silence While heaven Wept are back releasing their best album. Before I focus into the music I would like to go on a little flashback on June 2009 when the band announced their new singer: vocalist Rain Irving, (formerly of Magna Carta/Roadrunner recording artist Altura who released a progressive metal classic entitled "Mercy" back in 1996) was announced as the official singer of While Heaven Wept back then. I left a little bit anxious after reading this because Tom Philips vocals was something more than a trademark for While Heaven Wept. After this announcement the agony for the album was bigger than ever. But now it is over
I think that musical terms are a bit useless when we are referring to bands like While Heaven Wept. The artistic level of this bands music is so high that any attempt to trap their music on a simple term will be simply useless. Vast Oceans Lachrymose is released and now I got to sit down and turn into words all this river of feelings and emotions that flooded my entire existence when I heard this masterpiece. I will try.
First of all I must make it clear that this is the most powerful album the band has ever released. I will do no justice at all to if I mention the music trapped in here simply as Doom Metal. We can hear all the melancholy, the emotional ecstasy, the heaviness and the melody of Epic Doom Metal, we can hear complex and technical meanwhile memorable Progressive Metal parts blessed by this little sophisticated touch that someone can realize into Braves music. We can hear pure and straight into your face Metal musical parts carrying the tradition of the Classic Heavy Metal and the strength of US Power Metal, even some little Black Metal storms are waiting to overtake us. We can also hear those beloved acoustic parts that were so familiar to all the While Heaven Wept fans and finally we can hear the voice Rain Irving bringing new power and fresh melodic air into While Heaven Wepts music.
The most important think of all is that all the new music found in this album still carries ALL the trademarks of While Heaven Wept. The characteristic guitar melodies of Tom Philips are here, the melancholic keyboards giving emphasis to some parts of this musical heaven are still here, the interludes and epilogues we all loved in While Heaven Wept are present and even in the more powerful and faster parts of the music there is still the wandering spirit of melancholy that sometimes is turned to anger-. So for those who have expected to listen a different band the point is simple: Vast Oceans Lachrymose re presents While Heaven Wept in a more powerful and Progressive way meanwhile they are keeping ALL those features that made them one of the most favorite bands for many of us.
The album begins with The Furthest Shore, the song will overtake you by storm even by the first seconds with its pounding riffing and skull crushing guitar melodies, soon the keyboards and the guitar leads will remind you that you are still into While Heaven Wept world and the clean acoustic guitar melody to follow will make you feel safer than ever. Soon enough you will have the chance to hear Rains vocals for the first time and realize that they fit perfect upon the pounding riffing, keeping the classic While heaven Wept vocal melodies, Desolate I have succumb to the seas of Sorrow he sings making us to realize that his voice is something more than a suitable one for While Heaven Wept. A wonderful keyboard and guitar lead follows after the second chorus and then a storm by Power / Prog riffs and guitar melodies would come just before another vocal crescendo . I am in real ecstasy . The breaking in the middle of the song will make you hold your breath just to get some more strength because a new guitar and vocal storm is coming. Well it is a fact: While Heaven Wept have gone wild and a little sophisticated the same time... but wait a minute, I am catching myself to play some air guitar. This is the metal I like. The next acoustic melody soon to be covered by keyboards and one more guitar lead will make me close my eyes again They are remaining closed as I am ready to dive in the next crescendo which is blessed by classic While Heaven Wept Doom riffing and some more beautiful leads... Well Rain got a WONDERFULL voice . I am leaving my existence to wander in the sea of melodies as the song reaches its end (listen carefully the last three minutes, yes this is the musical magic of While Heaven Wept).
To Wander The Void begins with a mysterious introduction under a melodic theme, soon a little technical meanwhile catchy guitar break will guide you to the main riff: straight and strong and the vocals of Rain even more passionate. Basically this is the more straight into the face track of the whole album, pure inspired Steel with many Power Metal touches and some magnificent and mysterious Epic Doom Metal moments. The songs epilogue hides some great melodies as well.
Living Sepulchre and Vessel are the songs to follow. The storm taking, pounding riffs on "Living Sepulchre"'s beginning could even belong to a Black Metal band but the vocals of Rain and the guitar leads are here to bring all the melody that is needed, still enough power in here before the first acoustic calm. An enigmatic melody touched by another beautiful lead guitar theme will guide the listener to the next song and its first pounding riff played the While Heaven Wept way (this is Vessels first part). The chorus that follows is simply one of the most wonderful musical parts of the album; it is touched by heavenly melodies both in vocals and guitars. Vessel is one of the passionate tracks of the album, it carries a secret flame, it carries the strength of every new beginning, it carries that secret power of Faith Have faith without fear, open your heart, breathe and believe
The Vast Oceans Lachrymose song prepares us for the epilogue of the album. The song is nothing more and nothing less than an epic, melodic anthem, filled with music that only While Heaven Wept can create. The music speaks by itself in here and if you listen carefully you will hear the narration of the deepest, most mysterious and most wonderful story. I really enjoyed the small piano fillings in here. This song is with no doubt a piece of fine art.
The Epilogue drives us on the final calm through the musical waves of the While Heaven Wept sea. The journey is over but with a simple press of the play button it can start again
Yes listener on the next listening you can pay more attention to the lyrical concept of the album. Follow the weeping heaven upon the sea waves of oceans unknown
It is fact that the band has spent hundreds of hours in the production room. No one has told me anything about it but I paid attention to the crystal clear and heavy production of the album: a production that leaves enough space for the rhythm section (which is much more than important in the case of While Heaven Wepts music because it is the heavy base that all the rest of the music is built upon). There is also a solid sound wall of heavier than ever rhythm guitars but there is still enough sound space for lead guitar themes and vocal melodies. For the matter of emphasis the keyboards and the little symphonic parts- are there in total sound harmony with the rest of the instruments. Vast Oceans Lachrymose is for sure one of the best produced records I have heard lately.
I have already written that Rain Irivng is the new power of the band, a band that would be nothing without the vision of Tom Philips the composer, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist (he still does some vocals) and main man of While Heaven Wept for 20 years. It is his Vision that guided While Heaven Wept to where they are now Of course it is this magic axe of Scott Loose, the brilliant keyboards and vocals of Michelle Schrotz plus the heavier than the final destruction rhythm section of Jim Hunter (bass) and Trevor Schrotz (drums) that give even more Power this Vision in its musical part- and the result of this union is the masterpiece under the name Vast Oceans Lachrymose.
What the hell this album is made of? Someone would ask after all? Well is made of the Epic Doom of Solitude Aeturnus in its slow and more pounding moments, the skull crushing Steel of Twisted Tower Dire, the ecstatic Prog musical moments of Pink Floyd, Rush and Brave, the apocalyptic Black Metal Of Arcturus with all its symphonic parts and the whole musical pantheon of While Heaven Wept past. It is made of faith and dedication, it is made of agony and sorrow, it made of a very special kind of emotional ecstasy and it is made of passion for Metal and Music in general.
Make your choices
- - -
http://www.lethalconflict.com
http://lethalconflict.wordpress.com
http://www.myspace.com/lethalconflict
Pre-orders accepted, shipping from 03.11. onwards!
Buy it either: lethalconflict.com, ebay.co.uk or huuto.net (Finland only)
Tracks:
1. The Furthest Shore
2. To Wander The Void
3. Living Sepulchre
4. Vessel
5. Vast Oceans Lachrymose
6. Epilogue
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Band online:
http://www.whileheavenwept.com/
http://www.last.fm/music/While+Heaven+Wept
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=2228
http://www.myspace.com/whileheavenwept
Review:
Well time passes really fast after all. Six years have passed since 2003 the year when Of Empires Forlorn by the Virginia, US based Doomsters While Heaven Wept was released and to me it is like just yesterday. We are now on 2009 and yes we all have been waiting for so long for the follower Vast Oceans Lachrymose album. Its release has been announced almost immediately after the release of the Of Empires Forlorn followed by many specific details given by the bands main man Tom Philips that made the agony for the final musical result bigger and bigger. It was not only the statement that While Heaven Wept would follow a little different musical path adding a more powerful meanwhile progressive touch into their music, it was mainly the fact that the standards of this band were already very high and everyone deep into their music was anxious enough to hear what more this band could do that will be better than their already released masterpieces.
Six years have passed and it seems that after a long period of silence While heaven Wept are back releasing their best album. Before I focus into the music I would like to go on a little flashback on June 2009 when the band announced their new singer: vocalist Rain Irving, (formerly of Magna Carta/Roadrunner recording artist Altura who released a progressive metal classic entitled "Mercy" back in 1996) was announced as the official singer of While Heaven Wept back then. I left a little bit anxious after reading this because Tom Philips vocals was something more than a trademark for While Heaven Wept. After this announcement the agony for the album was bigger than ever. But now it is over
I think that musical terms are a bit useless when we are referring to bands like While Heaven Wept. The artistic level of this bands music is so high that any attempt to trap their music on a simple term will be simply useless. Vast Oceans Lachrymose is released and now I got to sit down and turn into words all this river of feelings and emotions that flooded my entire existence when I heard this masterpiece. I will try.
First of all I must make it clear that this is the most powerful album the band has ever released. I will do no justice at all to if I mention the music trapped in here simply as Doom Metal. We can hear all the melancholy, the emotional ecstasy, the heaviness and the melody of Epic Doom Metal, we can hear complex and technical meanwhile memorable Progressive Metal parts blessed by this little sophisticated touch that someone can realize into Braves music. We can hear pure and straight into your face Metal musical parts carrying the tradition of the Classic Heavy Metal and the strength of US Power Metal, even some little Black Metal storms are waiting to overtake us. We can also hear those beloved acoustic parts that were so familiar to all the While Heaven Wept fans and finally we can hear the voice Rain Irving bringing new power and fresh melodic air into While Heaven Wepts music.
The most important think of all is that all the new music found in this album still carries ALL the trademarks of While Heaven Wept. The characteristic guitar melodies of Tom Philips are here, the melancholic keyboards giving emphasis to some parts of this musical heaven are still here, the interludes and epilogues we all loved in While Heaven Wept are present and even in the more powerful and faster parts of the music there is still the wandering spirit of melancholy that sometimes is turned to anger-. So for those who have expected to listen a different band the point is simple: Vast Oceans Lachrymose re presents While Heaven Wept in a more powerful and Progressive way meanwhile they are keeping ALL those features that made them one of the most favorite bands for many of us.
The album begins with The Furthest Shore, the song will overtake you by storm even by the first seconds with its pounding riffing and skull crushing guitar melodies, soon the keyboards and the guitar leads will remind you that you are still into While Heaven Wept world and the clean acoustic guitar melody to follow will make you feel safer than ever. Soon enough you will have the chance to hear Rains vocals for the first time and realize that they fit perfect upon the pounding riffing, keeping the classic While heaven Wept vocal melodies, Desolate I have succumb to the seas of Sorrow he sings making us to realize that his voice is something more than a suitable one for While Heaven Wept. A wonderful keyboard and guitar lead follows after the second chorus and then a storm by Power / Prog riffs and guitar melodies would come just before another vocal crescendo . I am in real ecstasy . The breaking in the middle of the song will make you hold your breath just to get some more strength because a new guitar and vocal storm is coming. Well it is a fact: While Heaven Wept have gone wild and a little sophisticated the same time... but wait a minute, I am catching myself to play some air guitar. This is the metal I like. The next acoustic melody soon to be covered by keyboards and one more guitar lead will make me close my eyes again They are remaining closed as I am ready to dive in the next crescendo which is blessed by classic While Heaven Wept Doom riffing and some more beautiful leads... Well Rain got a WONDERFULL voice . I am leaving my existence to wander in the sea of melodies as the song reaches its end (listen carefully the last three minutes, yes this is the musical magic of While Heaven Wept).
To Wander The Void begins with a mysterious introduction under a melodic theme, soon a little technical meanwhile catchy guitar break will guide you to the main riff: straight and strong and the vocals of Rain even more passionate. Basically this is the more straight into the face track of the whole album, pure inspired Steel with many Power Metal touches and some magnificent and mysterious Epic Doom Metal moments. The songs epilogue hides some great melodies as well.
Living Sepulchre and Vessel are the songs to follow. The storm taking, pounding riffs on "Living Sepulchre"'s beginning could even belong to a Black Metal band but the vocals of Rain and the guitar leads are here to bring all the melody that is needed, still enough power in here before the first acoustic calm. An enigmatic melody touched by another beautiful lead guitar theme will guide the listener to the next song and its first pounding riff played the While Heaven Wept way (this is Vessels first part). The chorus that follows is simply one of the most wonderful musical parts of the album; it is touched by heavenly melodies both in vocals and guitars. Vessel is one of the passionate tracks of the album, it carries a secret flame, it carries the strength of every new beginning, it carries that secret power of Faith Have faith without fear, open your heart, breathe and believe
The Vast Oceans Lachrymose song prepares us for the epilogue of the album. The song is nothing more and nothing less than an epic, melodic anthem, filled with music that only While Heaven Wept can create. The music speaks by itself in here and if you listen carefully you will hear the narration of the deepest, most mysterious and most wonderful story. I really enjoyed the small piano fillings in here. This song is with no doubt a piece of fine art.
The Epilogue drives us on the final calm through the musical waves of the While Heaven Wept sea. The journey is over but with a simple press of the play button it can start again
Yes listener on the next listening you can pay more attention to the lyrical concept of the album. Follow the weeping heaven upon the sea waves of oceans unknown
It is fact that the band has spent hundreds of hours in the production room. No one has told me anything about it but I paid attention to the crystal clear and heavy production of the album: a production that leaves enough space for the rhythm section (which is much more than important in the case of While Heaven Wepts music because it is the heavy base that all the rest of the music is built upon). There is also a solid sound wall of heavier than ever rhythm guitars but there is still enough sound space for lead guitar themes and vocal melodies. For the matter of emphasis the keyboards and the little symphonic parts- are there in total sound harmony with the rest of the instruments. Vast Oceans Lachrymose is for sure one of the best produced records I have heard lately.
I have already written that Rain Irivng is the new power of the band, a band that would be nothing without the vision of Tom Philips the composer, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist (he still does some vocals) and main man of While Heaven Wept for 20 years. It is his Vision that guided While Heaven Wept to where they are now Of course it is this magic axe of Scott Loose, the brilliant keyboards and vocals of Michelle Schrotz plus the heavier than the final destruction rhythm section of Jim Hunter (bass) and Trevor Schrotz (drums) that give even more Power this Vision in its musical part- and the result of this union is the masterpiece under the name Vast Oceans Lachrymose.
What the hell this album is made of? Someone would ask after all? Well is made of the Epic Doom of Solitude Aeturnus in its slow and more pounding moments, the skull crushing Steel of Twisted Tower Dire, the ecstatic Prog musical moments of Pink Floyd, Rush and Brave, the apocalyptic Black Metal Of Arcturus with all its symphonic parts and the whole musical pantheon of While Heaven Wept past. It is made of faith and dedication, it is made of agony and sorrow, it made of a very special kind of emotional ecstasy and it is made of passion for Metal and Music in general.
Make your choices
- - -
http://www.lethalconflict.com
http://lethalconflict.wordpress.com
http://www.myspace.com/lethalconflict