An epic Vast Oceans Lachrymose update from Tom Phillips (lifted from While Heaven Wept myspace page)
http://www.myspace.com/whileheavenwept
http://www.whileheavenwept.net
I figure that now it's time for another update regarding the new album, so here it goes:
We have completed 99.9% of the tracking, including all of the remaining acoustic parts, guitar solos, and vocals; all that remains are a few nuances/details and various atmospheric passages...which we'll sort out the day before mixing begins.
We've already moved into the production phase however, cleaning up white noise and assembling the vocals from 30 hours of takes, and in the week following our appearance at the Born Too Late II festival, we'll immediately move on to final mixing.
I cannot even begin to describe the "size" of this album...but being that we have always strived to "one-up" the previous release, I can say with confidence that "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" is several steps beyond "Of Empires Forlorn" - and that is no slight on the latter by any means; it's just that what we're achieving now sonically is beyond anything we've ever done, and in terms of performances, what we've captured is everyone at their very best.
I know this album is going to be shocking for longtime fans due to both the nature of the material and the fact that Rain is singing rather than myself. Let me just say that all of the material on the album was composed between 1993-2001 (lyrics aside), pre-dating "Empires" and even "Sorrow Of The Angels" in some cases, so really VOL is filling in some of the gaps between what we've always known and what you've actually heard.
For those who in the past have lamented the "one-dimensional" "Sorrow Of The Angels" or the "more accessible" "Of Empires Forlorn." this album is by far the most diverse and truly bridges all of the past material together, especially if one were to arrange all of our songs chronologically. Rather than undertaking that task yourselves, let me just say that everything will come together in the live sets we're preparing for 2009 and beyond.
Every album has been the result of a very specific vision, and while I might have issues with various performances and productions, the final results closely mirror exactly what was intended; this is exactly why we "sat" on various songs over the years - waiting for the right time and album to emerge.
For the naysayers who have complained about WHW being too emotional...I have no apologies for you...these songs come from real life events, experiences, and relationships...not some contrived "doom for the sake of doom" mentality. That being said, most of what has been released so far was written when I was a teenager and naturally the way I reacted to things at that time is a far cry from the way I'd express things as an adult. Same goes for the musical arrangements - the VOL album really is the first where I've been able to apply all that I learned via music university throughout (though "Empires" did benefit somewhat).
I guess what I'm saying is this: I don't care if you like the music or not, that's your perogative, you're entitled to your opinions, and further, I didn't write it for you, rather for myself. I do, however agree that in some cases the material was immature or developmental. That being said, if you think you "know" While Heaven Wept...I'd endeavour to suggest that you do not...at least not unless you listen to the new album, as this is where we are today...not forsaking our past, rather building upon it, evolving naturally, and without pretense.
Anyway, getting back to the other big change, let me just say that Rain has stepped up to the plate in a big way...and what a trooper...over the course of 3 days, we did 30+ hours of non-stop vocal tracking and even managed to squeeze in a rehearsal for the Born Too Late II festival in the middle. Never once did he complain or falter, and that alone is impressive. However, the real issue is he sang his ass off on this record...believe me, this is a huge development from the Altura record he did more than a decade ago. We all worked together very closely, down to every last note to insure the performances were what the songs themselves required.
For the sake of continuity, I did write all of the lyrics and thoroughly explained to Rain how I'd sing them, as well as write 90% of the melodies/harmonies...but he did bring some things to the table as well. In the end, what I can say is that his voice fits this material perfectly, and there's no way I could've sung it better myself. Rain is world-class and I hope that those of you who are unsure of a WHW sans my vocals will give him an honest chance.
Really, any preconceptions about what WHW "is" should probably be set aside before listening to this album - sure, all of the past elements (apart from my vocals) are in there, but there is so much more. This album is once again, a journey from start to finish, with numerous twists and turns, and meant to be heard as a whole.
Anyway, the bottom line is: "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" is nearly done and WILL be released before the end of 2009. I will let you know as soon as I have the actual release dates and provide more information about all of the various formats next update.
In the meantime, we hope to see everyone this coming weekend in Rochester, NY. for the Born Too Late II festival - featuring a truly stunning line-up of bands, that we can't wait to see ourselves. It will be a great thing to catch up with all of our mates from past gigs and tours after 5 years...and as for WHW, we're excited to bring the new line-up to the stage for the very first time at the festival!
Cheers!
Tom Phillips
http://www.myspace.com/whileheavenwept
http://www.whileheavenwept.net
