Interview for Blood Of Ancients, January 2004
First of all, could you please tell us the reasons why you chose the band name WHILE HEAVEN WEPT? - I personally think it fits totally to the atmosphere of your music, but in a way it's a too melancholic expression, that doesn't represent the epic, "happier" touch hidden within some parts...
The name was based upon a very sad day in my life, many years ago, when I received a letter from my beloved informing me she "had just given up," as we were separated by distance and circumstances beyond our control. She meant the world to me, and I was completely gutted - this letter came to me on an otherwise beautiful day, but as I read it, and wept, the sky turned black and erupted into tears almost empathetically, hence the name While Heaven Wept. It's true that over the years the music has evolved to incorporate both lighter and more aggressive parts, but there is still the underlying theme of melancholia, and the stages of bereavement are not limited to only grief. Besides, think about a band like Fates Warning, whose sound has changed remarkably over the years, yet they still perform under the same ominous moniker.
What would you say are your inspirations musically? - The only band that gets in my mind is old CANDLEMASS, but it's important to say WHW sound totally unique and extraordinary...
Candlemass were certainly a major influence upon WHW in the beginning, but actually the music of early Fates Warning probably was an even greater inspiration to be honest. "Awaken The Guardian" and "Spectre Within" changed my life forever, and still are influential to this day. Other than those bands, in the beginning we were very much influenced by everything from Sabbath, Trouble, and Witchfinder General, to Slayer, Bathory, and Coroner...even Celtic Frost and Voivod. Another major influence at that time was Kitaro's spacey albums from the late 70's and early 80's. Currently, all of these bands still exert an influence upon us, as well as many obscure mid-70's progressive/symphonic bands (lots of Krautrock!). Even newer artists like Arcturus, Devin Townsend, and The Mars Volta provide some inspiration for us musically, or in terms of production, but overall the Epic Metal influence of Manowar, Bathory, Fates Warning and Candlemass still reign supreme.
How did you get in touch with Doom Metal for the very 1st time in your life at all and what forced you to play this certain kind of sad, melancholic, but also very powerful and heavy kind of music?
I think I first discovered Doom Metal through some old Metal Blade releases like Trouble, Cirith Ungol, and Candlemass, and some NWOBHM releases like Witchfinder General's "Death Penalty." After that, I started listening to a lot of Sabbath (who I shunned before because I thought the production was weak, compared to a lot of the more extreme metal I had been listening to, but I soon realized how wrong I was!). Then came along the wave of bands represented on the "Dark Passages" compilation, which came out around the time WHW formed. It was then that I realized how much we had in common with these bands, but it wasn't like we originally set out to play Doom Metal specifically; we've always had a myriad of influences - it's just that our music became more and more introspective, somber, and funereal for a long time (most of the first 10 years), because of various troubles in my life. I wouldn't say that WHW now is a 100% True Doom band anymore, rather we're almost back to the beginning again, with a plethora of elements helping to shape our sound.
Why did you change the original band name DREAM WYTCH into WHILE HEAVEN WEPT at all (I think this must have been back in 1993...)? - Have there been any DREAM WYTCH/WHILE HEAVEN WEPT releases before the "official" outputs?
I changed the name to While Heaven Wept in 1991 after the last co-founding member had departed, partially because it was no longer the original band, but mostly due to the more personal and introspective approach to the music at that time. There aren't really any releases from the Dream Wytch era, apart from some rehearsals (audio and video) that date back to 1990-1993. I don't think there is anything salvageable from those, but perhaps someday we'll include a few clips on a DVD or something. We still perform some of that earliest material to this day however.
How did you get in touch with Chris Galvan? What was your previous band POLARIS all about at all, what kind of music did this group play, and did they release anything?
Chris and I went to high school together, and along with a third guitarist, Fernando Thompson, were considered the best guitarists there, so naturally we all gravitated together, and traded lots of ideas over the years. Polaris was originally formed by Fernando and Chris around 1988, and performed something of a hybrid between Maiden and Metallica...perhaps something along the lines of Paradox...with vocals similar Snake's work on the early Voivod albums. Most of the material was mid-tempo to fast, nothing too intense emotionally - just early power metal really. There was one demo recorded with 5-6 songs, plus a bass solo. I originally replaced Chris on guitar, and then Chris replaced Fernando later. By then, we'd developed probably 13 or so songs, but most of them are now completely lost or forgotten. Towards the end of the band, we wanted to explore other areas musically, and felt Polaris was too limited in scope; this is when Dream Wytch was born.
In the beginning you intended to melt Doom Metal with Progressive Rock and classical music: In which way would you say did you succeed? And in which way can the development of WHW throughout all those years be described?
To be honest, I would say the majority of the first 10 years was a "formative" stage, in that we knew what we wanted to incorporate, but I don't think we really knew HOW to blend all of those influences together effectively. Over the course of all our releases up to "Of Empires Forlorn," along with my own schooling in classical composition, we've developed our own style, and have matured quite a bit in the way of song crafting. I would have to say that "Of Empires Forlorn" is the first time we were successful in realizing what I wanted to do from the beginning, and also the first example of our "signature sound."
Why did you split ways with Chris Galvan at all and how did you get in touch with OPEN EYE RECORDS that used to release the very first WHW release ever (the `Into The Well Of Sorrow` EP)?
Chris left the band to study Jazz at the prestigious Berklee College Of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts. He is certainly not the only member of the band to move on to other forms of music, but we're still in fairly regular contact, and he's been very supportive of WHW the whole time. I think he's quite proud of us, and that means a lot to me. As for Open Eye Records, that was the label run by Parasitic Infestation growler Shane Privette. Open Eye primarily released Death Metal and Grindcore, but since we were friends and bandmates, he offered to release something from WHW. We had actually appeared on his "Scenecubator" compilation tape prior to the 7", and our track, "The Mourning" had been well received, so this would also explain his offer. We only released "Into The Wells Of Sorrow" as a gift to our local friends, who had supported us for 5 years and had constantly been asking us to release something. The tracks were one-offs from the recording sessions that would ultimately produced the "Lovesongs Of The Forsaken" MCD, and unique in that they had Death Metal vocals, even though that was totally unintentional (we briefly utilized that style around 1991, when I first started doing the vocals myself, but that path was abandoned quickly because I felt it obscured the emotion of the songs. I only did them on these songs to blow off some steam after a particularly frustrating day of vocal tracking; the songs were never meant to be performed like that, and are totally unrepresentative of WHW, apart from their heaviness).
What were the reasons why we had to wait nine years until the release of your debut album `Sorrow Of The Angels`? Are all copies of this record sold out or are there still some available? - Have you already thought about re-issuing this stuff once again?
First of all, there were an incredible number of line-up changes over the years, which prevented us from doing anything more than rehearsal tapes for a long time. Then, when we went into the studio in 1994 to record the "Sorrow Of The Angels" album originally, the sessions dragged on so long that both the band and the studio upgraded their equipment midway through, so we decided to release the "Lovesongs..." MCD instead, which we left in a very raw form, with little orchestration and simple arrangements, and then start the process all over again from scratch. After a couple more failed attempts, we finally completed the album and it was released in 1998 on Italy's Eibon Records. "Sorrow Of The Angels," has for many years, been completely sold out, but we do absolutely intend to re-release that album after our next all-new album is completed.
Is it true that you stopped right in the middle of the recordings of `Sorrow...` due to the fact that you weren't too satisfied with the sound? - Do you personally prefer more the production of `Of Empires Forlorn`?
Just like the first time we attempted to do the album in 1994, the second try was in 1995 with Danny Ingerson and Kevin Hufnagel on board (both now in the Relapse Records band Dysrhythmia), and we just could not get the right vibe in the studio; there was a lot of tension and many technical difficulties, which frustrated me to no end. The recording process grinded to a halt by the end of the year, when I was preparing to head to England to join up with Solstice, and at this point we'd nearly finished the entire album, apart from vocals and keyboards. Still disillusioned by the negative atmosphere surrounding those sessions, I ultimately decided to shelve those recordings, and for a third time start over from scratch, upon my return to the States in 1996. We completed the album as a 3 piece (Jon Paquin, Danny Ingerson, and myself) as Kevin was busy working on some solo material at the time. Needless to say, we decided that we needed to compromise or the album would never be released, which however true that might be, ultimately was a mistake in my opinion because although there are some magical moments on that record, I left the studio feeling unsatisfied. We released the album as is anyway, and it was very well received in the Doom Metal underground, but I always knew that we would re-record it one last time, and as I mentioned previously, that is exactly what we are going to do! It is very important to me that everything we do is an accurate realization of what I hear in my head, and I am confident that we will achieve that this time, considering we were finally successful with the "Of Empires Forlorn" album. So yes, not only do I prefer the production of "Of Empires Forlorn," I also think it is the first time we actually managed to create what I envisioned to begin with.
How did you get in touch with the TWISTED TOWER DIRE, BRAVE, GRAND BELIAL´S KEY, PARASITIC INFESTATION, ARISE FROM THORNS and SOLSTICE to begin with and decide to take part in these bands? There are many differences between all these groups musically, so it seemed to be really strange that it didn't seem to be very hard for you to adapt, right?
Having been involved with the underground since the days of tape trading, I was already in regular contact with bands all over the world, but in most of these instances (apart from Solstice), these are all local bands, comprised of schoolmates and people I came to know through doing shows around the Washington DC area. It's no secret that the music scene around here is very incestuous - almost everyone around here has played with everyone else at one point or another. Being that I have more facets to my personality, I've always had the desire to do other things musically, and that's exactly why I was involved with these bands to begin with. It should also be noted that many of these bands other members have been in WHW in the past, or are still involved to this day. I got in touch with Solstice through my good friend John Perez (of Solitude Aeternus), and met them in England on a trip there in 1995, which happened to be the time Simon Matravers left the band. People had been telling both Rich and I how similar our bands were, so it was only natural that we teamed up at the time. Unfortunately that collaboration didn't pan out very well back then, but we're giving it another go now, and I think it will turn out much better! Anyway, as for myself, I listen to so many different kinds of music, that it is relatively easy for me to sit in with almost any band, but generally it must be something that I truly feel and enjoy.
To what SOLSTICE/TTD/GBK releases did Tom contribute his vocals to at all? -
As far as I know they were only to be heard on some demo tapes...
I only played live with Solstice and GBK, but I was a co-founding member of TTD, and did the vocals on the first demo "Hail Northern Virginia." At least one song from that demo also appeared on a split 7" with Cold Mourning. It is likely that I will also do some backing vocals and harmonies on the next TTD album.
Why did Tom decide to found BRAVE at all and how did it come that this band managed it to play live so extremely often? - Is it right to give WHW`s music the term "Epic Doom Metal", and BRAVE´s sound the term "Dark Progressive Rock"?
Brave evolved from the band Arise From Thorns, whom I joined in the middle of 1998. Arise From Thorns was Scott and Michelle Loose's band - we'd been friends for years, Scott was even in WHW back in the early 90's briefly, then both he and his sister joined us for the shows we did in support of "Sorrow Of The Angels" in 1999. AFT and WHW shared a rehearsal space, and I spent a lot of time with them in the studio when they were recording their second album "Before An Audience Of Stars," even contributing some guitar work and ideas to the arrangements. When it came time to promote this album in a live setting, it just seemed logical for us all to perform it together, so I joined them strictly with that purpose in mind. We did numerous shows, because the band was very committed to playing live, and were willing to perform almost anywhere (which has paid off quite a bit, considering how amazing they are live now as Brave). When it came time to write some new material, and I was contributing actively, the overall sound of the band changed...something of a hybrid of WHW and AFT (which was rather inevitable), along with some other influences like Rush and later Fates Warning...and because of this, we perceived this collaboration as a new entity, hence the change of name to Brave. There were some other factors that lead to the name change, like the misconception that Arise From Thorns was a Christian name, and sometimes difficult to pronounce for some reason, but really, it was primarily musically motivated. Anyway, yes, I would say that WHW's music is indeed more along the lines of Epic Doom Metal, or at least Epic Metal, whereas Brave is definitely more on the progressive rock side, more earthy, not as bleak or bombastic. But the new Brave material is some of the heaviest so far!
Were you involved in the song writing process of SOLSTICE, TTD, BRAVE and GRAND BELIAL´S KEY, ARISE FROM THORNS and PARASITIC INFESTATION at all? What kind of music did ARISE FROM THORNS and PARASITIC INFESTATION play?
I didn't really contribute to Grand Belial's Key, as I really only performed live with them, and to be honest Gelal is the master of riffs anyways. As for Solstice, I was around when the material was being written for "New Dark Age," and through around some ideas of my own, but only one ever was used, and that is the title track of WHW's "Of Empires Forlorn" album. Again, with Arise From Thorns, I mainly played live with them, although I did come up with the end arrangement for the song "Bluer Skies" on the "BAAOS" album. Later, I did add quite a few new guitar parts to the songs as we played live, but didn't contribute 100% compositionally until we became Brave. On the "Waist Deep In Dark Waters" MCD, I wrote "Lost (In Retrospect)," "To Search A Soul" (except for the intro segment), and contributed an equal fifth to "Dark Waters" itself. I also had a hand in a couple songs on their debut full-length "Searching For The Sun," in the form of "Falling Into Bliss" and "Escape." With Parasitic Infestation, I didn't contribute much early on, just a short grind song called "Rotcunt" (laughing). Later, the band shortened the name to Pi, and then 3.14 - at this time Jon Paquin and I re-wrote a lot of the songs and gave them a bit more of a groove ala Napalm Death's "Fear, Emptiness, Despair" album. As you may have surmised from the song descriptions, Parasitic Infestation was originally a Death Metal band influenced by Grave and Unleashed when I joined them, but by the time we finished we were something of a pre-cursor to shit like Biohazard or something, but much more on the metal side of things. Arise From Thorns performed a predominantly acoustic, earthy style of music some where between October Project and Black Tape For A Blue Girl or Dead Can Dance.
How did you get in touch with the infamous Phil Bloxom (dr, ex-HELLION) at all and why didn't he stay too long with WHW?
I met Phil while I was working at Tower Records, where I created and maintained one of the biggest metal sections in the chain. We got acquainted through a few large sales, and found we got on rather well, having some friends in common like the guys from Pentagram. When things weren't working out with Jon Paquin in early 2001, when we started rehearsing for the "Of Empires Forlorn" recording, I simply called Phil up and asked if he wanted to help us out with this album and perhaps a few shows. Initially, he was very into the idea, but after some soul-searching he decided that what he really wanted to do was continue developing his skills as a Jazz drummer, which we were totally cool with. We parted ways amicably, and still hang out on occasion. And, let me tell you, he's got some great stories from back in the day!
How did it come all about that Jim Hunter (ex-REVELATION, TWISTED TOWER DIRE), Scott Loose (BRAVE) and Jason Gray joined WHW, and why did their predecessors leave to begin with?
First of all, I asked Jim to join us back in 1998, because Danny had moved to Philadelphia and we needed someone locally to do gigs, and I knew that Revelation had gone on hiatus at that time (of course now, they are reunited which is great!). I knew Jim would be the right man for the job without a doubt, as we had spent a few years of college together, and again had a great repoire. He also joined October 31 around this time as well (yes, he is a very busy man)! Scott, like I mentioned earlier was at one time a member of WHW in the past, and having heard his work on the first AFT album, I knew he'd come a long way since then, thus an ideal addition to the band (he wasn't really replacing anyone at this time), plus he brought along his sister to handle the keyboards live. As for Jason, we had been roommates throughout 2000, and I was familiar with his work in the death/doom band Forty Days Longing, who had by 2001 ceased to exist. When things didn't work out with Phil, he was the first person we called, knowing he wouldn't have any problems playing really slow, and often, un-gratifying beats (laughing). As for why Jon Paquin left the band after 9 years to begin with, he simply wasn't in the right headspace to deal with such intensely emotional material at the time. He's still a good friend of mine and he went on to pursue...yep...you guessed it...Jazz.
Why did we have to wait so long (five years) after the release of `Sorrow Of The Angels` for another new WHW output?
As I mentioned before, we spent most of 1999 doing various gigs in support of "Sorrow Of The Angels," and once I became involved with Arise From Thorns, there really wasn't the time or need to do While Heaven Wept; I've always done WHW out of necessity strictly, and I felt like we had said all there was to say by that time. So WHW basically went into dormancy, and Brave evolved out of AFT, which really became a major focus for a while. There was a brief period where I had relocated and that is, of course, always a time consuming process as well. Needless to say, after yet another unpleasant turn of events in my personal life, the doom started filling me up again...bringing out old demons, distancing me from Brave, and creating the need for WHW once again. By the dawn of 2001, I was 100% committed to doing the next WHW release, and a fair amount of material had been developed already, with more to come in quick succession as I found new inspiration in bitterness and this want for vengeance. Unfortunately, as you've probably gathered from all the line-up changes I've mentioned, this held things up for a bit longer, but we decided as soon as Jason was on board, that three months later, we'd be tracking the album, which is exactly what we did.
Why was a limited version (put out by EIBON RECORDS) of `Of Empires Forlorn` at first, and not an official album? How did you get in touch with RAGE OF ACHILLES RECORDS, and are you satisfied with their work?
I have a very special relationship with Mauro of Eibon Records, in that we're essentially brothers in parallel universes; over the years the music of Canaan and While Heaven Wept have been two sides of the same coin, and in addition to this we share many of the same ideals and philosophies. My agreement with Mauro is a family matter, and I can always trust him to give the music the greatest graphic presentation possible, plus his realization of the "Sorrow Of The Angels" album was nothing short of stunning as well, so of course, I asked if he would be interested in doing "Of Empires Forlorn" too. Duncan from Rage Of Achilles contacted me after hearing an mp3 of "The Drowning Years," and approached us with the mindset of releasing that as a 7" single initially, until I sent him a CDR of the entire album, after which he upped the offer to do the whole thing. We negotiated for several months, and with several labels, but ultimately Duncan put forth an offer we simply could not refuse. Are we satisfied with the work he's done so far? Absolutely; he's followed through with everything that he ever said he would do, and we appreciate this very much. It is extremely rare to find someone this honorable in such a shady industry.
Furthermore there's been a new layout, certain extra tracks on the new version promoted by RAGE OF ACHILLES: What has actually changed, and how was the original version of `Of Empires...` in comparison? Could you please tell us a bit more about the reactions this masterpiece of Epic Doom Metal actually provoked?
The Eibon pressing was mastered with our initial mix for the album, and as a whole a far more thematic, atmospheric affair. This was enhanced by a lengthy instrumental track entitled "From Empires To Oceans," which rounded out the album in a very cinematic way...as if it was the closing credits. Of course the artwork and packaging was very extravagant like all the Eibon releases as well. For the Rage Of Achilles version, we further mixed and re-mastered the entire album, included a vocal bonus track called "In Aeternum," and removed "From Empires To Oceans," to help insure each version had something special. We scaled down the artwork slightly from the original Eibon prints, and released it in the standard jewel case format. What's interesting about the ROA version is that it really is an entirely different album, and even more amazing is the fact that the difference of one song changes the entire flow and feeling of the album. I'd say the ROA pressing is much more of a metallic release for sure. In both cases, the reaction worldwide has been nothing short of incredible. As I mentioned, this is the first time that I've actually come out of the studio almost completely satisfied, so that was success in itself really, but to have such a strong response from our fans and beyond everywhere is simply heartwarming. For people to go so far as to say that it is one of the best Doom Metal albums of all time, and for large-scale publications to include it on their "best of" lists for 2003 is nothing short of incredible really, considering we are an entirely self-financed band, that has spent more than a decade in the sub-underground!
Who was responsible for the original version of "Voice In The Wind", and why exactly did you choose this fabulous track, which is one of the "hits" of this album, as I would say...?
"Voice In The Wind" was originally written and recorded by the 70's German symphonic rock band Jane. It was included on side two of their 1977 album "Between Heaven And Hell," which, for me, as a fan of both metal and prog, is a masterpiece. I first heard the song years ago, and found it to be one of the most moving pieces ever recorded...very stark but extremely moving. I never really thought about covering it, until a colleague of mine from the Tower Records days said we reminded him of Jane. After he said that, I went back to my records and pulled "Between Heaven And Hell" out, gave it another spin with that in mind, and sure enough I immediately thought to myself "Goddamn, this IS totally WHW." So I spent a lot of time driving around listening to a dub I made of this song in my car, and this melody just came to me, so I decided that rather than simply doing a note-perfect cover that we would give it a WHW treatment...make it a song of our own. From there, I wrote new lyrics that incorporated a few lines from the original, but crafted it so that it meant something to me, and set them to the melody I just spoke of. I needed to add a few chord changes to smooth out the transitions, then changed the drum beat slightly, wrote out a bassline, and then more melodies came to me, which became the new lead breaks, which I have to say, I am very proud of - that's some of the most soulful playing I've ever done. The whole idea was to preserve the simplicity and starkness of the original, and I think we managed to do this. This song was definitely "my baby" of the album, and is meant to be a tribute to one of my favorite bands...hopefully introducing a new generation of fans to their music.
It would be a really great pleasure for me if you could tell us what every single song is dealing with on your `Of Empires Forlorn` album...! In which way would you say are the lyrics of WHILE HEAVEN WEPT a mirror of your soul, and what are further inspirations for you?
Hmmmmm, I'm not so sure I really want to give everything away as far as the lyrics are concerned, because I like to leave them open to interpretation really. What I can say is that all of the lyrics are based upon events and relationships in my own life, thus 100% real. Often, there are many dualities threaded throughout, and sometimes one line can have even three or more meanings. I'll reveal just a little bit more: the songs on "Of Empires Forlorn," discuss a lot of things that have happened in the 10 years since the demise of the relationship all the old songs referred to; everything released prior to the new album focused on various stages of bereavement stemming from the end of this relationship, whereas the songs on "Empires" refer to numerous relationships and circumstances. On a surface level, it's obvious I'm singing about battles with addiction, betrayal, and personal loss, but there is so much more to the lyrics than that. I'd actually be quite interested in hearing what some of the songs mean to other people. Sorry for not elaborating further - perhaps in a few years I'll have more to say about the lyrics.
What is to be seen on the cover of `Of Empires Forlorn`, where did you take that picture, and in which way is it connected to the album title?
The cover of the album, like almost all of our releases is the work of Gustav Dore, whose amazing woodcuts are undoubtedly some of the most powerful images ever created in my opinion. In this particular case, the visions of carnage and despair almost perfectly depict the lyrics of the title track, and as soon as I unearthed this print, it was clear that we had found the perfect album cover.
Terms/concepts like "heaven", "angels" etc. play a very important role in WHW: In which way is this "empyrean" concept attractive for you? - Did this all happen only by coincidence or was it your intention to use this as "connecting" concept?
The main reason we've always had these celestial images is because they are so powerful for so many people; I use them strictly for the purpose of metaphor, in that I relate these images of tormented fallen angels, Heaven, and Hell with the magnitudes of emotion I've felt in living through what I now sing about. There is something of a running concept, but again I don't want to reveal too much too soon (grinning). I do want to mention that WHW is NOT a Christian or religious band in any capacity, and none of the band members follow any doctrines of faith, apart from myself - and my religion is music.
What about this traditional hymn called "Epistle No.81" you re-arranged in your very own version on `Of Empires Forlorn`? - Where did you find this poem, and will you continue doing this in future?
"Epistle No.81" is a traditional Swedish hymn composed by Carl Michael Bellman, Sweden's equivalent to Shakespeare. Over the years numerous artists have interpreted this particular piece, one of the most well known being Candlemass. I've always found the melody to be quite beautiful, and for many years I've wanted to do a rendition of it. Considering Candlemass have always been a major influence, I thought it was time we paid tribute to them as well, but I decided that we should opt for something less obvious that "Solitude" or "Samarithan," so we did "Epistle No.81," which Candlemass covered themselves! My arrangement is indeed based upon Leif Edling's arrangement, but we added a few things that are distinctly WHW into the equation. I read that Leif himself was never pleased with their take on it, and in general he hated the rigidity of "Ancient Dreams," when they recorded to a click track (which often makes things mechanical and sterile), so we did not do this, and I think we may have done it with a bit too much fluidity; it sounds like we're racing to the grave! Still, having said that, I am pretty pleased with our interpretation, and I assure you it was done with the utmost respect for Sweden, Bellman, and Candlemass. As for doing something else like this in the future, it's definitely a possibility, but I already have quite a few covers in mind that would be even more unexpected (grinning again).
Do you believe in destiny? Do you think that all those (often bad) things you had to go through with WHW during your career, pushed you towards this certain point of musical, lyrical and conceptual brilliance you're standing on right now...?
Wow. That's a pretty deep question really. I've thought about the concept of destiny a lot lately, though I've never really been a firm believer in it. I'm not really one to believe things "just happen," rather I have the philosophy that one must MAKE things come to be. Certainly there are things beyond our control, strange anomalies, and rare coincidences that make me wonder sometimes, but I don't think I can fully embrace the concept of destiny just yet. On the other hand, I do think that WHW would not be what it is without me having lived through what I have. The need for catharsis through brutal honesty, and the striving for accurate realization of what I've felt and thought, has constantly pushed WHW towards a level of great clarity. I don't think there's any mystery involved at all; "Of Empires Forlorn" is without a doubt the product of evolution and deep honesty, whether or not it is brilliant is not for me to say - I just know that it is as real as it could be.
Is it right to say that Tom Phillips is the man behind WHW? What's the song writing process like, how do you create your hymns to sadness?
I don't think there would be a WHW without me, or it wouldn't be the same at least - that is for sure. I do compose almost all of the music, and handle most of the band's affairs, but we are more of a democratic entity than ever before. Every member of the band is integral to the whole, even if I do "steer the ship" ultimately. About the way our songs come about, initially it is not a process, and there is no rhyme or reason to it really. Every melody, riff, and lyric comes whenever it does, through revelations fueled by emotional catalysts. The songs complete themselves, and I simply "feel" when they are complete. Once their skeletons have formed, then the only process involved with their creation begins - the arranging. This is when I do sit down and flesh out the orchestrations and individual instrumental parts, harmonies, etc. I've never forced a song into being, and I never will. Unless it comes out naturally, there will be only silence.
What do you think about the general state of Doom Metal? - Groups like i.e. CANDLEMASS, ST. VITUS, COUNT RAVEN, TROUBLE etc. are back, whereas there are more and more "newcomers" that get recognized by the public, like i.e. MIRROR OF DECEPTION, REVEREND BIZARRE, THUNDERSTORM, DOOMSHINE, DOOMSWORD, etc.
There are definitely some great new bands coming along for certain, and for me, its equally inspiring to see the old warhorses coming back out for another round. I'm a bit hesitant when contemplating what new offerings will bring from the older bands, as in many cases they did run their course a long time ago, but its always killer to see them playing the classics live. I honestly think that some of the newer bands have much more vitality and inspiration, and it's great to see such a growth within the scene. I have to mention some of my favorites like Orodruin, The Doomsday Cult, Doomshine, as well as the "sophomore class" of Thunderstorm, Reverend Bizarre, and Voodooshock (really an extension of Naevus for all intensive purposes). I do love Doomsword as well, but for me they are more like Memory Garden or Sorceror, in that they are doomy Epic Metal more so than Epic Doom Metal. Small details, but sometimes important nonetheless, especially when it comes to reaching wider audiences. I'm not really too fond of these other varieties of Doom that have developed, which are really more along the lines of slow (and slower) death metal, or plain fucking noise, but there are always exceptions to the rule, like Mourning Beloveth for example.
Please tell us a bit more about your future prospects? - I heard that you'll be invading Europe for the very 1st time this year...!
Yes, it is absolutely true! We are finally coming home to where we belong, to play for the people who have always supported us all these years! The majority of the dates will be in Germany, the one country in the world that has REALLY given us the most support, and it's our honor to come and play for everyone there. The tour will begin on April 1 st in Aalen, after that we will perform at the Doom Shall Rise II event, a few shores to the south, east, and west of Germany, then we're off to Holland and Belgium for a handful of gigs. Later in the year we will return to Europe to play in Greece as well, which will be storming. I'm actively trying to get our brothers from Battle Ram, Doomsword, Holy Martyr, Battleroar, and perhaps Wotan to play with us there, and make a TRUE EPIC METAL event that will never be forgotten! And, we're discussing the possibility of touring with some of these bands next year too! Aside from the live shows in Europe (and later North America), we're planning the vinyl release for "Of Empires Forlorn" on Metal Supremacy Records, demoing some new material, and then heading in to record our next album "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" around the end of the year. The previously discussed "Sorrow Of The Angels: Definitive Edition" will follow shortly afterwards as well.
What can you tell us about your future album "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" at all, in which way did WHW's sound develop? Will RAGE OF ACHILLES release this as well, or are the rumours correct in that your very own company VAST MUSIC LACHRYMOSE will put it out?
We actually had a lot of the "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" material written by the time we started recording "Of Empires Forlorn," and what I can say about it is that it is even more diverse than "Empires;" some of the most aggressive songs we've ever composed, juxtaposed against some of the most beautiful orchestrations we've done as well. I can say that overall it is more of a True Epic Metal album with very few Doom elements, but will have all the characteristics of our sound. Think Bathory, early Fates Warning, and Holy Terror...with a dash of Candlemass and Klaus Schulze to taste! We're still developing even more new material, but this is what we have so far. You'll get to hear at least one new song during the tour, even if it is predominantly instrumental at this point. As for who will release the album, I have no idea. Our contract with Rage Of Achilles was for one album, but they may make us another offer, however, we're certainly willing to entertain any and all offers at this point. If nothing appealing comes along, then yes, we will in fact do it ourselves.
The last words are yours, please finish this interview the way you wish...!
Thanks for your support! See you on tour this year hopefully!
Fuck! Am I actually done with this massive interview? This quite possibly is the lengthiest interview I've ever done! Thank you for such a great opportunity to express myself and discuss all things WHW! Thanks to all of our fans in Germany for simply ruling, and to everyone else, do not hesitate to peruse our website www.whileheavenwept.net or contact us for more information! See you all on the Tour Of Forlorn Empires! Kill with power!