Interview for Brave Words And Bloody Knuckles, May 2003

1) WHW have had a lengthy history within the underground metal scene, so through this vast experience, and now, since WHW are getting more recognition in the scene, how have you seen your vision develop and transpire since the band's inception in the early nineties and the shaping of your sound throughout all the years over all these releases?

Since our inception in 1989, the primary goal has been brutally honest personal expression, and to that extent I feel as if we've always been successful; that, along with the accurate realization of what I hear in my head musically, is my definition of success. We've always held extremely high production and performance values, but in the past both experience and financial resources limited us in those areas (all WHW releases are 100% self-financed). We've never been a band to cut corners, and we are very progressive-minded. At this point in time we are willing go to any length to achieve or surpass our goals. I perceive the entirety of our output in the first decade of our existence as "developmental" in the respect that we still had yet to establish a sound that is uniquely While Heaven Wept. It's all about building upward rather than outward; experimenting with different ratios of the elements of our sound that we've always had, meaning even if you were to listen to the very first demo, it's clear that we are the same band that produced the "Of Empires Forlorn" album, albeit evolved.

2) It seems like it has been quite a long journey to stabilize a line-up, going through various labels etc. Being within the underground for so many years, how have you seen this as an advantage for WHW and the networking throughout the underground you have been involved with over the years? Do you ever feel that WHW could have gotten a "break", so to speak, a little earlier in your career, since WHW are a prolific and experienced band?

We've developed a lot of strong relationships throughout the underground over the years - with bands, labels, distributors, the media, and of course, the fans, and I am very thankful to be part of these close-knit underground and sub-underground communities (referring primarily to the doom scene, but not exclusively). It's definitely a very familial atmosphere for the most part, including the black sheep of course (laughing). This has also provided us with a resource to resolve line-up troubles as well, and considering we are pushing 66 changes in 14 years, it is quite a relief to have so many connections. Every line-up change has contributed to the development of our sound, and has signified a step forward in musical ability, as well as internal chemistry. As for getting a break earlier on, I personally don't think we were ready because I really do view our earlier output as "developmental," even if there are plenty of people that swear by those releases to this day. Additionally, we've maintained a very militant "Do It Yourself" ethic for so long, that we really did not WANT to work with larger, corporate entities. Our music is about expression alone, and we are not motivated by profit, fame, or notoriety. Having said that, now that we've developed a unique, signature sound, we are trying to reach as many people as possible, particularly those who can identify with our lyrics and music, because that is the other reason we are still doing what we do; even if one person no longer feels alone because they can empathize with WHW, then we are succeeding in my opinion.

3) WHW portray the real essence of epic doom metal, especially with Of Empires Forlorn. Within the metal scene though, the term doom metal does come across as quite nebulous, seeing that there are different interpretations of what doom metal encases. How would you define the true essence of what doom metal should encapsulate? It seems like America does have quite a few exceptional doom metal bands and how do you view this particular sect within the American underground?

There has been a lot of confusion in the last decade of what doom metal is exactly; for some it refers to the sound popularized by bands like Black Sabbath, St. Vitus, Trouble, and Candlemass, whereas others define it as the "Peaceville sound" developed by Paradise Lost, Anathema, and My Dying Bride. To further confuse everyone, the stoner rock movement (epitomized by bands like Kyuss or Fu Manchu) was lumped under the doom tag, and in some places, like mp3.com, is still considered one in the same. For me, true doom is epitomized by the opening sequence of Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath" and the mellotron elegies of King Crimson; dark, somber, ominous, emotionally intense, slow, heavy music. Stoner rock and slow death metal is not the same thing to me, but I am not willing to wage war against bands and fans of those genres like some of my colleagues do. If I don't like it, I just won't listen to it, however I would prefer that such styles were not misconstrued to be the same thing as doom metal. Looking at the American doom scene, it seems to be growing stronger, with festivals like Born Too Late bringing veterans and newer bands together, and the media is finally giving doom bands a bit more attention compared to years past. Most of the doom bands in the States are very good friends with each other, and that camaraderie extends across the oceans as well.

4) The current WHW line up does have members that come from other talented outlets like Oct 31 and Brave/Arise From Thorns. How do you view this great line-up and the networking within the Virginia metal scene, since all bands do seem to have close ties, and how these members help shape your vision? I take it it's a tightly knit community?

Despite the fact that for years backstabbing and shit talking have permeated the local Washington DC/Baltimore/Northern Virginia scene, everyone does know everyone here, and basically everyone has played with everyone else somewhere along the way! There is no question that this area has produced a wealth of talent considering we've got bands like Deceased, Twisted Tower Dire, Brave, Grand Belial's Key, Arghoslent, Pentagram, Revelation, (etc.) which is great for me, since I always seem to require fresh blood (laughing). Actually, the people involved with WHW currently were indeed hand picked for their individual strengths and personalities, so they all contribute to the band in some capacity. I am honored to have worked with everyone who's ever been a part of WHW, but this line-up certainly has the strongest chemistry of all. We try out every idea anyone brings to the table, and then decide what works best for each composition. Bassist Jim Hunter has become my right hand man as far as finalizing the arrangements, but I am still the primary composer for WHW.

5) Would you say that Candlemass plays a heavy influence within your sound, that triumphant and elated vibe that emanates from your music is quite reflective of the early releases of said classic band. What other influences would you say helped shape the sound you've created?

Candlemass indeed exerted a strong influence upon me in the early days, and I still adore their early albums, but I don't think we sound anything like them at this point in time. In fact, I've always considered us a branch in a different direction from where they left off with "Nightfall" and "Ancient Dreams." As for the other main influences in the beginning, they were: Fates Warning (particularly "Spectre" and "Awaken"), Queensryche, Trouble, Black Sabbath, Rush, Voivod, Coroner, Celtic Frost, Slayer, and Witchfinder General. To describe our sound now, all of those influences remain intact, but it comes off like a hybrid of Candlemass, Fates, Viking-era Bathory, early Manowar, recent slower Immortal, pre-AOR Styx, Rainbow, Klaus Schulze, Kitaro, Bach, Wagner, and Beethoven! With a heavy dose of mid-70's Krautrock!

6) The overall feeling of your music does have a triumphant and powerful vibe, I feel because of the strong melodies that come forth and that there is an emphasis on melody that you take heed of. When creating such music, do any particular visions come in your head, maybe something based on feelings, certain moods… What is the frame of mind when creating such inspiring music?

Well, the way all of the music is composed is strictly through revelation first; I've never forced a song into being, rather they tend to write themselves, usually with an emotional catalyst. Sometimes they come out as complete thoughts, other times they require years to come together. Only once the basic exoskeleton is complete, do I take the compositions to the table to flesh out the arrangements. Lyrically, things develop the same way, so it is not uncommon to find me scribbling lines and stanzas in bars/restaurants, out on the highway, anywhere really. All of the songs are based entirely upon my own life experiences, so they are extremely introspective, and often painful, but also cathartic. There are very definite visions and I often utilize fantastic or religious imagery to connotate the magnitude of emotions involved (even though we are in no way a Christian band, the imagery is powerful to those who do believe, and even to those who do not). Often the images involve vast landscapes of extreme darkness and desolation, and the topics lyrically revolve around sorrow, death, despair, addiction, failed relationships, suicide, depression, betrayal, and now vengeance as well.

7) How do you see the aura of the music fit within the lyrical content of the band and how they go hand in hand, seeing that the lyrics do portray visions of despair and sadness and longing, while the music feels extremely positive and strong in vibe. How do you see these two factors going hand in hand?

I think the "Empires" album is something of an aural paradox, in that it is simultaneously uplifting and gutting…a glorious tragedy. While our music has often been described as "beautiful," and "melancholic," "inspirational" is not a word long associated with WHW, considering the extremely dismal, hopeless nature of our past work. The only explanation that I have regarding this anomaly is the fact that in the last 4 weeks of tracking the album, it totally took on a life of its own, even after we'd meticulously planned every last detail, so we allowed it to become whatever it did. I think if you stripped away the orchestration, you'd find that the songs really are in truth epic doom metal songs, predominantly in minor keys, and very befitting of the lyrics; all the harmonies, additional instrumentation, and contrapuntal lines create a lush deception of triumph, and in some respects that makes sense considering I am still alive after having endured the events and circumstances described in the lyrics, but at the core our music is still melancholic epic doom metal.

8) Europe has always been a haven for this style of music, but in North America, there is also a reputation for this kind of music. How do you compare both realms in the acceptance of doom metal? Where have WHW been getting their most positive feedback from? Seeing that you are on a label based out of Italy, I take it your following in Europe is more prominent than in North America?

America has produced quite a few doom bands of high quality, but the label and media support has always been somewhat lacking here, and the aforementioned stoner rock movement did not help things at all with its blurring of definitions and flooding of the market. Fortunately, most of the true doom bands from the States are still active and new bands are coming along as well, although there are not really any other epic doom metal bands here anymore besides WHW, as Solitude Aeternus have long been crafting their own unique sound that has evolved far beyond the realms of epic doom. It's seems as if doom is finally gaining some recognition in North America, but Europe has been supportive of it since day one. Pretty much since the release of our first demo, Europe has embraced WHW, and considering the European nature of our sound, that makes perfect sense to me. Our strongest market is mainland Europe in general…Germany, Belgium, Holland, the UK, and now we are making progress in Eastern Europe as well. WHW did not even bother to focus on the US at all until now, considering we formed in the time frame between the end of the thrash movement and the beginning of the death metal phenomenon, but the underground has diversified quite a bit since then.

9) There are plans for re-releases, but give us an up to date update on what lies ahead for the band as it seems the band will keep quite busy in the coming time. What are the new goals to conquer and where would you like to see WHW headed in the coming moments?

First of all, we've just signed a licensing agreement with Rage Of Achilles in the UK, that will first produce an unlimited jewel-box pressing of "Of Empires Forlorn," for the European and North American markets (to be released in September 2003), and then a re-recording of our last album "Sorrow Of The Angels" with several bonus tracks. There will be more vinyl 7"s coming from the "Empires" sessions, one being a split with The Doomsday Cult from Sweden, and there will be a vinyl pressing of the album itself released by Germany's Metal Supremacy (who produced the WHW anthology "Chapter One: 1989-1999" in 2002) later this year. We've also completed most of the compositions for the next album "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" which will be released on a label yet to be determined. What I can say of that release is that it will be even more diverse than "Empires," featuring a lot of aggressive riffing, another 20-minute multi-part composition, a foray into funeral doom, and some of the most Epic passages in our discography. In 2004 we'll be heading to Europe for a long overdue tour, and hopefully in the meantime, the album will reach everyone who is interested in hearing it. The only real goal is to remain true to ourselves; we'll never play doom just for the sake of playing doom; we've already pushed the boundaries pretty far and we're not stopping now. It is all about progression and honesty; people evolve, and so does the music we create. The last thing WHW will do is become redundant; we may re-release some of their earlier material to keep it in circulation, but our signature sound will continue to progress with every subsequent release. Should the time come when there is nothing left to say, or we've exhausted all the possibilities, my hope is that WHW will bow out gracefully, although, I'd like to walk out onstage 20 years from now and still be as vital as we are today, in the Deep Purple fashion.