Interview with Highwire Daze, January 2004

1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in While Heaven Wept, and how long the band has been together.

I'm Tom Phillips, the sole founding member remaining in While Heaven Wept. I handle the vocals, guitars, keyboards in the band, and I am also the primary composer. We first formed the group in 1989.

2. Where is the band from and what is the metal scene like there?

WHW is based in Northern Virginia, so we're essentially part of the Washington DC area's scene, which also extends up to Baltimore, Maryland as well. There has always been a wealth of talent originating from this area from classic bands like Pentagram, The Obsessed, Minor Threat, Bad Brains to the first wave of extreme metal which included bands as diverse as Deceased, Arghoslent, Morbius, Abominog, Grand Belial's Key, and of course While Heaven Wept. Even now there are interesting bands coming along like Brave, Ephemeral Sun, and Betray My Trust to name a few. Unfortunately, there are very few venues for metal bands to play, and the few that exist essentially extort the bands or treat them with little respect.

3. Where did you get the name for the band?

The name While Heaven Wept is derived from the events of a specific day back in 1990 (prior to this we existed under a plethora of monikers, but the music remained the same), also described in the lyrics of "Sorrow Of The Angels," the last song on our latest album; I received a letter from my estranged girlfriend that said "I'm just giving up..." thus, we lost to distance. I was overwhelmed with grief and my eyes welled up with tears...simultaneously, the sky, once azure, turned black and erupted almost empathetically, hence the name While Heaven Wept.

4. If you had to describe your music to someone who has never heard it before, what would you say?

For someone not familiar with underground metal, I'd say our music is something like a blend of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, the mellotron epics of King Crimson, Queensryche, and Bach. More specifically, for those who do listen to underground music, I'd describe it as cross between Candlemass, Viking-era Bathory, early Manowar and Fates Warning with some 70's symphonic prog and classical touches.  

5. How did you wind up getting signed to Rage Of Achilles?  Is there any problem with the fact they are from England and you're in the States?

Duncan contacted us after hearing "The Drowning Years" on mp3.com, and initially wanted to release a 7" single of the song, but it my friend Mike Pritchard had only a couple months before pressed a limited edition on his Maniacal Records imprint, so I didn't think that was such a good idea. Needless to say, I sent Duncan an advance CDR of the whole album, and he upgraded his offer to doing a full-length. At the time, I wasn't really familiar with Rage Of Achilles apart from the name, but after doing some research I came to find out that Duncan was highly regarded within the industry. We negotiated the contract for several months, whilst entertaining other offers, and in the end Duncan simply made us an offer we couldn't refuse, so we made an agreement for one album. "Of Empires Forlorn" was released in the UK and North America on October 27, 2003. So far, Duncan's done everything that he proposed to do, so we haven't had any problems, and as far as the distance, we simply communicate online regularly. Almost all of our releases have been on European labels, so this is really nothing new.

6. What exactly are The Drowning Years?

The drowning years were the years I spent spiraling ever downward into alcoholism willingly destroying myself and everything that ever meant something to me. Obviously, I found reasons to carry on, or I wouldn't be here today, and I think this explains the more triumphant sounding aspects of the album.

7. Tell me a little about the song Epistle No 81 and what made you decide to cover it?

"Epistle No.81" is a traditional Swedish hymn composed by Carl Michael Bellman, who was their equivalent to Shakespeare. Countless artists, predominantly of Swedish origin, one of the most famous being Candlemass, have performed this particular piece. As for why WHW has covered it, first of all I've wanted to do an interpretation of it for many years because I think it is one of the most beautiful melodies ever. Secondly, being that Candlemass were a huge influence, it was inevitable that we'd pay homage to them at some point, but I didn't want to opt for something more obvious like "Solitude" or "Samarithan." I'm pretty pleased with the way our version turned out, even though the tempo fluctuation makes it seem like we're rushing to the grave!

8. Where do you get the ideas for some of the other lyrics you write?

All of the lyrics are based upon my own life experiences and relationships I've had over the years (platonic, romantic, and familial). I often infuse a lot of fantastic imagery into them, and this is strictly for metaphorical reasons; the religious images serve as powerful symbols, particularly for those with strong faith, however I must add that WHW is not a religious band, nor are we political in any capacity.

9. Some of the songs date back as far as 1991 thru 2001.  How close are you to writing new material?

Since we've been around in one form or another for 15 years now, there is quite a back catalogue of material that is still awaiting realization via vinyl or compact disc, not to mention some of the older recordings are out of print, so this is why we've always had a blend of new and archival material on every release. As for all-new material, we actually had quite a bit composed even before we entered the studio to record "Of Empires Forlorn," and we've developed quite a bit since then. At the moment, we're rehearsing about 40 minutes of new material for the next album, which will be called "Vast Oceans Lachrymose." I'm sure we'll have even more by the time we return to the studio in the winter of 2004, but for now, I'd say the composition of "V.O.L." is about 85% complete. This should be an early spring 2005 release, provided we find a label interested in releasing it (the Rage Of Achilles agreement was for one album only, and both the band and label agree a larger entity would be ideal).

10. What is a live While Heaven Wept show like and is there any chance of the band playing here on the West Coast?

I'd say our live shows are much more intense than the albums...very raw, heavy, and energetic, at least currently. In the past, we focused more on creating lush atmospheres, because the material was very slow and lengthy, but to be honest, I think it's quite difficult to do that properly on a small budget, with all the x-factors involved (apathetic crowds, insufficient PA equipment, jaded or inexperienced soundmen, etc), plus being that I'm not depressed, it's not really possible for me to perform material I'm not actually feeling. Thus, our current set is much more aggressive and energetic, which is much more gratifying for us as a band, and probably for your average audience as well. As for live shows on the West Coast, we'd love to come out there to play! Any promoters or sponsors can contact the band directly to set something up. Being that we have some good friends in the Bay Area and Monterrey, perhaps that is another option as well.

11. What was your favorite CD of 2003 and why?

Hmmm... I'd have to say either Devin Townsend's "Accelerated Evolution" or Hammers Of Misfortune's "The August Engine," because they both blend so many influences together that they sound really distinctive, both have very good (and appropriate) productions, and most importantly instantaneously memorable songs. As for unsigned bands, I'd have to say my favorite release was the debut demo of Battle Ram from Italy - totally raw and inspired epic metal, with a lot of old US influences. That's really what I require these days as a listener: conviction, inspiration, and/or invention.  

12. Is Scott Loose also in Brave and are they still an active band?

Yes, Scott is still in Brave, and they are currently working on new material, which is among the best they've ever composed. His sister, Michelle (Brave's vocalist and keyboardist) has actually been playing live with WHW since 1998 as well, and even made a brief appearance on "Empires." Actually, I was also one of the founding members of Brave, which evolved from a project called Arise From Thorns, and even Jim (Hunter, WHW bassist) has performed live with them.  

13. Are you or any of the other members involved with any other bands or musical projects at this time?

Well, as I said, Scott and Michelle have Brave, Jim plays bass for Twisted Tower Dire (I was also the original singer for that band too), Revelation, and October 31, and we both are part of the reformed UK true doom metal band Solstice (whom I sang for between 1995-97). It's likely that Jason (Gray, WHW drummer) will also be involved with some other project at some point as well.

14. What are the future plans for While Heaven Wept?

At the moment, aside from working on the material for "Vast Oceans Lachrymose," we're preparing for our European tour in April, which will include a couple festival appearances. Then, this summer we'll perform at the Northern Lights festival in Toronto, Ontario among others, before returning to Europe for another excursion in the autumn. Once we've completed all these shows in support of the "Empires" album we'll go into the studio to start recording "V.O.L." There will also be more releases coming this year including the vinyl pressing of "Of Empires Forlorn," a split 7" with The Doomsday Cult from Sweden, and we'll also be working on the re-release of our last album "Sorrow Of The Angels" as well, once we find a new label to call home.

15. Any final words of wisdom?

I'll start with some of Triumph's greatest hits (laughing): "Fight The Good Fight" and "Never Surrender!" Otherwise, I'd have to say support music, not hype. Thanks for the interview and support! We hope to see you in California someday!