Interview with Psychedelic Zine (Hungary), December 2002

How was the feedback of your 7" single "The Drowning Years"? I imagine that many fans were surprised by the unusually positive sound...

The reaction to "Drowning" has been nothing short of spectacular, garnering praise even from people who hear everything that comes out, like Martin Popoff (editor of Canada's Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles magazine and respected music critic) and Jeff Wagner (buyer for Century Media's distribution/former Metal Maniacs editor). The vinyl turned out beautifully, and the initial run on purple swirled vinyl is almost completely sold out already (it was released in November 2002). Regarding it's "positive" sound, I think that is just an illusion personally; admittedly the shorter length and the modulation to relative major at the end might contribute to a more accessible sound, but the fact is that the lyrics are more bleak than ever. I will say that "Drowning…" tends to highlight the Epic element of WHW more so than previous efforts have, but it's still not uplifting either. The real irony with the ending segment of the song is that each layer really represents yet another wave swallowing me further and further beneath the ocean of sorrow...

What are the musical and lyrical differences between your first album and "Of Empires Forlorn"?

The main difference musically between "Sorrow Of The Angels" and "Of Empires Forlorn" is the diversity of the material and the maturity of the writing. I really feel like all of the material composed in that first decade is little more than "developmental" material or the work of a student; our influences are less obvious now, we've developed a signature sound that is distinctly our own, and are able to say a lot more in a condensed form. There is also a lot more in the way of ear candy on this album. Still, there is no question that the foundation is firmly that of Epic Doom Metal, even if the progressive aspects are more prominent. Lyrically, the main difference is the subject matter; everything WHW released in the first decade revolved around a specific relationship that ended in 1990, and now, I am attempting to fill in some of the gaps since then. This entails discussing other relationships (romantic, platonic, and familial), alcoholism, depression, isolation, and ultimately, surrender. Forthcoming releases will be tied in lyrically to some of these songs…but that is all I have to say about that for now…

How long did the recording of the new album take?

We began tracking the basic tracks (drums, bass, reference guitars) in February, and continued overdubbing through June, spending between 24-40 hours per month in the studio, with a lot of down time in between. The studio was booked from July through the beginning of November, so we just analyzed the rough mixes over the summer. Tracking resumed during the second week of November and carried on throughout the month. It took us about a week to mix down the album, so the grand total of time spent recording this album is in the range of 7-8 weeks really.

What is the first thing you do when you write a new song? The music or the lyrics?

It really tends to vary, because I have revelations all the time; driving down the road, lying awake at night, mid-conversation…there really is no rhyme or reason to it. I still do not forcibly compose anything; all the music and lyrics come strictly through revelations, and only after the basic structure is completed do I sit down and sort out arrangements. In the case of this album, the music came first for every song, whereas "Sorrow Of The Angels" was complete lyrically long before any of the music was finished.

Will "Of Empires Forlorn" also be released in a vinyl edition? And are you planning to do any merchandise like shirts and so on?

I discussed the possibility of a vinyl release for "Empires…" with Metal Supremacy Records while we were working out the details for the "Chapter One" release, and they expressed interest in releasing all future WHW releases on vinyl at that time, but we have not discussed it since. I would really like to shoot for a double 10" release personally, as that would be about all we need to accommodate the bonus material set aside for a vinyl release, along with the album itself. Check our website for updates about this format. As for shirts and such, we just recently signed a merchandising deal with Rock Bottom in Germany, who will be manufacturing shirts in the following designs: "Chapter One," (which is basically a logo shirt, with the dates on the back), "The Mourning" 7" cover, and the cover of "Lovesongs Of The Forsaken." All of these designs will be available on T-shirts, longsleeves, and sweatshirts. Eventually, there will indeed be merchandise for all 8 releases, but in the meantime, all inquiries should be directed to Rock Bottom or your local stores like Metal Merchant and such.

I am a big fan of metal videos. Do you know if there are live documents of While Heaven Wept?

Well, there are, but you won't be seeing any of them (laughing). Seriously, there are some bootlegs of the 1999 shows, but being that I personally know the cameraman, and have asked him not to trade them, they won't be getting around; the first concert in 1999 was the only show that truly captured the essence of WHW, and I imagine some of that footage will turn up later on anyway. I would much rather release an official concert recording at some point in the future, where we have total control of the sound at the show, rather than relying upon some random jackass that does not know our music at all. We've discussed the possibility of doing a live DVD after the next album is done…and will continue to do so, but that will not even be feasible until after the "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" album has been recorded, because it would be a full-blown production for sure.

Describe a While Heaven Wept concert. Do you play much in your local area? And what kind of people and how many came to your shows?

We do not perform live very often for many reasons including: all the members of WHW are actively involved with other bands who are always out gigging (Twisted Tower Dire, Brave, October 31, Revelation, etc.) therefore making scheduling difficult, the music is not exactly what your average bar patron wants to hear, the fact that we spend so much time in the studio and writing does not allow rehearsals for live performance, and we want to make every concert of ours special. Additionally, we are short a keyboard player right now, and are still teaching our drummer Jason all of the old material so we can get out to perform in the next year; he only joined 2 months before the recording of "Empires," so there is a fair amount of ground to cover here. Prior to 1999, we really only did the occasional private gathering, and in 1999 we did exactly 4 shows…3 in Maryland (at the terribly missed Phantasmagoria), and 1 in New York City…so, we've not really performed live very often at all…and considering the personal nature of the music, that makes sense. We've never performed for more than a few hundred people, and most of the time the audience is comprised of other bands along with personal friends. At this point, we are not at all adverse to doing a full-blown tour, particularly in Europe, but we also have no outside financial support from a label whatsoever, so it would be self-financed, therefore another endeavor for a later date, considering how much money we've spent on this album (more than $10,000)… As for what WHW is like live…just imagine a throng of dark silhouettes bathed in purple, blue, and white light, wreathed in candles…and a sound heavier than God and blacker than Satan…much more powerful than the albums for sure.

In February, your co-patriots Revelation will tour through Germany. Is it possible that we will see you live in the old world next?

Well, although this is merely speculation, I would like to get WHW over there for Doom Shall Rise II, and do a couple weeks of additional shows around that event if it is going to happen…perhaps you can ask Jochen about the possibility of this sometime? Either way, I promise that we will get over there to gig as soon as it is financially and logistically possible…in the meantime, as you mentioned, Jim will be over there with Revelation in February, and then again later on with Twisted Tower Dire (around the time of Wacken)…

Can you tell our readers a little bit about your releases up to now?

How about the complete discography then: "Into The Wells Of Sorrow" 7" (1994), "Lovesongs Of The Forsaken" demo (1994, re-mixed and released on CD 1995), WHW/Cold Mourning split 7" (1997), "Sorrow Of The Angels" CD (1998), "Chapter One: 1989-1999" 2LP (2002), "The Drowning Years" 7" (2002), and coming in 2003, "Of Empires Forlorn" CD/LP as well as the second single from the album "Voice In The Wind" 7". Atmospheric and Progressive Epic Doom Metal in all cases, with a better production on each subsequent release, and greater musical diversity as well. Expect the next album "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" and it's singles sometime in 2004.

I'm also a big vinyl collector. But why didn't you release "Chapter One" on CD too?

"Chapter One" was a very special, exclusive release for Metal Supremacy Records and not something I had exactly planned upon previously; all of the material that it was comprised of was previously released, and had gone out of print, so it was really giving people one last chance to get a hold of the original versions of those songs. I never intended to let those songs slip into obscurity though; I've always had every intention of recording versions that I am satisfied with inevitably, but have opted to release an album or two of predominantly new material first. As for the original versions of those songs, I was either unhappy with the productions, performances, or both, so I really did not want to press "Chapter One" on CD, which would make them more readily available…and really would only be a money-making scam in my eyes; at least the majority of "Chapter One" had never been on vinyl previously. "Chapter One" is a special release for those "in the know" and that's it…most of whom are vinyl fanatics…so it's for them…and myself. I admit my vinyl addiction too!

The cover of every While Heaven Wept release has angelic figures. They are nice to look at, but what is the reason for that? Do you have a special relationship with angels or heavenly creatures?

I've always used religious imagery on our covers and in the lyrics to articulate the magnitude of emotions I was feeling when living through the events discussed within the songs. So many people have strong religious convictions that I figured that having images of Lucifer, broken and tormented angels, and other apocalyptic scenes would provoke a stronger reaction and a deeper understanding of how intense and real my feelings are. There are certainly other aspects to the cover art that will become more and more evident in time, but for now I will just say that they have nothing to do with any kind of connection to celestial beings whatsoever.

What inspires you to write such sad and sorrowful songs?

Every song that I've ever written has been entirely based upon my own experiences and realities. I don't think I could write any other way even if I wanted to. Having said this, yes, all of the sadness is unfortunately very real.

What is the true essence of doom for you?

The feeling of complete and utter despair. An eternal darkness that will always overshadow even the most glorious moments in time. Musically, I would say the "mood" of true doom is epitomized by the first minute of "Black Sabbath" and King Crimson's "Epitaph."

Can you imagine doing some other music besides Doom someday?

Well, there are certainly other facets of my personality, I do listen a wide array of music, and have already been involved with several other bands ranging from Death Metal to Black Metal, and Power Metal to Progressive Metal, so I am positive that I will be producing other forms of music besides Epic Doom in the future as well. I've often said that I will not perform Doom strictly for the purpose of performing Doom, and I still stand by this. I will only compose in this style for as long as I have a need to express these things. Hopefully people will appreciate the sincerity of this and not winge when I explore other realms of expression; I will always perform music of integrity and conviction, nothing less.

What have been the most beautiful moments in your musical career so far?

Walking out of the studio after the last day of mixing "Empires" and saying "We're done!" (laughing). Seriously, I would have to say that the completion of every recording has been a highlight for me, but with this one in particular, I feel like we have captured some amazing performances this time…and finally getting the production I have always envisioned. Musical moments aside, the most beautiful things that I have experienced in relation to WHW are the many letters I've received over the years where people have shared their personal stories with me, articulating how our much our music means to them in terms of not feeling so alone in this world. That is what it is all about for me, outside of my personal need for expression.

Okay Tom, I give you some keywords and you tell me what comes to your mind with them:

Literature: It is the source of great inspiration for me in terms of provoking thought and providing me with images that I envision when composing music. Throughout the discography of WHW, you can find references to poetry and prose by Shakespeare, Shelley, Dante, Wordsworth, Milton, Goethe, as well as philosophical works by Kierkegaard, Nietzche and several others.

Clichés: Generally speaking it is something that I try to avoid, but a few years ago, I was speaking with the co-founder of WHW, Chris Galvan, who said something to the effect that clichés are not necessarily a bad thing, after all it is because they made sense that they became as much. Sometimes a cliché is not a bad thing at all…would you want AC/DC to suddenly whip out a gospel album after all this time?

Masochism: It is a fetish that does nothing for me; I do not enjoy pain of any kind (physical or emotional)…but each to their own right?

Nightmares End (a progressive epic doom band from Maryland/USA): All I know of them is that they appeared on a Powermad compilation CD (relating to the annual progressive/power metal festival in Baltimore, Maryland)…I personally have not heard them, but I am pretty sure that they are more along the lines of the SPV bands or Memory Garden in the sense that they are not really Epic Doom proper, rather doomy power metal.

Life after death: I believe in the soul and its infinity, but the only thing I will be sure of in terms of immortality is a legacy left behind. Everything else is just speculation really, but I would like to believe that there is more than this.

Mystic: Well, again in reference to the supernatural and the unexplainable, I've experienced some things of this nature, most notably the connection to the rain; since the beginning of WHW, every time we've performed, rehearsed, and recorded, the sky has wept. It has happened so often that it is beyond coincidence for me, and the recording for "Of Empires Forlorn" was no exception. My interpretation of these atmospheric events is described in the lyrics of "Sorrow Of The Angels."

There are only a few bands in the doom scene, which play this epic doom style like you do. Do you have an explanation for that?

Epic doom has always been the least popular sub-genre in the galaxy; it is certainly an acquired taste, and considering Candlemass set the bar pretty high in terms of extremity, it has only become more extreme. Considering the popularity of Death and Black Metal it totally makes sense that styles like Death/Doom and Funeral Doom receive more attention. Also, Stoner Rock, often terribly mistaken for Doom, is a lot more accessible as well, and you do not have to invest any thought into it really, whereas Epic Doom requires a much more dedicated listener. You would think that there would be a lot more in the way of Epic Doom bands considering the popularity of "old-school" power metal these days, but again, our style of music is NOT widely popular or accepted, so that would turn most people off, in that most people aspire to greater heights, however shallow or idealistic as that might be. I have no problem whatsoever having a small family of bands representing this genre…clearly those that remain are further defining the genre, and it is free of clutter, unlike most other scenes, including Death/Doom and Stoner Rock.

Do you have a vision or goal that you want to reach with While Heaven Wept?

You mean aside from world domination? (Laughing) Seriously, I just want to reach as many people as possible with this music, especially the people that empathize with it; then I know that I am making a difference in this world. Personally, success for me is capturing what I hear in my head on our recordings, and expressing myself articulately and accurately. But, world domination would be nice too (Laughing)…

It's endtime. Your last words Tom?

Thank you for the interview. I really appreciate the opportunity you've given me to express myself and discuss the new WHW release. I hope everyone out there finds the new album to their liking; it is an evolution, but NOT a departure. While Heaven Wept = Epicus Doomicus Aeternus. Otherwise, I would just like to notify everyone of the free Mp3's available for download from our website www.whileheavenwept.net and also mention the streaming option available at our www.mp3.com/whw site. We are also still looking for labels interested in licensing the new album for unlimited release, as well as the forthcoming recordings. Interested parties should contact me via plomerus@hotmail.com Anyone requiring additional information or wanting to contact the band should use that address as well. Thanks again to you Christian and all of our fans everywhere…we appreciate each and every one of you…doom forever onward…