Goddamn, the year 2003 has just started and already a classic doom-album has been released. And I`m positive this will be one of the top releases within this genre for this year `cause this is an absolutely fabulous recording. While Heaven Wept from Virginia, USA managed to record one of the most epic doom-albums ever. I`m not joking, this is such a great album that`s so full of melancholy it almost brings tears to my eyes. This is plain beautiful. I repeat, beautiful. Their previous recordings already were excellent, but I dare to say WHW managed to crush all their previous efforts with "Of Empires Forlorn". I even dare to say they are in the same league as Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus and can be ranked as a top-act within this particular genre. They sound heavy where they need to be heavy, and subdued modest at the parts that need that mood. The melancholy just drips from this CD. Everything on this album sounds excellent. The synth-parts, which are really great, the guitars, bass and drums are mixed wonderfully. The sound of the bassist Jim Hunter (also of Revelation) is so cool on this recording, something that doesn`t happen that often in a lot of recordings. In between the songs and even during some softer parts within some songs you can hear the ocean, a "gimmick" also present on their previous album "Sorrow of the Angels" except on that recording it was pouring rain. There are 7 songs on this album with a rerecorded version of the song "Sorrow of the Angels" which was previously available on the MCD "Lovesongs of the Forsaken"from 1995 and a remake of the Candlemass song "Epistle no. 81" from the Ancient Dreams album, which actually is a traditional Swedish song if I`m correct. I really can`t help it but I`m so impressed by this album, it has become an all-time fave for me personally. The album will be released as a limited digipack (1000 copies) through Eibon Records from Italy. However the band is still looking for a label that`s willing to release the album in unlimited numbers. More information concerning this can be found on their website, where you can also find some samples of this album. http://www.whileheavenwept.com
No need to tell you to buy this album! - Pim, Quintessence Zine, Netherlands, (2003)

There have been many legends concerning the Holy Grail. From the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper to the legend of King Arthur. The Holy Grail has been described in numerous ways and seems to be lost forever. Well rejoice my doomed brethren for we have found it! While Heaven Wept with 'Of Empires Forlorn' presents to us no less than the holy grail of Doom-metal!

The first time I heard this album I already knew it, something just clicked instantly. From the first note to the very last, everything is just in its place, everything is just right. While we are only in the beginning of 2003 I am already going to dare and say that 'Of Empires Forlorn' is the best Doom-metal album of 2003! At the very least While Heaven Wept have upped the stakes for all other bands to outdo them.

'Of Empires Forlorn' is While Heaven Wept coming to age. If compared to their previous studio effort 'Sorrow of the Angels' the band has grown a lot. They still have that epic, larger than life feeling in their music. If you enjoyed their previous effort you won't be disappointed for sure. The songwriting has matured a lot (and that with 'Sorrow of the Angels' already being a very strong effort). The band manages to create a majestic feel of true sorrow and melancholy. Epic vocals, strong riffing, atmospheric keyboards and a very tight rhythm section; every element of While Heaven Wept is in perfect harmony.

From the first moment I heard this album it sounded familiar, like I have owned it for years. Yet, every time I listen to it I discover new elements and it continues to surprise me. It's recommended to listen to this album with headphones a few times. A lot of small details are hidden away in the music, like little gifts waiting to be discovered. While Heaven Wept have combined writing a grand and epic album with all kinds of small musical goodies. Which to me is testimony of excellent song writing.

It is hard to give a solid definition of the music found here. Clearly it is Epic Doom that ranks right up there with Candlemass, Solitude Aeternus and Solstice. But While Heaven Wept have their own unique sound and can take their place as equals. Combining the right elements for the job is a large factor of their success here. From epic guitars solos to pounding riffs, from massive epic compositions to fragile atmospheric interludes, from majestic clean vocals to even sporadically using a death grunt on the title track, While Heaven Wept combines all that is good about Doom.

The Candlemass cover 'Epistle No. 81' (of the 'Ancient dreams' album) fits right in with the rest of the songs. While Heaven Wept have made the song their own, without discrediting the original song. It has become more epic than the original. Giving the entire song a bit more power and a grand feeling. Although I don't think that the speed isn't much faster than the original, it somehow seems to flow more fluently and as such gives the illusion of being slightly faster (and slightly less depressing). All in all this is a great interpretation of the original song.

There is little left for me to say about this release that I have not already said. It is probably clear that I am wildly enthusiastic about this release. It is the best Doom-metal release I have heard in the last 5 years! It however remains hard for me to precisely describe the music. As I noted before 'Of Empires forlorn' combines basically everything that is good about Doom, and it's hard to just pick out one element and describe that. It's a grand journey of sorrow and sadness that you just need to experience for yourself. I will recommend this release to anybody and everybody. This is a must have! - Aldo Quispel, Doom-metal.com, Netherlands (2003)

With last year's "Chapter One" double LP, the first era of While Heaven Wept was closed. Needless to say, if this new album, "Of Empires Forlorn," is any indication, Chapter Two is really going to be something even greater to behold. With this album, the leader of the epic doom movement is poised to take the genre out of the underground, once and for all.

The While Heaven Wept sound is constructed here the same way as usual--classical based structures, delivered via both electric and acoustic guitars, are accentuated by synth accompaniment and vibrato-heavy operatic vocals. One thing that helps expand the band's base sound on "Of Empires Forlorn" is a light years jump in production quality from past While Heaven Wept releases. What does all this mean? Basically, that everything you loved about While Heaven Wept before is still there but even better. This said, the truth is While Heaven Wept have not only expanded their sound, but the entire genre of epic doom, in a way that is inconceivable with "Of Empires Forlorn"-they have taken the form of epic doom and pushed its melodic elements as far as you possibly could and still have the music be doom metal. What this does is take every grand and epic element of While Heaven Wept's sound and magnify it tenfold. "Of Empires Forlorn" is the sound of flying over an ocean with the full moon out and no land in sight, but still you look to the horizon for a shore, though the wind burns your eyes and hope is all but lost. This is haunting stuff and maybe the most epic music ever created, doom or otherwise.

As usual, While Heaven Wept delivers amazing songs. The title track, "Of Empires Forlorn," is classic While Heaven Wept--mournful, passionate, soaring, and heavy. Lots of great palm-muted riffing aids in making this track a winner. In the end, the two standout tracks are "The Drowning Years" and a cover of the 1977 Jane song "Voice In The Wind." These are the two songs on "Of Empires Forlorn" where While Heaven Wept pushes the melodicism of epic doom to the brink. Both of these tracks are definitely doom metal but at the same time they have "airplay," "heavy rotation," and "hit single" written all over them. Essentially, with these two cuts, While Heaven Wept have taken one of the most cult forms of music ever and skyrocketed it right into the mainstream, from out of nowhere. It's a stunning and unprecedented triumph, to say the least.

All told, it's that triumph that makes "Of Empires Forlorn" such an all-time classic album. The most hardline doom fiend will worship this recording but probably too will fans of mainstream bands such as Evanescence and Styx (Tom Phillips' vocals do bear a resemblance to those of Dennis DeYoung - especially the higher his voice grows in pitch). If you love great music, whether you realize it yet or not, you owe While Heaven Wept and "Of Empires Forlorn" your allegiance. This album is much like Celtic Frost's "Into The Pandemonium" in that there has never really been anything else like it before. Like that album, "Of Empires Forlorn" is sure to spark a lot of debate amongst the metal underground. In the end, it will be considered a benchmark release, too. This is more than just a mere album-of-the-year candidate - "Of Empires Forlorn" is one of the greatest and most important albums ever. - Dan Rowe, House Of Smut/Tremble Saith Thy Master, USA (2003)

While Heaven Wept are a self-described "epic doom metal" band from Virginia. Members have been involved in quite a few other bands, most notably Brave (formerly known as Arise from Thorns) and Solstice (the UK band). The group is led by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tom Phillips. He's kept the band going for about 13 years, but this is only their third full-length album. The other two are, of course, hopelessly out of print.

This latest CD is a limited-edition digipak released by the small Italian label Eibon Records. It's likely that this will end up as out-of-print as the previous ones, so any interested parties should obtain this as quickly as possible. It's available directly from Eibon, as well as from Century Media.

The CD booklet accompanying this contains one of the longest thank-you lists I've ever seen, including an extensive list of musical influences and contemporaries. The obvious ones are Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, and Black Sabbath. The band also namechecks some 70's art rockers like Genesis and Styx, and a few classical composers like Bach, whose influence is readily apparent. Then there are a few that come out of left field, like Natalie Merchant and Emmylou Harris. I can almost guarantee this is the only thanks list that includes both Autopsy and The Wallflowers.

The result of all this influence-mongering is that the music sounds very familiar, almost as if you've heard it somewhere before, yet I can't place it as sounding precisely like anybody else. To my ears, I hear the influence of Candlemass, early Fates Warning, and Viking-era Bathory more than anything else. While the atmosphere is one of longing and intense emotion, the music stays away from the hellish abyss occupied by extreme doom bands like Evoken. This has more of a warm, comforting feel to it. The heaving doom riffs often open up into soaring, almost anthemic guitar harmonies, particularly at the end of track one, "The Drowning Years". Baroque-inspired keyboard washes bathe all the songs, making this very symphonic. The keyboards end up taking over in the concluding instrumental "From Empires to Oceans". The vocals, while very well done, distracted me at first because they sounded so much like Styx. For those who don't recognize that much-derided art-rock act, they were known for overdramatic prog-ballads. In other words, these vocals are very clean (with the exception of a couple brief growls in the title track). If you're all about death grunts, this is definitely not for you. The melodies are strong, but as I just pointed out, may be a little too sweet for some. On the good side, the vocals are high register but restrained, staying away from dog whistle hysterics.

The songs are all separated by the sound of ocean waves gently lapping against the shore, and "oceanic" is a good way to describe the overall sound of the album. I liked this CD immediately upon first listen, though it took me a few more to fully embrace it. At first, the polished vocals and heavy use of keyboards put me off, but gradually I appreciated them and gladly dove into the whole lush symphonic cushion this album presents. The lyrics provide plenty of sorrowful imagery - lost love, fallen kingdoms, barren souls - to keep you miserable even when the music is straining to break out into the light.

At this point (May), this CD looks like it will definitely be one of my favorites of 2003, and I recommend it to anyone into prog-metal or melodic doom (as long as you can tolerate a lot of keyboards and clean singing). - Dave Smith, Transcending The Mundane Zine, USA (2003)

To say that a new While Heaven Wept album is a rare occurrence is surely an understatement, having released only one full-length prior to this album (1998's excellent "Sorrow Of The Angels" - any fan of Doom Metal should check this out), having been active under the While Heaven Wept name since 1991. The band had split or was on long-term hiatus depending on interpretation following the release of that album, before being resurrected in 2001. The current line up includes Jim Hunter of Revelation and Twisted Tower Dire on bass, Scott Loose of progressive outfit Brave on guitar and ex-Forty Days Longing drummer Jason Gray, alongside main man Tom Phillips (formerly and currently vocalist with Yorkshire's Solstice) on guitar and vocals. But enough background, onto the music.

On initial listens, I was somewhat taken aback at the progression since the last album. The songs are on the whole much shorter, although still lengthy at an average of about 6 minutes each or so, but no "Thus With A Kiss I Die" antics on here. The music is on the whole much more orchestrated and snappily arranged than the previous effort, indeed the increased maturity belies the fact that the majority of this album has been written post-2001 using skills gained by Phillips after studying classical composition, whilst the last album was composed while he was 16. There is a much "happier" (for want of a better word) vibe musically speaking, and the prog tendencies have been pushed even further, but as the lyrics sunk in over repeated listens a much deeper, darker beast was revealed. The lyrics on this album are absolutely replete with despair, and not a glint of hope is let shine through. The process of the music sinking in was much the same; my initial shock quickly gave way over time, revealing its true form. The album is built on what is clearly a solid foundation of Epic Doom Metal, and then layered with keyboards, lead guitars and brilliant vocals from one of the finest sets of pipes in metal today.

In my opinion, if you cannot find something to like about this album then you are either lying or there is something wrong with you - such a well rounded offering I have not encountered in a while. From pounding anthemic epic metal ("Of Empires Forlorn") to crushing doom ("Soulsadness") via almost stadium rock ("The Drowning Years"), but remaining coherent throughout, the common lyrical themes helping towards this end. This does lead to a slight lack of any one element at times (I could have done with at least one more song in the vein of the title track, for instance) but this is a minor point. I am convinced this album will not be topped this year, and have no hesitation in recommending it to all and sundry. 4.8/5 - Dave Gillespie, Metal Ireland, Ireland (29/05/2003)

While Heaven Wept gör inget annat än musik som går rakt in i mitt vänstra öra och radar upp en legion av frågetecken på vägen ut ur öra nummer två. Vet inte exakt varför, men jag tycker detta är smått vedervärdigt. Melodiös hårdrock eller episk doommetal, kalla det vad ni vill. Unket, flåsigt och oinspirerande är vad det är. Men också välproducerat och kompetent på sitt sätt.

Att amerikanerna vill väl med sin smöriga men välspelade rock finns nog inga tvivel om, men prettonivån är oroväckande hög. Jag kan heller inte låta bli att tycka att det hela låter som något kristet övervintrat åttiotalsband från Säffle som slängt på sig skinnpajen och börjat lira igen. Ibland funkar gitarrerna oerhört bra och man märker att det under ytan finns en hårdhet som man dock inte vill, eller vågar släppa lös. Tom Phillips är på intet sätt någon dålig sångare men hans lite gapiga röst tilltalar mig inte alls. Och när gruppen ger sig på Carl Michael Bellmans i vanliga fall utsökta 'Epistel nr. 81', som för övrigt även svenska Candlemass tidigare tagit sig an, blir jag förbannat irriterad.

Men okej, eventuellt är jag inte helt rättvis i min bedömning. Anhängare av liknande musik kanske anser detta ett mästerverk som förtjänar att låsas in i ett bankfack efter att ett slit-och-släng exemplar bränts. För mig är det dock mest slöseri med värdefull tid som kan läggas på viktigare saker som att sortera müsli eller titta på inspelade avsnitt av 'Kvinnofängelset'. Rating: 3 - Martin Engstrom, Metica.se, Sweden (2003)

Suddenly I'm getting a bunch of cool stuff from American bands: Agent Steel, Cage, Usurper, and now While Heaven Wept. It's enough to give me hope for my country. This is the umpteenth release from this band, but most of these were demos that are impossible to get. They did have one real album released years ago, the now-legendary "Sorrow of the Angels" CD from 1998, but for me this was my first taste of this extremely underground band.

As you might guess, While Heaven Wept play doom. This is very heavy and melodic metal that oozes class from every riff. Unlike a lot of so-called doom bands, WHW do not play boring, slow riffs and call it doomy. True, most of this is slow or midpaced, but "Of Empires Forlorn" offers up plenty of time shifts and different parts to the songs to keep things interesting. These are long songs with majestic, sweeping melodies and ultra-heavy riffs, all of it topped off by the clear, strong vocals of Tom Phillips. Lots of use is made of vocal harmonies to lend a choral quality to the vocal parts, and keyboards and strings add just the right epic feel to the already superb music.

I have never been that great a fan of the ultra-depressive school of gloomy lyrics, and these are, without exception, bleak and mournful lyrics. They are very well written, but not really my thing. The vocal melodies are not the bland moping one would expect, but rather sorrowful and soaring at the same time. Album standouts "The Drowning Years" and "Soulsadness" overwhelm with grandiose playing and catchy melodies that stick after only a single listen. The cover of "Epistle No. 81" shows their hearts are in the right place, but I wish they had done more with it, as it's a little too close to the Candlemass version, if a bit faster. I would have expected them to either slooooowww it down or try a more orchestral approach.

The digipack (arrrgh! Accursed digipack!) has a beautiful cover by Gustav Dore and excellent art design worthy of a Dark Symphonies release (even though it isn't). The lyrics are included, as are very extensive 'thank you' lists and a short rant about Peaceville and their false doom-wankers. Haha! Despite the gloomy vibe, which usually is not my thing at all, I cannot get enough of this CD nor say too many good things about it. While Heaven Wept have produced a first-rate album in a genre that is tragically underpopulated with quality bands. If you favor doom metal or melodic metal in general get your hands on this album, as it's about as good as you can get. Rating: 5/5 ­ Sargon The Terrible, www.metalcrypt.com, USA (7/2003)

After spending some time unable to decide which is more pretentious ­ this band's name or this album's title ­ I threw the thing into my player. It neither made nor left much of an impression...or so I thought. But days later the vocal melodies haunted me at work...on the subway...even after a studio session. So I returned to the album. Again. And again.

While While Heaven Wept is by no mean great, they do manage to incorporate a gaggle of influences into a sound that ultimately winds up being their own. They compose slow melodic material with steady, clear-pitched vocals and harmonies. While there is a fair amount of New Age noodling (such as the unnecessary closing instrumental), I can best sum up this band by saying they move at the speed of Candlemass, yet do not rape Iommi's riff trove the way Candlemass does. Tom Phillips' vocals are well enunciated and sharp, and I find myself thinking of Styx's Dennis DeYoung (the dude who sang "Come Sail Away" and "Lady") more than any metal contemporary. Excepting the brief appearance of death metal vocals (which are out of place and ill-advised) the vocals carry this album, particularly "Voice In The Wind" and "The Drowning Years."

While the album is serene ­ a good album to go to sleep to ­ the sound is ultimately a little too thin and regular to be truly grand. For instance, the first song ends with a harmony part but all of the guitars stay with the 4/4-meter and all of the harmonies are totally melodious. If some of the melodies reached beyond (i.e. become longer, more irregular, more disharmonic, or oddly grouped) this ending would start to really open up. Check out Karl Sander's arrangements in the middle of "Masturbating The War God" or Ishahn's arrangements at the end of "Decrystallizing Reason."

While Heaven Wept drummer Jason Gray is solid, but if he threw in more polyrhythms/cross-rhythms, WHW's sound would also be enlivened. His slip-sliding hi-hat battery and syncopation in the verses of the title cut are his best moments.

"Of Empires Forlorn" is an enjoyable album filled with haunting and glorious siren-song melodies, yet doesn't fully conjure the visuals, glory, and unknown worlds conjured by black metal-based bands like Summoning or Emperor. WHW's is a good idea that is well executed, but ultimately feels a little too safe melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically. Regardless, "Of Empires Forlorn" is soothing like sweetened iced tea on a 100-degree day. ­ S. Craig Zahler, Metal Maniacs Oct. 2003, USA

I don't know what exactly "Doom Metal" is usually defined as, but I know what I like, and this album is absolutely it. I've listened to some other doom metal in preparing for this review, namely Candlemass, and despite the fact that I can tell its very good doom metal, it just doesn't float my boat. I don't care for Candlemass because their production is terribly thin, the songs all sound like they were recorded on a very tight budget with a cheap multitracker in a basement (Which they might have been), and they just don't sound rich or epic enough to offset my dislike of the gloomy doom elements which always fill such records.

Of Empires Forlorn does. It simply wails out sorrow and elegance from every riff, vocal line, and time shift. When I first heard this album, I didn't appreciate it at all. I found it to be middle of the road, bland, and quite repetitive, but all that changed when I realized exactly what it was that stood before me: A collection of sorrowful, epic songs about tragedy and loss. This wasn't supposed to be power metal, nor was it supposed to be straight doom metal, either, but an amalgamation of the better parts of both genres, combined to form a cohesive whole.

Such awe inspiring tracks as "The Drowning Years, "Soulsadness" and the best track on the album "Sorrow of the Angels" cannot be denied, even by someone like myself not particularly interested in this genre. Even the tracks that do not have any vocals or heavy guitar riffs, such as the staggeringly epic "From Empires to Oceans", are so powerful, well written, and meticulously produced, you can't help but wonder why these guys aren't already world famous. It's tragic, and I'm sure it helps hold up the gloomy mood within this record: It's astoundingly beautiful, yet it will probably never achieve even mild commercial success. Tragic.

The only problem I have with this album is the fact that, like most doom metal, is it unnaturally gloomy and depressive. There are no "light moments" to be found here, its straight up and down tragedy and mournful sorrow, and despite the fact that its some of the best metal ever done to this theme, the fact remains that most of the human population (this reviewer included) doesn't like to listen to sad, gloomy music on a day to day basis. If you are in that minority that does, however, this simply has your name all over it.

For the rest of us, this album is a great look into what makes doom metal so popular, while preserving some of the great sounds of operatic and power metal. In short, a doom metal record for people who don't like doom metal, but simultaneously awesome enough to impress even die hard followers of the genre.

Very highly recommended.

Standout Tracks: Soulsadness, The Drowning Years, Sorrow of the Angels. Rating: 4.75/5 ­ Anthony R Brock, www.metalcrypt.com, USA (8/2003)

Just when the proverbial ink of the review of Madder Mortem (in this issue) was drying, proclaiming Deadlands to be the year's clear champion of doom, along comes another quintessential album to cast that prediction into doubt. While Heaven Wept's Of Empires Forlorn is so great that, while previewing it in the car, I nearly had to pull over to deal with it.

If you're familiar with Eibon Records' back catalog you'll know that the eclectic label likes to dabble in doom records, generally of the crushing, subterranean kind. So you might expect this record to be seething like Esoteric or chthonic like Thergothon.

But it's not what you might expect. Rather, Of Empires Forlorn is about as beautiful as the genre can get while still being a proper heavy metal doom album. Undoubtedly, the main player in this equation is the singing. Although atypical for the genre, the vocals convey tremendous melody and such purity as to instantly grip any listener regardless of musical preferences; melodies that convey weight but instill a sense of uplifting, idealistic hope at the same time. The clean vocals are so essential that when gruff ones are introduced on two verses in one song, it sounds like a violation.

While very doomy, it's clear that While Heaven Wept succeed in being unique by the extremely wide variety of influences on the band, as evidenced in the liner notes in which both Heart and Mayhem are thanked! With this insight on where the band is coming from, it's easy to see that Of Empires Forlorn thrives on diversity as it marries the truest of metal hearts with the softness and accessibility of pop music.

Perhaps we should look at While Heaven Wept's example as something to respect, for their refreshing mix of influences eschews the standard practice of metal bands to limit themselves (publicly, anyway) to the reverence of like bands, resulting in something that isn't contrived in the least. Yes, it may not be sonically crushing, but the soul is undoubtedly intact.

Make no mistake; this is heavy metal doom, it's just delivered in a way that no other band does. The heavy riffs and classically influenced bass guitar meld with mood keyboards and epic movements to make something really great. The album is made up of four proper songs (written from as long ago as 1994), one reworked classical piece called "Epistle 81" (that Candlemass also did on its Ancient Dreams record), and two instrumentals, the most important of which is the album-ending keyboard piece that features some excellent string tones.

So the final judgement is that although While Empires Forlorn may not be able to unseat Madder Mortem's Deadlands for the year's best doom metal record, it does come awfully close. And a little healthy competition is a good thing, isn't it? ­ Roberto Martinelli, www.maelstrom.nu, issue 13, USA (2003)

While Heaven Wept has been tinkering away in the black void since the early 1990's when they were formed on the back of a few like-minded folks out to explore new musical territory. For While Heaven Wept this means doomy epic passages, grand heavy metal and clean crooning which is quite unique, making While Heaven Wept stand apart clearly from other likeminded sorrowful doom-ridden acts.

Doom metal, for me personally, needs frightfully large amounts of depressing grunts. While Heaven Wept doesn't really fit into this category and are compromised of, at times 'fragile' clean vocals from visionary Tom Philips to convey messages of epic gloominess and heartfelt angst and loneliness. In its own right this is wonderful music and I think unfortunately for those who have not heard of While Heaven Wept they are going to miss out on a lot because they are placed in the moniker that is doom metal. Don't get me wrong, I love doom metal, but I really think these guys are a level above and beyond some of the narrow constrains of doom metal.

There is a lot of 'traditional' heavy metal musicianship displayed on "Of Empires Forlorn" that really demand it be pushed out past the doom legions. Tom's gentle vocals are far from depressing and debilitating and I am afraid to say I feel happy after listening to "Of Empires Forlorn," which obviously shoots to shit the point of doom metal. However, in its own right as a piece of music, I consider "Of Empires Forlorn" to be a fine record.

Bottom Line: Far more than your average doom record "Of Empires Forlorn" is a record that will hopefully reach a larger audience than the tight knit communities of doomsters around the globe. The highly diverse musicianship and gentle vocals of Tom make for an invigorating experience.

Musicianship: 7.5
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 7.5

Rating: 7.4/10 – Jack “Odel”, www.metalbite.com, USA (2003)

The excellent doom releases keep coming! Nearly unknown bands fall from the sky and they seem to be settled in transcendental doom. In this case the type of doom which is more related to symphonic rock than having the heavy, explosive attitude of death/doom. For Tom Phillips only sings with a clean voice and the songs have a fluent course. The guitars take care of the heavy elements but the music has also many dark moments and a thick base of keyboards.

Tom Phillips is the headman of this band of Virginia (USA). In 1991 While Heaven Wept was founded but several line up changes were inevitable and caused some delay. Meanwhile Tom was involved with Twisted Tower Dire and Solstice. Five years after their previous CD ‘Sorrow Of The Angels’ we can enjoy a new album. In June 2003 ‘Of Empires Forlorn’ was released, at first only in Italy by Eibon Records. Fortunately Rage Of Achilles picked up the band for a worldwide release with extra tracks, new artwork and a new mix. Moreover we can speak about a stable line up now including besides Tom the current bass player of Twisted Tower Dire Jim Hunter, Scott Loose as second guitar player (Brave) and Jason Gray on drums.

It has become an album full of atmosphere that opens with swelling keyboards, an evening-clock that tolls and heavy guitars throwing a constant wave of sorrow over the listener. In the beginning Tom’s voice needs to get used to because in the first songs he sounds rather stately but as the CD continues we can hear more nuances. The title track ‘Of Empires Forlorn’ boasts on faster heavy metal riffs. Because the acoustic guitars melt into a wall of shivering riffs, it reminds me of a lighter version of the sublime Primordial. And truly, there even is a moment of grunt in this song. With the intro of ‘Voice In The Wind’ there’s a bell ringing from the past. That organ melody…I know it! Indeed, from the German cult band Jane. Coming from the album ‘Between Heaven and Hell’ in 1977. Then something isn’t right. The vocals and lyrics are different. And yet this is the Jane’s composition of Klaus Hess but Tom has changed one and another about it. Surely necessary to actualise the sound; that’s what I am thinking when I play the original vinyl right after. But how come this American musician knows Jane and even seems to be influenced by them?

"In Aeternum" sounds a bit heavier and leans to the heavy metal tradition with twin guitars. In the biography this heavy metal adoration is emphasised. Towards the end this song is darkened by a whispering voice. This mood is saved in ‘Soulsadness’ and ‘Sorrow Of The Angels’ when spoken fragments bring grieve and disconsolation. ‘Epistle no. 81’ throws a new light on a traditional Swedish hymn. For that matter, all the songs have a distinct hymn character. Conclusion: a diverse album and yet an irresistible whole.
Rating: 84/100 – Vera, www.lordsofmetal.nl, The Netherlands (11/2003)

While Heaven Wept is the mind child of one Tom Phillips. While the music is solely his written creations, no man is an island and it takes a great deal of help from other individuals to make one man's visions a reality. Tom let some of the most skilled and ambitious friends and players work their magic on his latest release for his new found home on Rage Of Achilles records. I will take you onto a list of the crucial elements that make Tom's brand of Epic Doom Metal possible and enjoyable.

The knob twirler(engineer) and butt kicking(producer) duties as well as some general sampling and effects insanity was done by Project: Failing Flesh and Assembly Line studio owner Kevin 131. Tom himself played guitars, sang the lead vocals and BGV's and played some Keyboards too. He was helped on some keyboards by Jake Bodner. Jim Hunter played the massive Bass you get to hear in your subs. Scott Loose let loose on some insane guitar work as well. Finally the skinsman, Jason Gray, thumped and bumped like a listless fool all over this thing.

Not only has Tom succeeded in bringing a much needed breath of life into Epic Doom Metal, one could go as far to say that he has provided a cure for a genre of music that was diseased and dying from a lack of creativity.... anybody remember Dream Death? Case made!

Of all areas of metal so vibrant and overflowing with, dare I say, too many bands, Doom metal in it's various forms actually suffers from a lack of bands doing it and not so many doing it too well I might add.

I know there are many out there watching the Candlemass return with baited breath and await them to bring into being a new Doom Metal opus. We are hoping for an Opus anyway...no promises on that though. What I can promise you is that While Heaven Wept are further ahead than most Doom metal bands and most metal bands in all catagories. Yes it is Doom metal...but it doesn't really feel that way. It's slow but it doesn't trudge along at a mind numbing pace. It's a beautiful slow much like the way Pink Floyd does beautiful slow.

If there was indeed a throne for a Doom Metal King to establish and reign upon, my vote for King would go to Tom and While Heaven Wept. I have never heard anything even come close to being a true definition and a shining example of what Doom metal is and should be. Open the metal dictionary and turn to the word Doom. You will find While Heaven Wept's picture there with their name mentioned prominently in the definition of Doom metal.

Take your favorite elements of Trouble and Candlemass, throw in a touch of the symphonic granduer of Rhapsody while never straying too far from Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and David Gilmour lead albums and you will start to get a little picture of what is happening here.

The album is very layered and takes a few listens for it to start revealing itself to you in all it's complexities and textures. It's not technical metal in the strict sense of the words...it is however technically thought out and the dynamics are what make this record smoke. Tom is a clean and accomplished vocalist and pulls off some really nice moments here. The songs are connected both musically and lyrically. It is some pretty heady stuff lyrically and deals with some tough things in life, mainly loss. The music backs up these emotions quite elequently and powerfully.

Take a listen at Tom's webpage and learn more about him and the guys who played this record. Some samples and info can befound at www.whileheavenwept.net

Trouble and Candlemass may have something to offer us later next year. While Heaven Wept is coming real soon as a debut for Rage Of Achilles. Wait for the other boys if you want....i'm Dooming onward now with Tom!
Also check out the kickass american version of The Abyss and Studio Fredman; the infamous Assembly Line studios in Vienna, Virginia owned and operated by Kevin131, www.assemblylinestudios.com for info on how you can sound better than best!

Oh and by the way...the standout tracks on this album are 1-7... hehe! Rating: 9/10 – David, www.revelationz.net, Denmark (10/2003)

Doom.
Già, però meno oscuro, meno pesante quasi allegro e a tratti epico.

Queste le mie prime impressioni dopo l'ascolto della opener di questo Of Empires Forlorn, secondo lavoro ufficiale per gli americani While Heaven Wept. Già il fatto che siano americani mi ispira un po' di sana compassione perché non essendo scandinavi non se li cagherà nessuno e io sono incappato nel solito gruppo ultra sfigato che non conosce nessuno ma che è stato innalzato a vessillo di una qualche bandiera alternativa del doom da qualche critico. Memore poi del fatto che i gruppi doom sono raramente scandinavi e soprattutto essendomi reso conto che stavo iniziando a spararle davvero grosse mi accingo a continuare la recensione in modo decisamente più canonico.
Peccato perché avevo proprio voglia di distruggere questo gruppo e presentarlo come un bel combo (che bella questa parola...) di perdenti... davvero peccato.

Secondo cd dicevamo... beh non essendo io in possesso del primo non vi saprei proprio dire se hanno cambiato genere durante il loro percorso stilistico e comunque dubito che ve ne possa importare qualcosa. Comunque torniamo al cd vero e proprio.
Innanzitutto si presenta con un bellissimo artwork, o almeno con una bellissima copertina dato che io questo cd non ce l'ho però la copertina mi sembra bella ma non si sa mai dentro potrebbe esserci di tutto anche frasi sconnesse prive di significato e di punteggiatura come questa. Molto bella, dicevamo, la prima traccia The Drowning Years in cui la voce chiara limpida e a tratti epica di Tom Philips regna sovrana, supportata da un ottimo riffing, non troppo lento ma neanche al limite del death metal, diciamo il giusto necessario per rientrare nella catalogazione di doom metal.
Ottima la prima traccia dicevamo... già davvero ottima. Peccato che poi ce ne siano altre sei che proprio ottime non sono. Se in The Drowning Years il doom metal triste e lento si univa alla perfezione con melodie ruffiane e ammalianti nella seconda traccia Of Empires Forlorn si torna a ritmi decisamente più lenti annoiando decisamente l'ascoltatore che si era abbondantemente esaltato dopo i primi promettenti minuti di questo disco. Stesso discorso vale per la terza Voice In The Wind dove invece prevalgono ruffianeria e melense melodie il tutto avvolto in alone di epicità molto à la Queen.

Peccato che questi siano i While Heaven Wept e non i Queen, un gruppo americano che ha fatto un discreto disco di doom molto rilassato, quasi ai confini del rock, dove le canzoni tendono a somigliarsi un po' troppo, sia per il tono bello ma monocorde di Philips sia per la staticità delle canzoni... certo è pur sempre doom ma gli Anathema e i Paradise Lost non arrecano uno stato di così profonda catatonia.

Discreto, non bello, neanche brutto... forse neanche discreto... dipende dai gusti; io direi mediocre. Si salvano la prima e la quarta traccia, orribile la quinta. Stelle: 3/5 Recensione di: wwwhatemoornet, (3/12/2003)