They are often labeled as a 'doom metal' band, but Virginia's While Heaven Wept really offers up so much more to the listener than that. The band has been around now for 16 years, and their potent musical attack includes not only elements of crushing doom, but also melodic power metal and tasty progressive metal. No matter what direction the band comes at you from, the end results are always epic.
Triumph: Tragedy: Transcendence is a CD & DVD set recorded at The Hammer of Doom Festival in Germany in February of 2010, and gives the listener a small sampling of some of the great material this band has to offer. Opener "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" shows the impressive instrumental skills of the band, as lead guitarist Tom Phillips lets us all know that he's listened to plenty of progressive rock in his lifetime, and on "The Furthest Shore (Parts 1-3)", the bombastic, epic doom flavors come into play. Though the music of While Heaven Wept is quite heavy, it's always melodic with a firm root in classic heavy metal. Lead vocalist Rain Irving soars to the heavens on the emotional "Soulsadness", a must hear for fans of Candlemass or Solitude Aeternus. Plenty of atmospheric keyboards on this one from Michelle Schrotz, as well as addicting harmony guitar lines courtesy of Phillips and Scott Loose. After the brooding yet highly memorable "The Drowning Years" (again, featuring some killer vocals from Irving), the band launches into the textured number "Of Empires Forlorn", which reminds a bit of Primodial with its layered guitar tones and haunting vocals. "Vessel" is a more upbeat metal cruncher, and the near 20-minute behemoth "Thus With A Kiss I Die", is an emotional, doomy number featuring no shortage of massive riffs, powerful vocals, atmospheric keys, and a brilliant liquid guitar solo from Phillips. The DVD contains one song not on the CD, which is the tribute to early Fates Warning called "To Wander the Void", a dark progressive metal track containing a boatload of intricate & heavy riffs and ominous atmosphere. Shame this one couldn't have been squeezed on the CD.
The DVD also contains some additional footage from a show in Pittsburgh, PA in January of 2010, and though it's of much lesser quality than the Hammer of Doom Festival set, it's still a nice bonus here. There are also interview segments with the band and rehearsal footage, making this an all around great value for loyal fans of those being introduced to the band for the first time.
Track Listing
CD:
01. Vast Oceans Lachrymose
02. The Furthest Shore (Parts 1-3)
03. Soulsadness
04. The Drowning Years
05. Of Empires Forlorn
06. Vessel
07. Thus With A Kiss I Die
DVD:
01. Vast Oceans Lachrymose
02. The Furthest Shore (Parts 1-3)
03. Soulsadness
04. The Drowning Years
05. Of Empires Forlorn
06. Vessel
07. Thus With A Kiss I Die
08. To Wander The Void (encore)
DVD Bonus Features:
01. 20-Minute Interview with Streetclip TV
02. Backstage Rehearsal Clip 1
03. Backstage Rehearsal Clip 2
04. The Furthest Shore (Parts 1-3) - Pittsburgh Jan. 8 2010
05. Soulsadness - Pittsburg Jan. 8 2010
06. Thus With A Kiss I Die - Pittsburgh Jan. 8 2010
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