While Heaven Wept (often abbreviated as WHW) was an American
epic doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
band based in
Dale City, Virginia
Dale City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States, located 25 miles south west of Washington, D.C. It is an annex of Woodbridge, Virginia. As of 2017, the total population was 73,384. The community is ...
. The primary writer and overall engine of the band was mainman
Tom Phillips. Their melodic, classically influenced style could be compared to bands such as
Solitude Aeturnus
Solitude Aeturnus is an American epic doom metalSantos, José Carlos (2012). "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus". In ''Terrorizer''s ''Secret History of Doom Metal'', pp. 60-62, band from Arlington, Texas. Founded by John Perez in early 1987, the ori ...
and
Solstice
A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countr ...
(the latter of which Tom Phillips is a former member); however, 2003's acclaimed ''
Of Empires Forlorn'' saw the band branching out into a variety of metal and progressive styles. This trend continues on their 2009 album, ''
Vast Oceans Lachrymose'', and on their 2011 album, ''
Fear of Infinity''.
While Heaven Wept's lyrics have dealt with sorrowful matters, namely, personal loss and despondency.
Members
Current
*
Tom Phillips (ex-Solstice, ex-
Twisted Tower Dire, ex-Brave) - vocals, guitars, keyboards
* Jim Hunter (
Twisted Tower Dire, October 31, Revelation) - bass
* Scott Loose (Brave, Human Theory) - guitars
* Trevor Schrotz (Brave) - drums
* Michelle Schrotz (Brave) - keyboards, vocals
* Rain Irving (Altura) - vocals
* Jason Lingle (Altura) - keyboards, vocals
Guests
![Mickey Rey Diaz live with While Heaven Wept](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Mickey_Rey_Diaz_live_with_While_Heaven_Wept.jpg)
*
Mark Zonder
Warlord was an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed in 1980 and based in Los Angeles, California. Since its formation the band was led by guitarist William J Tsamis and drummer Mark Zonder.
History Early years
Warlord is the ...
(
Warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
, ex-
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman. There have been numerous lineup ...
) - drums on "Suspended At Aphelion"
* Victor Arduini (ex-
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman. There have been numerous lineup ...
) - lead guitar on "Suspended At Aphelion"
* Christopher Ladd - classical guitar on "Suspended At Aphelion"
* Mark Shuping - cello and violin on "Suspended At Aphelion"
* Mickey Rey Diaz - vocals live at ROAM, November 10, 2018
Former
* Jason Gray (ex-Forty Days Longing) - drums
* Angelo Tringali (
Slough Feg) - guitars (live)
* Fred Provoost (ex-Whispering Gallery) - keyboards (live)
* Jon Paquin - drums
* Scott Waldrop (Twisted Tower Dire) - guitars
* Jim Murad (ex-Twisted Tower Dire) - bass
* Wiley Wells (Novembers Doom, Those Are They) - keyboards
* Danny Ingerson (ex-
Dysrhythmia (band)
Dysrhythmia is an American instrumental music, instrumental progressive metal band formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1998. The band's music combines avant-garde elements of progressive rock and jazz with Heavy metal music, ...
) - bass
*
Kevin Hufnagel
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
(
Dysrhythmia (band)
Dysrhythmia is an American instrumental music, instrumental progressive metal band formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1998. The band's music combines avant-garde elements of progressive rock and jazz with Heavy metal music, ...
,
Gorguts
Gorguts is a Canadian death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, formed in 1989. The band has been through many personnel changes since its inception; its only constant member has been guitarist and vocalist Luc Lemay, who remains the primary cr ...
) - guitar
* Gabe Funston - bass
* Phil Bloxam - (ex-Hellion - DC underground metal band) - drums
* Jake Bodnar - keyboards
* Kenny Thomas - guitars, vocals
* "Diamond" Dave - bass
* James Whorton - drums
* Jason Stone - bass
* David Bornhauser - guitars
* Tony Garcia - guitars
* Chad Peevy - bass
* Brendan "Ber" Galvan - vocals
* Chris Galvan - guitars
* Jim Chappell - drums
Discography
* ''Into the Wells of Sorrow'' 7-inch - Open Eye Records (1994)
* ''Lovesongs of the Forsaken'' - Promo (1994)
* ''Lovesongs of the Forsaken'' EP - Sinistrari Records (1995)
* ''The Mourning'' split 7-inch with
Cold Mourning
Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...
, Game Two Records 1997
* ''
Sorrow of the Angels
''Sorrow of the Angels'' is an album by the American doom metal band While Heaven Wept
While Heaven Wept (often abbreviated as WHW) was an American epic doom metal band based in Dale City, Virginia. The primary writer and overall engine of the ...
'' -
Eibon Records Eibon Records is an independent record label from Milan, Italy, founded in 1996. It is owned by Mauro Berchi and primarily focuses on very fringe underground music, noise/ ambient and doom metal (the former especially). It is also home to Berchi's ...
(1998)
* ''Chapter One: 1989-1999'' 2x LP Retrospective - Metal Supremacy Records (2002)
* ''The Drowning Years'' 7-inch Single - Maniacal Records (2002)
* ''
Of Empires Forlorn'' -
Eibon Records Eibon Records is an independent record label from Milan, Italy, founded in 1996. It is owned by Mauro Berchi and primarily focuses on very fringe underground music, noise/ ambient and doom metal (the former especially). It is also home to Berchi's ...
(2003 Limited Edition), Rage of Achilles Records (2003), Rock Machine Records (2005 South American Pressing)
* ''
Vast Oceans Lachrymose'' - Cruz Del Sur Music (2009)
* ''Vessel'' 7-inch Single - High Roller Records / Maniacal (2010)
* ''
Triumph:Tragedy:Transcendence'' - Cruz Del Sur Music (2010)
* ''
The Arcane Unearthed
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' 2x LP Retrospective - High Roller Records (2011)
* ''
Fear of Infinity'' -
Nuclear Blast Records
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
(2011)
* ''
Suspended at Aphelion
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspen ...
'' -
Nuclear Blast Records
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
(2014)
Compilation appearances
* ''Scenecubator'' (features "The Mourning") - Open Eye Records (1994)
* ''Nightshade Vol.1'' (features "Sorrow Of The Angels") - Private Release by Scott DeFusco (Curse Of The Chains 'zine) (1995)
* ''Funeral Aspects'' (features "Sorrow Of The Angels") - Private Release by Patrick Walker (Warning) (1995)
* ''Time Brings Only Sadness'' (features "Sorrow Of The Angels") - Private Release by Oliver Richling (1995)
* ''At the Mountains of Madness'' (features "Into the Wells of Sorrow") - Miskatonic Foundation (1999)
* ''Knuckletracks XLV'' (features "The Drowning Years") -
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
''Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles'' (''BW&BK'') is a Canadian heavy metal magazine. Although based in Toronto, Canada, ''BW&BK'' features writers from the US, Germany and the UK, allowing the magazine to represent metal music from an internationa ...
Magazine (2002)
* ''Terrorized V25'' (features "The Drowning Years") - Terrorizer Magazine #115 (2003)
* ''Obskure Sombre Records Doom Fuzz Compilation 2003'' (features "The Drowning Years" single version) - Obskure Sombre Records (2003)
* ''Dark Moon Vol.1 - A Tribute To The Black Spirit'' (features "Destroyer Of Solace") - More Music and Media GmbH (2011)
* ''ProgPower USA XII DVD'' (features "Of Empires Forlorn" and "Voice In The Wind") - ProgPower USA (2012)
References
External links
While Heaven Wept Official Page
Cruz Del Sur MusicEibon RecordsOf Empires Forlorn Review
{{Authority control
American doom metal musical groups
American progressive metal musical groups
American progressive rock groups
American symphonic rock groups
Heavy metal musical groups from Virginia
Musical groups established in 1989
Nuclear Blast artists
People from Dale City, Virginia