While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose

FINALLY! This legendary American progressive epic doom metal band will, after being five years in the making, release their new opus, titled "Vast Oceans Lachrymose", on Italian heavy metal label Cruz Del Sur (famous for Crescent Shield and Slough Feg, amongst others).

I've already heard two songs on their myspace (http://www.myspace.com/whileheavenwept), and this has completely blown me away. This is by far one of the most amazing progressive metal I have heard since I first heard Arch-era Fates Warning. These guys combine the best of early Candlemass, old Fates Warning, Trouble, and there's even a snippet of Journey here and there. Their first two albums were already pretty damn good, but this sounds mindblowing. To me this sounds like Veni Domine always wanted to be (and I like Veni Domine a lot).

If the entire album sounds like this, "vast Oceans Lachrymose" might just be my record of the year.

Jim Hunter (bass) is a way cool dude...I played w/ him in OCTOBER 31 years ago. Their new singer used to sing for Magna Carta Prog Metal band ALTURA...

I've heard good things about this!

Wargod50

I'm looking forward to this album!!!

nevermore wrote:

I'm looking forward to this album!!!

Yeah, me too. I always thought their last album, "Of Empires Forlorn", was a little boring in some places. These samples just sound overwhelming!

There's also another new song on the myspace btw, "To Wander The Void". Sounds a lot like Awaken The Guardian if you ask me!

I really liked Of Empires Forlorn a lot.

Yeah, good band well worth checking out!

So I've had this for a week now, and holy crap this is the best album
I've heard since Pagan Altar released their last album in '06, and one
of the best doom metal discs of the decade. It's not uncommon for me to
listen to this ten times a day.

I'm waiting on my copy to arrive.

Come on, no love for this great band?

Yes!!! I love the new album!!! Vessel is such an amazing song!!!

BUMP! Come on, show these guys some love!

Vast Oceans Lachrymose is by far the best CD I've heard this year. This is how metal should be played: heavy, but with enough emotion to make a wimpy emo kid cry.

Still looking for this one.

Any word on when the next will be released? They had two ready to go before their previous label—Locomotive?—folded.

No clue, but I do know that it's already been written, so now it's the question when they're gonna record it. Tom's been saying that it'll be better than Vast Oceans Lachrymose, but if you ask me that's nigh on impossible.

Thankfully Cruz del Sur are a relatively stable label, so maybe we'll get the hear the album in four years instead of six...

Is it only written? I thought both were already recorded when the last label shut down.

Nope, they actually only finished recording VOL this year, so it took four to five years to get this mother recorded.

I've heard the album 2 times and is not a big change. However the lyrics are verry "I love you and I miss you". That's to bad.

Nevertheless....

Doomdance wrote:

I've heard the album 2 times and is not a big change. However the lyrics are verry "I love you and I miss you". That's to bad.

Nevertheless....

I pre-ordered this. I'm looking forward to hearing it. The "I love you and miss you" lyrics all deal with love and loss. Whether it's from relationships to a loved one's passing. From what I've read this is the theme of the entire album.

Where's a good place to start with these guys if one were so inclined?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Where's a good place to start with these guys if one were so inclined?

Really anywhere. I suppose the best answer is to see what releases you can find. I had a hard time finding them.

Amazon has a few that won't break the bank. The clips for their last album, Fear of Infinity, didn't sound as "doomy" as I expected. :30 second clips probably don't do them justice, but it sounded more power metal to me than the doom tag they've been labeled with.

I was investigating some other doom bands and got re-directed to their site on BNR Metal. Just thought I'd give 'em a look-see out of curiosity.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Amazon has a few that won't break the bank. The clips for their last album, Fear of Infinity, didn't sound as "doomy" as I expected. :30 second clips probably don't do them justice, but it sounded more power metal to me than the doom tag they've been labeled with.

I was investigating some other doom bands and got re-directed to their site on BNR Metal. Just thought I'd give 'em a look-see out of curiosity.

I consider them a mix of doom and early Fates Warning.

I'd start w/ Fear Of Infinity.

If you're expecting heavy Doom like Candlemass or Solitude Aeturnus...they're not that. They are VERY melodic, almost operatic (without "opera" vocals), very epic and dramatic.