Lovesongs Of The Forsaken

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Original Liner Notes From The Sinistrari Records pressing: To the listener: Contrary to the primality of the “Into The Wells Of Sorrow” 7”, which was really nothing more than an acknowledgement of our past, the “Lovesongs Of The Forsaken” mini-CD offers both greater emotional clarity and an enhanced melodic sence. Thus, this is the most accurate representation of While Heaven Wept yet. Musically, the concept behind “Lovesongs” was to present the material in its most straight-forward form; the naked emotion, the heart of the music, rather than the elaborate orchestrations which will appear on the “Sorrow Of The Angels” album. Additionally, the songs include here provide a cross-section of the diverse styles I’ve emulated to express myself. Lyrically, these songs are based entirely upon a time of bereavement in my life. These are the things I never had a chance to say, and the feelings I need to express. Due to the personal nature of the material, I won’t provide any additional insight here; some of you will understand. In eternal grief… “Lovesongs Of The Forsaken” is dedicated with eternal love to Donna McKendree, wherever you are now… Forever Weeping, Tom Phillips February 18th, 1995 2010 Liner Notes While the Funston/Paquin/Phillips line-up of While Heaven Wept was far from the first (considering we’d already undergone an absurd number of line-up changes since the band’s inception in 1989), it was unquestionably the first PRODUCTIVE line-up in that this collaboration yielded the first professionally recorded output of the band. Perhaps more importantly, the three of us were very much kindred spirits at this time, united emotionally and musically - having all suffered broken hearts and deep disappointments during the 1993-1995 era. Thus, the results of our recording sessions at Neptune were brimming with genuine emotion and honesty – traits that remain paramount to WHW today; if we don’t truly “feel” something, we’re not going to do it just for the sake of doing so…not then, not now, not ever. But I digress…when we first arrived at Neptune Studios in late 1993 to begin pre-production the intent was to realize the “Sorrow Of The Angels” album straight away; the debut 7” and “Lovesongs” MCD weren’t even a figment of my imagination at the time. Diving headlong into a full-length album, without having recorded a single demo prior might’ve sounded a bit optimistic on our part were it not for the fact that WHW had been in existence for 5 years already…we took the time to develop our sound and identity, set aside material that didn’t coalesce with the rest (some of which only resurfaced on 2009’s “Vast Oceans Lachrymose”), and recorded hundreds of rehearsal tapes over the years…we were in fact, very much prepared to deliver the “Sorrow Of The Angels” album in 1994. Unfortunately, between the limited technology of the time, unforeseen technical difficulties, and a crystal clear vision that weighed heavily upon every aspect of the recordings, this album and epitaph was not to be…but as discussed in the “Sorrow Of The Angels” liner notes, perhaps there was higher power involved. Either way, rather than binning the fruits of our labor, heart and soul completely, it was decided that we should spread out the material over a series of releases, based upon what the music itself dictated…what felt right. “Lovesongs Of The Forsaken”, once envisioned was no more random than any While Heaven Wept album; in fact, it established the blueprint we’ve remained true to through today: a smooth song-to-song flow throughout, with several twists and turns, contrasting dynamics. It was “raw” as I described it back in 1995, and that was the point: visceral emotion, unhindered by complex arrangements or extra instrumentation…we were a three-piece after all! Yet, we knew what was to come would be much more elaborate. Originally, “Lovesongs” surfaced as a promo cassette in 1994 with only 50 copies produced (the very definition of a limited edition I’d say!) it still managed to help us establish our first international connections, most notably via the legendary REFLECTIONS OF DOOM ‘zine. This version of “Lovesongs” never resurfaced again until now; I was struggling to decide what would compliment the A side of this LP (which is the 1995 Sinistrari Records mix of), and then I discovered a box of old DAT tapes which are quite literally overflowing with hidden treasures…among them, the original promo cassette version of what I have always considered our proper debut. I thought that it would be an appropriate coupling to include both versions on this edition since they do differ ever-so-slightly; we did some additional tracking and mixing for the 1995 CD release…some vocal, bass, and guitar parts if I recall correctly. If naught else, the promo cassette is one of the rarest WHW items of all, so this is for all the diehards out there. Previously, “Lovesongs Of The Forsaken” was included as Side 3 of the “Chapter One:1989-1999” 2LP compilation on Metal Supremacy Records, but just like the “Sorrow Of The Angels” portion on Side 2, it was marred by horrid cuts between tracks which completely destroyed the very flow we worked so hard to create. This brand new edition presented by Maniacal and High Roller Records here not only rectifies this, but also completes the series of WHW vinyl released in commemoration of our 20th Anniversary. Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way…we look forward to seeing you on the road very soon, and “Fear Of Infinity” is indeed coming sooner than later! Cheers! Tom Phillips May 17th, 2010