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While Heaven Wept: Fear of Infinity

Heavy Metal

3.5/5.0

Nuclear Blast
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by Craig Hartranft,  04.18.2011

Tom Phillips (ex-Solstice, ex-Twisted Tower Dire, ex-Brave) put his project While Heaven Wept (WHW) on the map when he expanded its musical depth. With Of Empires Forlorn, but more so with the highly acclaimed Vast Oceans Lachrymose, Phillips moved the band from its early doom roots to more classic heavy metal with a progressive and epic atmosphere. This movement continues on this year's Fear of Infinity.

Fear of Infinity seems a tale of discs. It begins with very bombastic melodic, sometimes power, metal on Hour of Reprisal, Destroyer of Solace, and Obsessions Now Effigies. Even with several listens, these songs are a blur. They are so similar they near redundancy. Actually, with a few more layers of keyboards and dirty vocals, these songs could pass for Swedish melodic death metal akin to Dimmu Borgir.

With acoustic Unplenitude the tide turns. To Grieve Forever and Saturn and Sacrifice find WHH revisiting their doom roots, blending and blurring it with epic melodic and classic metal. Fear of Infinity culminates with grand track Finality. Some of the influences from the first part of this disc recur, but only in moments of accent. Largely, Finality is that aforementioned ambitious blend of epic and melodic heavy metal with the sometime pacing of doom metal. It's Tom Phillips and While Heaven Wept at their best.

While still being a bit confounded by the contrast of the first third of the album with the latter, Fear of Infinity is emotional and entertaining. Is it as good or significant as Vast Oceans Lachrymose? I'll politely reserve my judgment for another time. Otherwise, fans and newbies should dig While Heaven Wept's Fear of Infinity. Very recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

While Heaven Wept's Fear of Infinity is epic, emotional, and entertaining. Is it as good or significant as Vast Oceans Lachrymose? I'll politely reserve my judgment for another time.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]