For more than a decade and a half they’ve been part and parcel of the local metal scene, initially experimenting with various elements of the metal genre to develop a sound that would capture what their imagination had already devised.

The album was very well-received by most who heard it, which was obviously a big boost for us- Michael Bugeja

Weeping Silence have come a long way from those salad days, but those formative years were vital in bringing forth some of the factors that also inform the band’s present sound.

“The band’s origin hails back to the mid-1990s,” drummer Angelo Zammit recalls.

“I met Mario (Ellul, one of the band’s two guitarists) at sixth form, and we decided to form a band.” Even then, the key word at the heart of their musical intentions was to develop what they define (to this day) as ‘atmospheric metal’.

“The hardest thing was to find other musicians who understood and shared our vision.” Nevertheless, after much searching and line-up changes, a stable formation was established, the fruits of which are to be found on the debut EP Deprived From Romance; four tracks crafted from a solid mesh of riffage with a pronounced Doom inclination.

As the line-up continued to evolve, so did the band’s sound and aspirations.

“Our musical tastes branched out into other areas of metal, including bands that had female vocalists, and at some point Mario and I thought it might be interesting to follow that path.”

Around 2001, the band enlisted Rachel Grech as its vocalist.

“I had done some backing vocals for (local Doom band) Forsaken, with whom Mario was playing at the time,” says Grech.

“That’s how we first met really. He later approached me to join Weeping Silence.”

Zammit maintains that Grech’s recruitment was, in fact, a mighty step forward for Weeping Silence.

“It isn’t easy to find a woman with Rachel’s vocal range, let alone finding one who is also interested in being in a metal band.” Fortunately for them Grech had both, and a new chapter in the band’s history began.

“In 2004, we recorded End Of An Era,” Zammit continues. Whether its title had an implied meaning or otherwise, the album, released four years later via Greek label Sleaszy Rider, was most emphatically anything but an ending. It offered a novel aspect to the band’s previous work, although these songs had been part of their live sets for some time already.

“The album was meant to be released by another label but that fell through and it took some time until we concluded a new deal with Sleaszy.”

The delay notwithstanding, End Of An Era’s long, epic songs, draped by Grech’s ethereal voice and sculpted in elaborate dynamic metal garnered positive reviews from international critics.

“The album was very well-received by most who heard it, which was obviously a big boost for us.”

Given the band has now moved further ahead in both sound and formation, how does the album hold up to where the band is at these days?

“Fairly well,” Grech says. “It’s a solid stepping stone that helped us get to where we’re at now.” Zammit agrees.

“In hindsight, the album seems to be more dictated by the atmospheric slant we’ve always pursued.

“It’s certainly not an upbeat record, both lyrically and musically. The songs have a reflective ambience that a lot of people seem to have tuned in to quite fervently.”

Indeed they did, and as the critic from Behind The Veil webzine wrote in his review, the album’s dark, Doom qualities coupled with the female vocals and the power of the heavy guitars and hard pounding drums placed Weeping Silence squarely on the radar of the international metal scene.

Even as End Of An Era was gaining momentum and boosting the band’s public profile, Weeping Silence was going through further line-up changes and planning its next step.

“During the time we were looking for a label to release End Of An Era, we were obviously still playing gigs and writing new songs; essentially we were laying down the foundation of our latest album, Theatre of Life,” Zammit explains.

Their latest album, released earlier this summer, finds the band’s musical potion evidently flavoured as much by their atmospheric tendencies and Doom undertones as it is by a soaring, symphonic vitality, and a touch of Goth.

By the time Theatre of Life was released the band had settled into its current seven-piece formation, namely comprising male vocalist Joseph Grech and guitarist Manuel Spiteri alongside Zammit, Grech, Ellul, bassist Sean Pollacco and keyboardist Alison Ellul. The inclusion of another vocalist has added a new dimension to the band’s music.

“I provide the growls that contrast with Rachel’s vocal melodies,” Grech explains. “It has quite an impact on the overall sound and fits in with the more uptempo slant the new songs have.”

The band’s new direction has been tried and road-tested during various gigs, including a fruitful foray to the UK.

“Sean managed to get us some gigs in England where we got to play with bands like To-Mera, Liquid Sky, Winter Storm and others. It was obviously exciting for us not only because we established good contacts there but also because it gave us the opportunity to play to new audiences.”

The band’s foreign connection remains strong too. Like their last album, Theatre of Life was released on a foreign label.

“We had received a few offers but after some consideration, we opted to sign with British label Ravenheart,” Grech says. There were various reasons behind it, but the fact that the label is focused on female-fronted bands may have clinched it.

That the band was also featured on the first volume of Savage Productions’ Des Filles Et Des Riffs compilation alongside the likes of Epica, The Veil, Pythia, To-Mera and other leading female-fronted international bands is further proof that Weeping Silence are held in high regard among their peers.

The band will also be featured on the second volume, which also includes Tristania, Kittie and Diary of Destruction, to name but a few, and is due this month.

Meanwhile, reviews of the new album have been encouraging, which is very motivating to the band as it moves ahead.

“We’re in the middle of recording the next album right now, so every bit of criticism, especially positive, will always be a boost.”

Fresh from performing at last month’s Extreme Metal Assault 2011, Weeping Silence will again be taking the stage at V-Gen on Saturday.

“We’re looking forward to this gig, not only because we’re raring to perform the new album but also because we’ll be playing alongside Italian Goth metal band The Shiver, who are doing very well in Europe and America.”

www.weepingsilence.com

bugeja.michael@gmail.com