Weeping Hour

article by Vanelis Rivera | photography by Paul Ware

On June 27th, progressive metalcore band Weeping Hour released their first LP on iTunes. The next day it peaked to number eleven on the iTunes Metal Album Chart. Instantly, they clamored to their fans on their Facebook page: “Almost to the top 10! Who can get us there? Spread the word and leave us some reviews to tell us what you think of the album.” On June 29th, the eve of their live album release at Tin Dog in Monroe, they broke into the top ten, joining metal notables like Metallica and Slipknot. While the metal genre may not be for all, Weeping Hour is lyrically complex, and while its thick, jerky texture and overall loudness is unquestionably metal, the album’s intriguingly cinematic approach demands introspection from listeners on what is an unexpected and refreshing message.

Last year two bands united. From They Will Fall, drummer Chris Shifflett and guitarist Corey McKnight joined with Courier members, screaming vocalist Ethan Prudhomme and rhythm guitarist McCall Metz, who later brought in bass player Hunter McBride. The synthesis was seamless. They Will Fall had already been shifting into a new music direction, so by the time Courier members stepped in, it was a matter of falling into place and letting the styles naturally congeal. Then vocalist of They Will Fall, Austin Knies, selflessly handed Prudhomme the songs he had written, going over them with him and giving him creative license over them. Two months in and still undergoing the trial and error of a budding band, they stepped into Konkrete Studios to lay down tracks. Their rebrand as Weeping Hour was proposed by Knies. The premise of the band name was the inevitable truth that as humans, part of our existence is to experience suffering. Through heavily cinematic, ambient, and eerily relaxing sounds, the band navigates what humans are willing to suffer for and how we discern it. “We say that, as Christians, we’ve gotten too comfortable in our culture,” explains Prudhomme, referring to the conflation of religion and American ideas, which they deem separate entities.

Christian and metal seems paradoxical, but the band doesn’t have to market themselves as Christian because their music is clear. “People think that we have to fit a mold, but we approach it as: we are Christians who play metal. We strive to write good music and that’s it,” says Prudhomme. Not wanting to slap a label on their music to draw a certain crowd, the band takes advantage of the interesting regrowth and hybridity occuring in metal. “Bands are taking a lot of chances right now because at a certain point [metal] was oversaturated, but there’s a lot going on,” says Prudhomme. Weeping Hour adds to these evolving perspectives in the genre with orchestral elements that weave between metalcore riffs. “We wanted to take the things we like about the subgenre of metal and still be cohesive,” informs Prudhomme.

Ironically, most of their music influence is not faith-based. They lean toward progressive metal bands like Meshuggah and Vildhjarta, Swedish bands known for their extreme metal sound, American metalcore band Oh, Sleeper, and Canadian progressive metal band Structures. For some, it’s still hard to reconcile Christianity and metal regardless of artistry and mindful lyrics. “A lot of people think the worst of metal, that everyone is so violent and angry. I think people by nature are violent and angry. Metal seems extreme, but people have found themselves to fit in that extreme,” affirms Prudhomme. To the layman, metal is just obnoxious noise, but to trained ears, metal’s heavily technical musicianship, which has been compared to classical music, is hard to miss. Even then, some family members will ask, “But why do you have to scream so much?” It’s easy to overlook the genre because it seems so aggressive, but Weeping Hour’s message doesn’t belong in clean and crisp packaging. And though they’re not telling lighthearted tales, as other genres tend to gravitate toward, it doesn’t mean that it’s not beautiful. “We wanted to feel real grit. It needed to feel like a struggle. In a way, metal works with that,” says Prudhomme. “I couldn’t imagine singing what I’m trying to say in a country format.” Influenced by Northlane’s ex-vocalist Adrian Fitipaldes, Prudhomme was able to find his version of a “nasty scream,” one that has a bit more voice than most in the genre but that still carries weight.

The title, Hunger and Thirst, foreshadows the album’s dual arrangement. Swells of ethereal orchestrations swerve between the flair of heavy hitting songs, marked by Prudhomme’s hammering yells. Inspired by film scores, Shifflett is credited with the idea of adding orchestrals, a fruitful risk that emblazons the heavily introspective content of the album. “Most of my lyrics come out as poems. I have to thank Austin for writing so poetically,” says Prudhomme, speaking of standout lyrics like Woe to those at ease, who search for comfort in luxury from the song “Outlier.” They use the first part of the lyrical line on their social media as food-for-thought, challenging those of faith to consider whether they are too focused on comfort to do the things that really should be done. “Even what we’re saying in the Christian community is not said very often. We feel like it’s something that needs to be said more. It has been neglected and we can’t lose sight of that,” says Prudhomme.

Other lyrics are more pointed like those in “Weeping Hour”: The holes in your hands / Illustrate design / When those holes exist in mine. Their songs also serve as reminders for themselves that they are called to suffer and to realize that spiritually they are not always there. “We believe our life is weeping hour,” says Prudhomme, acknowledging that though the album dives into the displeasing parts of life, it’s the band’s truth and a guiding light in each composition. Assertive lyrically, they still deliver an upbeat, energetic performance when on stage. Unless you look up the lyrics, you’d be hard pressed to peg them as anything but metal but that doesn’t mean they don’t stand out. At a performance in Shreveport, a guy walked up to Prudhomme as he waited on payment for the gig. With a heavy, breathy sigh he told Prudhomme: “I just want you to know that as a Satanist…” Prudhomme remembers onlookers leaning into the conversation in awkward anticipation of how the sentence would end, “…I really enjoyed y’all’s set.” The new fan looked up the lyrics to their songs but wasn’t turned off nor deterred from appreciating the music. “We’re not here for division. We’re here to tell what we believe,” says Prudhomme. The rest speaks for itself.

In just a short time, they have been gaining massive exposure. Aside from gigs in Dallas, Shreveport, and Memphis, they’ve played at the Audiofeed Music Festival in Illinois and most recently got invited to play at Arlene’s Grocery, one of the first live music clubs in the Lower East Side area of New York City. As they gain traction and with a new album in the works, the band recently began a Gofundme campaign in order to aid with costs of a van for transportation, minor changes to their live set, and future content. The campaign has been trending with over 320 shares, proof of a strong fanbase and a community that supports local artists and live music: “It was this small city that shared us proudly with others, came to our shows, purchased our albums, helped us reach Top 10 on iTunes Metal Charts as an independent release, bought merch, and encouraged us in those moments where we almost gave up.”

They want fans to know that they shouldn’t expect to hear the same types of riffs in their upcoming album. Leaning toward the experimental side, they’ll be revisiting some songs differently in manner and style. “We want to keep pushing the envelope,” says Prudhomme. They want people to know, early on, that they seek to grow as a band and strive to write music fluidly. Meanwhile, the band is enjoying growth and learning not to drift into expectation. The hour at hand for Weeping Hour is one of artistically etching through bounds and owning the power of belief-driven music.

Follow Weeping Hour on Facebook and Instagram to learn about upcoming tours and local live performances, like their September 8th gig at Tin Dog. Give them a listen on Spotify and/or iTunes.