THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Written after the release of Several Others, over a period of two years, The Great Calm is Belgian quintet Whispering Sons’ third full length.
The album was recorded in icy winter over a total of four weeks. In December 2022, the band went to Audioworkx in Hoogeloon (The Netherlands) to lay the groundwork of the album. A couple of weeks later, in January 2023, the band took to Vlieland, an island on the Dutch coast, to record the vocals in all tranquility and finalize the album. The 12 songs were eventually mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer, who also did the band’s previous album, and mastered by Laurens Grossen.
Whispering Sons decided to self-produce this record together with Bert Vliegen, who had been the engineer on both Image and Several Others and became a band member after he took over on bass in 2021. The band set themselves a challenge, but were confident that they had learned much over the years. With Bert’s expertise as a producer and a determined Whispering Sons, having greater creative control paid off. The recording of The Great Calm became a true collaboration, in which every band member could express something of themselves, and which ultimately brought the band closer together.
The Great Calm is an album that might surprise long-standing Whispering Sons followers. It’s less dark than Several Others and less grand than Image. Yet that typical Whispering Sons identity is still inherent in every song, as the band never strays far from their raw energy and emotion. The Great Calm might be more uplifting and playful, but the ominous undertone is still lurking.”
