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Woods Of Ypres - Pursuit Of The Sun & Allure Of The Earth review



Reviewer:
9.0

114 users:
8.18
Band: Woods Of Ypres
Album: Pursuit Of The Sun & Allure Of The Earth
Release date: August 2004


01. Intro: The Looming Of Dust In The Dark (& The Illumination)
02. The Will To Give
03. The Sun Was In My Eyes : Part One
04. The Sun Was In My Eyes : Part Doom
05. Allure Of The Earth
06. Shedding The Deadwood
07. Dragged Across A Forest Floor
08. Summer's Envy
09. The Ghost Of Summer's Past
10. Outro: The End Of August

I found this band while surfing on the net for new stuff, and I must say that the first thing that attracted me was the "genre" of the music, Woods Of Ypres call themselves "Summer Black Metal" and while you may think this is a happy, joyful Black Metal, is not. The Canadians are here to prove that summer can be a time of grief also.

I must say this is almost a solo project, since all the members of the band left while recording and the rest of the album was completed by remaining member David Gold.
Anyway, Woods Of Ypres is not entirely Black Metal per se, is a hybrid between acoustic, melancholic, Doomy passages and Black Metal beats and riffs. Kinda reminded me of Agalloch at times.

The album is quite lengthy but is really good, the music is well balanced between the softer parts and the harsher ones, each separate style is leaded by a vocal style, you got mournful vocals, spoken ones and awesome harsh vocals (you can actually understand what they're saying!).

The album starts with a sombre acoustic intro (one of my favourites) and then the first real song kicks in, "Will To Give" is the perfect example of what these guys do, starts with acoustic guitars, clean vocals and a overall moody atmosphere, then in a sudden burst, Black Metal sections entwine with sad passages creating a whole "sad Black Metal" atmosphere.

Almost every track begins with a acoustic intro, and not all have Black Metal outbursts (like "Shedding The Deadwood" and "Summer Envy"), although some others are more aggressive ("Dragged Across A Forest Floor"). The album finds perfect balance between the opposing forces that rule it. Is neither too soft neither too hard, is just perfect.

I frankly recommend to all out there to give this a try, Woods Of Ypres bring us a fantastic album with a bipolarity so mesmerizing that even if the record and some songs are quite lengthy you won't notice.

Written by Undercraft | 12.04.2006




Comments

Comments: 8   Visited by: 176 users
11.11.2008 - 12:20
THE_BLACK_GOD
Account deleted
Very nice review but forot to say that this is a Masterpiece album! very nice album, i cant believe this! i saw their genre and their pics here at MS and i found the albums. this is really unbelievable !
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20.11.2008 - 13:08
BornOfWilderness
Account deleted
Very interesting music, I listened it on Myspace and the vocals sounded really original, innovative solutions on the diversing of clean and harsh. And I was impressed by how well the different styles of death doom and black flow in the music. Definately going to check this out more closely!
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13.12.2009 - 22:18
Rating: 8
lord artan

Very nice album i love this album
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13.12.2009 - 22:23
tulkas
el parcero
Allure of the Earth is not only a great song musically, but it also has great lyrics. I haven't heard much from this band, but from what I have I can say that it is great.
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love is like a jar of shit with a strawberry on top
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18.02.2010 - 00:55
JÄY
Metal slave
Lol @ The Sun Was In My Eyes : Part Doom
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18.06.2011 - 21:18
Rating: 8
Powerslavex
Alexskywalker
What a good album this is, more mellow from its predecessor but much more interesting
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06.03.2012 - 22:19
Rating: 9
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
<3
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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01.02.2022 - 16:07
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Summer, Canadian summer. Equal as swedish summer, it explains summer black metal
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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