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Woods Of Ypres - Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light
15 February 2012
01. Lightning & Snow
02. Death Is Not An Exit
03. Keeper Of The Ledger
04. Traveling Alone
05. Adora Vivos
06. Silver
07. Career Suicide (Is Not Real Suicide)
08. Modern Life Architecture
09. Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)
10. Finality
11. Alternate Ending
Wow, what a difficult review to write. On one hand, you want to reject any inclination to get caught up in posthumous worship that seems to happen to any deceased artist, on the other, it's hard to claim that the knowledge that you're playing that artists last message to the world doesn't add certain power. Listened to in context with David Gold's death, Woods 5 comes across as the most depressing album to drop in years. However, taken at face value, it's pretty decent. Nothing amazing, but well worth the listen.
Honestly, there aren't that many surprises here. The Type O Negative influence that became most prevalent with Woods 4 is continued even more deeply here. Any black metal segments that were once left in their music are completely stripped from them here. When a band ditches the harsher stuff for an album, and make it work like Woods Of Ypres have, chances are they'll stick with it. The exchange works well though, the grand, depressing melodies, which, although are not the most underused tunes, still have genuine passion behind them. Regardless of what you can say about the downsides of this album, it is heartfelt.
Oh right, yeah, the downsides. Well, as previously stated, a lot of these melodies seem extremely recycled at times, if not strictly borrowed from other bands, just basic to the point of being incredibly common. Combine this fact with the tendency to overextend some of these segments, and you've got a few boring parts as any album will have.
Overall it's a good album. If you can overlook the downsides to the album because of David Gold's death, you know what? There's nothing shameful about that. It's shameful to worship an album out of some bullshit, contrived sorrow over a band you never gave a shit about before. If this is the case, then please, kindly shut the fuck up and knock off the dishonesty. However, an artist strives to connect with their audience on some level or another, and if the career of Woods Of Ypres genuinely connected that deeply with you, then Woods 5 is a swan song worth raising your glass to.
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Written on 07.02.2012 by
Doc Godin
Former EIC, now semi-retired.
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| Wel-conceived and well-writen review, taking into concideration both David's death and the album seperately and together at the same time. I liked the album a lot myself, it possesses a sincere melancholic vibe. |
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A very very very very average album that is way too long and built up of recycled rejected Paradise Lost riffs and recycled rejected Katatonia influences with some rejected Type O Negative thrown into the equation.
"Not too long before the release of Woods 5 founder, vocalist, main composer David Gold of Woods Of Ypres passed away. That sees to it that 'Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light' is a somewhat weird album to review due to the fact his passing away keeps on haunting your mind.
The music itself, that barely deviates from the 2011 rerelease of 'Woods 4', so a boring predictable Paradise Lost with newer Katatonia wannabe band from Canada who once again releases an album which is way too long. The problems I encountered with 'Woods 4' I once again encounter here, the songs have been build up around discarded Paradise Lost riffs and discarded newer Katatonia songs and possess soulless and emotionless vocals without any passion whatsoever. It just goes on like lift music. Why a label such as Earache has signed this band, is still a mystery to me. If they really wanted something along the lines of the two aforementioned bands then why didn't they sign the much stronger Dutch Cardamon who do possess that passion? Technically it isn't even bad, and that's why it's such a shame. So much more could have been delivered, all the rests now is a minimal passing grade.
Nothing but good things should be said about the dead is something you hear quite often. Sorry, but that does not apply here. Not good remains not good whether or not David Gold passed away not so long ago.
61/100" |
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| If this album takes on a melancholic ride, mourning the death of David, then it's good enough for me. Sometimes some melancholic tunes is all that is needed. |
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| Anyone avtually heard the album apart from the promo though? There is some differences in the tracklisting, and the promo was in 192kpbs..... |
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Written by Grimskallen on 07.02.2012 at 20:52
Anyone avtually heard the album apart from the promo though? There is some differences in the tracklisting, and the promo was in 192kpbs.....
Doesn't change the music on it, though  |
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Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 07.02.2012 at 21:13
Written by Grimskallen on 07.02.2012 at 20:52
Anyone avtually heard the album apart from the promo though? There is some differences in the tracklisting, and the promo was in 192kpbs.....
Doesn't change the music on it, though
Feisty aren't you?
Nah, I'm not one for grudges, you're entitled to your opinion and I respect that easily.
Besides you're the one that got me into Warning! |
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Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 07.02.2012 at 21:13
Written by Grimskallen on 07.02.2012 at 20:52
Anyone avtually heard the album apart from the promo though? There is some differences in the tracklisting, and the promo was in 192kpbs.....
Doesn't change the music on it, though
Actually it does, "Keeper Of The Ledger" wasn't on the promo and both parts of "Kiss My Ashes Goodbye" are joined together. |
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Written by Tornado Of Souls on 08.02.2012 at 16:59
Actually it does, "Keeper Of The Ledger" wasn't on the promo and both parts of "Kiss My Ashes Goodbye" are joined together.
That sure as hell won't be able to improve my rating of the album from a 6.1 to over a 6.5 no matter how brilliant Keepr would be. So an extra song? My God the album was already way too log without it. |
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 Absak - 07.03.2012 at 17:35
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Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 08.02.2012 at 17:11
Written by Tornado Of Souls on 08.02.2012 at 16:59
Actually it does, "Keeper Of The Ledger" wasn't on the promo and both parts of "Kiss My Ashes Goodbye" are joined together.
That sure as hell won't be able to improve my rating of the album from a 6.1 to over a 6.5 no matter how brilliant Keepr would be. So an extra song? My God the album was already way too log without it.
It's actually one of the best songs on the album imo. Maybe even in the same league as Adora Vivos. |
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| I like this a lot more than Woods IV. Woods IV was just too Type O Negative for my taste. |
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Written by BlueMobius on 06.04.2012 at 02:45
I like this a lot more than Woods IV. Woods IV was just too Type O Negative for my taste.
Have you heard Woods II?
It's by far their best album. Sounds super emotional and just awesome. |
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Written by BoxCar Willy on 01.05.2012 at 19:05
Have you heard Woods II?
It's by far their best album. Sounds super emotional and just awesome.
Nope, I won't listen to it until I can buy a physical copy of it. |
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Written by BlueMobius on 02.05.2012 at 02:37
Written by BoxCar Willy on 01.05.2012 at 19:05
Have you heard Woods II?
It's by far their best album. Sounds super emotional and just awesome.
Nope, I won't listen to it until I can buy a physical copy of it.
Bah, Youtube "Allure Of The Earth"
Dats all I ask. |
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Bonna - 05.06.2012 at 16:30
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Like all Woods albums it needs some to time to grow.
Some magnificent songs (Death Is Not An Exit, Traveling Alone, Adora Vivos,...) on this album make sure this one will be included in my top 5 this year. |
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Quote:
if the career of Woods Of Ypres genuinely connected that deeply with you, then Woods 5 is a swan song worth raising your glass to.
Amen.  |
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| I just dont agree with the term "swan song" - i generally see this term in more a negative way and this album is not... |
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Written by Ellrohir on 26.08.2012 at 16:13
I generally see this term in more a negative way and this album is not...
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement... (thanks wiki)
I don't see what there is to agree or disagree with. It' just a fact that this was the last album. It's a neutral phrase. |
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How on Earth did you get to thinking "swan song" was a negative term?  If anything it's used positively for a band or some such that has reverence amongst people.
If Devourment decided to stop making albums I certainly wouldn't call their last one a swan song |
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| In our country we often use it in negative meaning...like "it was last and it was baaad" |
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Written by Ellrohir on 13.02.2013 at 22:34
In our country we often use it in negative meaning...like "it was last and it was baaad"
Your country must have been the first one to hear Carcass' last album. That would explain it.  |
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| Lol...prolly we're just weird (that would explain this and even a couple more things) |
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Shmyt - 12.04.2013 at 19:09
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| It's such a shame I only started listening to them when seeing this review, I'm just constantly reminded that there won't be any more of it... |
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