Music is the imprint of man’s soul into sound. Bands
resemble the lives of human beings. The older we get, the more we mellow out
(one can’t abuse oneself forever), and often we will have a resurgence of
energy in or just past our middle age. While Woods of Ypres have always been
melancholy, this is their most soul-filled and reflective album yet.
Unfortunately it looks like Woods of Ypres is a band that will never have the
opportunity for that nostalgic return to the more energetic excitements of
youth that many bands experience, as lead singer and guitarist, and mastermind
of the band, David Gold regrettably passed away in a car accident four days
before Christmas last year. Yes, another legend has gone, but not soon enough
to miss leaving behind a heroic legacy of records the last of which had been
recorded, but not yet released at the time of his death. This record is Woods
5: Grey Skies & Electric Lights, and it is going down in history, and
not simply because people worship the dead, as according to David they should
not, but because this is a masterpiece of metal and a profound realization of
style and emotion. For the listener, David’s death only serves as a cruel irony
when we hear the brilliance of this perfectly composed work that is about death
itself, life, and society.
As inferred earlier, Woods have largely traded much of their
extreme metal aggression in favor of their softer gothic rock/metal sound, an
element which had also been there for a long time. But where Type O Negative
give us the sexually charged, sensual tones of this style, Woods of Ypres give
us passionate solemnity, thoughtful reflection, and serious philosophies. Pigeonholes
and comparisons aside, though, what we have here is music of the utmost quality
in terms of musicianship, song-writing and lyrical craftsmanship. I personally
am not a huge appreciator of metal lyrics in general; in general they are not
what attract me to the genre. I find combining two art forms (poetry and song)
together in this way is a difficult thing to do, especially in a genre as
gloriously over the top as metal. I preferred to place emphasis on the music
itself. That was, until I listened to Woods 5. The lyrics on this album
are beautiful, intelligent and cut to the core of so many problems that the
soul faces in the modern world. Gold’s voice enunciates the wonderful poetry
with great clarity in all forms of his voice, making it impossible to ignore
and inevitable to sing along with.
There is no real weak point on the album. From beginning to
end, Woods 5 shines brilliantly and radiates a various maturely captured
shades of melancholy. There is nothing depressing about this masterpiece,
however, instead it is the perfect reflection, a tool to organize and sort your
emotions and thoughts, and thus a highly useful and important piece of art. Woods
make perfect transitions between gothic, doom and black metal, allowing a
series of shattering climaxes to develop over the course of the hour-long
runtime. It has often been said that it is more difficult to write a good
simple song than a good complex one. Another possible way of viewing this is
that simple songs rely on more complex emotions - things people find extremely
hard to control, let alone fuse successfully with music and poetry. Like all
the greats of rock music before them (in my opinion), Woods of Ypres have
mastered the deceptive craft of simplicity – the artistic vehicle of true
passion.
It took me a long time to review this album, and while I
haven’t said anything particularly profound about it, I needed to know that the
power of the music was genuine and held at least some longevity. I was also
aware of the way that recently deceased artists inspire sympathy in people and
not always because of the quality of their work, and I didn’t want to let bias
inflect my opinion. As I saw how the album was affecting me more increasingly
with every listen, I thought it was too good to rush into and worship, too good
not to consider thoughtfully before praising. After many listens, I believe I
know it well enough to confirm that Woods 5 is the real deal – a living,
human thing and an album that will be remembered for decades to come as a
classic.
In summary: If you like your metal endowed with great beauty
and feeling, this is a must. If you like it when your metal has something to
say about the concrete world rather than venturing into the escapist realms
that the genre is so heavily based upon, this is a must. For me personally, it’s
the best album I’ve heard this year so far. A work of sublime craftsmanship; an
album for rainy days and hard times; a cure for suffering; a vital medicine for
the modern age.
Standout tracks: “Death is not an Exit”, “Adora Vivos”, “Silver”,
“Career Suicide” and all the others
Score: 10.0
