Woods of Ypres was a Canadian blackened doom metal band from Windsor, Ontario. It was founded in 2002, initially consisting of David Gold, Aaron Palmer, and Brian McManus. Their line-up frequently changed afterward, with over 20 members through its various incarnations, which operated later based out of Toronto from 2003 to 2007, and Sault Ste. Marie from 2008 to 2011. Their only constant member was multi-instrumentalist and frontman David Gold. The band ended after his death in December 2011, before releasing the album Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light, which won the 2013 Juno Award for the Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year.
The band was popular in the area surrounding Windsor, where they originated. Gold's vocals have been compared to Peter Steele's.
History Formation and transformation David Gold, Aaron Palmer, and Brian McManus formed Woods of Ypres in Windsor, Ontario in 2002. The trio released the demo Against the Seasons: Cold Winter Songs from the Dead Summer Heat that year. After McManus' departure that same year, Woods of Ypres expanded to a quintet.
That December, Gold moved to Toronto to work on a full-length album, overhauling the line-up in the process. After singer Chris Jones left, Gold took over as lead singer and guitarist. In 2004, the band's first full-length album, Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth, was released on Gold's record label, Krankenhaus Records.
The third Woods of Ypres album, Woods III: The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues, was released at the end of 2007. Contrasting the two albums, critic Laura Taylor wrote, "While Pursuit of the Sun verged on metalized Pink Floyd, Woods' latest unearths more of the band's black and dark metal inspirations".Wiebe Taylor, Laura (March 2008). "Woods Of Ypres: Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues", Exclaim!. Retrieved April 24, 2010. In 2008, the band was featured on the cover of Unrestrained! Magazine.Wiebe Taylor, Laura (February 2009). "Concert reviews: Woods of Ypres / Musk Ox / Eclipse Eternal / Piledriver / Detsorgsekalf / Endorphins / Into The Void", Exclaim!. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
After a work stint in South Korea, Gold moved the band to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in 2008, where he united with local metal band Gates of Winter to form the core of the new six-piece Woods of Ypres line-up, and join Gates of Winter on drums. After line-up changes and departures, they recorded their fourth album, Woods IV: The Green Album, the following year. Released in November 2009, Exclaim! called it "the band's most amorphous and powerful creature so far."Taylor, Laura (February 2010). "Woods Of Ypres: Woods 4: The Green Album", Exclaim!. Retrieved April 24, 2010. Earlier in 2009, Woods of Ypres released a compilation of twelve songs from their three main Krankenhaus-released albums, titled Independent Nature 2002–2007, and a vinyl-only single release of their 2004 song "Allure of the Earth", which featured a cover of that song by Australian cellists Sebastian Simpson and Chris Doig.
Sessions for the unreleased EP Woods 4.5: You Were The Light took place in Sault Ste. Marie in 2010. Two tracks from those sessions have been released as part of the vinyl-only single Home in 2011, which has been referred to as Woods 4.5 in some interviews. Woods of Ypres announced their break-up in late 2010, partly due to Gold's move to Kuwait for work reasons. It was announced that fall that the split was false, and that Woods of Ypres had signed to Earache Records, who released the band's last two studio albums.
Woods of Ypres' line-up was unstable since their inception. Only Gold participated on every release. Woods of Ypres' live line-ups ranged from three to six members at differing points, and almost completely changed when Gold relocated the band. Two albums only credit two musicians as full members. Singles and compilations aside, the only band member to appear on two of the band's main albums other than Gold was keyboardist Jessica Rose, who performed on Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth and Woods III.
All of Woods of Ypres's albums (except Woods V) were released on independent labels ran by Gold, including Krankenhaus Records from 2004 to 2009, and Practical Art Records from 2009 to 2011. While Krankenhaus released albums by a few Canadian metal bands, Practical Art only released albums from musical projects that Gold performed on. Woods of Ypres independently ran and booked headlining tours of Canada and the United States.
Death of David Gold and break-up
Woods of Ypres played their last concert in Richmond, Virginia on June 9, 2011. After Shane and Evan Madden left shortly afterward, Gold and Joel Violette recorded the band's final studio album, Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light, that August at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario.
On December 21, 2011, Gold died at age 31, in a car crash near Barrie, Ontario. Gold's death ended plans for Woods of Ypres to play their first European tour in early 2012, along with scuttling the planned debuts of new band members Brendan Hayter and Rae Amitay. Violette indicated in interviews that Woods of Ypres would not record or tour without Gold, ending the band. Woods 5 was released on February 27, 2012, in Europe, and in North America two months later. The band received a posthumous Juno nomination in the Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year category in February 2013, and won the award in April.
Official tribute concerts in Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie were held in April 2012, featuring bands such as Kittie and Novembers Doom. The Toronto concert was the CD release party for Woods 5, while former band members Joel Violette, Bryan Belleau, and Rae Amitay played an acoustic set of Woods of Ypres material in Sault Ste. Marie. A Woods of Ypres tribute album was released. The surviving members of Woods of Ypres' final line-up formed the New Brunswick-based black metal band Thrawsunblat.
Band members Final line-up David Gold — drums (2002–2004, 2005–2008), guitar, vocals (2004–2011; died 2011) Joel Violette — guitar, studio bass (2010–2011)
Former
Brian McManus — guitar, vocals (2002) Aaron Palmer — bass, vocals (2002–2003) Robin Cross — vocals (2002–2003) Dustin Black — guitars (2003) Colin Wysman — guitars (2003) Chris Jones — vocals (2003–2004) Steve Jones — guitars (2003–2004) Jordan Buryj — guitars (2003–2004) Connor Sharpe — bass (2003–2004) Mark Beshai — guitars (2003–2004) Jessica Rose — keyboards (2004–2007) Adam Wathan — guitars (2005) Dan Hulse — bass guitar, vocals (2005–2007) Chris "Mezz" Mezzabotta — drums (2005) Shawn Stoneman — guitars (2007) Evan Madden — drums (2008–2011) Lee Maines — guitars (2008) Brian Holmes — keyboards (2008) Steve Furgiuele — bass (2008–2009) Bryan Belleau — guitar (2008–2010) Shane Madden — bass (2009–2011)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth (2004, Krankenhaus Records) Woods III: The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues (2007, Krankenhaus Records) Woods IV: The Green Album (2009, Practical Art Records, Earache Records) Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light (2012, Earache Records)
EPs Against the Seasons: Cold Winter Songs from the Dead Summer Heat (2002, Krankenhaus Records, Night Birds Records)
Compilations Independent Nature 2002–2007 – compilation (2009, Krankenhaus Records)
Singles Allure of the Earth – vinyl single (2009, Krankenhaus Records) Home – vinyl single (2011, Practical Art Records)
References
External links
Woods of Ypres on Bandcamp