History Music / WoodsOfYpres

* StepUpToTheMicrophone: After the departures of Brian McManus, Robin Cross, and Chris Jones, David Gold moved from the drumkit to lead vocals in 2004, and remained Woods of Ypres' frontman until his passing. He also continued to provide drum tracks in studio during this time, save for Evan Madden's two releases with the band.

Woods of Ypres were a metal band from Ontario, Canada. Beginning in 2002 as a Melodic BlackMetal band, with their second release they began to incorporate elements of Doom Metal as well. They have released five albums thus far, one compilation album, and two vinyl-only singles, generally on frontman David Gold's independent labels Krankenhaus Records and Practical Art Records (though their last album was solely released through Earache records, and their four prior albums were rereleased through Earache afterwards.)

* ''Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth'' (2004): Second album; Also known as "Woods II"

* TheBandMinusTheFace: Woods of Ypres' surviving members from their last lineup regrouped in guitarist Joel Violette's existing black metal band Thrawsunblat in 2012, with Rae Amitay replacing David as the project's drummer. Their music is closer in style to Woods of Ypres' early black metal work, though with more of an atmospheric/folk influence.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Woods of Ypres' debut EP "Against The Seasons" was their only release without David Gold on vocals & guitar, still functioning solely as the band's drummer. It was also their only album whose initial release did not feature [[http://www.metal-archives.com/images/1/5/5/5/1555_logo.JPG their official logo]], though that was amended in reissues. Some early concerts even featured an official lead singer (either Robin Cross or Chris Jones) who didn't play an instrument

** A number of songs on "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" talked of not honouring the dead, saying goodbye to them forever, and focusing your attention on people who are alive (notably on "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)" and "Adora Vivos"). Whether these were seriously his thoughts is debatable, but after David Gold died in December 2011, there were two official tribute concerts and numerous memoriams to his life & career, while "Woods V" (which was posthumously released) garnered the best reviews of their career and a Juno Award win. Clearly, fans didn't want to forget about David in death.

* RevolvingDoorBand: Woods of Ypres were prone to numerous lineup changes, with {{The Other Wiki}} listing 23 different official members during their 9 year run. Their live lineups ranged from 3 members (2002) to 6 members (2008), only two musicians (David Gold and mid-2000s keyboardist Jessica Rose) even appeared on ''two'' of their main 5 studio albums, and their lineup almost completely changed whenever David moved to a different town, as seen when relocating to Toronto in 2003 and Sault Ste. Marie in 2008.

[[caption-width-right:350: Your Ontario Town is a Burial Ground..]]

Woods of Ypres were a metal band from Ontario, Canada. Beginning in 2002 as a Melodic BlackMetal band, with their second release they began to incorporate elements of Doom Metal as well. They have released five albums thus far, one compilation album, and two vinyl-only singles, generally on frontman David Gold's independent labels Krankenhaus Records and Practical Art Records (though their last two studio albums saw releases through Earache Records.)

* ''Woods III: Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues'' (2007): Third album

* ''Allure of the Earth'' (2009): 7-inch vinyl single containing the song "Allure of the Earth" and an instrumental cello cover of the same song

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Band members officially pronounced "Ypres" as "Ee-pray", though mispronunciations were common from those unfamiliar with the band, and even from some admitted fans.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Though Woods of Ypres broke up after David Gold's 2011 death, they released their last album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" posthumously in February 2012, garnering the best reviews of their career, and it won a 2013 Juno Award.
** However, David's passing occurred before the full release of "Woods 4.5: You Were The Light" could take place, and it's three unreleased songs have still never fully surfaced.

* OldShame: Woods of Ypres rarely played material from their second & third albums live in concert in their last tours from 2010-2011, perhaps because of their shift to a doom metal sound. Only "The Sun Was In My Eyes (Part One)", a medley of "Woods II" songs, and "Your Ontario Town Is A Burial Ground were played live in their last two years together. Going along with that, [[http://www.youtube.com/davidypres David Gold's official YouTube channel]] features no live concert videos from their 2004-2007 Toronto-based era, and their 2007 music video for "The Northern Cold" isn't featured there either.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Had David Gold not passed away, Woods of Ypres would have played their first European tour in early 2012, with new members Brendan Hayter & Rae Amitay performing with them. Presumably, these shows (and other future dates) would have saw "Woods V" material played live for the first time, but David died before they had the chance.
** The 2006 {{Bathory}} tribute album "A Tribute From The Hordes To Bathory" was slated to include a cover of "Lake of Fire" by Woods of Ypres early in development, but it was not on the final product. If recorded, it'd be Woods of Ypres' only studio cover, but it's never surfaced.
** Had David Gold lived, the proposed "Woods VI" would have been summer themed (a'la "Woods II"), but nothing was recorded for it before David passed away. It's anyone's guess how it would have sounded.
* WordOfGod: In 2010, David Gold posted a new song listing for "Woods IV: The Green Album" online that featured 5 changed song titles, even though this came ''after'' the album's release featuring the original titles. It wasn't until the Earache Records reissue of "Woods IV" the following year that the new titles were officially included in the album's physical copies.

* Instrumentals: Just one on any of their albums, that being "Trillium: The Third of Three Winters, 2004-2007" from "Woods III"

!!Tropes:

* LeadBassist: Aaron Palmer from 2002-2003, who sang clean vocals on "Against The Seasons". Once he left and Dsvid Gold took over frontman duties, their future bass players took a less prominent role (averted with Dan Hulse, who played on and co-produced "Woods III", and once co-ran Krankenhaus Records with David.)

* SpecialGuest: Vocalist Sarah Green on "Woods II", guitarist Nathanael LaRochette on "Woods IV", and cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne & oboist Angela Schielhauf on both "Woods IV" & "Woods V".

* ''Woods 4: The Green Album'' (2009): Fourth album; first 1000 copies also include the album ''Slaughter of the Seoul'' by Korean death/thrash band Necramyth, on which David Gold played drums
* ''Home'' (2011): 7-inch vinyl EP with two songs from the band's August 2010 recording sessions. Sometimes called "Woods 4.5" in reference to what the complete sessions would have been released as in EP format, though the other three songs remained unreleased; last album released during David Gold's lifetime

* EpicRocking: Every album has at least two songs upwards of six minutes.

* GrimUpNorth: Shows up occasionally, perhaps most notably in "The Northern Cold".

* OldShame: Woods of Ypres rarely played material from their second & third albums live in concert in their last tours from 2010-2011, perhaps because of their shift to a doom metal sound. Only "The Sun Was In My Eyes (Part One)", a medley of "Woods II" songs, and "Your Ontario Town Is A Burial Ground were played live in their last two years together. Going along with that, [[http://www.youtube.com/davidypres David Gold's official YouTube channel]] features no live concert videos from their 2004-2007 Toronto-based era, and their music video for "The Northern Cold" isn't featured there either.
* RevolvingDoorCasting: Woods of Ypres were prone to numerous lineup changes, with {{The Other Wiki}} listing 23 different official members during their 9 year run. Their live lineups ranged from 3 members (2002) to 6 members (2008), only two musicians (David Gold and mid-2000s keyboardist Jessica Rose) even appeared on ''two'' of their main 5 studio albums, and their lineup almost completely changed whenever David moved to a different town, as seen when relocating to Toronto in 2003 and Sault Ste. Marie in 2008.
* SeriesFauxnale: Woods of Ypres teased a band breakup in mid-late 2010, coinciding with the closure of Krankenhaus Records and their August 2010 recording sessions, with numerous hints of finality and David moving thrown in. While David did move (to Kuwait for a few months as an English teacher), the break-up as a hoax to see what the response would be if they did disband. They re-emerged with a label deal with Earache Records that fall, but would disband for real after David's death the following year.

* ImportantHaircut: David cut off his long hair in 2007 between the releases of "Woods III" and "Woods IV", occurring in conjunction with the band's transition to doom metal. His hair transitioned between short, bald, and in a mohawk through 2010, and he was growing it out again prior to his death.
* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Band members officially pronounced "Ypres" as "Ee-pray", though mispronunciations were common from those unfamiliar with the band, and even from some admitted fans.

* {{Unperson}}: On "Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth", guitarist Steve Jones and bassist Connor Sharpe aren't credited in the album's liner notes & booklet due to leaving Woods of Ypres during production. Instead, David Gold completed the lead guitar & bass tracks, and is solely credited for them in the liner notes.
** At least in later years, David rarely (if ever) acknowledged band member departures directly or explained why they left/were removed from the band, other than to announce new members or searches for them. This sometimes led to hearing only one side of the story if an ex-member addressed their exit from Woods of Ypres publically.

* XMeetsY: After David Gold joined the Sault Ste. Marie metal band Gates of Winter as their drummer in 2008, he recruited the other 4 members to join him and existing drummer Evan Madden in Woods of Ypres' new lineup. Though essentially a merger, both bands operated and performed independently, albeit with Gates of Winter covering "Your Ontario Town Is A Burial Ground" in concert. This only lasted through the end of 2008 (coinciding with the beginning of Gates of Winter's hiatus), and only guitarist Bryan Belleau remained for the "Woods IV" recording sessions in late 2009.

* ''Against the Seasons: Cold Winter Songs from the Dead Summer Heat'' (2002): First album and only EP
* ''Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth'' (2004): Second album

* Unperson: On "Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth", guitarist Steve Jones and bassist Connor Sharpe aren't credited in the album's liner notes & booklet due to leaving Woods of Ypres during production. Instead, David Gold completed the lead guitar & bass tracks, and is solely credited for them in the liner notes.

* ConceptAlbum: ''Woods 4'' and ''Woods 5''.

* IAmTheBand: David Gold was the only constant member, appearing at all of their concerts and albums.
* ImportantHaircut: David cut off his long hair in 2007 between the releases of "Woods III" and "Woods IV", occurring in conjunction with the band's transition to doom metal. His hair transitioned between short, bald, and in a mohawk through 2011, when he began growing it out again prior to his death.

* RevolvingDoorCasting: Woods of Ypres were prone to numerous lineup changes, with {{The Other Wiki}} listing ''23'' different official members during their 9 year run. Their live lineups ranged from 3 members (2002) to 6 members (2008), only two musicians (David Gold and mid-2000s keyboardist Jessica Rose) even appeared on ''two'' of their main 5 studio albums, and their lineup almost completely changed whenever David moved to a different town, as seen when relocating to Toronto in 2003 and Sault Ste. Marie in 2008.

* ''Home'' (2011): 7-inch vinyl EP with two songs from the band's August 2010 recording sessions. Sometimes called "Woods 4.5" in reference to what the complete sessions would have been released as in EP format, though the other three songs remained unreleased
* ''Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light'' (2012): Fifth and final album; posthumously released following David Gold's death

* ItIsPronouncedTro-PAY: Band members officially pronounced "Ypres" as "Ee-pray", though mispronunciations were common from those unfamiliar with the band, and even from some admitted fans.

* BreakUpSong: "Shards of Love".

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Had David Gold not passed away, Woods of Ypres would have played their first European tour in early 2012, with new members Brendan Hayter & Rae Amitay performing with them. Presumably, these shows (and other future dates) would have saw "Woods V" material played live for the first time, but David died before they had the chance. His death also likely ended plans for a full release of the "Woods 4.5" EP that they recorded in 2010.

* XMeetsY: After David Gold joined the Sault Ste. Marie metal band Gates of Winter as their drummer in 2008, he recruited the other 4 members to join him and existing drummer Evan Madden in Woods of Ypres' new lineup. Though essentially a merger, both bands operated and performed independently, albeit with Gates of Winter covering "Your Ontario Town Is A Burial Ground" in concert. This only lasted through the end of 2008(coinciding with the beginning of Gates of Winter's hiatus), and only guitarist Bryan Belleau remained for the "Woods IV" recording sessions in late 2009.

* ''Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light'' (2012): Fifth album; posthumously released following David Gold's death

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Though Woods of Ypres broke up after David Gold's 2011, they released their last album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" posthumously in February 2012, garnering the best reviews of their career, and it won a 2013 Juno Award.

* RevolvingDoorCasting: Woods of Ypres were prone to numerous lineup changes, with {{The Other Wiki}} listing ''23'' different official members during their 9 year run. Their live lineups ranged from 3 members (2002) to 6 members (2008), only one musician (mid-2000s keyboardist Jessica Rose) even appeared on ''two'' of their main 5 studio albums, and their lineup almost completely changed whenever David moved to a different town, as seen when relocating to Toronto in 2003 and Sault Ste. Marie in 2008.

Woods of Ypres was a metal band from Ontario, Canada. Beginning in 2002 as a Melodic BlackMetal band, with their second release they began to incorporate elements of DoomMetal as well. They have released four albums thus far, all on frontman David Gold's independent labels Krankenhaus Records and Practical Art Records.

The band had a different line-up for each album, with band leader David Gold the only constant member. After a recording session in August 2010, the band seemingly broke up, but this was soon revealed to be a ruse as Gold revealed that they had in fact signed to UK metal label Earache Records, who will be reissuing Woods' first four albums as well as releasing their new fifth album in 2012.

David Gold was killed in a car accident in December 2011.

* David Gold: Vocals, guitar, piano (formerly drums)
* Joel Violette: Lead guitar
* Shane Madden: Bass, vocals
* Evan Madden: Drums

* ''Against the Seasons: Cold Winter Songs from the Dead Summer Heat'' (2002): First album

* ''Home'' (2011): 7-inch vinyl EP with two songs from the band's August 2010 recording session
* ''Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light'' (2012): Fifth album; not officially released yet, but leaked online by Earache following David Gold's death

* AntiLoveSong: The rather aptly-titled "Move On!".
* AuthorExistenceFailure

* DigitalPiracyIsEvil: Notably averted when ''Woods 5'' was leaked by its own label.

* IAmTheBand: David Gold is the only constant member.

* HarshVocals

* SopranoAndGravel: Common in the DoomMetal releases.

Woods of Ypres is a metal band from Ontario, Canada. Beginning in 2002 as a Melodic BlackMetal band, with their second release they began to incorporate elements of DoomMetal as well. They have released four albums thus far, all on frontman David Gold's independent labels Krankenhaus Records and Practical Art Records.

The band has so far had a different line-up for each album, with band leader David Gold the only constant member. However, as of 2010 their line-up seems to have finally stabilized. After a recording session in August 2010, the band seemingly broke up, but this was soon revealed to be a ruse as Gold revealed that they had in fact signed to UK metal label Earache Records, who will be reissuing Woods' first four albums as well as releasing their new fifth album in 2012.

!!Current line-up:

* ''Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light'' (2012): Fifth album, currently unreleased

* ConceptAlbum: ''Woods 4''.