Woods Of Ypres "Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth"

Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth is the first full-length album by the Canadian black metal band Woods of Ypres. It was recorded in 2004 at Spectre Sound in Tecumseh, Ontario. This marked Woods of Ypres' first release with David Gold on vocals and guitar as well as drums, along with the first appearance of keyboardist Jessica Rose. Steve Jones & Connor Sharpe supplied most of the lead guitar and bass work for this album, but were uncredited in the album booklet due to leaving Woods of Ypres before its release. Producer Glenn Fricker has since stated on his YouTube channel that the record “is the sound of a band disintegrating,” and characterized the sessions as “extremely difficult” due to one member, likely Gold, being “very unreasonable.”

Four songs from this album were later re-issued in Woods of Ypres' 2009 compilation CD Independent Nature 2002-2007. That same year, the band re-released their song Allure of the Earth from this album as a vinyl-only single, accompanied by a cover of it by Australian cellists Sebastian Simpson & Chris Doig.

Songs from this album were not a frequent sight at recent Woods of Ypres concerts. Only "The Sun Was in My Eyes (Part I)" has been documented as a full setlist addition since 2009, though shortened versions of "Summer's Envy" & "The Ghosts of Summers Past" have been played in a medley style occasionally in the band's later years.

On this first edition of this release, the track listing on the back excludes track 7. "Shedding the Deadwood" is track 6 but "Dragged Across a Forest Floor" is track 8. The tracks follow as 9, 10 and 11.

Near the beginning of this recording, the rest of the band decided not to continue with Woods of Ypres, leaving the guitar and bass tracks almost completely recorded. Connor Sharpe (bass) and Steve Jones (guitar) are not properly credited for these performances in the album's booklet.

Recording information:

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Spectre Sound, Ontario, Canada.

Woods Of Ypres "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light"

Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light is the fourth studio album as well as the fifth and final studio release from Woods of Ypres. David Gold died two months before this album was released. On February 19, 2013 it was announced that Woods 5 had been nominated for a Juno Award for "Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year", along with the likes of Devin Townsend, Cancer Bats and Ex Deo, an award that it went on to win.

It was recorded in August 2011 at Beach Road Studios with Siegfried Meier in Goderich, Ontario, and released the following year through Earache Records. In comparison to past Woods of Ypres albums, the album has a stronger emphasis on clean vocals and gothic metal sounds, with little of the black metal sound that was present on previous releases. Woods V is the band's only studio album (and second release overall) to feature guitarist Joel Violette, and the first Woods of Ypres album since Woods III to feature David Gold on studio drums. It also marked the band's final studio collaboration with cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne and oboist Angela Schleihauf, who had both guested on Woods IV: The Green Album.

Originally slated for a January 30 release date, the final version of the album was released in the UK on February 13 and in the US in April 2012. Though not the band's first release on the label, Woods V marked the band's first (and to date, only) album to be initially put out under the Earache Records umbrella.

A link to an incomplete promotional version of the album was tweeted by Earache Records shortly after David Gold's death on December 21, 2011. This version of the album excluded "Keeper of the Ledger," split "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)" into two separate tracks, and had a different track order from the final release. The limited edition vinyl pressing of Woods V includes an exclusive producer's mix of "Finality" on the second disc, which is unavailable officially in other formats.

Also, a vinyl reissue has been announced by Earache Records, and it was released April 7, 2017.

On February 19, 2013 it was announced that Woods 5 had been nominated for a Juno Award for "Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year," along with the likes of Devin Townsend, Cancer Bats and Ex Deo, an award that it went on to win.

Recorded at Beach Road Studios (Ontario, Canada).

Mixed at Bordello Recording Rooms (Oslo, Norway).

Woods Of Ypres "Woods III: The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues"

Woods III: The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues is the second full-length album by Woods of Ypres. It was recorded in 2007 in Toronto, Ontario, and it was the band's last album released before relocating to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in 2008. Woods III marked the band's only album to feature bassist/producer Dan Hulse, their last with keyboardist Jessica Rose, and their last album with frontman David Gold on studio drums until Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light in 2012.

Four songs from Woods III were later re-issued in the band's 2009 compilation CD Independent Nature 2002-2007. Though not the last release on the label, this album was Woods of Ypres' last full studio release on Krankenhaus Records before it was succeeded by Gold's new independent label Practical Art Records in 2009.

Similarly to their previous album, and despite its length, material from Woods III was not commonly heard at the band's post-2007 concerts. Only "Your Ontario Town is a Burial Ground" survived into the band's post-2009 setlists (possibly due to Woods of Ypres' shift to a more doom-oriented sound), though "The Northern Cold", "Distractions of Living Alone", and "Thrill of the Struggle" were also played live following the album's release.

A music video for "The Northern Cold" was released in 2007 featuring the performers on Woods III, along with then-members Shawn Stoneman on guitar & Chris Mezzabotta on drums, neither of which performed on any Woods of Ypres albums.

Recorded throughout 2006-2007 at Obsidian Sound Studio.

Drum tracks were recorded in February 2006 at Chemical Sound Studio, Toronto.

Mastered at Silverbirch Productions, summer 2007.