"Woods 3" review on Sputnik music

David Gold

David Gold

Son of the Darkest Blues
Feb 20, 2004
2,095
5
38
44
No hometown, Ontario.
www.woodsofypres.ca
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_14873

It's reviews like these that make me want to start 'reviewing reviews', or better yet, just do interviews instead. At least it would give us a chance to answer people's questions rather than them making asumptions about things they're not sure about. ESPECIALLY when reading an online review from a guy who downloaded the album and doesn't even know that it was recorded as a three piece (Dan, Jessica and I), not a five.

Again, it blows my mind that anyone complains about too many songs (guy writes:
(both End of Tradition and Song of Redemption could have been dropped),
Click to expand...
. Wouldn't you rather that the band gave you what they recorded instead of keeping some of it from you and trying to resell the album to you at a later date, 'complete'? That whole 'keeping songs in the vault' thing is for the big league record labels, etc... We are indy and very close to our supporters and communinity. Obviously, some songs come out stronger than others on any album, but to us, they are all what makes an album, an album! It's real! Not perfection. Releasing everyting we do also helps to show growth from album to album. 'Faking' that is like cheating on your golf score your first day out (not that I will ever play golf, but this is a good example). In WoY, as I've mentioned many times, every song is part of the story. 'Mistakes Artists Make'. Basically. we know what we want to do and we know what we're doing.

Also somewhat irritating are the (rather laughable) lyrics, which blur the lines of stupidity ("I understand the relation / Of black metal and modern life" and "Each day I could see the changes / Each day I became more extreme" both courtesy of Through Chaos and Solitude I Came…) and silliness ("We dug this hole for ourselves, but we’ll gladly bury you instead" – Iron Grudge). While it's baffling how the band could have settled for those lyrics (then again, given the scene they belong to, perhaps not), but David Gold's singing generally negates any ill effects of the lyrical aspect of the album.
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None of those lyrics were 'settled' for. Again, all part of the story.

+ I also don't like the "I know it all" sarcastic tone of any review, from any reviewer, especially when ignorant. Thus seems to be the way now though, no? Personally, I don't like it.

Anyways, the guy does also say some positive things, but judge for yourself (the album and this review)! :kickass:

DG - \w/
 
I haven't heard the album yet, but the review was fairly positive, though I can kind of see why he'd think some of the lyrics are odd without knowing the meaning. The comments people are leaving actually alot better than the review.
 
While I don't personally like the style, the condescending tone can make a review sound more solid... that is if its supporting claims and facts actually check out. But when a reviewer talks about "Chriz Mezz's blastbeats" and the "now five-member band" (and though "Against the Sun" seems to have been a typo, since he said "Against the Seasons" in the previous paragraph) it takes away from the credibility.

And I don't ever remember a reviewer suggesting which songs that should have been left off. I can remember reviewers pointing out the weaker songs, but never criticizing an artist on how they thought album should have been put together, as if they could have written it better themselves.
 
Song of Redemption and End of Tradition blew my mind the first time I heard the two back to back, and I always get the opening vocal part of Song stuck in my head, haha. Those songs definitely did not need to be "dropped". This guy obviously didn't do his research or give my effort.
 
Hi David,

I'm a staff member/editor at Sputnikmusic and, having read your response, I figured there's a couple of concerns I could help clear up. First of all, though Mike is not a staff reviewer for the site, he has been around a long time and his enthusiasm for metal musics, especially the Canadian sort, has been long established.

I would be surprised to learn that he'd downloaded the album rather than bought it, and barring a couple of typos and the five member thing (which may have been another typo; I know I make plenty of them myself), I think it would be very harsh to call him "ignorant," especially when he's taken time out of his day to write an, on balance, very supportive review of an album for which he's not being paid anything. I'm sure he has an awful lot better things to be doing, so I'd at least ask you to consider the effort he's put in to promote the music he enjoys.

Wouldn't you rather that the band gave you what they recorded instead of keeping some of it from you and trying to resell the album to you at a later date, 'complete'?
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Speaking personally, the job of the reviewer is to give an impression of the album as a sum of its parts. I can be grateful that the artist has given me every piece of recorded music but think that the album as a coherent unit would benefit from having those songs cut out. Think of an album like it's a pie. I may like apples, and I may like hot dogs, but I wouldn't put hot dogs in an apple pie. (I would also avoid using that metaphor again, ew :-/)

As for "reviewing reviews," you're more than welcome to respond to Mike in his review. We'd love to see more artists on the site ;)
 
honestly, it's one fucking bad review. nothing to get so worked up about, christ.

Splat! said:
I think it would be very harsh to call him "ignorant," especially when he's taken time out of his day to write an, on balance, very supportive review of an album for which he's not being paid anything. I'm sure he has an awful lot better things to be doing, so I'd at least ask you to consider the effort he's put in to promote the music he enjoys.
Click to expand...

bingo
 
This guy at Global Domination (never heard of it) is everything that's wrong with the scene, IMO. He has no business reviewing our CD other than to try to discourage others from listenining. That's wasn't the least bit contsructive. His attitude shines through and all he meant was jealous harm. + It's obvious he just downloaded the album, did zero research and purged his shit review to make himself feel good. Again, think where you stand in the scene! What do you contribute? Stuff likes this only makes it a shittier place to be, especially for bands working their hearts out to make a little bit of music. There is no good excuse for this.
 
+ 1. A band's relevance can be gauged by how much they're discussed, weather what is said is either good or bad. All press is good press, etc... I sometimes have my own gripes about what is said because a) some of it is untrue, b) I believe it to be unfair c) I just don't agree... I'd hope more people would understand that no one really takes it lightly when anyone carelessly dismisses their life's work (the last 5 years of my life anyway, and counting). I'll continue to voice my opinions on that kind of stuff for as long as I still feel the desire to do so, now, because a day very well may come when I don't (when I dispear to live alone in a log cabin, like some kind of doom metal Cat Stevens, etc...). Don't anyone get any smart ideas about writing a br00tal review just to bother us. I'd still rather you'd write it and post it and spread the word to as many people as possible. Other people will eventually check it out, judge for themselves and possibly like it, even if you yourself didn't get it. In those cases, I can thank you for turning new people on to the music. After all, that's all this really is. The passion, the sillyness, the bullshit, the headaches, the sacrifices, the losses...there's still nothing I know in this world that is more rewarding than what we do.

So fuck yeah!

:kickass:
 
*blinks*

Man that guy really made me realize how stupid I have been, I mean come on, who doesn't see that every WoY song is really about epic pagan vikings? Lets look at the first album:

Intro: The Shams of Optimism: This song is about how one should never be optimistic about fighting vikings, for they are epic and pagan.

Crossing the 45th Parallel: This is about the vikings sailing. Duh.

The Sea of Immeasurable Loss: Is about how many people the vikings killed at sea!

A Meeting Place and Time: A battle. No really its about a battle, a meeting place and time between two armies.

Awaiting the Inevitable: About waiting for death at the hands of vikings.

Man, I cant believe I didnt understand the true meaning behind all of these songs. This reviewer has completely made me realize that WoY is completely trying to be the next Tyr...

((Ok, aside from all the sarcasm, how the HELL is a picture of the Ontario crest "Epic pagan viking stuff." ... I mean... *smashes own face in*))

Oh, and did anyone notice how funny the reviewer thought he was? Check out the band members:

David Grohl… I mean, Gold: vocals, guitar, recorded drums
 
^ HAHAHAHA

Yeah, the negative reviews will sting, especially when they come off as retarded and music-journalist-elite like this guy. But you know that a lot of people absolutely LOVE this album, and they are the ones that count. Real music fans will judge for themselves.
 
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