Woods of Ypres Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth
Krankenhaus Records 2004
By Jason Jordan
Fresh off Against the Seasons: More Words Than I Care to Type, Woods of Ypres have unleashed Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth to an audience who have for the most part accepted the Canadians work with open arms and open hearts. By sprucing up every facet of their repertoire, the band have thus fashioned one of the most innovative works of recent memory; the inclusion of summer as the main subject matter is remarkably original as well.
Upon initial listening, influences from Opeth to Agalloch are facile to uncover. Intro: The Looming of Dust in the Dark (& the Illumination) is a good introduction to the melancholy, which is Woods of Ypres. All of Golds vocalizations both clean and unclean are rather average, even though they admittedly fit the atmosphere. The Will to Give is slightly darker and harder than the previous track. This is illustrious black metal folks. The Sun was in My Eyes: Part One and The Sun was in My Eyes: Part Doom are praiseworthy not only for their lyrical content, but for their dynamic presence and solemn beauty. Allure of the Earth is an excellent composition, while Shedding the Deadwood utilizes some gorgeous, guitar passages. The black metal bombastically slashes through with Dragged Across a Forest Floor. Perhaps unintentional is the tempo dragging that takes place from inception to the 0:30 minute mark. Thankfully, though, the error is corrected punctually. Summers Envy, again, is somber. The Ghosts of Summers Past and Outro: The End of August are draped in sadness. Starting to notice a trend here? Lyrical themes on Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth will pique interest, because they touch on commonplace subjects such as life, death, love, loss, and the seasons. So, its easy to identify with Woods of Ypress material.
Arguably, the band is more docile than most black metal groups lumbering about nowadays. But, the aforementioned trait shouldnt deter people from entering the ranks of Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth. The latter is quite alluring indeed.
8.5/10
Official Woods of Ypres website
Krankenhaus Records 2004
By Jason Jordan
Fresh off Against the Seasons: More Words Than I Care to Type, Woods of Ypres have unleashed Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth to an audience who have for the most part accepted the Canadians work with open arms and open hearts. By sprucing up every facet of their repertoire, the band have thus fashioned one of the most innovative works of recent memory; the inclusion of summer as the main subject matter is remarkably original as well.
Upon initial listening, influences from Opeth to Agalloch are facile to uncover. Intro: The Looming of Dust in the Dark (& the Illumination) is a good introduction to the melancholy, which is Woods of Ypres. All of Golds vocalizations both clean and unclean are rather average, even though they admittedly fit the atmosphere. The Will to Give is slightly darker and harder than the previous track. This is illustrious black metal folks. The Sun was in My Eyes: Part One and The Sun was in My Eyes: Part Doom are praiseworthy not only for their lyrical content, but for their dynamic presence and solemn beauty. Allure of the Earth is an excellent composition, while Shedding the Deadwood utilizes some gorgeous, guitar passages. The black metal bombastically slashes through with Dragged Across a Forest Floor. Perhaps unintentional is the tempo dragging that takes place from inception to the 0:30 minute mark. Thankfully, though, the error is corrected punctually. Summers Envy, again, is somber. The Ghosts of Summers Past and Outro: The End of August are draped in sadness. Starting to notice a trend here? Lyrical themes on Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth will pique interest, because they touch on commonplace subjects such as life, death, love, loss, and the seasons. So, its easy to identify with Woods of Ypress material.
Arguably, the band is more docile than most black metal groups lumbering about nowadays. But, the aforementioned trait shouldnt deter people from entering the ranks of Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth. The latter is quite alluring indeed.
8.5/10
Official Woods of Ypres website
