A qualified teacher with three university degrees, Woods Of Ypres mastermind David Gold was a smart man who struggled to find his footing, as he testified on his song Traveling Alone: ​​”I’ve searched and tried / To find a place where I can be / I deeply love my homeland, but I’ve never carved out a place for myself in society.”

An accomplished multi-instrumentalist with a fervor for black metal, David found solace in music. His music was as much a raw worship of the majestic Canadian wilderness as it was a vent for his darkly rational observations of humanity. Woodland Albums II-IV articulated an evolution from raw black metal to the doom-laden gothic majesty of his magnum opus, Woods 5: Gray skies and electric light.

It was a record that marked a new beginning, after years of an ever-changing line-up of backing musicians. David was the sole creative brain behind Woods’ music – until he recruited Joel Violette. Joel, a huge fan, couldn’t believe what was happening. “I went from fan to lead guitarist in one day! ” he’s laughing. “It was mind-boggling. I was very inspired by what David was doing for the Canadian metal scene. Wood II is still one of my favorite albums, even though it’s hard to listen to now.

Joel met David in 2005 when he ordered a copy of Wood II from him. Over the next few years they exchanged emails, with Joel releasing demos of David for what would become Canada 2010, the debut album from his still active solo folk/black metal project, Thrawsunblat. “Then in 2009, David said to me, ‘Do you want me to play drums on the record for you?’ I was dazzled. ‘Yes, of course!’ “He enthused. “One of David’s great qualities was his ability to get things done.

David found a fruitful partnership with Joel. For the first time, he didn’t have to focus on writing everything himself, with him and Joel writing half the music each for wood 5, giving him more time to focus on the finer details of the record. “He used to joke that we were the Lennons and McCartneys of Canadian black metal!” says Joel.

Written and recorded in just six weeks from July to August 2011 at Beach Road Studios, Ontario with producer Siegfried Meier, the results were breathtaking. The solo, hard-hitting gang cries of Career suicide (not real suicide) offered hope, juxtaposed with the frustrated lament of Kiss my ashes (goodbye), which, as Joel recalls, was inspired by the death of Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele. “Type O was a huge influence on David,” he recalls. “The fact that they became so popular after Peter’s death drove him crazy.”

His frustration is clear in the frankly delivered lyrics: “We miss them so much / Now that they’re gone / We took them for granted / To live, so long.”

Tragically, David himself was killed in a car accident in December 2011. He was just 31 years old. Two months later, wood 5 was released, the reception and interpretation of his words irrevocably altered. On first listen, it foreshadows alarmingly – a gripping journey through mournful melody and exhilarating ending. The more you listen, the more David’s austere and prophetic objectivity impresses.

Joel, having only heard the instrumentals, remembers being surprised to hear David’s voice for the first time on the tracks – existential angst in this funereal baritone; his scathing roar. “David was a powerful lyricist. He had a cool outlook – “Yes, modern life can be gray and cold, but there’s more to it.” He would often discuss a problem in the songs and then present the solution – there was a messianic feel to it…when David came on it gave a very different feel to the lyrics.

Now that David is gone, Joel is often the man to go to for insight – a task he struggles with. “A week after David died, I was asked [by a journalist] ‘What is the future of the band?’ I forget exactly what I said, “We don’t know what Woods’ future is,” or something like that. I got a lot of flak for saying that – obviously you can’t make a Woods Of Ypres album without David Gold. I guess I was trying to find hope,” he says. “It stings, but we can’t help it.”

wood 5 deservedly won the 2013 Juno (Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys) for Metal/Hardcore Album of the Year. Let’s not talk about it in the same breath as the tastes of October Rustthe crowning heroes of David Type O Negative, is a disgrace, and something that will hopefully be rectified in time.

“I feel very lucky to have contributed a slice of it,” Joel concludes. “This fantastic Canadian heritage that David has built with his vision and his work ethic. Over the years, a whole host of characters have been involved in realizing this vision. There are a lot of people making music now who wouldn’t otherwise.

The testimony on this subject is found with Gold heart – a tribute album released in 2013, featuring 19 bands made up of his peers covering their favorite Woods songs. The fact that David inspired so many to create is a fitting legacy and reaffirms the message at the heart of his masterpiece. wood 5 reminds us all to make the most of our lives and those with whom we share them.