A BELATED TRIBUTE TO DAVID GOLD
When
left alone, man improves himself, as well.” - Woods of Ypres
Not a lot of music speaks to me
like that of Woods of Ypres. When I first heard the music of this Canadian band
over 3 years ago as I was looking through YouTube for Doom Metal bands, I knew
there was something great about them that I couldn’t find in most bands.
However, I wasn’t such a huge fan of them until August 2013, when I had the
time to finally listen to all of their discography over the span of two days. I
was totally enthralled by the emotional and philosophical scope of their music.
Most of that was achieved thanks to their frontman David Gold.
To begin
with, I didn’t really keep up with Woods of Ypres since I discovered them first
on YouTube, so I didn’t hear of David’s passing on December 21, 2011. That was
three years ago. Upon learning of his death after listening to their entire
discography, especially after listening to Woods V: Grey Skies and Electric
Light, a deep sense of grief and sorrow overwhelmed me. I didn’t know David
personally (I wish I did), but the emotional impact that his music had on me
and on my creative works was quite evident since then. From the heavy, doomy
riffs of “Your Ontario Town Is a Burial Ground” and “Everything I Touch Turns
to Coal” to the Atmospheric Black Metal spirit of “The Sea of Immeasurable
Loss” and “The Sun Was In My Eyes”, David’s music always transports me to the
woods of his native Ontario. Woods V, their last album, left a particular
impact on me with its lyrics on life, death, society, and art. David’s
minimalistic style of writing helped further the meaning of the lyrics he
wrote.
That
being said, his music grows on you, especially if you are going through some
emotional trouble or a breakup. He tells us not to depend on others for
happiness, but only on ourselves; that we should not get attached to people or
places because one day, losing them will devastate us. More importantly, he
told us to seize the moment and enjoy life, to cherish our loved ones while
they are still alive, and to follow our hearts’ passion instead of what society
thinks we should do. I think David’s lyrics are poetry on their own despite
them being so simple.
The fact that David journeyed to
Kuwait and formed friendships with many people there, some of whom I am now friends
with, could mean that he had somewhat of an influence on the Middle Eastern
metal scene. I think if it weren't for me looking for YouTube covers of Woods of Ypres songs and finding Hadi Sarieddine's cover of "Finality", I wouldn't have discovered the UAE metal scene and become immersed in it. Although his stay in Kuwait was rather brief, he wore a Kuwaiti
flag patch on his jacket while performing in his final tour in Canada and the
US to show his love for the country and its people. People who have met him say
he was a down-to-earth, loving person who interacted closely with his fans.
I would
like to say that I’m writing this because I felt I never had the chance to
properly thank him, and even though he told us in his last album that “the dead
are to be forgotten”, I believe we should not forget him because he lives on in
his music with us and in all the souls he inspired. We are not mourning him,
but we are celebrating his work and life.
With that, I would like to thank him for inspiring me and
many others. I don't think words are enough to express how indebted I feel to this musician. Nevertheless, his legacy will live on in his timeless music, and continue to inspire many people.
"The will to give
There is no destination
There is only the journey." - Woods of Ypres, The Will to Give
By Habib T
I can only agree. Well written.
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