CoC : Woodtemple - The Call From the Pagan Woods : Review

Woodtemple - _The Call From the Pagan Woods_
(No Colours Records, 2004)
by: Aaron McKay (5.5 out of 10)

Arguably one of No Colours' stronger acts, Woodtemple is a solid manifestation of black metal hedonism. Calling themselves Pagan metal, this one man outfit has achieved his goal, if that aspiration is dim anonymity. Aramath (where do they come up with these names?!) trumps forth a steady, mid-paced march on this, his second full length offering. Drawing roots back to 1999 with the _Swords of Hate_ demo, _The Call From the Pagan Woods_ attempts to push forward efforts begun on _Feel the Anger of the Wind_ in 2002 with little to no development lyrically or musically. Despite the new disc's blatantly obvious title, _TCFtPW_ delivers three intentionally elongated tracks book-ended appropriately by intro and outro segues. Complete with all the necessary elements one would come to expect from a black metal release, Woodtemple creates a conceptually bleak aura throughout _TCFtPW_'s nearly forty-six minutes. Highly repetitive in nature, the balance is struck on this album by the lulling effect Aramath concedes with the raw guitar work and uncomplicated atmospheric keyboards. Of course the harshly executed vocals are typical yet reassuring, in the same way that you know Slayer will never stray too far from their bread 'n' butter stylistic formula. If you can fight through the surface monotony, occasionally the mostly repetitious songs found on _The Call From the Pagan Woods_ aren't as much of a yawner as they might seem.

Contact: http://www.no-colours-records.de

(article published 18/5/2004)