Canadian blackened doom merchants WOODS OF YPRES are preparing for the worldwide release of their acclaimed album, Woods 4: The Green Album.

Originally released in late 2009, Woods 4: The Green Album is due to be reissued by Earache Records on March 14th in Europe and March 22nd in North America.

Woods Of Ypres founding member and frontman David Gold discusses the writing process for the album (Part 1):

"The writing process for W4: The Green Album began while sitting on my bed, aimlessly writing riffs in my Seoul, South Korea apartment during my year in exile while living and teaching there in 2007-2008. The previous Woods Of Ypres band had collapsed, as did all crucial parts of my former life in Toronto, Canada, suddenly in spring 2007. I fled to Korea to keep myself busy with work and new experiences until I could sort myself out and figure out my next move. I feared that if I were to slow down, I'd get low and drown. I knew I had to go far away, fast, and stay there until life started to make sense to me again.

I quit my Toronto day job of the previous four years on the morning of my 27th birthday that June. During the following ten days, I packed what was left of myself into a suitcase and the rest into boxes and storage, and by July 1st, Canada Day, I found myself living and working in Seoul where everything was new, the future so completely unknown. It was actually quite terrifying in the beginning. Every waking moment was so uncomfortable that day to day living was agonizingly dreadful. At some point I went numb and became indifferent to everything. One day at a time, I developed a little more acceptance for the past while learning to live a little more within my new reality of life in Korea. Once the numbness melted away and I started to feel, think and form some opinions again, I started to write again, too.

At the beginning of the journey, summer 2007, I no longer had a band, or anything more than a job to go to and a place to sleep. I was by myself, completely unknown on the other side of the world, 12 hours of time zones away from my former home and anything familiar. Teaching work kept me challenged and very busy and gave me a sense of purpose, but when not knowing what to do outside of work hours, I retired to my apartment for the night, made myself some dinner, watched the US Army TV channel (the one channel I got in English), played guitar, maybe wrote riffs and maybe scribbled down a few thoughts that eventually became Woods Of Ypres songs.

Twelve months of hurt, exploring, longing, thinking, documenting, teaching, sleeping, waking, eating, drinking, walking around the city listening to NICK CAVE, KATATONIA and THE MAGNETIC FIELDS on my iPod, venturing out, getting lost, finding my way and drumming for the Seoul, South Korea metal band NECRAMYTH later, plus a well earned, month long reward trip to Finland for metal and more drinking on the way home from Korea and I was back in Canada, wanting to bring Woods Of Ypres back from the dead, much like I had done with myself."

Check back soon for Part 2.

Woods Of Ypres are due to kick off a North American tour next week in support of Woods 4: The Green Album. Catch the band live at the following shows:

March

10 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - The Rosie
11 - Sudbury ON, - The Serbian Centre (Sudbury Metalfeast)
12 - Barrie, ON - The Fox Lounge
13 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Johhny Brenda's
16 - New York City, NY - The Bowery Electric
17 - Worcester, MA - Ralph's Rock Diner
18 - St. John, NB - SunStar Lounge
19 - Halifax, NS - Coconut Grove
20 - Moncton, NB - The Manhattan Bar
21 - Fredericton, NB - The Capital Complex

Woods Of Ypres recently released a new music video, for the song 'I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery'. Watch the video below:

Woods 4: The Green Album is available to pre-order now on CD and limited edition coloured vinyl. Order your copy now in Europe at this location or in North America at this location.

Woods 4: The Green Album is out now worldwide on iTunes. Get the album at this location.