WOODTEMPLE are a Pagan/Black Metal band from Austria, headed by multi-instrumentalist Aramath. After a consistent run of releases from 1999-2008, including four full lengths and one EP, the band return from a six-year absence with 2014's "Forgotten Pride."

Six years is a fairly long time to go between releases, so the title is kind of fitting for the album, whose songs indeed have something of a proud vibe about them. The title track starts with a neat acoustic guitar lick, but it sounds somewhat out of place when the (admittedly weak) distorted guitars and guttural vocals kick in. The song eventually settles on a more metallic approach about halfway through, but the relative increase in heaviness isn't accompanied by a similar shift in mood; it's pretty much the same riff, just played electrically. "Sign of the Sun" has a little bit more variety to it, and definitely feels less bland, but the song, like the following "So Far Away," feels like it drags on for a few minutes too long. The latter song has a cool, epic feel, but just doesn't really do much to grab the listener. "Eternal Silence" closes out the actual music part of the album with some drum-backed acoustic guitar, and while it's a decent piece, it doesn't really add much to an album that's basically only three and a half songs long. The "Intro" and "Outro" would have been better as background portions in full songs, because the album could really use the diversity.

It's quite possible that I just don't get "this kind of music," but the long and short of it is that "Forgotten Pride" lacks any real enthusiasm, and the songs feel too similar to each other to truly care about any one in particular. The band's performance isn't bad, especially the upbeat drumming (which I enjoyed), but there's not much in the way of memorable material here.<