The accomplished blend of dreamed-of past and modern times that Unto Ashes has made its calling card continues with Grave Blessings, another moving and at times surprising combination of musical strands. The core duo of Michael Laird and Natalia Lincoln again find a way to suggest they're not so much recording a new album as channeling something mystic and strange -- yet like role model Current 93, their feet are firmly planted in the present. This can be seen in their choice of cover versions this time out -- reworking the Cure's elegant "The Drowning Man" into a female-sung understated death-folk string-tinged medieval dance, but tackling Flipper's doom-punk classic "The Way of the World" as a gently sung flute-and-guitar ballad is absolutely inspired, equaling Stone Breath's marvelous reworking of Pailhead's "Man Will Surrender." That this can fit on an album that starts with a musical interpretation of a 13th century French poem ("Tous Esforciez") and wraps up in part with part of the Carmina Burana seems appropriate. Lincoln's main singing counterpart and partner is Mariko, whose solo moment of glory appears near the end with "Lesson," which calls to mind the cool beauty of This Ascension at their best. The resultant blend of their alto and soprano vocals as well as Laird's, often in counterpoint, is easily the heart of the album; one can imagine the three doing this as an a cappella effort if they so chose. At the album's simplest, such as "Emptiness," with accompaniment provided mostly by Laird's acoustic guitar, the power of the singing is extremely clear, but the blend on the fuller arrangements is no less enthralling. Along with other entrancing digressions as the instrumental "The Turning," a showcase for Lincoln's piano work, and the murky, dank collage of "Four More Years" -- presumably a non-tribute to a certain 2004 election winner -- Grave Blessings is another powerful release from this astonishing group. -Ned Raggett

I've been really impressed with everything I've heard from Unto Ashes in the past, so was eagerly awaiting this new album. This is, as expected, just as impressive. Unto Ashes' music is dark and very beautiful and moving. It's primarily influenced by folk and medieval music, with elements of classical and opera also. They also venture into other musical territories such as the piercing gothic rock of In Memory of D'Drennan, but the whole album is held together by its dark atmosphere.

As well as material penned by the band, Grave Blessings features excellent interpretations of a variety of music, ancient and modern. Three Haiku is an adaptation of 11th and 12th century Japanese poetry set to music by the band. Frühling is based on Qntal's version of a piece from the 13th century German manuscript Carmina Burana. It combines an authentically medieval atmosphere with big epic synths. I'm not familiar with Flipper but believe they were a punk band. Unto Ashes' version of their song The Way of the World is definitely not punk, but delicate and sombre folk music. I absolutely love Maddy Prior and June Tabor's version of Four Loom Weaver, so was very excited to learn that Unto Ashes have based their version of the song on the Prior/Tabor version. For those unfamiliar with the song, it's a 19th century Irish folk song about poverty and hunger. Unto Ashes' version is accompanied only by the sound of rain and thunder. It's spine tingling stuff.

Tortured by Rose Thorns is an Unto Ashes composition which is an atmospheric mix of metal guitar, folky dulcimer and bleak gothic synth. Vocal-wise, the song is a mixture of dark folk and demonic yowling. The Turning, written by Unto Ashes' Natalia Lincoln, is sombre neoclassical music. Dramatic strings appear throughout their version of The Cure's The Drowning Man. If I Come To You has prominent use of percussion and an effective half-sung, half-spoken vocal. Tous Eforciez is a 13th century composition by Gautier D'Espinal. This features French horn, hurdy gurdy and operatic vocals and is really impressive, emotional stuff.

An astonishing album.

Unto Ashes has been around for a while now, making their unique brand of darkwave music. Its medieval sense makes it feel like you've entered a different era when you listen to it. Their material is mostly their own, but covers and traditional songs also get a look in.

Vocalists Natalia Lincoln, Mariko and Michael Laird are obviously gifted. "Winter Born" sees them singing beautifully to a stately arrangement. "Tortured by Rose Thorns" continues the bands bleak spell, a folksy song that sees Mariko's vocals stark and passionate. "Emptiness" is sweet and dreamy, its phenomenal harmonies keeping me enthralled. Overall the vocal work on this record is exceptional. A cover of the Cure's "Drowning Man" is suitably somber, all cobwebs and darkness creeping. Mariko sounds nothing like Robert Smith, which is good. The traditional "Four Loom Weaver" is an equally audacious song to cover.

A strange but reassuringly lovely album in all. - Anna Maria Stjärnell

Each new album we're presented with from these artists is an interesting twist and something to look forward to. This latest album is no exception and provides another excellent work for fans to pick up. Like previous releases it's interesting to thumb through the liner notes and read through the lyrics, guest musicians, credits and wide variety of instruments used to compose the music.

The album contains fifteen excellent tracks spanning a range of gothic/ethereal styles from medieval, dark folk and neo-classical. Along with these general styles, the moods span from ethereal beauty to dark, brooding and mysterious. It all starts off with an ominous french horn, 13th century lyrics and the enchanting female vocals we've grown to love on so many selections from this group. The album progresses through the various styles described above including an excellent exclusive piece written and performed by these artists titled "Winter Born." On this one all three regular members contribute their vocal talents for a nice harmonized approach.

These two tracks are just the beginning as we move through an incredibly diverse piece "Tortured by Rose Thorns." It starts off with somber acoustic guitar that gives way to an array of bombastic music, beautiful soprano and alto vocals and mix of distorted spooky vocals that really adds an interesting twist. The album moves on including one excellent piece after another. Special treats include their excellent cover of "The Drowning Man," wonderful rendition of "Fruehling" and my favorite dreamy tracks "Emptiness" and "If I Come To You." Of course there's the array of downright spooky music including the finale "Banishment Spell."

This wraps up the album, and it's another great one that fans can latch onto without hesitation. The music just keeps progressing, they manage to pull everything together so well with each new album. Highly recommended. Rating: 4.5/5

Grave Blessings is the latest record from New York's finest Gothic/Celtic/medieval/classical/folk/ambient/pagan/whatever band, and it's a killer. Mixing acoustic guitars, percussion, strings, dulcimers and horns with just enough electronics to ground the arrangements in the modern world, the trio (plus guests) weaves a timeless spell. The lyrics may be full of melancholy and dread ("Why do the nights collapse? Why is your heart so numb?" asks "The Lesson") but the glistening music and glimmering voices turn the pain into beauty. "Tortured By Rose Thorns" (which adds gutteral black metal counterpoint vocals to the band's already heady mix) and "In Memory of D'Drennan" are unsettling yet lovely; "Winter Born" and "Emptiness" will bewitch you into singing along to lines like "That's where our emptiness goes." The group also seduces a number of outsiders' numbers, and you'd never know the traditional Irish "Four Loom Weaver," the Cure's "The Drowning Man" or Flipper's "Way of the World" came from other sources if you didn't check the liner notes. Grave Blessings is the best album yet from one of the best bands in the world, genres be damned. -Michael Toland

Unto Ashes returns with their fourth, and most eclectic, album to date. Grave Blessings finds Unto Ashes working at their most alchemical: with this selection of songs they mix diverse tonal ingredients in search of sonic gold. And more often than not, they find it. A fine example of what Unto Ashes is after this time around is the song "In Memory of D'Drennan" which marries a trip-hop beat to deathrock guitar, cold waves of synths, subtle male vocals, and accents of soaring neoclassical female vocals. In less expert hands that kind of experimentation would turn into a mess of disparate influences, but every song on Grave Blessings shows a perfect melding of styles. Dark folk rubs shoulders with neo-medieval danse macabre and foreboding instrumentals; every track blossoms into a monument of frightening beauty. This is one of the deepest recordings I have heard in a long time. 4 1/2 stars out of 5 - Jack

A clever and eclectic mix of goth, pop, and Medieval music.
Unto Ashes may work with traditional music, but they’re also outrageously eclectic, and Grave Blessings is an unlikely mishmash of Medieval music, original material and a couple of nearly unrecognizable covers. Diverse as they are, nearly all of these songs are beautiful, from the 13th century French ballad “Tous Esforciez” to the trip-hop influenced darkwave of “In Memory of D’Drennan.” Though the instrumentation ranges from the piano and string instrumental “The Turning” to the paired dulcimer and electric guitar of “Tortured by Rose Thorns,” the real highlight of Unto Ashes is the trio’s collection of distinct voices. Mariko’s lilting soprano is haunting on the band’s cover of the Cure’s “The Drowning Man,” while Natalia Lincoln’s alto adds depth and backbone to a stirring a capella rendition of “Four Loom Weaver,” an Irish folk song about the potato famine. Michael Laird, who plays most of the guitars and folk instruments, also sings lead on several tracks, including the standout “If I Come To You,” which is reminiscent of Death in June with its gentle, almost whispered vocals and quietly picked guitar chords punctuated by periodic percussive crashes. If there’s any fault to this album at all, it’s that the band sometimes seems to be trying a bit too hard to be esoteric and obscure; the ending track “Banishment Spell” aims for mystery by layering a recital of one of Aleister Crowley’s incantations over a moaning didjeridu, but it just seems contrived and a little trite. Still, that’s one small misstep on a 15-track album, and it’s hard to fault them for that when the rest of these songs are so achingly beautiful. -Matthew Johnson

Unto Ashes' newest album is complex in its simplicity, using such elements as sparseness, open space, and drones to emphasize their powerful musicianship.

The trio of Natalia, Mariko, and Michael use both their instrumental and vocal skills to craft something made out of familiar parts, with familiar instruments, but that comes out wholly original.

When listening to this, make sure to spend some time playing it with the volume up, to truly appreciate all the elements going on, and to see the great sense of depth they have given this.

When looking for standout tracks, it is hard to pick just a few, as they all maintain a high level of quality, and fit with each other like pieces from the same cloth.

To give you an idea of the range of source material and sounds, though, here are a few examples.
"In Memory of D'Drennan" has drones, basic drums, strings, and guitars which are reminiscent of Lycia's best work.
"Haiku" is based on an 11th Century Japanese poem, with the dulcimer being very central to the song.
"Fruehling" is Unto Ashes take on Qntal's version of the "Carmina Burana."
"Four Loom Weaver" is a 19th Century Irish folk tune, about a destitute weaver, with the sounds of rain and thunder looming in the background like inclement poverty. This song recreates the sense of Gaelic misery, without the usual sap.

For those of you who like the Cure, Unto Ashes reimagines Bob and co.'s "The Drowning Man" with strings and female vocals. This is a particularly moving track. "Tous Esforcier's" lyrics are from 13th Century France.

For the solitary, quiet, or beautiful times, this is the album to play. Not merely goth, folk, neo-whatever, Unto Ashes crafts music which embodies the best in all these, and sets their own distinct sound down as well. -Haakon Nelson. Rating: 9/10