The latest in Michael Laird's series of darkly compelling explorations on extremities of sound within a putatively "mainstream" goth-folk approach turns up new ground with The Blood of My Lady, recorded after Laird's move to a rural location following the dissolution of the earlier version of the group. It's not quite the Bon Iver story -- for which we can all be thankful -- since the focus on hushed acoustic performances in many ways defined Unto Ashes to start with; if the name of the band is now more a flag of convenience, the quality of Laird's work remains strong. Framed by the two-part title track (plus a concluding variant), The Blood of My Lady reflects a turn towards the personal -- and heavily fraught -- that had always been there in earlier work, but here seems less couched in larger political or mystical terms and more with an edge of personal sorrow and anger, as on songs like "I Will Lead You Down." Laird's one-man arrangement skills throughout are quite remarkable -- the flow of instrumentation on songs like "Who Has Seen the Wind," from dulcimers to bells to much more, suggests ensemble work rather than the basic breakdown of Laird plus the occasional guest. Meantime, between the German-language declamations on "Echos in Den Wald" -- Laird's ear for intriguing covers remains -- and a cello-led interpretation of "The Tomb of Your Remains," a ninth-century melody, there's a striking take on Depeche Mode's "Fly on the Windscreen" where the electronic glower and melodrama of the original become an acoustic-guitar led chant that sounds as old as the hills. Rating: 4/5 Review by Ned Raggett

A volte mutare completamente una squadra allestendo un 'team delle meraviglie' non paga; in questo caso i tre anni di fermo artistico di Michael Laird e la rivoluzione attuata nel suo progetto Unto Ashes rendono lo stesso di una caratura ancor più preziosa rispetto al passato. Tante perle discografiche sono arrivate da quella parte degli States: album incantevoli tra suoni medieval, eterei e fairy, ma riportati al 'goth' tradizionale, eterogenei anche all'interno di sé stessi. Gioielli come "Saturn Return", "Empty Into White" o "Moon Oppose Moon", firmati proprio dagli Unto Ashes, e bello ed incantevole nella sua magia anche l'ingiustamente criticato "Songs For A Widow". Dimenticate in parte tutto ciò che Unto Ashes ha significato in passato, perché nei tre anni trascorsi nell'attesa di questo nuovo lavoro Michael attua scelte coraggiose ed anacronistiche: virare il suo sound verso un dark-folk particolare nel momento in cui il neofolk ha la sua massima stanca propositiva, nonché unirsi con altre due voci maschili di rilievo internazionale (Sonne Hagal e Kim Larsen) nell'era dell'ethereal al femminile. Chissà come Sam Rosenthal avrà accolto tutto ciò nel momento in cui, come deus-ex-machina della Projekt, ha ascoltato le prime proposte del nuovo corso di Unto Ashes... Tendenzialmente l'album vede protagonista Laird in tutta la composizione musicale (e in gran parte anche lirica) del dischetto, con arrangiamenti curati in maniera minuziosa, ed in ciò il suono ne guadagna: non è un'opera semplicisticamente dark-folk, bensì un vero componimento complesso, variegato e coeso nell'intenso lavoro che più musicisti (oltre ai due guest di lusso) compiono nell'adeguarsi ad un disegno che, nella mente del suo creatore, risulta perfetto in ogni piccolo dettaglio. Così in "Who Has Seen The Wind", ottocentesco componimento poetico di Christina Rossetti riproposto e cantato da Sonne Hagal nel tipico modo da ballata un po' sulle orme dei Forseti, l'uso di corni francesi 'sciolto' nelle percussioni e nelle dolci partiture di chitarra non dà quel senso fastidioso di 'già udito' che troppi cloni hanno creato negli anni. Straziante il violoncello in "The Tomb Of Your Remains", partitura strumentale ripresa da un antico elaborato musicale di Kassia, ingiustamente relegata al dimenticatoio: a lei si attribuiscono già nel primo medioevo bizantino l'essere una delle prime compositrici donne documentate, Hildegard Von Bingen arriverà solo duecento anni dopo. Quanta ricerca ha avuto questo disco: quanta voglia di perfezione c'è dietro ogni singola nota? Ascoltando "Vengeance" non siamo più di fronte a un componimento neofolk, ed anche Sonne Hagal si allinea con la mente di Laird per dare corpo ad un'interpretazione che ha valore in terra americana: non più l'Europa delle tradizioni, ma un'America arcaica, con gli accordi di chitarra acustica che potrebbero essere stati eseguiti da un qualunque cercatore d'oro nel Klondike dell'800; tra i toni della voce di Hagal è forte la malinconia della lontananza, dello stupore, il colore della neve ed il buio della notte, probabilmente solo un focolare attorno al quale si consumavano cene nel silenzio rotto da lupi. Un disco evocativo in ogni piccola parte di sé... Anche Kim Larsen non è lo stesso che conosciamo come Of The Wand And The Moon: in "A Cold Wind (February)" la scuola di cui egli stesso è alfiere viene per abbandonata per sussurrare la sua melodia, gelida come il ghiaccio di cui si narra la bellezza ("Melted ice tears upon the cold ground..." fuse lacrime di ghiaccio sopra il gelido terreno...). Traccia dopo traccia il dischetto scorre con rarefatta bellezza fino all'ultima song, tra la voce di Larsen e quella di Hagal, intervallate da momenti in cui Michael Laird è protagonista, come nella stupenda atmosfera evocata da "The River And The Hawk": di nuovo il corno ed i suoi richiami gentili e profondi che contrastano la voce dura di Kim, quasi crudele nell'evocare lande deserte e solitudine. Perla tra le perle, tra le ultime tracce la riproposizione della dolcissima "Fly On The Windscreen", originariamente targata Depeche Mode, rifatta dal newyorkese su tessiture neofolk. La Projekt non sbaglia praticamente mai le sue strategie produttive, e Sam Rosenthal in qualità di manager ha la capacità di creare i presupposti per far sì che ogni uscita da lui 'marchiata' sia un successo discografico: nel caso di "The Blood Of My Lady" siamo di fronte ad un album che farà parlare di sé a lungo. Il neofolk non era morto... Rating: 9/10 - Nicola Tenani.

I’ve only heard a passing mention of so-called “Dark Folk” music, and until now I never really considered the entertainment value of earthy melodies about death, ghosts, pagan gods and occult mysteries… but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed a natural fit. After all, the concept of horror and the unknown is as old as human creativity itself, and probably dates back to the first cave paintings and eerie chants around the firelight… and there’s something about the primal rhythms, vintage instrumentation and timeless vocals of so-called “Neoclassical Darkwave” groups like Arcana (one of my all-time favorites), Dead Can Dance, Estampie, Qntal, Dark Sanctuary and Mirabilis that puts you in the mind of chilling moonlit rituals in the deepest, darkest woods.

Now that I’ve heard Unto Ashes’ new CD The Blood of My Lady – which is set for release next Tuesday from Projekt Records – I’d definitely add them to this list. Read on, and learn what ethereal strains may echo through thee waiting earbuds!

Formed over a decade ago in New York City by multi-instrumentalist Michael Laird, Unto Ashes has featured a revolving group of collaborators over the years, blending traditional folk instruments like hammered dulcimer, violin & cello, hurdy-gurdy, the Persian saz (a kind of long-necked lute) and various indigenous percussion with electronic elements like synthesizers and electric guitars. For this album, the group scaled back most of the modern aspects to put more emphasis on old-school instrumentation.

Laird reportedly composed all the tracks from The Blood of My Lady alone, while sequestered within a Victorian house in rural New York during a period of emotional turmoil. But that didn’t stop him from seeking musical contributors from several countries – including legendary Danish rocker Kim Larsen, German experimental outfit Sonne Hagal and acclaimed soprano Josie Smith.

The result is what Laird and company describe as “an album of thirteen spells conjured for The Lady,” which comes across like a ritualized meditation on the dark and chaotic forces of man and nature, love and death. It’s a simpler, more elemental work that calls back to the group’s earliest recordings, particularly their first full-length release Moon Oppose Moon.

The title track is divided into two separate movements – the first performed primarily by Laird, the other by Larsen – which serve to bookend the album with a tragic theme of lost love. Interestingly, Laird’s rendition bears a striking similarity to some of the quieter songs from early Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, while Larsen brings more than a hint of Lou Reed to the table. The tracks framed between these two songs represent a wide assortment of moods and styles – from the somber ballad “Who Has Seen the Wind,” the Michael Nyman-like “For All My Broken Promises” and the quietly regal “The River and the Hawk,” to the deceptively gentle-sounding anthem “Vengeance.” Pastoral instrumentals like cello solo “The Tomb of Your Remains” and warm piano piece “She is Everywhere and Nowhere” add some midnight-meditation moments.

The haunting ambient swells, swirls and distant bell-tones that accompany the beautiful but unsettling “I Will Lead You Down” move to front-and-center in the warm synth pulses of “Our Palace of Ice,” which transitions into the goosebump-inducing spoken-word piece “A Cold Wind (February).” This middle trio of tracks to me represents the full realization of the haunted mood I believe Laird was striving for here, and prove that a perfectly Gothic tone can be achieved without a lot of glammy posturing.

It’s not all hushed, melancholy tones, however; the vigorous jingling bells, horns and odd vocals of German-language march “Echos in den Wald” manage to be eccentrically upbeat and sort of creepy at the same time, and there’s even an inventive acoustic-guitar cover of Depeche Mode’s “Fly on the Windscreen” that fits nicely with the band’s sex & death themes (“Death is everywhere/There are lambs for the slaughter… Come here, kiss me now”).

There’s a haunting vibe to these thirteen “spells” that transports you to another time and place… and not necessarily a safe place, either. As you listen, you get a sense of shadows being cast by fading firelight, imagery that works its way into your mind over the album’s 43 minutes, and for me it results in a more lights-out, incense-burning experience than, say, casual dinnertime background music (although those are usually one and the same at my house). It doesn’t aim to unsettle you immediately, but you can feel the darkness creeping in around the edges of your perception.

It goes to show that the right artist can pull off subtle but very real chills with a touch of class – think of it as the sonic equivalent of Carl Dreyer’s surreal, dreamlike 1932 film Vampyr. If low-key vintage chills are not your poison, then this probably won’t win you over… but if you’re craving a sense of quiet, elusive dread, you’ll definitely want to check this one out.

New York City-based darkwavers Unto Ashes usher in their sixth full-length with the title track, and it’s a good one with its gently picked acoustic guitar and sweet little melody, both of which belie the artsy darkness of the lyrics. This sets the formula for The Blood of my Lady, and it’s a simple one.

Musically, this is a minor-key folk record; guitar-and-voice stuff with sparingly applied strings and percussion. It’s lyrically that Unto Ashes mastermind Michael Laird ups the gloom stakes. Mortality and Desire are predominant themes, intertwining in a headily macabre concoction that veers often into pretentiousness, but is none the worse for doing so.

Laird wears his influences on his sleeve: the cases in point an eerie transposition of Christina Rossetti’s poem ‘Who has seen the wind’ and a cover of Depeche Mode b-side ‘Fly on the Windscreen’, the latter an album highlight and a triumph of tasteful interpretation; Laird’s stripped-down arrangement brings the vocals to the fore and the mortality-preoccupied lyrics fit right in with the vibe of the self-penned material.

But it’s not about stand-out tracks; The Blood of my Lady is a concept album (‘thirteen spells conjured for the lady...’ says the press release) and plays accordingly—as a cohesive piece of art, occasional instrumentals blurring the gaps between songs, the reprise of the opening track used for the album’s coda giving the whole thing a cyclical feel. This is a solid piece of work and one worthy of finding admirers outside Unto Ashes’ usual fanbase.

Drei Jahre sind seit dem letzten UNTO ASHES-Album "Songs For A Window" (ebenfalls bei Projekt) vergangen. Das seit Ende der 1990er aktive Projekt ist mittlerweile auf seinen Kern Michael Laird zusammengeschrumpft, der bei "The Blood Of My Lady" von einer ordentlichen Packung Gastmusiker (u.a. Sonne Hagal) unterstützt wurde. Gerade diese musikalische Schützenhilfe zahlt sich aus und steht "The Bloody Of My Lady" außerordentlich zu Gesicht.

Überhaupt ist man mittlerweile eher im angedunkelten (Weird-)Folk(nicht Neofolk!)-Sound angelangt, bei dem man musikalische Bezüge zu Künstlern wie And Also The Trees oder Backworld hören kann. Zum Schießen lustig wird es mit "Echos In Den Wald", eine mittelalterliche Spielmannsnummer, bei der man alles kann außer deutsch. Fast wie in Baden-Württemberg. Wunderschön melancholisch: "I Will Lead You Down" und "The Blood Of My Lady (Part 2)". Stücke wie "Vengeance" oder "For All My Broken Promises" bringen trotz der Texte eine gewisse Leichtigkeit in das Album und garantieren die Hörbarkeit auch bei gutem Wetter. Gerade auch in Sachen Stimmung ist "The Blood Of My Lady" gelungen.

Ein starkes neues UNTO ASHES-Album. "The Blood Of My Lady" kann es gar nicht erwarten alle Geschichten zu erzählen, die es zu erzählen hat. Da ruckelt was im Regal. - Andy

Michael Laird keeps going strong with this latest album, marking over a decade of music and six solid full-length albums. This latest work drifts away from some of the previous albums in that it settles more into a single genre rather than such a broad range as before, concentrating on the dark folk sound. We're presented with a simple package and thirteen outstanding pieces.

From the beginning of the album we're taken right into the all acoustic approach to this album in it's dark folk style with the first version of the title track. This piece is very simple with acoustic guitar and Michael's vocals. A second version of this piece appears later with Kim Larsen taking on the task of the vocals and a little different rhythm and overall mood. These two piece show the simple and minimal style on this album, but shows how sometimes less can be more in terms of style and quality. There are many other very simple, yet stunning pieces such as "The Tomb of Your Remains" which is all performed by cello and is absolutely captivating.

Breaking out of the simple minimalistic mold are many other pieces though they still remain equally captivating and in that dark folk realm. "Who Has Seen The Wind" start out very simple but gradually builds with various levels of vocal harmonies, the addition of hurdy gurdy and other instruments that make the repetitive vocals come alive. This builds to a haunting mix that continues on in other pieces, such as the haunting "Vengeance" with it's harmonized male and female vocals (which has just the right touch without taking the pieces into an ethereal realm). But growing darker and more haunting is "I Will Lead You Down" with everything from the vocals to the music all making the mood and intent clear. While this is probably the darkest of pieces on the album, there are many more that are no less haunting.

Pieces that stand out against the standard dark folk style include the up-beat German march similar to what you might hear from Qntal, Deine Lakaien or Helium Vola, is "Echos In Den Wald". They also put together a medieval dirge version of "Fly on the Windscreen" which comes out remarkably well and something I can appreciate even as a Depeche Mode fan. "Our Palace of Ice" is one of the few (or only) pieces that a synthesizer is used on this album amidst all of the acoustic instruments and still remains equally haunting as the other instrumental pieces or otherwise. And to finalize the album after the second version of the title track is the dark yet beautiful piano solo "She Is Everywhere And Nowhere". As a classically trained pianist, pieces like these stand out in their simple classic ageless beauty and provide the perfect ending for this stunning album. Rating: 4.5/5

It is surprising to hear that the new album of Unto Ashes again is completely different from the previous recording. Less varied with regard to musical influences yet stronger in the songwriting department and effectively with more focus on the European branch of neofolk with some postpunk it results in more consistent album. Whether the contributions of guest musicians like Kim Larsen (Of the Wand and the Moon), Sonne Hagal and others or the recent tour with Qntal have made the difference, I don’t know but it is striking that The Blood of My Lady has a more distinct European character. ‘Who Has Seen the Wind’ has been written together with Sonne Hagal and this is an excellent neofolk song which reminds a bit of ‘Seeker’ by Blood Axis. Also the track ‘Vengeance’ has been written by Sonne Hagal. ‘Echoes in Den Wald’ touches the more frivol danceable pagan folk yet also reflects a darker essence which makes it resemble the music of Waldteufel, to name a reference. Another striking song is ‘I Will Lead You Down’ in which the postpunk influences get reflected and shines with a great chorus. This also goes for ‘For All My Broken Promises’. ‘The River and the Hawk’ has been sung by Kim Larsen together with Josie Smith and in atmosphere reflects the typical British psychedelic folk movement. ‘Fly on the Windscreen’ is a remarkable tasteful cover of Depeche Mode sung by Josie Smith and Michael Laird. This is excellent. The many tribute cd’s could take this as a lesson how it should be done. The title track is featured two times on the album, of which the second time Kim Larsen has done the vocals and added guitar play. It almost compares to Leonard Cohen. Michael Laird again manages to create an excellent and very enjoyable album with just stunning music. Unto Ashes starts to become a recommended band in the neofolk and darkwave genre of music. Rating: 9/10

From the isolationist mind of Michael Laird we are enchanted by the subtle susurrations of pure love, and all of it’s manifestations, from the depths to the heights and also the highest love, the love of the blood of the lady as it courses amidst our being. Many are called, but few are chosen to partake of this sacrosanct libation and exalted celebration. Michael Laird recorded this album in complete isolation from the teeming masses of the world, free from constant bombardment of humanity to receive the purest essence, that of our lady, our goddess extended through thirteen glimpses of her many faceted jewel as Michael Laird himself states “These thirteen spells were conjured for silk and bone”… A very curious statement, giving a great key to the ideas and feelings represented here… The blood of our goddess and the blood of our lady is indeed everywhere and nowhere….

We begin our journey into her sacred gardens with “The Blood of my Lady (Part I.) a creation evoking deep feelings of nostalgic wonderment and imparting us to seek out the true voice of our lady within all of existence, within pools of sand and blood, within the dew that gracefully forms and falls from the trees to spring anew within her everlasting caress. From this iteration, we are drawn into the streams of the eternal goddess, from “Who has seen the Wind” the wind in her invitation of wild abandon, to the deeply nostalgic, obscure potencies of “I will lead you down”, which by reading the lyrics, one may mistake to be a statement of misogyny, but this is just a mask of a sequence of events of the highest alchemical gnosis and the primordial and unfettered love, which exalts and glorifies the lady of our blood in all and in nothing. Following this and other shards of her essence in musical form, we arrive through the eyes of the “Fly on the Windscreen.” At first glance, I did not feel this song to belong to this paean of our beloved goddess and her unknown fascinations. Performed originally by Depeche Mode, Unto Ashes recreates this song of depth concerning the mysteries of Sex and Death… Thanateros… Thereby, bringing it to perfection. This golden offering then ends with “The Blood of our Lady (Part 1)” and the equally haunting “She is everywhere and nowhere” Exhorting all who may experience the hidden gestures within to seek our lady everywhere and nowhere, for she is indeed, everything and nothing and the hidden formula that excites these two opposites.

In recent years the Projekt label has grown from releasing Darkwave to producing some amazing neo/ambient folk music, the inherent essence of which is on a higher level of understanding and wisdom, than many may associate with the offerings of Projekt. I myself was quite surprised to experience such an opus of this magnitude and I am equally surprised this release had not beckoned to me before now, I will now have an attentive eye upon the Projekt label and all of you should as well. Michael laird has bequeathed us with a journey of hidden libations, to be drank in, as every moment stirs and passes, for it is surely her movements which arouse the passions of life and death within us all… Michael Laird has also a wide array of guest musicians to complete his divine vision, including Sonne hagal, Kim Larsen,, Josie Smith and William Wiegard, amongst others enfleshing his vision in stone, bones and the blood of our lady which resonates with those of the blood. In summation to this album, as Michael Laird has received and uttered “ Now that the Blackbird took my eyes, I can see. I am no one, I am no one, I am no one. Unless I fly into the Winter Night….”

The musical progression of Unto Ashes is like a study in sonic reincarnation except instead of each incarnation coming closer to a state of blissed-out nirvana, every new iteration is darker and more grim than the last. Which is really saying something for a project whose previous offerings yieldings songs with such dour titles as “Teach Me How To Drown,” “I Cover You in Blood,” and “Song for a Widow.” In a sense, the Unto Ashes oeuvre is like Dante’s Inferno–only there is no end to the descent, just a bottomless well of misery. And so it is with the latest release from Unto Ashes, The Blood of My Lady. This incarnation of the project find most of more baroque influences stripped away. In its place is a bare, spare apocalyptic sound with rich acoustic guitars and occasional cello and horn to round out the palette. Again in contrast to past albums, on The Blood of My Lady Michael Laird has assumed the main vocal duties; the effect is much more solitary and much more personal. And amazingly, the result is the most melancholic Unto Ashes album yet. Perfect for thinking about days gone by, and days that will never arrive. Rating: 4/5

La travolgente melodia che anima la canzone che da il titolo al nuovo album degli Unto Ashes è la spina dorsale dei sontuosi arrangiamenti orchestrati ancora una volta con gusto impeccabile da Michael Laird. La canzone è ripresa ben tre volte nella scaletta di “The Blood Of My Lady“: la prima ad inizio disco cantata e suonata dallo stesso Laird; poi più avanti con le musiche curate da Kim Larsen, aka Of The Wand And The Moon; e infine in una struggente versione eseguita solo al pianoforte. Per il resto “The Blood Of My Lady“ è un album che risente fortemente dei recenti viaggi di Unto Ashes in Europa e più precisamente in Germania. Ci sono i Sonne Hagal ad aiutare Michael ad arrangiare un componimento poetico ottocentesco di Christina Rossetti, “Who Has Seen The Wind?”. E Laird si spinge ancora più indietro nel tempo, fino al basso medioevo, per trovare una straziante aria di Kassia “The Tomb Of Your Remains", arrangiata per l'occasione per violoncello solo. Ancora i Sonne Hagal intonano un'altra tra le più emozionanti ballate dell'album, “Vengeance”. Presente in scaletta anche una cover dark-folk di “Fly On The Windscreen” dei Depeche Mode. - Roberto Mandolini

The blood of my lady (part 1) / Who has seen the wind / Echos in den wald / The tomb of your remains / Vengeance / I will lead you down / Our palace of ice / A cold wind (february) / For all my broken promises / The river and the hawk / Fly on the windscreen / The blood of my lady (part 2) / She is everywhere and nowhere

Hablar de un álbum publicado por la compañía discográfica Projekt es siempre sinónimo de calidad. Con una prestigiosa historia musical avalada por años de trabajo y álbumes imborrables en la memoria, el grupo musical Unto Ashes nos presenta su último disco, “The Blood of my Lady”, dentro de un estilo melódico y de influencias musicales medievales. Con Catherine Bent y Jou-an Hou (Cello), Sonne Hagal y Kim Larsem (a la guitarra y como vocalistas), Gregory Palmer (tenor), Josie Smith (soprano), William Wiegard (french horn), Michael Laird (multi-instrumentista y producción) y John French (ingeniero de producción) encargados de dar cuerpo a este álbum, la calidad alcanzada es mucho más que destacable. De esta forma, podemos hablar de “The Blood of my Lady” como su gran trabajo estrella que brillará en nuestra colección discográfica personal de forma intensa y duradera.

Una guitarra nos adentra en la primera toma de contacto con el mundo de “ The Blood of my Lady” hasta que “Who has seen the wind”, mucho más viva y melodiosa, nos acerque a atmósferas más mitológicas. Con un espíritu victorioso y exultante entramos en “Echos in den wald”, mientras la composición instrumental “The tomb of your remains” será oscuramente medieval hasta que la esencia de “Vengeance” nos devuelva a nuestro mágico estado inicial. Lo melancólico retornará con “I will lead your down” mientras, de nuevo, lo instrumental nos deleitará en “Our palace of ice” con su delicadeza ambiental.

Lo gélido se hará dueño de nuestros sentimientos en “A cold wind (february)” y “For all my broken promises” dará continuidad a una línea más introspectiva, pasando a un estado algo más alegre con “The river and the hawk”. Con “Fly on the windscreen”, el grupo Unto Ashes realizan una excelente versión de esta conocida canción compuesta por Martin L. Gore, muy alejada de su versión electrónica original. La segunda entrega de “The Blood of my Lady”, más introvertida, nos llevará directamente a “She is everywhere and nowhere”, un final instrumental de lujo para un álbum de lujo. ¡¡¡Disfrútenlo!!!.

I’m not psychic so I have no way of knowing whether the fact some of his more regular musical partners relocated abroad provided Michael Laird with a central tone of gloomy, romanticized history which aided what is essentially a discreet work, or whether this was always the intention, but it certainly strengthens the secluded air.

Over simple but diverting guitar we get disturbing imagery throughout ‘The Blood Of My Lady’, and this blood is everywhere! ‘Who Has Seen The Wind’ takes on a more muck-ridden historical lament, like a grim take on Celctic themes. ‘Echos In Den Wald’ skips along with some tensely dramatic vocals and sternly delineated percussion and ending quite hypnotically.

Melancholic (well, what else?) cello ushers us into ‘The Tomb Of Your Remains’ and there we stay, charmed by the basic instrumental. ‘Vengeance’ unfolds calmly a plaintive medieval journey, just bisecting Scarborough Fayre, with ‘I Will Lead You Down’ more modern but just as still and linear, almost caught in its own sonic aura, ‘Our Palace Of Ice’ is a deceptive ambient slice followed by the equally interesting acoustic ‘A Cold Wind (February)’, descriptively sighing

The lush and dignified ‘For All My Broken Promises’ jangles with some optimism, but still seems pretty mournful. ‘The River And The Hawk’ is pretty morbid but entrancing, ‘Fly On The Windscreen’ happily welcomes death being everywhere, and ‘The Blood Of My Lady (Part 2)’ returns us to the disturbing imagery, which just gets weirder. ‘She Is Everywhere And Nowhere’ carries on from the preceding lyrics but is a quiet piano instrumental ending a strangely quiet record that actually manages to be lightly brooding.

Unto Ashes blends the folk qualities that frames the folk/rock elements of Simon & Garfunkel in some of their songs along with a sense of loss and decay. But they also expand the offering by including ancient tunes with an authentic feel. The mix provides a heady rush into a varied menu of songs that will delight lovers of sad poetry and classical instruments. 3.5/5

Michael Laird aka Unto Ashes strikes back after more or less 2 years of silence. It seems that Unto Ashes went through tormented times, which often resulted in a creative and composing period. “The Blood Of My Lady” features several contributors like Kim Larsen (The Wand And The Moon) and Sonne Hagal to mention the most famous ones. The songs are all sung by male vocalists, which makes the difference with the previous work of Unto Ashes. Yet there’s a female presence on this album. Soprano Josie Smith (a capella singer) did some backing vocals adding a very artistic touch in the background of the composition. “The Blood Of My Lady” is a quite heterogeneous release for its influences moving from medieval to neo-folk and neo-classic. The melancholic touch brings some emotion alive while adding a refined touch. The cello is mainly responsible for the sad, but meaningful mood. A few songs remind me to the work of Edward Ka-Spel, but with a deeper melancholia. The song “Vengeance” is a good illustration from this kind of sadness. In a more medieval and folk style “Echos In Den Wald” sounds like evoking troubadours and old myths. The German lyrics made it sound quite poetic as well. In a neo-classical style I definitely recommend the song “The Tomb Of Your Remains”. It’s an instrumental piece that could fit as soundtrack. That’s a bit similar with the “I Will Lead You Down”-song, which in the same time is quite ballad-like as well. In conclusion I would say that this album is a nice comeback for Unto Ashes while totally fitting to the Projekt stable! Rating: 7/10