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the soil bleeds black

The Soil Bleeds Black * Mirror Of The Middle Ages (cd 2003 the fossil dungeon)

It has been almost two years (may 2002) that I reviewed the LP version of the album. The cd version was to follow in the summer of that year on World Serpent, but apparently things didn’t go as planned. A year after the lp (april 02 and 03) the cd was released by the Riddick twins’ own Fossil Dungeon label. Because I (like others?) expected that the cd would be the same as the lp, I never got it. Well, this isn’t really true! The cd not only has slightly different artwork, but also some tracks have been replaced. Therefor after all this time I can recommand this cd to anyone who like the neo-medieval music of this American band afterall. Read the other review in the archive for more info.

The Soil Bleeds Black * Mirror Of The Middle Ages (lp 2002 the fossil dungeon)

The sixth album of TSBB is first released on this heavy lp limited to 500 copies by the twins themselves and in the summer there will be a cd-version through World Serpent. If you regularly check the mp3-page of the band, you already have five of the ten tracks of this lp. You may have already noticed that this is the first time that TSBB didn’t write all the tracks themselves, but that they actually used existing melodies or lyrics. Therefor they call it their “most medieval album-to-date”. “Mirror Of The Middle Ages” is not as sad in sound as the previous album “Alchemie”, but also not as joyous as the older works, but pretty cheerfull at times.
Besides the mp3-tracks “Ring Around The Rosey”, “The Wife Of Bathe”, “Pasttime With Good Company”, “Epitaph Of Elizabeth” and “Jubilation Of Earthly Delights”, you will hear the songs “Kyrie Eleison”, “Tempus Est Iocundum” (that we already know in Ataraxia’s version “Mundus Est Judundum (Carmina Burana)” from the 1998 cd “Historiae”), “Veni, Veni, Emmanuel”, “In Taberna Quando Sumus”. “Palastinalied” (which the German Corvus Corax have on several cds) and “Daughter Of Leondegrance”.
All in all another nice album from the American neo-medievalists.

The Soil Bleeds Black * Quintessence (cd 2001 world serpent)

The Soil Bleeds Black continues to slowly change their style from electronic neo-medieval through more traditional music and now to a more folky approach. The band discovered the accoustic guitar which results in some neo-folk-like songs. This I do not only say because of the use of a guitar, but also the song-structure and manner of singing is comperable to neo-folk at times. The violin is mostly flutes on “Quintessence”, but there is also some violin to be heard. Another thing that changed is the mood of the music. Whereas in past days the music was cheerful and funny, this new cd is pretty melancholic. The third change is the length of the songs. TSBB used to be able to fit 36 tracks in 45 minutes, but this time there are 5 songs for 40 minutes. And -last but not least-, the band finally made recordings with a good sound-quality.
Overall I must say that inspite of the change of style, I really like this cd and I think it is safe to say that people who like the older albums may still like “Quintessence”, but people who found the older albums too happy may want to listen to this one. Maybe “Quintessence” will even appear to the neo-folk audience.

…The Soil Bleeds Black * Alchemie (cd 2000 world serpent)

Finally the new cd of …The Soil Bleeds Black is available. This time released by the biggest folklabel of the gothic scene. I don’t know what took them so long, but still…
“Alchemie” is the fourth album of TSBB and ever since their debut they have been striking out synths to replace them by real instruments for means of playing their neo-medieval music in a more classical manner.
Two things that struck me are the length (35 minutes) and the fact that the faster/victorious tracks are no longer present. Further of course the lack of samples, but that was to be expected.
All in all this cd isn’t better than the previous for me, but overall it’s still pretty damn good. It’s not for nothing that TSBB has been one of my favorite bands since their second demo!
Already anounced “Quintesse” a brandnew cd. I wonder how long World Serpent needs to release that one. I doubt that they will be able to keep up with the productive Riddick twins.