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.

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