CoC : Love Like Blood - Chronology of a Love Affair : Review

Love Like Blood - _Chronology of a Love Affair_
(The End / Hall of Sermon, 2000)
by: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10)

My first experience with this goth rock troupe was the "Shed Your Skin" track on the _Beauty in Darkness_ compilation about 1997. The Eysel brothers' music was instantly alluring as their respect for the darker aspect of music unfolded before me by virtue of this single track. _Chronology of a Love Affair_ has a truly professional feel due to production being handled by Gunnar Eysel at Spacepark Studios. There are many things I would point out in relation to this album, but in the interest of brevity, I'll say this: _Chronology of a Love Affair_ is a very fine effort. The CD, running over seventy-eight minutes in length, is a chronology (hence the name) of some of the biggest and more respected goth bands during the majority of my music listening background. For the most part, this release is the textbook definition of a compilation. Love Like Blood spared no expense in time or trouble making this disc one of the better gothic group "tributes" I have heard. Broken down into four time frames, LLB embraces the founders of the movement ('80 to '85), the distant past ('86 to '90), the recent past ('91 to '95) and, more-or-less, the present. Joy Division, Bauhaus (yea! Peter Murphy), The Cure and The Sisters of Mercy constitute the founders of the genre on _Chronology of a Love Affair_. Christian Death, The Mission, The Cult and Jesus and Mary Chain are more of the past far removed. Fields of Nephilim (McCoy's great "Love Under Will" from 1994's _Revelations_), a redone version of LLB's "Injustice" (from the MCD _Ecstacy_), Killing Joke and Paradise Lost all from the not-so-withdrawn age of yesteryear. Most recently categorized on _Chronology of a Love Affair_, Love Like Blood features works from Lacrimosa, Type O Negative, Tiamat, and yes, even a notorious Marilyn Manson cover of "The Great (Big) White World". Unlike Love Like Blood's past renditions from David Bowie, Rolling Stones or King Crimson, this compilation is a fine representation in their own style of dark/goth rock from historically prominent musicians in a methodically laid-out package that can hardly be topped. If this kind of thing blows your hair back as it does mine, I'd not hesitate in snatching myself a copy of _Chronology of a Love Affair_. I've enjoyed every minute of this musically lyrical escapade. I hope you will, too.

Contact: http://www.theendrecords.com

(article published 13/5/2001)