Printed At Bismarck's Death – Via Lacrimosa LP

I never really realized how gothic the Christian Bible is until I heard this LP, the first full length from German darkwave/goth band Printed At Bismarck’s Death. These guys approached their music without any sense of irony, which is probably why the Bible has never seemed so bleak. They are not actually a Christian band (at least not that I know of), but they base almost every song on a Christian parable or traditional folk song (such as House of the Rising Sun), sing and chant in German and English, and wrap most songs in a thick blanket of electronics and atmosphere, traditional instruments and full orchestral sweeps, guitar effects and tribal drumming.

While not every song is a winner (the aforementioned House of the

Rising Sun does sound a bit silly, especially since most of us are more familiar with the Animals’ version of it; and a couple songs on side B veer into avant-jazz meanderings) most tracks are about as true to the gothic aesthetic as possible – earnest and layered with impenetrable darkness. And don’t be put off by the late release date - songs like the largely orchestra “Drapa”, the symphonic and experimental “Meet Moshe Dayan In A Russian Bunker”, and the simplistic but effective dark dance of “Pseudo Philon” make this an LP to seek out.

Printed At Bismarck's Death – Via Lacrimosa LP

1991, T 42 Records

A1 Prélude Morbide

A2 Premières Communions

A3 Meet Moshe Dayan In A Russian Bunker

A4 House Of The Rising Sun

A5 Le Juif Errant

A6 Pseudo-Philon

B1 Drapa

B2 The Cold Earth

B3 Three Victims Of Bloody March

B4 Jesus Goes Golgotha

B5 Embryo

B6 Tutuguri (Rite Of The Black Sun)

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