Released
May 1999

Label
COP International

Reviewed by
Jason X

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Last Edit/Update
02 October, 1999

Soil & Eclipse

Meridian

Track Listing

1. Poetry of Angels
2. Meridian
3. Thief of Always
4. Piano Song
5. King of Lies
6. Exile
7. Vallhalla
8. Divinity
9. Tempest in the Spark
10. King of Lies (Nerve Factor Mix)
11. Lycanthropy
12.The Haunting

           One of the newest electro-goth acts to hit the scene, Soil & Eclipse return with their sophomore release, Meridian. While not as moody as their previous album, Meridian leans more toward electro-dance. Lead singer Jay Tye, is hailed as being one of the few distinguishable male vocalists in the gothic community while G.W. Childs IV brilliantly crafts the orchestra. Mixing techno with gothic, Soil & Eclipse display their songs with craft and precision to present the listener with a 90s version of opera.
           On the first track, Poetry of Angels, Jay's voice just seems to resonate with power and grace throughout this track. It must be the way his operatic voice just seems to grace this entire song. Meridian sounds like Obsession, by Animotion. They have a similar beat and tune, but also keep their own electro-gothic feel to it. Thief of Always is more upbeat and relaxed with a darkwave groove. It almost conjures a sort of Arabian Nights theme with steady percussion. Piano Song has more of a gothic mood to it. With a slow and steady rhythm, this song complements that dramatic voice Jay can pull-off. King of Lies features a heavier percussion with much more layered synthesizers. It were as though the song was a product of early Haujobb. Exile screams with drama and suspense. The lyrics are deep in that it were as a love story gone wry. Jay's screams of passion and guilt flow smoothly throughout the song. Vallhalla returns to the electro-gothic dance rhythm. The track moves into a sort of dark innuendo shifting through the pale skies of black. Divinity is more of a new wave-ish tune that sounds familiar to a Tears For Fears song without any guitar. Tempest In The Spark features a steady percussion with piano solos. The song itself screams with sadness and despair. The next track is a remix of King Of Lies by Nerve Factor! With added breakbeats and more layered electronics, it builds the song even greater with a more electronic tune. Lycanthropy is a heavy dance tune that seems as though it went through a major transition from gothic to industrial EBM. While still retaining Jay's intense vocals, it seems more harsh on this track. The final song, The Haunting sounds like a dark, gothic song with piano and organ in the background to enhance the melancholy. A slow and dark song that marks its final Soil & Eclipse trademark.
          It seems as though they have jumped leaps and bounds from their previous album in production values. Meridian seems fine tuned and could become a contender for classic club play. While a few songs do capture some attention, the album is an improved sophomore release. There are not many quality electro-goth acts available, but Soil & Eclipse manage to shroud the listener with their operatic performance.