Sol Invictus (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article refers to the English musical group. For other meanings, see Sol Invictus.
| Sol Invictus | |
|---|---|
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| Country | England |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Genres | Folk Martial Neofolk Post-industrial |
| Labels | Tursa |
| Members | Tony Wakeford with Renee Rosen, Andrew King, Caroline Jago, Lesley Malone. |
Sol Invictus is an English neofolk and neoclassical group fronted by Tony Wakeford. Beginning with electronic experimentation combined with folk-influenced guitar work, the sound of Sol Invictus has become considerably more neoclassical over the years and has had a large amount of influence on the development of neofolk music. Wakeford has been the sole constant member of the group with since its inception, although numerous musicians have contributed and collaborated with Wakeford under the Sol Invictus monicker over the years.
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[edit] Overview
Wakeford was an original member of Death In June with Douglas P., before being asked to leave because of his membership, at the time, of the British National Front. Wakeford has had no connection or interest in such ideas for 20 or more years, and has described his membership as probably the worst decision of his life.
Wakeford then recorded one album of his own material as Above the Ruins, showcasing a post-punk and dark rock sound influenced by his previous work with Death In June. After taking a few years off, he returned to music and formed Sol Invictus in 1987, working with Ian Read and Karl Blake.
Wakeford has described Sol Invictus as a "cabaret band from Hell for the fin-de-siècle" and has referred to his work as folk noir. Beginning with a rough, bleak, primitive sound, the band's music gradually evolved toward a lush, refined style, picking up classically-trained players such as Eric Roger, Matt Howden, and Sally Doherty. In the mid-1990's, Sol Invictus spun off a side project called l'Orchestre Noir to explore an even more classically-influenced direction.
In 1997 their album 'The Blade' featured Heimgest's (director of the Odinic Rite) Odinic Gealdor - a magical chanting of the runes. [1]
[edit] Etymology
The name Sol Invictus derives from the pre-Christian Rome-based cult of the same name. Wakeford chose the name, which is Latin for 'the unconquered Sun', because "The sun has always been an important symbol and as the cult of Sol Invictus nearly defeated Christianity at one point it seemed a good name to use. I also love the sound of Latin."
[edit] Imagery
The band's imagery and lyrical content, especially in its early days, was strongly influenced by radical traditionalism and antipathy towards the modern world and materialism. A particular influence was the Italian philosopher Julius Evola—indeed, the title of the band's first LP, Against the Modern World, is an allusion to Evola's work Revolt Against the Modern World—and the song "Amongst the Ruins" takes its name from Evola's Men Among the Ruins.
The band also has considerable interest in heathen and Mithraist themes, often reflecting an explicit antipathy to Christianity: the 1997 album The Blade incorporates an Odinic chant, Gealdor, into its varied laments. Wakeford tends to write from a melancholic position of doomed Romanticism, which laments the loss of beauty, love, and culture. He sees the American influence on global culture as very damaging to Europe, something he expresses with black humour in the song "Death of the West", from the album of the same name.
Sol Invictus album artwork has often showcased the expressionist paintings of American artist Tor Lundvall.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Against the Modern World | Mini-EP |
| 1989 | In the Jaws of the Serpent | Live LP |
| 1989 | Lex Talionis | Part of box set with Current 93 and Nurse With Wound |
| 1989 | Fields | 12" with Current 93 and Nurse With Wound |
| 1990 | Sol Veritas Lux | CD |
| 1990 | Abattoirs of Love | 7" |
| 1990 | Lex Talionis | CD |
| 1990 | Trees in Winter | CD/LP |
| 1991 | The Killing Tide | CD/LP |
| 1992 | Death In June/Current 93/Sol Invictus | Live CD with Death In June and Current 93 |
| 1992 | Looking for Europe | 7" |
| 1992 | The Lamp of the Invisible Light | 7" compilation track |
| 1992 | Somewhere in Europe/See the Dove Fall | 7" |
| 1992 | Let Us Prey | Live CD |
| 1992 | King & Queen | CD |
| 1994 | The Death of the West | CD |
| 1995 | In the Rain | CD |
| 1997 | The Blade | CD |
| 1998 | In Europa | CD |
| 1998 | All Things Strange and Rare | Compilation CD |
| 1999 | In a Garden Green | CD |
| 2000 | Trieste | CD |
| 2000 | The Hill of Crosses | CD |
| 2000 | Eve | 7" |
| 2001 | Brugge | Live concert, 1996-02-03 |
| 2002 | Thrones | CD |
| 2003 | The Giddy Whirls of Centuries | Compilation CD |
| 2004 | The Angel | Compilation CD |
| 2005 | The Devil's Steed | CD |
