detailed info: discogs.com

It’s been quite a wait, but after almost five years, 2010 sees the release of new Sol Invictus studio material. A full-length album is upcoming on Auerbach/Prophecy, but this 7″ is [...]]]> artist: Sol Invictus
release: The Bad Luck Bird
format: 7″
year of release: 2010
label: Auerbach / Prophecy
duration: 7:14

detailed info: discogs.com

It’s been quite a wait, but after almost five years, 2010 sees the release of new Sol Invictus studio material. A full-length album is upcoming on Auerbach/Prophecy, but this 7″ is the first taste of what is to come on The Cruelest Month.

And that is, not surprisingly, classic neofolk as it is not often made anymore these days. Mainstays of the genre like Current 93 and Death in June have moved into different territories or relative silence since the early and mid-nineties, which can be considered the heyday of this particular sound. And as for later bands, we’ve seen some quality material here and there during the past ten years, but on the whole, the genre seems to be in low gear.

Who better than Sol Invictus would come with new material to celebrate this traditional neofolk sound? The A-side is a rousing and swooping song with strong percussion, a guitar chord base, and lead roles for flute, violin, and cello. The track is a logical but more powerful continuation of sounds from 2005′s The Devil’s Steed, and pretty much embodies the side of neofolk dedicated to grandeur and martian feelings. “Stella Maris” explores the calmer, more mysterious side of the music, without letting go of the full instrumentation.

If this style is any indication of what will feature on the upcoming album, it is something to look forward to, especially if you have a soft spot for Sol Invictus‘ particular neofolk style. I must say that I was a bit disappointed by the overly modest packaging and layout of this limited 7″. In this digital age, vinyl buyers like to be rewarded with a dash of colour, a gatefold, or even an insert or inner sleeve would’ve been nice. Apart from that though, this is a very enjoyable single that shows Mr. Wakeford and his merry band have still got it.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

A. The Bad Luck Bird (Single Version) (3:37)
B. Stella Maris (3:37)

1993 CD

2008 CD reissue

artist: Sol Invictus release: Lex Talionis format: CD year of release: 1993, 2008 label: Tursa (1993), Infinite Fog (2008) duration: 51:56

detailed info: discogs.com

Lex Talionis is one of the more important albums from the early days of [...]]]>

1993 CD

2008 CD reissue

artist: Sol Invictus
release: Lex Talionis
format: CD
year of release: 1993, 2008
label: Tursa (1993), Infinite Fog (2008)
duration: 51:56

detailed info: discogs.com

Lex Talionis is one of the more important albums from the early days of neofolk mainstays Sol Invictus. It was released in 1990, the same year as Trees in Winter, but as part of a limited vinyl box set together with Current 93 and Nurse With Wound. It was released on CD (without the track “Reynardine”) by Tursa in 1993, which is probably the version that most people will be familiar with. However, as we all know, this was 15 years ago, and the album has been long out of print. That’s why it’s good news for younger Sol Invictus enthusiasts that the Russian label Infinite Fog has produced a fine digipak reissue, limited to 1001 copies.

Now, the obvious question for any reissue of an older album is whether it has stood the test of time. Let me begin by saying that compared to its contemporary, the quite excellent Trees in Winter, I believe Lex Talionis falls short in several areas. The problem is definitely not in the area of songwriting; the album contains tracks like “The Ruins” and “Kneel to the Cross” that I consider classic anthems of the genre, albeit in the superb versions on the 1994 album The Death of the West. The versions on the current album, however, sound like rough demos, with mediocre performance by both Tony Wakeford and Ian Read, who sounded much more in form on Trees in Winter. And this goes for many of the other tracks as well. The songwriting is at a high level, but the execution is lacking here and there.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any truly worthwhile tracks on this album, which deals thematically with the laws of just compensation (lex talionis) and nature’s cruelty (tooth and claw). To begin with, there’s the marvellous “Black Easter”, combining a heavy and noisy musical base with the ritual folk chanting of “we take death out the village, we bring summer into the village.” The calmer neofolk style of “Tooth and Claw” is also a well-succeeded point of rest in the middle of the album. Equally enjoyable is the combination of traditional and neofolk in “Abattoirs of Love”. Finally, the bonus track on the latest version of this album is not to be missed, a stirring live recording of “Black Easter” as the band performs it today, featuring among others Andrew King on percussion and vocals.

Weighing all impressions together, I’d say Lex Talionis is mainly interesting for fans of the band, who haven’t been able to acquire an older copy. They should be served quite well by this tasteful reissue. Others might do better to check out Trees in Winter for a highlight from the early period, or one of the more recent albums such as In a Garden Green or The Devil’s Steed.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. Blood and Wine (1:32)
2. Lex Talionis (6:01)
3. Black Easter (4:29)
4. Kneel to the Cross (4:47)
5. The Ruins (2:50)
6. Tooth and Claw (6:52)
7. Blood Against Gold (4:24)
8. Fields (3:56)
9. Abattoirs of Love (5:23)
10. Heroes Day (2:39)
11. Rex Talionis (2:24)
12. Wine and Blood (2:24)

13. Black Easter (Live) (4:15)

detailed info: discogs.com

Ghosts is one of those albums I had been waiting for for quite some time. Tony Wakeford started this project with the MP3-only album The Turning Wheel on Woven Wheat Whispers in 2006, but [...]]]> artist: The Triple Tree
release: Ghosts
format: CD
year of release: 2008
label: Cold Spring
duration: 58:01

detailed info: discogs.com

Ghosts is one of those albums I had been waiting for for quite some time. Tony Wakeford started this project with the MP3-only album The Turning Wheel on Woven Wheat Whispers in 2006, but has since been joined by Andrew King to take on this project together. Along with an impressive array of guest artists (Kris Force, Reeve Malka, and John Murphy, to name a few), these two men have tackeled the superb and prolific ghost stories of M.R. James on this interesting and original album.

Those who think that Wakeford has been stuck in playing straight-forward neofolk with the classic Sol Invictus should look again, for the good man has shown a fine taste for musical experiments in the past years. 2007 saw the release of his collaboration with Nick Grey and Kris Force, the beautiful and subtle Grey Force Wakeford album, and this latest one by The Triple Tree is no exception. Ghosts is made up of original compositions that incorporate elements from the neofolk background, surely, but also ambient, neo-classical, Wakeford’s own funky bass, and of course traditional song as championed by Andrew King. The result as a whole is quite diverse, yet very coherent in its atmosphere.

That is, of course, the aim of a concept album like this. Just as James’ stories display different flavours, their overall tone is always one of dread and mystery: a restrained counterpart to the splatter horror of today. Ghosts are of course the real protagonists in these tales of forbidden esoteric magic, tragedy, and horrid crime. So it is with the music on this album, which is at different times epic, subtle, mystic, unnerving, catchy, but always convincing.

This album is quite different from its predecessor, which focused more on dreamy ambient repetition, and is closer to the aforementioned Grey Force Wakeford in style, though with a distinctly more horrid atmosphere, and more folk influences in the music itself. Another link is of course English Heretic, who indeed are no strangers to the world of M.R. James. Their interpretation of “Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You” off the 2006 album Wyrd Tales was no less brilliant. Little surprise that The Triple Tree make grateful use of EH field recordings. Finally, Andrew King‘s collaboration with Les Sentiers Conflictuels comes to mind, which features a similar combination of spoken word and horror atmosphere.

There’s no use trying to describe this album any further. The key elements are sophisticated dark experimental music with a rewarding lyrical and narrative base in the classic ghost stories by James. It’s certainly not an accessible whole if you are expecting a certain established musical style, but I can’t do otherwise than recommend this album to anyone who feels up to the task of digesting this work of experimental musical horror.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. Ghosts – Prologue (4:01)
2. Three Crowns (5:36)
3. The Stalls (3:45)
4. The Mezzotint (4:11)
5. Mrs. Mothersole (4:02)
6. The Ash Tree (4:40)
7. The Malice of Inanimate Objects (5:05)
8. There Was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard (1:48)
9. Lost Hearts (5:25)
10. Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You (5:10)
11. Black Crusade (4:54)
12. Casting the Runes (5:34)
13. The Ghosts of England (3:50)

detailed info: discogs.com

The Bitter Harvest was English folk singer Andrew King‘s debut album, released back in 1998 through World Serpent, which was still active at the time. On this album, Andrew was still [...]]]> artist: Andrew King
release: The Bitter Harvest
format: CD
year of release: 1998
label: Epiphany / World Serpent
duration: 75:20

detailed info: discogs.com

The Bitter Harvest was English folk singer Andrew King‘s debut album, released back in 1998 through World Serpent, which was still active at the time. On this album, Andrew was still trying to find his own form of presentation, and to those who have heard his recent work or seen him perform, the songs on this one will seem rather bare and more traditional. Indeed, on the majority of these ballads, King sings unaccompanied, or with a minimal drone backing. Like I said, this makes for quite traditional renditions of these folksongs. The vocal style is also different, often being a bit softer and less epic than Andrew’s style of today.

The result is that the greater part of this album is mainly interesting for traditional folk enthusiasts. Lovers of modern experimentation or Andrew’s more recent powerful post-industrial approach to folk will find little material to their liking here.

That’s not to say that this album isn’t nice all the same. I for one really enjoy the relatively pure settings of these ballads, which really drags you into the tales they tell. Most of them are murder ballads of some sort; examples are “The Folkestone Murder” and “Lily White Hand”, which relate the brutal murder of two young girls and a seduced young woman, respectively. At times, there is also a foreshadowing of King’s later style. The excellent “The House Carpenter” and “Maria Martin”, for example, both chilling tales, also feature more prominent accordion drone loops, and John Murphy provides guest percussion on the latter track. “The Taunton Wassail” is also a very nice track, by virtue of its mirth and energy.

So, while this may not be something for every lover of modern experimental and neofolk, if you really enjoy Andrew’s works, this one is definitely worth checking out, especially if you have a soft spot for authentic folk song.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. May Song (2:15)
2. George Collins (4:39)
3. The Folkestone Murder (4:35)
4. The House Carpenter (8:57)
5. Sir Hugh (4:20)
6. Green Bushes (2:57)
7. Earl Richard (3:19)
8. Brigg Fair (2:03)
9. Young Andrew (11:25)
10. The Bither Withy (4:32)
11. Lily White Hand (2:27)
12. The Bonnie Bunch of Roses (2:32)
13. The Honest Labourer (4:47)
14. Maria Martin (6:55)
15. The Taunton Wassail (2:47)
16. Sad Processional (3:40)
17. May Song (3:10)