Sol Invictus (band)

Sol Invictus are an English neofolk band fronted by Tony Wakeford. Wakeford has been the sole constant member of the group since its inception, although numerous musicians have contributed and collaborated with Wakeford under the Sol Invictus moniker over the years.

Sol Invictus
Sol Invictus in 2005
Background information
OriginLondon, England
GenresNeofolk, gothic rock, post-industrial
Years active1987–present
LabelsProphecy Productions
Associated actsOrchestra Noir
The Triple Tree
The Wardrobe
Websitesol-invictus.bandcamp.com
MembersTony Wakeford
Renee Rosen
Caroline Jago
Lesley Malone
Eilish McCraken
Past membersIan Read
Liz Gray
Gary Smith
Karl Blake
Leithana
Eric Rodgers
Sarah Bradshaw
Nick Hall
Céline Marleix-Bardeau
Nathalie Van Keymeulen
David Mellor
Andrew King
Guy Harries
M
Lloyd James

Overview

After disbanding his controversial project Above the Ruins,[1] Wakeford returned to the music scene with Sol Invictus in 1987. Since then Sol Invictus has had many musician contributions, including Sarah Bradshaw, Nick Hall, Céline Marleix-Bardeau, Nathalie Van Keymeulen, Ian Read and Karl Blake.[2]

Wakeford repeatedly referred to his work as folk noir. Beginning with a mixture of a rough, bleak, primitive post punk sound and acoustic/folk elements, 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-1990s, Sol Invictus spun off a side project called L'Orchestre Noir (later changed to Orchestra Noir) to explore an even more classically influenced direction. 2005 saw the departure of longtime contributors Roger and Blake, leading to a new line-up including Caroline Jago, Lesley Malone and Andrew King.

In 1990, Wakeford formed his own label, Tursa,[1] to release his material and the music of other artists. The World Serpent Distribution Company previously distributed this material worldwide,[3] followed then by Cold Spring Records. In July 2007, the label was re-launched as a partnership with Israeli producer and musician Reeve "M" Malka. In 2009, Sol Invictus signed to Prophecy Records. In June 2011, Sol Invictus announced the end of their partnership both with Cold Spring Records and musician Andrew King.[4]

Imagery and content

The name Sol Invictus, which is Latin for 'the unconquered Sun', derives from the Roman cult of the same name.

The band's imagery and lyrical content, in its early days, was influenced by traditionalism and antipathy towards the modern world and materialism. A superficial interest was the Italian fascist Julius Evola who Wakeford admits to "shamelessly stealing from" for song titles even though he found his books "unreadable". A more serious influence was the poet Ezra Pound: "I think Pound is one of the greatest poets ever, although some of his work is mind-numbingly obscure. I disagree with his antisemitism but that should not blind people to his worth as an artist."[5]

The band also had considerable interest in heathen and Mithraist themes, often with an explicit antipathy to Christianity, reflecting the involvement of Wakeford and other members in neopagan groups.[6] The 1997 album The Blade incorporates an Odinic chant, Gealdor, into its varied laments. Wakeford tended to write from a melancholic position of doomed Romanticism, which lamented the loss of beauty, love, and culture. He saw 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. The later albums have seen a turn to a more personal writing style, as interest in what Wakeford calls "knee-jerk anti-Americanism and anti-Christianity" has been rejected.

Sol Invictus album artwork has often showcased the expressionist paintings of American artist, musician and friend Tor Lundvall.

Controversy

Wakeford's mid-1980s membership in the British National Front[7] and the appearance of a track from his band, Above The Ruins, on the "No Surrender!" compilation released in 1985 by Rock-O-Rama Records, alongside the Nazi groups Skrewdriver and Brutal Attack,[1] has led to accusations of neofascism.[8] Wakeford has responded to this criticism various times, stating that his involvement with the National Front "was probably the worse [sic] decision of my life and one I very much regret",[9] and that various members of his band (including his wife of eight years at the time) "would be at best discriminated against or at worse [sic] dead if a far-right party took power" and further that "none of the artists I work with hold such views either, and I doubt they would want to work with me if they thought I did."[10] In June 2011 the band, following attempts to cancel one of their concerts in London,[11] stated that all its members "are personally completely and unequivocally opposed to fascism, racism, anti-semitism and homophobia, [...] and our work makes no attempt to appeal to an audience looking for this kind of message", also stating explicitly that they did not have "any sympathy with national anarchism, or any desire to work with its adherents".[12]

Discography

Year Title Format, Special Notes
1987 Against the Modern World Mini-LP
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
1994 Black Europe Live CD
1995 In the Rain CD
1997 The Blade CD
1998 In Europa Live CD
1998 All Things Strange and Rare Compilation CD
1999 In a Garden Green CD
2000 Trieste Live 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
2006 Walking in the Rain on the Ostrow Tumski Compilation CD
2010 The Bad Luck Bird/Stella Maris 7"
2011 The Cruellest Month CD (Studio album)
2014 Once Upon a Time CD (Studio album)
2017 Ghostly Whistlings Compilation 10"
2018 Necropolis CD (Studio album)

References

  1. Stewart Home (28 July 2008). "DANGER! NEO-FOLK 'MUSICIAN' TONY WAKEFORD OF SOL INVICTUS IS STILL A FASCIST CREEP!". Stewart Home. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  2. "Sol Invictus Profile". discogs. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. "World Serpent Profile". discogs. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  4. Band's statement on facebook.com.
  5. Wakeford interview on heimdallr.ch
  6. Backes, Uwe; Moreau, Patrick (2012). Die völkisch-religiöse Bewegung im Nationalsozialismus: Eine Beziehungs- und Konfliktgeschichte. ISBN 9783525369227.
  7. "Tony Wakeford on Manoeuvres". Who Makes the Nazis?. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  8. "Gary Smith on Manoeuvres". Who Makes the Nazis?. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  9. "Slimelight Campaigns: Some Clarifications and Questions". Who Makes the Nazis?. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  10. "Letters To Tony Wakeford And Hobgoblin". Stewart Home Society. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  11. "Say NO to Nazi bands in north London!". Love Music, Hate Racism. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  12. Band's statement on facebook.com. The explanatory sentence The rest of the band have felt uncomfortable regarding some of his outside endeavours and pronouncements, which we were not previously aware of and which have recently come to light. was deleted after a few days.

Reviews

Interviews

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