Sol Invictus [Enhanced] [Import]

Product Description
Second Solo Album from the Former Member of the Leading French Hip-hop Band I Am.his Previous Solo Project "Meteque Et Mat" Has Sold More Than 250,000 Units in France, Belgiumand Canada.

Sol Invictus,Akhenaton,EMI Int'l,Foreign Language Rap,France,Hip-Hop,Int'l & World Music,Pop,World Music

Average customer rating: Not Akh best Who cares if you can't understand it...

Sol Invictus Akhenaton Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Meteque et Mat L' Ecole du Micro D'Argent Supreme NTM Ou Je Vis L' Amour Est Mort ASIN: B00005Y1IZ Release Date: 2002-12-16

Tracks:

1. Paese/Intro
2. Sol Invictus
3. L'assasin Au Sm
4. Chaque Jour
5. Le Fiston
6. Entrer Dans La Legende
7. Nuits A' Medine
8. Quand Ca Se Disperse
9. Horizon Vertical
10. Il N'est Jamais Trop Tard
11. Gemmes
12. C'est Ca Mon Frere
13. Mes Traits Precis
14. Mes Soleil Et Mes Lunes
15. Une Impression
16. New York City Transit
17. Teknishun
18. J'ai Vraiment Pas De Face
19. Mon texte Le Savon

Album Details

Second Solo Album from the Former Member of the Leading French Hip-hop Band I Am.his Previous Solo Project "Meteque Et Mat" Has Sold More Than 250,000 Units in France, Belgiumand Canada.

Customer Reviews:

Not Akh best.......2006-05-10

I am a huge fan of Akhenaton, but this is far from his best work. I still think he is the best french rapper out there. His lastest work is much better.

Who cares if you can't understand it..........2004-01-30

Even if you don't speak French, this is a great album to have in your collection. It's strongest point is its diversity. The tracks vary from some heavy beat based tunes, to more chilled, melodic ones. Pretty much all the tracks on this album stand out, but for the kind of hip-hop I'm into (Kweli, Atmosphere, Murs, J5, Lightheaded, Wu, De La Soul, DM&Jemini etc..), I'd have to say, tracks 1,5,6,7,9,10,12,18,19 *really* stand out. However, track 11 on this album has to be my favourite... To give you some idea of what it sounds like, it's right after Concrete Schoolyard (J5) on my playlist. It's import only, but definitely worth the money. And you are getting your money's worth, 19-skit-free-tracks.

Average customer rating: Great CD Folk-Noir and Europe's Dark Troubadour..

In a Garden Green Sol Invictus ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt Industrial | Industrial | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000JP1L Release Date: 1999-06-11

Tracks:

1. Europa
2. Come the Morning
3. O Rubor Sanguinis
4. Song of the Flower
5. Ave Maria
6. In a Garden Green
7. Praties Song
8. No One
9. Europa Calling

Album Description

1999 studio album by the avant-garde/ indie act. The first 1,000 copies come in a standard jewel case within a full color slipcase cover with a full color 9.5 inch x 9.5 inch fold-out poster of the album's cover art. Nine tracks.

Album Details

In a Garden Green Reflects the Elements of Mourning and Renewal Occuring While the Album was Being Recorded. The First 1,000 Copies of the Album Will Include an External Slipcase and a Poster, Both featuring the Verdant Artwork of Tor Lundvall.

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2002-07-06

This is one of the best Sol Invictus releases. There are some really beautiful tracks here. Very moving and impressive. Great dark, apocalyptic folk/neo-classicism music.

Folk-Noir and Europe's Dark Troubadour.........2001-04-27

Once again, Europe's Dark Troubadour, Tony Wakeford and his co-hordes in Sol Invictus, delivers a little Folk-Noir gem.

Wakefords lyrics still centers around the regrettable erosion of European Culture and way of living by way of American Panzer-materialism, and these mournfull lyrics are backed up by exquisite, minimalistic neo-folk.

The album comes with beautifull Tor Lundvall Art-work and a Lundvall poster, and even sets the lyrics of "Renaissance-Woman" Hildegaard Von Bingen to music on the track "O Rubor Sanguinis."

..Another worthy addition to the Sol Invictus catalouge...

Average customer rating:

Sol Veritas Lux Manufacturer: Tursa America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt Industrial | Industrial | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B000I9B372

Product Description

Even in this modern world, it seems every few years, some new resurgence of "folk music" rises out of nowhere and finds a welcoming following. The latest wave commonly labeled as freak-, psych-, or wyrd-folk has given us such stars as Devendra Banhart, Akron/Family, and Six Organs of Admittance. Just about two decades ago, another curious folk music movement began to emerge. A strain of English "industrial" groups were looking for ways to impart new meaning into their bleak and frightening noise, and a new and highly creative, "post-industrial" folk music came to life, heavily charged with mystical and philosophical themes. "Neofolk" as it would come to be known is largely defined by early releases by Tony Wakeford's Sol Invictus, alongside fellow pioneers Current 93 and Death in June. 2006 now sees the reissue of one of the best and most important releases of neofolk, Sol Veritas Lux by Sol Invictus. Sol Veritas Lux (1988) is likely to rank as one of the most raw listening experiences you can ever find. Playing this album is like calling an arctic blast from Old Pagan Europe. Whatever you think, you are not ready to hear this album. Over the years Sol Invictus would smooth out the rough edges and produce many beautiful albums, yet the potent Sol Veritas Lux has always stood as one of the best regarded and best selling Sol Invictus releases. The 2006 edition of Sol Veritas Lux celebrates nearly 20 years of Sol Invictus, presented in a luxurious package with new liner notes, and freshly remastered to bring out even more of its primitive glory. Sol Veritas Lux is promoted & distributed in North America by Strange Fortune.

Average customer rating:

Holocaust Hymns Manufacturer: apop records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000F5M0QW

Product Description

Crisis came into existence in the late '70s amidst the British hardcore punk movement and was often featured in Rock Against Racism live showcases. These political affiliations earned them comparisons to a more focused and truly politicized Clash. Crisis was known for having a decidedly non-peacenik attitude which beget more thrashing off the stage than on. And however much they would contextualize their relation with working-class rights, they bore only slight facsimile to the Oi! working-class sound. Rather, they would take the same energy that came from youthful, raw anger, but lock it down tight with restrained lyrical phrasing and strict rhythms. Resulting in a somewhat harsh poeticism of violent urgency held on leash that had more in common with WARSAW or GANG OF FOUR. Members include Douglas P. and Tony Wakeford who would later expand upon some of the Crisis material for their dark, neo-folk group DEATH IN JUNE. Wakeford later went on to form SOL INVICTUS, and two other band mates, Luke Rendall and Lester Jones, would later find involvement in THEATRE OF HATE and SEX GANG CHILDREN, respectively. Crisis' entire remastered discography from 1978-1980, complete with a 12 page booklet featuring exclusive photos from Douglas P.'s private

Average customer rating: Jazzy Enhancement to Sol Invictus

Thrones Sol Invictus Manufacturer: World Serp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000633G5 Release Date: 2002-03-01

Tracks:

1. Gods
2. Do And Say
3. Gonesville
4. Thrones
5. Then He Killed Her
6. In God We Trust
7. Driftwood Thrones
8. The Thrill Is Gone
9. No Gods
10. In The Blink Of A Star

Album Description

Matt Howden, Sally Doherty, Karl Blake, Eric Roger & Renée Rosen join Tony Wakeford in what is in many ways a continuation of the path started with 'The Hill of Crosses'. The toe is dipped a little further into the bathwater of warped jazz & those with a

Customer Reviews:

Jazzy Enhancement to Sol Invictus.......2003-12-19

This album is probably the most jazzy of all the Sol Invictus CDs (not that I've heard them all yet...), containing keyboards, violins, violas, flutes, cornets, trumpet, recorders, pianos, and lots of female vocals.

It starts off with a nice instrumental with most of the instruments above, (well, with a little vocals thrown in), and then goes into "Do and Say," which starts off very calmly with an acoustic loop and then the addition of bass and fluttering flute, and then trumpets later on. Most of the song is a duet with Tony and Sally, and is a relatively long and relaxing one.

"Gonesville" is very jazzy sounding: everything from the percussion, flute, trumpet, bass line, and violins makes this a very groovy instrumental. "Thrones" is another instrumental, very ambient and subtle juxtaposed to the song before it. It has ethereal "voices" and piano melodies. Pay attention to these instrumentals for later!

After that is "And then he killed her" with starts off with a familiar acoustic strumming, but then adds medieval-sounding, heroic horns which are scattered throughout the song, and then, violin and flute. It is one of those songs that have quite calm verses and more harsh and upbeat choruses. Probably my favorite of this album.

The only interruption to the nice quiet jazzy/symphonic songs is "In God We Trust" which is very noticeably industrially influenced, with its strange constant background noises. It also has some of the jazz and symphonic element of the rest of the CD, with trumpets overlapping the mechanical sounds.

The interesting thing about this album is it recycles some of its themes in interesting ways. "Driftwood Thrones" has the same instrumental part of "Thrones," with vocals and extra parts added, and the song is about twice as long. "The Thrill is Gone" will sound very familiar, it is the same exact music from "Gonesville" (even the same length) but with Sally Doherty's vocals added. I think this is generally a cool idea, to have an instrumental version and then a vocalized version of the same song. If there were only one version, you'd never know what it would sound like the other way around. Sol Invictus actually has at least one of these on most of their albums, but it might not be so obvious, and on this album there are three songs that have the exact same instrumentals as other ones. The next one, "No Gods" starts has the same music of "Gods," but with the addition of Tony's vocals, and is also nearly the same length as "Gods."

The album wraps up with "In the Blink of a Star," which has a nice warm and welcoming harmonized chorus, and a crazy electric bass solo perfored by Karl Blake. To finish up this review, I'll say that it is probably one of the best Sol Invictus albums to start off with if new to the band, and definitely a good purchase if you're already into them and you're wondering if their newer stuff went down the drain or not, because fortunately, it didn't.

Average customer rating: Cut out your heart and throw it to the dogs

Trees in Winter Sol Invictus Manufacturer: World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000271QX Release Date: 1999-06-28

Customer Reviews:

Cut out your heart and throw it to the dogs.......2004-07-10

I've been enamored with Sol Invictus since hearing "Abattoirs of Love" off of the Sacred War Compilation. I immediately went out to purchase the Sol Invictus album containing that song (Lex Talionis), and have obstained several others over the past few years. 'Trees in Winter' is one that I put on autoplay and listen to repeatedly while I'm working. I do the same with 'In the Rain'. It is the fatalism that I respond to the most. Gorgeous resignation to Fate. Each of these songs are laments of a sort. They all relate to the loss of something once held dear: loves, ideals, passions, etc. Many silent miseries are treated by Sol Invictus on this Album. Tony Wakeford's lyrics are, as always, quite melancholy and occasionally quite despairing. I consider these aspects to be strengths of his writing. I don't find them depressing, or even gloomy. They honestly reflect the capricious nature of wanting and the ever proximity of its decay.

"English Murder" starts off with a lulling guitar strumming over what sounds like violent waves crashing. Then a child/woman's voice recites some weird poetry that just fades away. It kicks into the track proper after a bit of noizy fidgeting--a simply lovely track..."I wait here by the coast/in the company of ghosts./ I sit and watch the world go by/sometimes I just sit and cry." It pretty much sets the tone for the album. That haunting voice comes back in the end, creating a rather nice, nightmarish effect.

The next track, "Sawney Bean" is about the famous Scottish clan that murdered, ate, and decorated with the remains of travelers who stumbled into their lair. It is a mournfully straightforward song--simple, prominent guitar, some flute, etc.

"Gold is King" features a great anti-usury passage from Ezra Pound reading/reciting from his 'Cantos'. The song is consistent with Pound's sentiments in the piece--"lets get the buggers..."

'Media' is a brilliant song lamenting the celebration of mediocrity as perpetrated by the media. Lyrically, it constitutes quite a sharp diatribe against both the media and the idiots who support it with their blind service. One of the greatest Sol Invictus songs.

"Looking For Europe" has great military drumming and feels like a call to arms. It plays like the hidden poetic history of hungry, suffering Europe. It suggests the great truth that everything we seek exists within us already.

"Here We Stand" is another great misanthropic anthem that alludes to the loss of once great things. Humanity is but a scourge upon the earth.

"Michael" is an old folk tune with a simple string/woodwind arrangement. It is a terribly aching song about love and loss, with a most vicious ironic twist--

"Deceit" is a Tony Wakeford Song about the chicanery of love:

Love like a garland sickly sweet
How soon it fades, how soon it cheats
On all our hearts the worms will feast
For where comes love comes deceit

"Blood of Summer" laments a lost age. It has a mystical feel to it, with the elders coming to meet the keepers of the flame who seem too exhausted to hold on to anything--overall, a bleak picture of man without gods, left to drown in their own blood.

"Trees in Winter" closes this collection of grimly poetic odes to loss and regret:

The future waits with an icy kiss
As we stumble towards our nemesis
A sea of loneliness to engulf us
A noose of regrets to choke us

All in all, a thrilling, somber experience for those to whom the descriptive term "depressing" is not a prohibitive. Personally, I find this album to be spiritually uplifting and I recommend it fiercely to anyone who is transfixed by life but mortified by the tricks of the dogs in charge of this unseemly charade.

Average customer rating:

Mythological Prospect of the Citie of Londinium Sol Invictus , Rose Rovine E Amanti , and Andrew King Manufacturer: Cold Spring ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000LZ6DKA Release Date: 2007-02-19

Tracks:

1. Old Londinium Weeps
2. Down The Road Slowly
3. Eve
4. Mid Summer's Dream (After W. Shakespeare)(London Version)
5. Roma (Fukro Dell'impero) (London Version)
6. S. Michele (In Your Sword We Trust!) (London Version)
7. When The Bells Justle In The Tower (Live)
8. Polly On The Shore
9. London

Album Details

A CD with Nine Exclusive Studio Tracks, Three Each from Sol Invictus, Rose Rovine E Amanti and Andrew King, Each in their Own Unique Style. English Artists Sol Invictus and Andrew King Bestow London-inspired Neofolk and Traditional English Folk Music, Evoking Olde Londinium Town, While Rose Rovine E Amanti Offer Romantic Italian Neofolk. The Package Comes Wrapped in the Beautiful Paintings of Andrew King, Representing the City of London.

Average customer rating: MARK TEPPO's igloomag.com REVIEW ::

Empty City Tor Lundvall Manufacturer: Strange Fortune ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music ASIN: B000FAY9UW Release Date: 2006-05-02

Tracks:

1. Scrap Yard
2. Platform #3
3. Running Late
4. Night Work
5. Early Hours
6. Grey Water
7. Buildings and Rain
8. Wires
9. Empty City
10. Open Window
11. 2: 00 Am
12. Clearing Sky

Product Description

In 2005, New York based painter & musician Tor Lundvall (ex-World Serpent UK) unveiled Last Light, his latest album of curiously listenable, ghostly ambient music, and his first to feature proper "songs" with vocals. Last Light proved to be Tor's best seller, and has accumulated critical praise from e/i to Gothic Beauty to Terrorizer. Strange Fortune now opens the gates to what we believe to be the first essential release of 2006, Tor Lundvall's Empty City. Every Tor Lundvall release is distinct, and while Empty City may in some ways be considered a companion to Last Light, sharing its deep resonating sonic character, in other ways it's an opposite release. Where Last Light was about looking inward, Empty City ventures out to a fantastic, frightening new world, a decayed urban setting much different than anything Tor ever explored in the past. Where Last Light was centered around words, on Empty City the music takes over once again. There are vocals but used exclusively in an instrumental manner, no lyrics needed this time. While countless electronic music makers regularly deliver new recordings to fit in the ambient music category, with Tor Lundvall what you get is a new category to discover. The subtle underlying melodic structure of this music means it may be the most listenable "ambient" music you've ever heard, while it's all drenched in a singularly moody, haunted atmosphere that is Tor's real trademark. We believe what Tor is doing is the best and most exciting thing happening in the ambient electronic music world. File under: "ghost ambient."

Customer Reviews:

MARK TEPPO's igloomag.com REVIEW :: .......2006-05-18

MARK TEPPO's igloomag.com REVIEW ::

(05.17.06) There's a progression of events that lead to Tor Lundvall's Empty City. First, we build cities and railways and roads and factories; then, we vanish from them, disappearing into the night. Lundvall, riding the train through these empty landscapes, is struck by their ephemeral nature -- the way they are built and seemingly abandoned. He carries home these images and paints landscapes. These landscapes, rich with lambent skies and intense palettes of grey and charcoal, became the inspiration for the ghostly ambience of Empty City.

There's enough metropolitan drift floating through this record that a comparison to Mark Nelson's work as Pan*American is a starting landmark. But, I think Lundvall's paintings are a filter on the spectral nature of the abandoned -- sorry, "empty"; this distinction is, I think, key to Lundvall's interpretation -- cityscapes. While the music is imbued with phantasmal swirls of melody and the sepulchral echo of mechanical percussion, there is an indelible fingerprint of color and heat still captive within these ghostly sounds. Voices -- acting as instruments sans language -- exhale with moist humanity behind them. "Night Work" reverberates with the steel pulse of a train yard while vents of warm steam jet up into a slate sky. There is work being done beneath the ground, human work.

"Early Hours" ticks with the metronomic pulse of street sweepers smoothing the grit from the gutters, the long tone hush that descends upon the still city and the echoing chord of rarefied sound that seems like the echo of a party that got out an hour ago and is still quietly draining away. It is the sound of that attenuated exhaustion which rides home with the nightlife, whispering that fading echo of the final flush of last call, last kiss, in your ears. A repetitive drip of rainwater provides the rhythm for "Buildings and Rain" while anguished melodies twist into awkward spirals in the puddles running beneath the eaves. Sounds like ravens expiring are stretched across rain-damp skies. "Wires" vibrates with electrical urgency, a organ hymn raised from power lines and transformer stations; while "Empty City" approaches the closet thing to a trip-hop tune, as a torch singer who has lost her words but not her voice lets her lamentation drift across the empty boulevards and still avenues.

Tragically short, Empty City is like a town glimpsed through a break in the mist. Populated by ghosts and rife with echoes, you barely get a chance to hear the whispered litany of the city's hidden inhabitants before the song vanishes. Rhythms you think you understand decay into nothingness just as they worm their way into your brain and melodies are simply phantoms of the daylight hours when the sun stirs up the wind and the voices. It is the closest we city-dwellers get to silence; it is the purest and most uncluttered music we can hear. Lundvall captures this rich tapestry of evocative ambience beautifully with Empty City.

Average customer rating:

Into the Woods ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000SSONVG Release Date: 2007-07-17

Average customer rating: Awesome avant-garde/folk-noir album. Save the words Very Worthwhile Dark, Naturalistic Folk Music Dark, Naturalistic Folk Music

Lex Talionis Sol Invictus Manufacturer: World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000272QO Release Date: 1999-06-28

Customer Reviews:

Awesome avant-garde/folk-noir album........2003-06-07

First of all, I am extrememly new to this style of music, this being my first CD of this style, although I am very slightly familiar with Current 93 and Nurse with Wound. This album has a very dark, haunting, nature-esque sound, with scraggy production to add to the overall feel. The instruments used on this album are mostly acoustic guitars, some extremely distorted guitars or just distorted sounds, nice piano playing, and majestic drumming. Only 4 stars because I think there are some horrible songs in addition to the really good ones.

"Blood and Wine" is a short opening piece, done with dual piano melodies. A very nice intro to the rest of the album.

The title track, "Lex Talionis," is a noisy, unsettling song. It features annoying screeching, and bad, repetitive vocals. It's my least favorite song, and gives a horrible impression of the rest of the CD. Of course, Tony's vocals are almost always pretty monotonus and lousy anyways, but sometimes they fit the music so much better than on this and the next song.

"Black Easter" I don't really like either. It has strange, annoying noises and almost everything I said about the song before.

"Kneel to the Cross" is descent. Actually, I first discovered Sol Invictus through this song because one of my favorite bands, Agalloch had covered it (the cover is much more powerful and melodic than this one, in my opinion) check out Agalloch if you'd like unique and original folk-inspired metal.

Now comes the 3 best songs In a row.
"The Ruins," is my favorite song on the album. It is basically just Tony's vocals and dual acoustic guitar melodies, with absolutely brilliant melody and a layer of echo to top things off. The song makes me think of when I went to Wyoming and South Dakota, just the whole log-cabin-in-the-forest-wilderness-with-buffalo-roaming-outside feeling. And the lyrics, for some reason help this song to send shivers down my spine. This good of a song is just way too short

"Tooth and Claw" has Tony's most melodic vocal achievements yet, with an astounding piano loop and melodic distorted noise in the background. Yes, the same distorted noise in the two annoying songs, but for some reason, this time it is quieter and really adds a rich sound to the song. The climax of this song is awesome, when everything just comes together in harmony. It gives me the feeling of the song before, except this time in an ancient wonderous cave with paintings on the wall thousands of years old. Not Egypt, though.

"Blood Against Gold" starts with a nice acoustic opening, (and I can REALLY see how Agalloch got inspired from this part) which continues for the whole song, alternating with some interesting drumming throughout the chorus line.

"Fields" has more acoustic guitaring goodness, also one of the better songs.

"Abattoirs of Love" consits of 2 different sounding halves. First half is very slow, boring, drawn out, and lyrically doesn't belong. It also focuses so much on Tony's especially bland vocals here. It might be better if it was just the underlying piano loop. The second half of the song is a little better with more melodic singing and better supporting instrumentals.

"Heroes Day" is pretty good, I love the acoustic strumming and the drumming. (The drumming is in no way impressive on its own technically, but very fitting)

"Rex Talionis" is very good, it contains exceptional piano and acoustic playing (see drumming note above) and leads into the outro, "Wine and Blood" perfectly. This song has the same melody as "Rex Talionis" but only instrumental, and is basically the same song as the intro, but you don't notice it... then slowly fades away into the darkness.

Now that you have a review on each individual song it is time to go buy this album if it seems interesting. Definately not for everyone, but if you like your music different and deeper than everything else out there, this is for you. I am definately looking for other Sol Invictus CDs to buy, but sometimes I'm just not sure which to get next. Unfortunately, it's quite hard to find them, especially at a reasonable price. In the end, a great purchase and new discovery of mine.

Save the words.......2003-01-14

Other reviews of my favourite albums never do full justice. And mine will likely do little to other people's. I had a few surprises, which really should entice all who aren't so sure of this album, my three favourite songs off of Lex Talionis are none of the songs that other people mentioned!

1)Tooth and Claw
2)Lex Talionis
3)Kneel to the Cross

Those are my favourite 3 off of the album. Overly pessimistic ? Nihilistic, empty ? Sol Invictus is all of the reminders to those who put faith in what they do and forget their follies. Sol Invictus is not to be followed, only accepted. If you like rainbows, stars, gods and passiveness in music, grab a machine and listen to radio candy, if you want to be forced to grow, forced to fight with the will to power and tooth and claw, please purchase this album.

This album finds beauty in all of us and all of humanity, I think.

Very Worthwhile.......2001-06-13

Although Tony Wakeford's lyrics are to me often distressingly negative, pessimistic, and hopeless, he makes some enormously important and perceptive statements about history, politics, and society in some of his songs. "Blood Against Gold" is one of his best; its title well describes its theme. The very much Norse-inspired, fatalistic "Amongst the Ruins," as recorded on this CD is the best of the three versions I've heard. "Fields" is a haunting lament on the terrible European blood-letting in the last two world wars. (A much better version appears on LET US PREY, however.) "Heroes' Day" is inspiring and pure and most definitely un-PC. It's a fine, unusually upbeat example of Wakeford's contrarian views. If you've never listened to Sol Invictus before, this wouldn't be a bad place to start.

Dark, Naturalistic Folk Music.......2000-04-28

I've always had a special, dark place in my heart for Sol Invictus, enjoying their records even more than my Death in June collection, much to the horror of everyone to whom I admit this predilection. Recently I was even able to see them when they came to Seattle, which was pretty damn cool seeing as how they hardly ever tour!

This record is my favorite Sol Invictus release. It has the best songwriting, I think, and the best production. There is a fullness of sound that is absent in some of their releases, because of a consistent inclusion of percussion, keyboards/piano and samples throughout the album as opposed to just the usual guitar, violin, vocal arrangements. Blood Against Gold is a very powerful song. During the bridge especially, the rolling drums and rising strings elevate the majestic and tragic mood. Black Easter is a favorite as well, stirring up a sinister atmosphere with its primal low-tuned drum hits and bizarre keyboard feedback noise.

Strongly reccomended

Dark, Naturalistic Folk Music.......2000-04-28

I've always had a special, dark place in my heart for Sol Invictus, enjoying their records even more than my Death in June collection, much to the horror of everyone to whom I admit this predilection. Recently I was even able to see them when they came to Seattle, which was pretty cool seeing as how they hardly ever tour!

This record is my favorite Sol Invictus release. It has the best songwriting, I think, and the best production. There is a fullness of sound that is absent in some of their releases, because of a consistent inclusion of percussion, keyboards/piano and samples throughout the album as opposed to just the usual guitar, violin, vocal arrangements. Blood Against Gold is a very powerful song. During the bridge especially, the rolling drums and rising strings elevate the majestic and tragic mood. Black Easter is a favorite as well, stirring up a sinister atmosphere with its primal low-tuned drum hits and bizarre keyboard feedback noise.

Strongly reccomended

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4. The Remixes
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7. This Boowy [Import]
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