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"Brugge" has been my first experience with neofolk English band Sol Invictus, so when reading this review you must see it as a first approach to the beautiful music of these people. Some months ago, I was looking for some interesting rare bands in a local store, when I saw this album. Being aware of the name of band, but not of the music they played, I decided to look for information in the ever-flowing fountain of data, the world wide web, and after that I immediately bought the CD. Sol Invictus is a project carried out by Tony Wakeford (ex-member of the legendary neo-folk band Death In June) with the precious help of competent musicians that have been or are involved in other acts, related in one way or another with avantgarde, innovative folk music. Therefore, for this recording Tony Wakeford was consistently supported by musicians like violin player Matt Howden and trumpetist Eric Roger. But what is "Brugge" exactly? Well, it is nothing but a live album recorded in that cute city in Belgium, at the Cactus Club, on the 3rd of February, in 1996. And one must warn that "Brugge" was limited to 1000 copies, and nowadays this album is only available from the Tursa website. Despite being a concert, it´s a reliable token of what Sol Invictus represents – music from the soul to the souls, in a few words. Charming violin lines, Tony´s acoustic guitar accompanying the body of the songs, heretic and pounding percussions giving the traditional steady, solemn, mesmerising rhythm that impulses the music, as drums usually do in many neo-folk tunes. And above all, the peculiar voice of Mr. Wakeford and his poetry, a crucial element in Sol Invictus' philosophy, music and art. Tracks aren´t very complex in arrangements or execution, they´re straight-forward and intend to express feelings without trying nothing pretentious or flippant. Some songs are even catchy, I´d say, but there is enough variety of ambients to make the listening interesting and appealing. The album begins with an intro a bit medieval in my opinion, and then "Amongst The Ruins" fills our ears, beautiful, excellent. Songs continue subsequently flowing throughout the album, painting a melancholic and tragic atmosphere. Other tracks are remarkable as well, like the suffering "Believe Me" or the hypnotic "The World Shrugged". Sol Invictus isn´t similar to Death In June, so those of you who dislike Mr. Douglas´ extravagant musical diatribes might feel a certain relief, because this band is much less weird and more listenable than Death In June, at least live, and you´ve got no excuse to reject Sol Invictus´ presence in your CD collection.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Intro |
| 2. Amongst The Ruins |
| 3. Sheath And Knife |
| 4. Media |
| 5. English Murder |
| 6. The Fool |
| 7. Like A Sword |
| 8. The Killing Tide |
| 9. Fields |
| 10. Believe Me |
| 11. Down The Years |
| 12. The World Shrugged |
| 13. In Days To Come |
| 14. A Rose In Hell |
| 15. Death Of The West |
: 57.49
| Buy other Sol Invictus albums |
