Reviews: folk

A new live cd from Sol Invictus, in a simple cardboard cover. Not the first live release by Sol Invictus, so is this necessary? Yes, because this is a tremendous good performance. The cd contains an acoustic concert, with a small line-up: Tony Wakeford of course on guitar and main vocals, aided by Matt Howden on violin and Sally Doherty on flute and vocals…

A French album title, but a Russian band, that already appeared on the “Edge if the Night” sampler, that was filled with talented Russian groups. This is the second album of Romowe Rikoito, their first album was called “Narcissism”. Their debut was good, but this album is even better…

This time a release from Ostara on the German label Eis & Licht, a 10″ with no less than 6 songs. First ‘The Trees March North’, which I already knew from their mp3 page, a good catchy song that will stick in your head. Then two songs that I already knew from a previous Ostara single, Overworld and never Wepp, both folky popsongs with good melodies…

This single from Sol Invictus comes as a beautiful picture disc (a new part in a series released by World Serpent) with on one side artwork from Tor Lundvall, an artist whose work I admire, and on the other side an old woodcut from Lucas Cranach. On side A of the single we find the song Eve, one of the better tracks of their latest album Hills of Crosses…

Splendid track from Current 93 taken from the “Sleep has his house” album. A slow waltz, dreamlike and captivating, one of my all-time favourite songs of David Tibet and co. On the B-side of this nice red vinyl single another beautiful song: ‘Crippled Fish’ by troubadour Anthony and his Johnsons. Highly romantic, sentimental music, with some nice strings and Anthony’s distinct way of crooning.

Rather strange item, this vinyl single. Four different bands are presented here, each with one track. The cover and the title make sure you can’t take this too seriously. The cover is not very informative, on the back you can only read ‘Rauhnacht 01’. On the vinyl itself you can find the bandnames, but no songtitles and you can decide for yourself which is side ‘A’ and which is ‘B’….

A few years after part I now comes the sequel of this interesting compilation, released by Tesco. This album is mostly filled with top neo-folk bands, and was compiled by Ian Read (Fire & Ice) and Michael Moynihan (Blood Axis), with some unreleased songs on it. After a short intro by Willam Burroughs (‘is this machine recording?’) an acoustic song from veterans Changes follows…

This new German band already impressed me with its debut album. Now there is a single from Belborn with two new excellent tracks, following the line of that album, folk with some wave influences, acoustic guitar with synthesizer. I like the song ‘Seelenruhe’ the most, a romantic piece about “flammende Seelen und brennende Schmerzen”…

Part 2 of a neo-folk compilation, tied to the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig. The sampler is released by Prophecy, of which label a few bands are present, together with some big names from the neo-folk scene that played in Leipzig. Part 1 was of a very high quality, good bands, fine songs, of which a few unreleased…

Rather onconventional, this mini LP by Hekate , and that for a new band, released on their own label in 1999. The package is special: a wooden plate with etchings accompanies a white vinyl 10″ and a nice booklet…

These five tracks were originally released as a demo, but Eis & Licht considered them to be good enough to give them a proper release. This is my first acquintance with Lux Interna, and I’m not disappointed. The high expectations raised by their label, by comparing them to Backworld or Of the Wand & the Moon, can not be fulfilled, but I wasn’t suprised by that…

Two of the best tracks from Of the Wand… are present on this single in new versions, reason enough for me to buy it. In a robe of fire is one of the highlights of the recent :emptiness:emptiness:emptiness: album; this version is more sober, without the violin of Matt Howden and the sounds of a fireplace, but the composition is great, so it stays upright…

Neue Deutsche Folklore! This 10″ has a title with historical connotations. Barbarossa was the nickname of the red-bearded emperor Frederik I, Operation Barbarossa was the name of the invasion of Russia by the Germans in WII. With this new 10″ Orplid sets foot on new, more electronic territory. Side A contains the title track ‘Barbarossa’, consisting of three parts…

Five songs from this new stars on the German neo-folk front, who made such an impression with their self-titled album. This was the first vinyl release by Eis & Licht, a small label, whose releases are often vinyl only (mostly on 10″) and very limited, and that has a good ear for new neo-folk bands…

A beautiful picture disc in a series of 7″ singles released by World Serpent. Two new songs from this English neo-folk formation, who continue in the poppy style they featured on their album ‘Secret Homeland”. Great melodies, nice singing, and songs that remain in your head for some time. Overworld is a beautiful folksong, with piano and strings, Never Weep has more of a 80’s feel to it…

A one-sided single, I think I did not posses such an item yet. The one track on this 7″ from Ostara is the well-known and excellent ‘Operation Valkyrie’, the ‘hit’ on their album “Secret Homeland”. So, no new material here, only a nice picture disc. Conclusion: for fans and collectors only. And don’t try to play the ’empty’ side, as I did the first time by accident. Your needle won’t dig it…

Two songs from Allerseelen that can also be found on the “The Nitha Fields” compilation cd. This single is dedicated to Leni Riefenstahl, whose portrait is on the cover, taken from the film ‘Das Blaue Licht’, in which she played in 1932. On the back other film stills can be found. The vinyl itself has […]

This compilation LP (limited to 300 copies) was released as a souvenir to the Trio Noir/Of the Wand and the Moon concert in Copenhagen, February 2001, organised by Bragagild…

This LP was the first release by Ring-Tor, who also brought us Blut & Feuer. That means that we are in the German folkloristic corner here. The album, that is pressed on coloured vinyl (somewhere between brown and red), was, to my surprise, already recorded in 1996. The band consists of six members here, with […]

Joseph Budenholzer again proves his craftmanship with this new Backworld single. On this vinyl picture disc, in a series released by World Serpent, we find a nice illustration with a graveyard sculpture on Side A, the other side is filled with psychedelic blue flowers. The song ‘A vagrant thought’ is rather solemn, mainly acoustic guitars, […]