Founded in 1987 by English musician
Tony Wakeford,
Sol Invictus is one of the most prolific and influential bands associated with neo-folk or apocalyptic folk, along with
Current 93 and
Death in June.
Wakeford uses the term "folk noir" to describe his work. The group combines acoustic guitars and neo-classical instrumentation with elements of industrial electronics, and lyrics reflecting a pessimistic view of modern society, with later releases containing more personal lyrical themes.
Wakeford has been the only constant member of the group, but other contributors have included
Ian Read, Karl Blake, and Gareth Smith.
Wakeford had been in '70s punk group Crisis before co-founding
Death in June with Douglas P. (also formerly of Crisis) and Patrick Leagas during the early '80s.
Wakeford was dismissed from the band in 1984 and started the post-punk group
Above the Ruins, which proved to be controversial due to their association with right-wing politics.
Wakeford disbanded the group and distanced himself from those views, forming
Sol Invictus in 1987. Debut album Against the Modern World appeared on L.A.Y.L.A.H. (also home to releases by
Coil,
Nurse with Wound, and
the Hafler Trio) in 1988. The album had a dark post-punk sound with elements of what would would later be termed "martial industrial." The live album In the Jaws of the Serpent (which featured
Rose McDowall on drums) appeared on S.V.L. Records in 1989.
In 1990
Wakeford founded the Tursa label, which gained distribution by World Serpent.
Sol Invictus' Trees in Winter was the label's first release, and numerous albums by the group followed well into the next decade. They gradually shifted into more of a neo-classical style, with the side project L'Orchestre Noir further exploring this direction.
Wakeford also released collaborative albums with Steven Stapleton (
Nurse with Wound), American painter/musician
Tor Lundvall (whose artwork often graces the covers of
Sol Invictus releases), and
Matt Howden. Eventually,
Cold Spring began to distribute the group's music after World Serpent folded sometime during the 2000s. Tursa was relaunched in 2007, and two years later,
Sol Invictus signed to Auerbach Tonträger, a neo-folk sublabel of Prophecy Productions, subsequently severing ties with
Cold Spring. Auerbach released deluxe versions of the group's catalog, as well as the comprehensive box set The Collected Works in 2011. The 2013 single "Mr. Cruel" preceded the studio album
Once Upon a Time, which appeared in 2014. Another single, "The Last Man," was issued in 2016, in anticipation of the full-length Necropolis. ~ Paul Simpson