Wakeford founded Sol Invictus in order to pursue his own musical ideas. He was an original member of Crisis and Death In June with Douglas P.. He formed Sol Invictus in 1987, working with Ian Read and Karl Blake. He has been the sole constant of the group, as it continues to bring forth new forms and conceptions.
Wakeford has described Sol Invictus as a "cabaret band from Hell for the fin-de-siècle" and has referred to his work as folk noir. He has said the name "comes from a pre-Christian Rome-based cult. Many of its trappings were taken over by the church. The name means 'the unconquered (or victorious) sun', and it was brought back by the legionnaires returning from Persia. The sun has always been an important symbol and as the cult of Sol Invictus nearly defeated Christianity at one point it seemed a good name to use. I also love the sound of Latin. "
Sol Invictus' imagery and lyrical content, especially initially, was strongly influenced by an antipathy for the modern world and materialism. The band also had considerable interest in Heathen and Mithraist themes, often reflecting an explicit antipathy to Christianity. Wakeford has written from a melancholic position of doomed Romanticism, which laments the loss of beauty, love, and Culture. He sees Americanism as a scourge upon Europe, as expressed with pitch-black humour in his song, "Death of the West" from the album of the same name.
In 2007 Tony Wakeford started working with Israeli producer and musician 'M'. The German label Prophecy will release a new Sol Invictus studio album, 'The Cruelest Month' in 2010.
Do not mix it up with the German band Soul_Invictus!
Eve
Sol Invictus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eve by the gate
Eve in the spoiled wood
Eve by the lake
Eve in the spoiled wood
Eve n the light
Eve in the spoiled wood
With a fairy knive
Eve in the spoiled wood
Eve with an axe
Eve in the spoiled wood
With sealing wax
Eve in the spoiled wood
With a shining knight
Eve in the spoiled wood
Sets the wood alight
Eve in the spoiled wood
With an hourglass
Eve in the spoiled wood
One hand in the past
Eve in the spoiled wood
Eve with a snake
Eve in the spoiled wood
Burning at the stake
Eve in the spoiled wood
Eve with an axe
Eve in the spoiled wood
With sealing wax
Eve in the spoiled wood
With a shining knight
Eve in the spoiled wood
Sets the wood alight
The lyrics of Sol Invictus's "Eve" describe a female figure who inhabits a "spoiled wood" by a gate and a lake. The repetition of these settings reinforces the idea of an otherworldly, mythic realm where the normal boundaries between reality and fantasy are blurred. The different objects and symbols that accompany Eve in each verse - a fairy knife, an axe, sealing wax, a shining knight, an hourglass, a snake, and ultimately the stake at which she is burned - suggest different aspects of her identity and story. She is at once dangerous (with her weapons) and fragile (with her hourglass), and she is both in control (summoning a knight) and at the mercy of others (being burned). The repeated presence of fire - in the line that she sets the wood alight - further underscores the theme of destruction and rebirth that runs through the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Eve in the spoiled wood
The woman named Eve is found in a decaying forest.
Eve by the gate
Eve is near a gate, perhaps a symbol of transition and opportunity.
Eve by the lake
Eve is near a body of water, which could represent life or reflection.
Eve in the light
Eve is illuminated, possibly with a sense of enlightenment or exposure.
Eve in the spoiled wood
With a fairy knive
Eve is armed with a small, magical weapon.
Eve with an axe
Eve carries a tool typically used for chopping wood or causing destruction.
With sealing wax
Eve has a substance used for sealing or securing items.
With a shining knight
Eve is in the presence of a noble figure who radiates honorable qualities.
Sets the wood alight
Eve starts a fire, perhaps as a means of destruction or purification.
With an hourglass
One hand in the past
Eve holds a device for measuring time with a perspective on what has already happened.
Eve with a snake
Eve is near a dangerous reptile, which could symbolize temptation or rebirth.
Burning at the stake
Eve suffers the punishment of being burned at the stake, perhaps for her actions or beliefs.
Contributed by Stella E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@grumpypants8113
I've been following Sol Invictus from the beginning... They haven't disappointed yet. Go Tony! :)