Reviews of Wicca Folk and Neo-Pagan releases

Earlier mentioned items : Gina's Alchemy, Soul Salad, Kathy Larsdattar & Elaine Silver)

Most recommended classic releases : Green Crown, Prydwyn, Darragh & Gwydion).

More small reviews at the first Wicca Event Evening in Antwerpen webpage

Go to second review page

or go back to the

Wicca Folk and Neo-Pagan Music Index Page

seperate pages for special (Neo-) Pagan's :

Gwydion Pendderwen, Darragh Nagle

or go back to to the general index page

If you know other Wicca or Neo Pagan releases worth to discover, review, give airplay to ?

please E-mail me.

HearthfireAnne Lister : Singing on the Wind (US,1999)***°

Anne Lister has an original coloured voice, a slightly smoked or broken ? voice. Such a voice is a gift on its own that makes it suitable to interpret any songs she likes. Marianne Faithfull performed in her 50's an album with such songs, Lal Waterson has such a voice too, and in Belgium there's Vera Coomans. But Anne Lister writes her own songs, folk-styled songs reminding me mostly of Scotland. There has been great care taken to arrange these folk songs (with professional studio musicians) with a small chamber and folk ensemble of fiddle, pipes, percussion, harp, and a few more additional arrangements. The mood alone suggest music that may be appreciated as a future folk classic. Musically it is very fine and beautiful, in a constant and repeated way.

Structurally these songs sounds like the writing down in a musical form of memorable stories. That makes these songs suitable for different interpretations, for future use by other singers / groups. Our singer-songwriter's specialist has to check out her writing talent of for me. I especially like the very beautiful "The Well Beneath the Sea", a troubadour ballad with harp, flute (and voice of course).

Webpage : http://freespace.virgin.net/anne.lister/index.htm

Harpiegirl Prod. Erika : Satyrs and sirens (US,2001)**°

The harp is a "magickal" instrument, with ethereal beauty creating bridges between this world / earthly existence through light chords or "chords of light" with the next level of experience. Erika who also calls herself with a sense of humour "harpiegirl" and composed a full CD of very gentle light sparkling songs, arranged carefully with chamber music and folk instruments. There are plenty of Celtic references. The music is played with a fragile feminine power. Enjoyable and pleasant.

Info : www.harpiegirl.com

Fissure Rec. Soysoy : Six teaspoons of Eiran Cari (B,2002)***

Soysoy from Belgium is very fine pagan with a Siouxie and The Banshees / Creatures area New Wave and early Cocteau twins touch, with powerful band and female vocals sound. All tracks except for one or two with male vocals that direct more into new wave pop direction are into this (for me interesting) area with a more or less constant, fine and predictable sound. My favorite track is "Waking the Witch" with a bit more experimenting in the voice and a magical bell like effect on the guitars.

Info : www.soysoy.org Info : info@soysoy.org

New 2006 release is reviewed on http://singersong.homestead.com/MedievalDCD.html#anchor_57

English Garden Barra : Eternal Magus (UK,1986-1988)**°

The Pagan inspired Barra derived from the groups Kingfisher's Catch Fire and Holy Trinity. With the help of Youth (Killing Joke, Crowed Eye) the first recordings were made between '86-'87. The second session was a number of recordings for a BBC folk program. The nice singing on the best tracks, like "Eternal Magus", "Green Man" with a folkrock flair reminded me both of some 80's UK pop bands but also at Siouxie and the Banshees. Also "Gnosis" and "Journey" works beautifully. I still remember the demo I still have from those days. It was a very promising with the aforementioned tracks. It still is one of the only demos I kept from those days. Other tracks are more pop-wave inspired. The bonus tracks from the earlier mentioned Kingfisher's Catch Fire are much more underground wave. Most of the tracks on the album except for the highlighted ones need an extra interest for this wave pop style to fully appreciate. I personally would have preferred a shorter CD with only the most essential and varied songs.

Webpages : http://www.hinotemusic.com/ENG1025NR.html

http://www.hinotemusic.com/englishgarden.html

Private

Whitehorse : Beyond the veil (2002)***'

Whitehorse brings a music that can be reminded at a certain Dead Can Dance like Mood on the first track, although somewhat more light weighted without being New Age styled. Most other tracks contain ethno electronic rhythmic keyboard melodies with percussion in balance with female harmony vocals in either a tempered pagan ritual character, or in a dreamy personal way. This nice feeling continues so much throughout the album, and not too many other ideas come in that this might work a bit boring after a while. In this way this one woman project might have been even better with the cooperation of some related souls.

Webpage (with soundfiles) : http://www.angelfire.com/space/beyondtheveil/

Info : whitehorse@ntlworld.com

TripleMuse Rec. Sylvia Brallier : Awakening the sacred fire (US,2000)**

The first two tracks, personally my preferred tracks as well, have common elements with Dead Can Dance mostly referring to their "Into the Labyrinth" period, like the female vocal mood, the oriental percussion, here with nice flowing el.bass and some electric guitar. There's some World inspiration, a soft rock band accompany, but it is always at the edge of relaxing music. "Midnight" has a more light gothic reference mood, and "I don't see you" has a bit more moody pop rhythm. Also "in the snow" is a more relaxed song with romantic feel in the singing. Last track even has a more native world New Agy mood, always with Sylvia's dreamy romantic singing. The cd has an overall nice mood. Trance (gothic) worldpop I could call it.

References were made to Dead Can Dance, Lorenna McKennitt, Ofra Haza, Delirium and Sarah McLachlan.

Beside music Sylvia is also involved in tantric shamanism and healing workshops.

Tracks chosen for airplay : Tr.1,"Where the heart leads" ,Tr.4, "Midnight"

Website (with sound) www.TripleMuse.com

Contact : info@triplemuse.com

Arula records Point of Ares : Enemy Glory darkly blessed (2001)*°

Point of Ares is one of the only groups within the Wicca and Neo-Pagan field that are "progressive", here mostly with a more progressive hard Rock lead in the instrumentation. The drumming has not been produced with much 3-dimensional sound nor is it very complex, but, it fits good within the music. In general the music reminds me a bit at the area of Circus 2000, Analogy,.. but then in a rather primitive way. When Karen sings more melodic, she gives the music an odd and slightly magical mystic accent. Then she reminds me even at Pavlov's Dog's singer. That's where I like her the most. The electric guitar solo's are good. The content of the music is all based upon the magical Fantasy Literature from Karen Michalson. So it can be considered as project in a Tolkien weekend story like atmosphere, lead by the writer, Karen herself.

This CD is a reworked version of old songs and has been reproduced, worked out a bit more, comparing with the old release. The book which is referred too here is the recently published "Enemy Glory".

Point of Ares contact : arularecords@aol.com

Web page at http://www.arularecords.com with specific page at http://www.arularecords.com/pointofares/

Karen's solo work at http://www.karenmichalson.com

Private

Kiva : A Call to Beauty (US,2002)***

Somewhat light-weight but very fine and pleasant soulfolk item with also some ceremonial tracks. First eastern flavored track is my favorite in balance with cello, handpercussion, female voice, light flute,.. One of the best balanced cd's of Kiva so far.

Most of Kiva's music is very female folkrock with tribal rythms and resources. "Alchemy" is the most progressive one. The other cd's might be more celtic folk and ethnic folk inspired. Very interesting is also the spoken word tape with fairy tales.

Webpage : http://www.kivasong.com/

with (soundfiles of) this release : http://www.kivasong.com/recordings/beauty.html

Reviews at http://www.greenmanreview.com/kiva.html

and http://www.coolcitiesusa.com/dfw/dfw2/about/music/kiva/kiva02.shtml

Private Dandelion Wine : Book of Mirrors (2000) **°

The music from Dandelion Wine has been produced on the same way, with same instruments, and technically, with the same elements as within a Gothic Music production, with some more folk approaches, because Gregory Ligon is a guitarist with interests for songs that are inspired by this acoustic instrument. Now there's even one more difference which makes Dandelion Wine not to fit within the Gothic music at all : it is their approach towards life, their interests, thus creating almost the opposite mood. Are you tired of dark souls although you still have melancholy moments but you want to meet people who are really friendly and are not just within a pose of empty behaviour ? Did you start to believe in friendship and warmth after all, just because you want to make it so ? I think some people might have found at least some peace in Wicca where they made the possibility free of renewing themselves in what they originally already were. I think the music of Dandelion Wine expresses all this renewed hope. I think they created here with their "Book of Mirrors" a bridge between the two worlds I just described. (This is meant as a real compliment).

The music so isn't Gothic at all, although a slight Wave touch is still there through the use of keyboards on and on. The folk flavour however goes already very much into the direction towards what I'm used (and like very much) in Wicca Folk, in a modest and intimate way.

Website at http://dandelionwine.homepage.com

or at http://www.pagan.drak.net/dandywine/

Sound at http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/200/dandelion_wine.html

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/199/gregory_lygon.html ,for the sounds of the guitarist, the male part. Contact : dandelion_wine_music@hotmail.com

Article at http://www.witchvox.com/homepages/hp_2001/hp_20010219.html & http://www.witchvox.com/homepages/hp_2000/hp_20000228.html