CUPID & DEATH

"Cupid and Death" was the second TONY WAKEFORD solo album from the 1990s that was forged with a SOL INVICTUS nameplate in the 2010s. Where with "La Croix", the docking to the mother ship was achieved through an interminable version of the title track, here it's through bonus live versions of tunes long established in the SI universe. More palatable but also more conventional.

After a decent opening title track in line with the band's contemporaneous work, the next 4 numbers are all ambient instrumentals to one degree or another, like part 2 of Wakeford's exploration in this area, and perhaps justification for a side solo venture split off from what is already essentially a Wakeford and friends project anyway. "Jardin de Luxembourg" is the least gaseous of the group, and quite lovely, but "La Nuit est Arrivee" recalls some of MARK ISHAM's work in the prog arena, the trumpet of Eric Roger classily holding court, and in the similar mood of "Day of the Angel" is inserted flute and droning keys.

"A Rose in Hell" is most in the style of Wakeford's best folk influenced ventures of that time, an acoustic ballad with a sentimental core that is written for his voice. "Heaven and Hell" is a piano ballad of some merit and the original album closes with the second title track as is Wakeford's wont, this one tries to be hypnotic but just ends up tiresome, in this case the same thing.

As with "La Croix", "Cupid and Death" is a tad askew, but each of its awkwardly thrown together parts retains enough interest to stand on its own, though you may not fall in love with the result.