Luna appears on the cover of the second album by the Ghent-based band Isle Of Men. Her piercing gaze adds extra weight to the album's title, The Soul Of Kindness. Confusing times call for reflection and beauty. A time to temper the chaos, an invitation to quietly descend into the universe of these nine songs.
Just before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Luna arrived in Belgium on the last transport from Kherson. We came across her by chance on a shelter dog website and immediately felt she would find a second home here in Ghent.
Three weeks after her arrival, she had already become part of our family when we received the news that her shelter had been attacked by Russian bombardments...
The Soul Of Kindness is the second album by the Ghent-based band Isle Of Men. Its earliest recordings date back to 2017 and laid the foundation for a project that gradually evolved over several recording sessions.
The album reached its final form in 2025 in the home studio of producer Herman Temmerman. From a catalogue of around twenty songs, nine were selected for the vinyl release, accompanied by an exclusive bonus track for CD and streaming platforms.
Isle Of Men believes in the album as a narrative art form. Rather than adhering to the constraints of the traditional three-minute pop song, The Soul Of Kindness allows every note, lyric and arrangement to unfold at its own pace. The result is a richly layered listening experience that reveals new details with every spin and rewards attentive headphone listening.
Opening track 'Love's Loyal Journeyman' immediately establishes the album's cinematic character before flowing into the six-minute epic 'Salomé', a composition that feels like three songs woven into one seamless whole. As the lyrics suggest, "Like Salomé you wanted my head brought on a plate so you could dance around the ashes of a once and shining faith..."
Throughout the album, every word and musical detail serves a purpose. The single 'Weeping Water' is steeped in the warm atmosphere of a seventies Fender Rhodes, leading naturally into the desolate yet richly textured landscape of 'The Solitary Moon'. The opening moments of 'Brilliant Disguise' surely evoke echoes of David Gilmour, but the song soon returns to the unmistakable Isle Of Men universe, where "pleasure is the orphan child of pain."
Elsewhere, the murder ballad 'Icarus Soul', the spiritual quest of 'God Is Gone', and 'Row Row' - a lullaby dedicated to the brave Aza who passed away far too soon - open the gate for the album's powerful closing statement, 'Winning A War'.
Rich in atmosphere, storytelling and emotional depth, The Soul Of Kindness is designed to be experienced as a complete journey from beginning to end.
“Kindness laughed and showed her secret face.
The smile of God, a peaceful place.
A blissful hallelujah from above,
blessing those who truly long for love…”
Isle Of Men is built around former music journalist, guitarist and songwriter Dirk Fryns, pianist Tom Van der Schueren and singer-songwriter/guitarist Gunther Verspecht (Stash). The Belgian band made its debut a decade ago with Voluntary Blindness, an album that quietly earned critical appreciation and built a loyal following among listeners drawn to thoughtful songwriting and atmospheric music.
For their second album, The Soul Of Kindness, the band teamed up once again with songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Herman "ht Roberts" Temmerman, whose organic production style brings warmth, depth and intimacy to the album.
The Soul Of Kindness is an album that slowly reveals its secrets. It rewards your patience and attentive listening, unfolding new layers, textures and emotions with every return. The longer you spend with it, the richer the journey becomes.
Enjoy.
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