More than 30 years after their inception, English neofolk
kings Sol Invictus will release their long-awaited new album, Necropolis, on
March 23 via Prophecy Productions (Alcest, DOOL). Described by the group's dean
Tony Wakeford as “a record based on and brought forth from London
and the serpent Thames that snakes its way
through its heart”, the LP is quite possibly the final release from a band
revered as progenitors of a dark and desperate sound.
Necropolis is
advanced by the song, "The Last Man". Stream it now at this location.
Sol Invictus is one
of the most prolific and influential bands associated with neofolk or
apocalyptic folk, a form of experimental music which emerged in punk rock
circles in the 1980’s, blending elements of folk and industrial music with dark
themes of decay, decline, and/or the destruction of Western civilization. Along
with Current 93 and Death in June (both of which included Wakeford as a
member), Sol Invictus has both created and guided the genre, steering it forward
through to this day. Latin for 'the unconquerable Sun', Sol Invictus has
released over a dozen albums since the mid-Eighties, chronicling an evolution
from raw, post-punk dark folk to increasingly sophisticated arrangements.
A quasi-conceptual
album centered on Wakeford’s feelings of a declining London
[“London was once the apex of an empire but it
is now the playground of other empires that have superseded it.”], Necropolis
could be called a eulogy to England’s
capital. Sol Invictus titled the record after The London Necropolis Railway, a
railway line that has connected London
with the Brookwood Cemetary since 1854. But the moniker is also a nod to
Wakeford’s perception that the town is now “a London of mausoleums and masonry” and “a city
haunted by the customs and crimes of the dead and the living.”
Necropolis features
guest guitar from Don Anderson (ex-Agalloch, Khôrada) who previously lent his
skills to Sol Invictus' 2014 release, ‘Once Upon A Time’. The group around
Wakeford continues to explore the psychedelic side of dark folk, using acoustic
guitar as a foundation enriched with piano, flute, violin, electric guitar an
drums among other instruments and – for the first time – the singing of The
Green Army Choir.
Track Listing:
1.) Portal
2.) Nine Elms
3.) Old Father
Thames
4.) See Them
5.) Serpentine
6.) Still Born
Summer
7.) Brick Lane
8.) Turn Turn
Turn
9.) The Last Man
10.) The Garden of Love
11.) Kill Burn
12.) Set the Table
13.) Murder on Thames
14.) Shoreditch
15.) Necropolis
Egress
Follow Sol Invictus
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"There has
always been a mutual affinity between Agalloch and Sol Invictus. Seeing
Wakeford perform “Kneel to the Cross” onstage with Agalloch in London 2012 was
a delight, with Agalloch crediting him as a creative influence. Anderson’s heavier
playing style and polish will certainly bring a new generation/genre-ation of
listeners to the Sol Invictus fan base." - HEATHEN HARVEST
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