Description
“Necropolis” is described by the group’s leader Tony Wakeford as “a record based on and brought forth from London and the serpent Thames that snakes its way through its heart”. It is possibly the final release from a band revered as progenitors of a dark and desperate sound.
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of a declining London [“London was once the apex of an empire but it is now the playground of other empires that have superseded it.”], “Necropolis” could be called a eulogy to England’s capital.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 named 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, Khorada) 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.
“Necropolis” is released as Digipak CD, Gatefold LP and 2CD book edition (hardcover, 18x18cm, 60 pages with enhanced artwork and photography, preface and additional texts by Tony Wakeford and a full-length 18-track bonus CD).
Tracklist:
01. Necropolis:Portal
02. Nine Elms
03. Old Father Thames
04. See Them
05. Serpentine
06. Still Born Summer
07. Brick Lane
08. Turn Turn Turn
09. The Last Man
10. The Garden Of Love
11. Kill Burn
12. Set The Table
13. Murder On Thames
14. Shoreditch
15. Necropolis:Egress
Bonus CD (available only in the 2CD “book” edition):
01. Those Who Watch
02. The Last Choir
03. Nine Elms Watching
04. The Last Man (Live)
05. Necropolis (Live)
06. Your Master’s Voice (Live)
07. Believe Me (Live)
08. Old London Weeps (Live)
09. We Are The Dead Men (Live)
10. The Blackleg Miner (Live)
11. Necropolis (Rehearsal)
12. Thirteen Places
13. The Ditch & Shore
14. Serpent In The Heart
15. Mortlake: The Garden of Love
16. Mortlake: Some Still Born Summer (Demo)
17. Mortlake: The Bells (Demo)
18. Mortlake: Lucifer
