The only downside is that ironically this makes me pay less attention to the lyrics and more to his performance. None of that shallow rock star confidence, but that of a man who knows what he wants to say. Perhaps the slight imperfections that he used to have back in the '90s made his music much more personal and emotional ("Abattoir Of Love" comes to mind), but it is clear here that this is a person who has been at it for decades and it's oozing of confidence. ![]() Wakeford's vocals are clearly matured here. With proper songs thrown between minute-short interlude-songs, the album never feels like it lingers too long on a single note and manages to build what it needs to build before changing again. The repetitiveness here feels more drone-ish and industrial while not being at all either of those, but using similar means to realize Wakeford's vision and concept of a decaying London "of mausoleums and masonry". Rich with instruments and layering and an overwhelming sense of dread and regret, Necropolis uses layering as more of a throbbing pulse, like the female or choir vocals and the synths that go along with Wakeford's vocals that are all supplemented by violins or pianos or accordions it creates a sense of urgency in said dread. Also Agalloch's Don Anderson plays guitar here. ![]() And with it possibly being the band's final album, the mood only darkens. But while the latest Death In June album is special for being their most layered and lush and upbeat in a while, Sol Invictus's latest uses layering in the opposite sense to create an entirely dark mood with no sense of irony. ![]() And just like early Death In June, early Sol Invictus was kind of a mish-mash of post-punk and dark folk, later leaving the former behind to fully embrace the latter. Of all the three big neofolk bands, Sol Invictus came last, but its main man, Tony Wakeford, has been part of the scene for much longer, being a member of Death In June until 1984, performing on a few of their albums. 2019 is now upon us, but before we truly embark, let's talk about why 2018 was a significant year for neofolk, one other distant relative of metal.
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