Sol Invictus releasing (final?) album -- hear a song ft. Agalloch guitarist

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Is the end in sight?

Meditating on an end — death, conclusion, finality — is an uncomfortable reality. All things come to an end, though we still view the necessity with dread. People die, buildings fall, the cycle begins anew.

When placed within the greater pantheon of Sol Invictus releases, a notably mournful character has manifested within the past decade. Upon his 2011 “return” album The Cruellest Month, Tony Wakeford, mastermind behind this cornerstone of the neofolk/post-industrial genre, appended his signature sardonicism with a darker introspection. This was completely separate from the allegorical heathenism which painted his career leading up to the new millennium.

Now, when listening to the upcoming album Necropolis, Wakeford sounds almost mournful, even at his most humorous. The music itself is sparse, communicating abstract folk pop sensibilities as textures rather than strictly-focused hooks. There is no musical adversarialism nor the angular harshness which punctuated the somber nature of this new era — Sol Invictus circa 2018 more closely resembles a marche funebre than Wakeford’s bellicose character. It is a beautiful effort, one which fully defines the Sol Invictus timeline up to this as a dynamic, humanlike life, with Necropolis as the nostalgic, reminiscing storyteller.

…which leads us to the greater question: is Sol Invictus truly done?

The rumor mill has surely been abuzz concerning this upcoming album — and the “what if?” factor has been nerve-wracking. According to Wakeford, such an end is uncertain, but has grown in possibility. It’s strange to accept this as a reality, something which had been established long before I was born, but, in hearing Necropolis, there is a connoted logic to Wakeford’s thoughts. Maybe this is actually the end of an era.

This chapter of history comes to a close (?) with the March 23rd release of Necropolis on Prophecy Productions (pre-orders are open here. Listen to “Set the Table” and read a statement from Tony Wakeford below.

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From Tony Wakeford:

The song is my own cod mythos, pseudo biblical take on the age old battle between the haves and have nots, and the haves and wants mores. A not quite last supper involving old money and new. As well as my usual stunted guitar it features me abusing a bass and Igor Olejar of Autorotation on drums. Also a guest appearance from my now labelmate Don Anderson (Khôrada, ex Agalloch) on electric guitar.

The new album, Necropolis, at the moment feels like an ending, but only time will tell if it is the end of the line or a new departure.

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Follow Sol Invictus on Facebook and Bandcamp.

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