NECROPOLIS

It's not that SOL INVICTUS hasn't gone all macabre on us before - that's one of their specialties in fact. "The Killing Tide" from the early 1990s comes to mind. On "Necropolis", we focus on death in London over the centuries, from the Black Plague to the present day. With Don Anderson back on guitars and Robyn Sellan supplying vocals on a couple of tracks, the mood spans the modest range from devastation to mere melancholy, which is actually all that's required.

Again, as in "Once Upon a Time" from 5 years earlier, the album follows a loose structure, this time a recurring vocal melody alternated with a more "conventional" song. Both are effective and operate synergistically. A couple of tunes are more narrated than sung, augmenting that experience, and Wakeford's spoken voice is surprisingly clear. The peaks are many and include the eerie "Nine Elms"; the misleadingly light "See Them"; the very brief but imagery laden "Serpentine", "Brick Lane" and "Kill Burn"; the more than worthwhile "London Bridge" retooling as "Still Born Summer"; and the spine tingling "Set the Table" with its recurring accordion (perhaps a keyboard?)) theme.

It's almost 7 years since the release of "Necropolis" and I'm torn between a desire to be present for a newer installment by Wakeford and company and a wish that such a powerful release could be their lasting legacy until death do all us part.