REVIEW: Green Lung - Necropolitan
- Ciara Hicks-Evans
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Crawling out from beneath the crypts of London, GREEN LUNG return with their fourth studio album, Necropolitan. After the enormous reception they received when they were announced for Bloodstock 2027, it’s clear there’s still a serious appetite for the band’s particular brand of occult-flavoured heavy metal. And if Necropolitan is anything to go by, both the old guard and any newcomers are in for one hell of a ride.
GREEN LUNG have never been shy about wearing their influences on their sleeves and throughout Necropolitan there are plenty of nods towards the likes of OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST. Yet, despite those obvious influences, the album never feels like a simple exercise in nostalgia. It’s unmistakably GREEN LUNG, but the band have expanded their sound with enough atmosphere, theatrics and groove to make this arguably one of their strongest records yet.
The album opens with the doom-laden transition Open the Hellmouth into Dance to the Grave, immediately dragging you into GREEN LUNG’s dark and theatrical world. Haunting vocals and ominous organ give the track plenty of momentum before the doomy guitar work crashes in. From there, the band lean heavily into everything that makes them so enjoyable. Black Magick Radio fully embraces the theatrical side of the band, blending vintage keyboards with a hazy occult-rock atmosphere that feels ripped straight from the late ’60s and early ’70s. Close your eyes and you could almost convince yourself that the great OZZY OSBOURNE has returned to summon us back to the hallowed grounds of Villa Park. It’s gloriously retro, wonderfully strange and exactly the sort of track GREEN LUNG does best.
That leads into the epic Necropolitan Line, which feels like stepping aboard a supernatural soul train. Taking inspiration from London’s infamous Necropolis Railway, the specialised Victorian railway service that transported the dead and their mourners beneath the city. There’s a funky groove running through it which, given the subject matter, is probably what you can imagine the smell would have been like as well and makes you want to climb aboard, although perhaps not for obvious reasons.
Together In Death pulls the album into darker, more melancholic territory, with a noticeable nod towards the theatrical gloom of ALICE COOPER. The slower pace allows the gothic atmosphere to breathe, creating one of those moments where you can simply sit back and let the song come over you. Then comes Ozymandias, which takes a completely different approach, bursting into life with funky riffs and chunky grooves. Inspired by Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous 1818 poem about the temporary nature of political power and the inevitable decay of empires, GREEN LUNG turn the story into a wonderfully theatrical piece of heavy metal storytelling. It feels as though the band are standing on a podium, delivering the warning for everyone to take heed.
Alostrael (Be My Babalon) keeps the theatrical momentum going, with Riley Pinkerton of CASTLE RAT adding her distinctive vocals and making an already eccentric track feel even more elaborate. It’s another example of GREEN LUNG understanding exactly how much theatricality they can throw into a song without losing the riffs underneath it. The album closes with To The Gallows Born, a suitably dark finale inspired by the infamous Tyburn gallows in London. There’s a genuine sense of impending doom running through the track, but GREEN LUNG never allow things to become completely bleak, injecting their trademark groove into the darkness. It feels like the perfect final chapter to an album that has taken you through Victorian London, occult rituals, graveyards and supernatural railways.
Necropolitan is an album that demands to be experienced rather than simply listened to. GREEN LUNG have packed it with huge riffs, infectious grooves and haunting organs to make every track feel like another chapter in the story. Whether you’re here for the doom, the psychedelic weirdness or simply some bloody good riffs, there’s something to sink your teeth into. It’s dark without becoming miserable, theatrical without taking itself too seriously, and most importantly, incredibly fun. If you’ve never ventured into GREEN LUNG’s world before, Necropolitan is one hell of a place to start.
Score: 9/10
Necropolitan will be released on 11th September 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Words: Ciara Hicks-Evans
Photos: Andy Ford
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