British metal band Green Lung is preparing to release their fourth album, "Necropolitan." The album focuses on the folklore of the British Isles, specifically taking inspiration from London's "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries, built in the 1830s and 40s, and the Necropolis railway, which transported the deceased out of the city.
Tom Templar, Green Lung's singer, suggests that heavy metal has evolved into a type of folk music over the past two decades. He notes similarities in their riff-based structures and the way both genres reinvent past traditions. Templar also points to the thriving festival ecosystem within metal as a characteristic of a folk movement.
Shonagh Brown, singer for Newcastle-based folk-horror-metallers Druidess, has also observed this shift towards folkloric themes in metal. She believes that as people spend more time with screens, there's a desire to connect with the natural world and folk traditions.
The sound of Green Lung and Druidess is rooted in the 70s, featuring elements of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, with a notable prevalence of organ. This style is described as more hard rock than metal, prioritising audible vocals and melody, and revering both cult and occult history.