The Divine Comedy has shared ‘Achilles’ ahead of the release of 13th album ‘Rainy Sunday Afternoon’ on 19 September, 2025. The album was recorded at Abbey Road and finds Neil Hannon offering his usual variety of emotions – funny, sad, angry and everything in-between.

Following the bombastic chocolate love-in on the Wonka soundtrack, this record finds Neil delving into darker territory, with mortality very much front and centre on ‘Achilles’. Opening with acoustic strums and subtle strings, it finds Neil talking about the legend of Achilles, and how he was a man with tears in his eyes as he heads to war, offering a warning.

Taking on his role as storyteller extraordinaire, there’s raw emotion as Neil goes on to describe how he saw a man this morning, ‘trudging through a muddy field, from the sky a shell was falling’ and asking Achilles to ‘ask the gods to be his guide’ without much hope – all against a trademark baroque-meets-Western sound.

Live dates

Mon 6th Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall

Tue 7th Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall

Wed 8th Bath, Forum

Fri 10th Gateshead, The Glasshouse

Sat 11th London, Barbican

Sun 12th London, Barbican

Mon 13th Brighton, Dome

Wed15th Cambridge, Corn Exchange

Thu 16th Sheffield, City Hall

Fri 17th Wolverhampton, Uni The Civic Hall

Sat 18th Swansea, Arena

Mon 20th Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall

Tue 21st York, Barbican

Thu 23rd Oxford, New Theatre

Fri 24th Manchester, Bridgewater Hall

Sat 25th Bristol, Beacon