Apostle Of Solitude
From Gold To Ash
The doom bell tolls roughly every four years for Indianas Apostle Of Solitude. Formed in 2004 by former The Gates Of Slumber drummer Chuck Brown, the band followed their 2008 "Sincerest Misery" debut with "Last Sunrise" in 2010, then, in between two splits and a demo, released "Of Woe And Wounds" in 2014, which also served as their first album for Italys Cruz Del Sur Music. Just in time, Apostle Of Solitude greets the legions of doom in early 2018 with their fourth studio album, "From Gold To Ash". Recorded in September 2017 at Russian Recording in Bloomington, Indiana with studio owner and engineer Mike Bridavsky, "From Gold To Ash" offers seven songs of ambitious and equally aching doom. Largely defined by the heartfelt and emotive vocals of Brown, "From Gold To Ash" covers a wide spectrum of doom, from thundering gallops, mid-tempo bashers to reflective, melodic romps. With songs as voluminous as this, its no surprise the songwriting process for Apostle Of Solitude (who are rounded out by guitarist Steve Janiak, bassist Mike Naish and drummer Corey Webb) is one of deliberation and utmost care. "From Gold To Ash" starts with the savage and gritty guitar chugs of "Overlord", and gradually starts to take shape with the Sabbath thunder-clap of "Ruination Be Thy Name", a cut that features some of Browns most elaborate singing to date. After the soft peddles found on interlude "Autumn Moon", the slow-crawl guitar harmonies of "Keeping The Lighthouse" and dominating lurch of "My Heart Is Leaving Here" find Apostle Of Solitude playing at near-funeral doom tempos. The sorrow continues with "Monochrome (Discontent)" and "Grey Farewell", where Brown unfurls soulful, yet melancholic vocal lines, which, according to the singer, was a point of emphasis during songwriting sessions. Upon the release of "From Gold To Ash", Apostle Of Solitude plan on hitting the road in the United States and Europe.