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Heathen Apostles w/ Fields of the Nephilim in London – Dark Country Vibes

Heathen Apostles w/ Fields of the Nephilim in London - Dark Country Vibes

On a night meant for remembering those who have passed, where the feel of spaghetti westerns mixes with a touch of blood and darkness, we really couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the spooky season on a cold evening at the O2 Forum Kentish Town, London. When the clock struck 19:30, Heathen Apostles showed up with their stunning hats, bringing their unique sound to the UK. I had never seen the Los Angeles-based foursome before, and I was speechless afterward. Their set was brief but impactful, blending dark country vibes with some moody gothic elements.

It really opened my eyes, as someone who isn’t too familiar with the genre, to the idea that music and taste can’t be boxed into just one label. “Be Careful What You Pray For” and “Red Brick Dust” had me and the London crowd wanting more. Their unique storytelling and moody instrumentation were just so captivating. I had no idea I could enjoy bluegrass, or should I say bloodgrass? It’s pretty cool how much rhythm there is, even without a drummer around.

With the violin and contrabass, plus some catchy guitar riffs from the well-known Chopper Franklin (who’s played guitar and bass for The Cramps, the Mau Maus, and more), Mather Louth’s voice and stage presence really take the audience to a rich, dust-bowl vibe, making it feel like they’ve walked right out of a “Weird West” or Southern Gothic horror film.

Author Sabrina Schiavinato. Photo: Peterson Marti.
Read the entire review at Chaoszine HERE.

November 3, 2025 | Categories: Reviews | Tags: | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles w/ Fields of the Nephilim in London – Dark Country Vibes

Live Review of Heathen Apostles and Fields of the Nephilim – Dark Country Influences

Heathen Apostles and Fields of the Nephilim - Dark Country Influences

The O2 Institute in Birmingham was cloaked in darkness and anticipation on October 25th as Fields of the Nephilim kicked off the first night of their six-date UK run celebrating an incredible 40 years of gothic majesty. The lineup promised a night steeped in atmosphere and history, with Balaam & The Angel and the Heathen Apostles setting the stage for the legendary headliners. Opening the evening were Heathen Apostles, bringing their distinctive blend of Gothic Americana to the Midlands. For myself, this was the first opportunity to see the Los Angeles-based outfit live and they did not disappoint. Their seven-song set was short but potent, weaving dark country influences with brooding gothic undertones. “Be Careful What You Pray For” and “Red Brick Dust” drew the crowd in with their haunting storytelling and moody instrumentation. By the time they closed with “The Reckoning,” the Apostles had made a clear impression, proving that their unique brand of shadowy Americana translates powerfully onstage.

Heathen Apostles and Fields of the Nephilim - Dark Country Influences

Set-list:
Deaths Head
Paint The Stars
Careful What You Pray For
Shadow Of The Crows
Red Brick Dust
Two For The Road
The Reckoning

Then, as the lights dimmed and the familiar haze of smoke began to roll across the stage, it was time for Fields of the Nephilim. True to form, the band emerged as spectral silhouettes through a dense fog, instantly transforming the venue into a cathedral of shadow and sound. Opening with “Intro (The Harmonica Man)”, the atmosphere was nothing short of ritualistic, the perfect invocation for what was to come.

Over the course of a 12-song set, Carl McCoy and company guided the audience through a journey that spanned decades of their mystic, desert-drenched mythology. Highlights included “Love Under Will” a stunning back-to-back pairing of “Dawnrazor”, and “Moonchild”, each one met with roars of recognition from the devoted crowd. “At the Gates of Silent Memory” offered a slower, more introspective moment, drenched in melancholic grandeur, before the band closed the main set with the thunderous “Psychonaut.”

But the night wasn’t over yet. As the smoke settled momentarily, the band returned for a well-deserved encore, launching into “Last Exit for the Lost” to near end a night steeped in mystery, nostalgia, and raw power. McCoy’s commanding presence, the band’s unwavering precision, and the hypnotic visuals created an experience that felt almost otherworldly.

Photos & words – Ian Mc Donnell 

October 27, 2025 | Categories: Reviews | Tags: | Comments Off on Live Review of Heathen Apostles and Fields of the Nephilim – Dark Country Influences

Heathen Apostles Join Fields of the Nephilim Tour

Heathen Apostles Join Fields of the Nephilim Tour

The Heathen Apostles will be joining the Fields of the Nephilim tour for three dates, which is in addition to being on the bill with them for the Tomorrow’s Ghosts Festival on Halloween night. The appearances land in the middle of our fall UK tour which starts on 22nd October and runs to 8th November. Here is the tour’s press release:

Fields Of The Nephilim rise again, stepping into the light next month for five very special shows, including a Halloween headline performance at the sold-out Tomorrow’s Ghost festival in Whitby and culminating in London on Nov 1st, to celebrate Samhain. It’s time for Fields of the Nephilim live 2025!

Fields of the Nephilim TourFeaturing music and moments from throughout Fields Of The Nephilim’s storied existence, these five performances serve to reanimate the past and generate the next chapter for both the band and their faithful followers.

Carl McCoy reflects, “It’s been 40 years since we released ‘Burning The Fields’ in 1985, our first 12” vinyl EP. 

In the early 80s we performed at many clubs, venues and any stage that would have us. We had no record deal, no distribution, but we managed to scrape together enough dosh to enable us to record four songs in a small studio, which was XXX Studios in Acton, London, and then released the EP under our own Tower Release label.

We only had 500 pressed, and I remember the cover and centre labels were all folded and glued by the band members. If you happen to have one of these official original release versions, your cover and labels have probably come apart or decomposed by now.

We are not planning on performing or releasing an anniversary version of this; I think we will lay this one to rest. Those fields have been burnt.

The shows this autumn are more about commemorating my four decades of Fields Of The Nephilim. A perfect reason to celebrate this season in 2025.”

Fields Of The Nephilim will be joined by alternative heroes Balaam And The Angel and Claytown Troupe as well as acclaimed Gothic Americana band Heathen Apostles.

Fields of the Nephilim Tour Heathen Apostles

from GothicWestern.com

FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM 2025 HEADLINE SHOWS

Oct 25th – BIRMINGHAM, Institute
(w/ Balaam & The Angel + Heathen Apostles)

Oct 26th – MANCHESTER, O2 Ritz
(w/ Claytown Troupe + Heathen Apostles)

Oct 31st – WHITBY, Tomorrows Ghosts Festival [SOLD OUT]
(w/ Clan of Xymox + Pink Turns Blue + Heathen Apostles)

Nov 1st – LONDON, O2 Forum, Kentish Town
(w/ Claytown Troupe + Heathen Apostles)

Final remaining tickets are available HERE.

September 11, 2025 | Categories: Live Dates | Tags: | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles Join Fields of the Nephilim Tour

UK Review of “Seminal Gothic Americana Band”

Heathen Apostles – Reading Facebar – 16 July 2025 – It’s a welcome return to the Facebar for LA’s seminal gothic americana band, Heathen Apostles. This is their third appearance at the venue in as many years and they continue to win more followers each visit.

LA’s seminal gothic americana band, Heathen ApostlesLooking like the meanest bunch of ne’er-do-well gunslinging musicians to walk out of a Sergio Leone film, Heathen Apostles take to the stage to wow the audience with their gothic americana. Former Cramps man, Chopper Franklin on guitar/mandolin is augmented by Luis Mascaro’s fiddle and Thomas Lorioux on upright bass to creating a soundtrack that wouldn’t sound out of place in a decadent saloon in ‘Deadwood’. Singer and guitarist, Mather Louth brings a dark alluring glamour to the lineup with a vocal style that is infused with the emotiveness of Patsy Cline and Nick Cave’s old-testament preacher.  

LA’s seminal gothic americana band, Heathen ApostlesOpening with the fiddle dominated ‘Paint the Stars’, the band start a career spanning set that includes numerous murder ballads, up to date political comment and a splattering of cover versions. ‘Death’s Head’ sees Mather and the band channeling the whole of the Bad Seeds ‘Murder Ballads’ album into one magnificent song. The slower but still epic ‘The Gods of Men’ from the recent ‘The In Between’ album is followed by the alt country of ‘Black Hawk’.    For my generation, Alex Cox is a fascinating but flawed director of films such as ‘Repo Man’ and ‘Sid and Nancy’. He was also the presenter of ‘Moviedrome’ on BBC2 in the late eighties/early nineties showcasing numerous cult films across its run. A great deal of my viewing habits has been influenced by his recommendations, and to hear that he is using the band’s ‘Careful What You Pray For’ in his upcoming ‘Dead Souls’ film has piqued my interest. The song itself sees the return of Mather’s southern preacher, spaghetti western guitar and some frenetic fiddling from Luis. 

LA’s seminal gothic americana band, Heathen Apostles‘Drowned in Trouble’ keeps the tempo going with a wonderfully melodic vocal from Mather. ‘Capital T’ is one of the band’s more political songs and is musically more laid back with a rockabilly shuffle forming the song’s base. Next, we are in bluegrass territory with a cover of Hank Williams’ ‘Ramblin’ Man’. ‘Shadow of the Crows’ ups the pace again with the narrative of a remorseless and vengeful protagonist. ‘Lily of the West’ is a classic tale of obsession and betrayal whilst the brooding ‘Tall Rider’ reminisces on a life long lived.  

‘In the Blood’ sees a man awaiting his fate as the gallows swing in the wind. Hank Williams makes a second appearance with an enthralling cover of ‘Long Gone Lonesome Blues’. We’re into the home stretch and given how hot the venue is tonight, we are certainly ready for a drink and ‘Two for the Road’. The set finishes with the frantic stomp of ‘Without a Trace’ which could soundtrack a gothic hoedown. 

LA’s seminal gothic americana band, Heathen Apostles

The band return to the stage for the melancholic ‘Easy Come Easy Go’, before Luis gives us a blast of Bach’s ‘Toccato in D minor’ on his violin to introduce the full gothic onslaught of ‘The Reckoning’. It’s a glorious cacophony of sound with the full band letting rip as Mather brings the end of days to a western town.  I’ve never been disappointed by Heathen Apostles live and tonight was no different – another enthralling appearance. They’re playing Rebellion next month and Tomorrow’s Ghosts later in the year. I recommend a detour to see them if you are at either festival.

Text and Photos by Ian Ladlow

July 21, 2025 | Categories: Reviews | Tags: | Comments Off on UK Review of “Seminal Gothic Americana Band”

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead SoulsAs the Heathen Apostles land in London to begin the UK legs of their 2025 European Tour, they are pleased to announce their song “Careful What You Pray For” will be included in Alex Cox’s Dead Souls, the upcoming Western adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s novel of the same name. Mr. Cox is currently in London himself, hosting portions of BFI’s ‘Moviedrome: Bringing the Cult TV Series to the Big Screen’. “Careful What You Pray For” is from the band’s “Bloodgrass 3 & 4” album, check it out HERE.

The following is from the Kickstarter for the new Alex Cox film “My Last Movie”, check it out HERE– My “last movie” is a Western version of Nicolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls”. This is a great book, full of irony, mystery and meaning. I plan to shoot in two locations – Almería, Spain, and Tucson, Arizona.

Our story begins in a nameless place in the Arizona Territory, in 1890. These opening scenes I’ll shoot at the Rancho Leone, the location Carlo Simi built for Sergio Leone in Once Upon a Time in the West.

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

The destination of our swindler-hero Strindler is El Paso, Texas, where Johnny Behan is engaged in Government work. In 1965, Simi built “El Paso” for Leone, too. And it’s here that we’ll film these scenes.

So the first stage of our production is in these two towns, and in the canyons of the Tabernas desert.

Thence to Tucson, Arizona, where we’ll film interiors, and the gran finale: the Saguaro desert, outside town.

These are iconic locations, and they mean a lot to me, as a young filmgoer who grew up watching films made here, and as a filmmaker who has, over the years, grown to love both places.

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

“Dead Souls” was Mel Brooks’ favourite book. He said, “It was hysterically funny and incredibly moving at the same time.” Gogol’s scurrilous protagonist, Chichikov, collects lists of dead serfs, anticipating of considerable gain. Our film’s protagonist, Strindler, compiles a list of deceased Mexican nationals. Those who died on ranches, or in mines, or were shot by the sheriff’s posse. He pays for this information. No one knows how, but clearly there is money to be made…

Or is there?

In some ways my last movie is a classic European or “Spaghetti” Western. But it’s other things too. It’s a celebration of the tenacity of its protagonist, of Gogol’s novel, and of the fantastic landscapes of Tucson and Tabernas… As with some of my other films, there is both humour and politics. Plus weirdness.

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

Who will my collaborators be? I’ll reach out to colleagues I’ve worked with in the past, from “Repo Man” to “Tombstone Rashomon.” Jesse Lee Pacheco will revisit the role of Johnny Behan. Anuschka Braun will design costumes. Dan Wool will compose the score. We’ll also have Gianni Garko, Geoff Marslett and Sara Vista in featured roles. Lorenzo O’Brien and Guillermo de Oliveira are my trusted advisors.”

Stay tuned for more details!

July 7, 2025 | Categories: News | Tags: | Comments Off on “Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

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