Review of Bloodgrass Vol. 1 in Dark Entries Magazine
Great review of Bloodgrass Vol. 1 in Dark Entries Magazine (a great Belgium goth magazine) that was just brought to our attention, read the translation below, click HERE to go to their site:
We know alt-country, we think of bands like Whiskeytown , 16 Horsepower or Woven Hand . We also know cowpunk and gothabilly or hellbilly. Think of bands like Ghoultown , Gravetown or DAD. These Heathen Apostles from Los Angeles also fit in this category (especially the latter in terms of image) but actually this is almost pure Americana folk, country and bluegrass, in short hillbilly music with a dark edge. The musicians look like baddies escaped from a western movie, three black cowboys in nineteenth century gear and the lady from the outfit as a black-clad widow from the same period. Complete with a black veil covering her eyes. It has something steampunk too.
The band consists of singer Mather Louth (the lascivious widow) and her fellow band members, dressed-in-black cowboys Chopper Franklin (guitar, mandolin, banjo, keyboards, drums), Thomas Lorioux (bass) and Luis Mascaro (violin). Chopper Franklin is a punk rock veteran who once played in The Cramps and bands like Nick Curran & The Lowlifes and Mau Maus. In the past, Heathen Apostles also had drummer Stevyn Grey in the ranks (ex- Christian Death , ex- 45 Grave ).
Heathen Apostles are a very productive band. Their debut album “Boot Hill Hymnal” (2013), the “Without A Trace” EP (2014), the singles “Fool’s Gold”, “Fist City”, “Death’s Head”, as well as their second album “Fire To The Fuse” (all 2015) all came out on Ratchet Blade Records. The third Heathen Apostles album “Requiem For A Remix”, “The Misery And Gin EP” and the single “Albatross” all came out in a busy 2016. In 2017 finally the “Strange Flowers EP” came out and in December this ” Bloodgrass Vol. 1 “EP, still on Ratchet Blade Records that specializes in such bands.
Five songs are on the new EP (21 minutes playing time). Three original compositions: “Death Came A Ridin'” (my favorite and the darkest and rockiest song), “Dark Days” (with banjo and melancholic violin) and the up-tempo like a horse hopping across the prairie (I have to think of Johnny Cash) “Lady In Gold”. And then also two covers. These covers are “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” by the contemporary country artist Darrell Scott and a beautiful adaptation of the classic (from 1935) “Summertime” ( Gershwin, Gershwin, Heyward ) which is especially known in the version of The Zombies but that counts numerous interpretations by Ella Fitzgerald , Billie Holiday etc.
Entertaining EP song with beautiful songs, but even better if these pagan apostles mixed some more punk, goth or psychobilly in their sound because with the exception of the song “Death Came A Ridin'” this is musically close to pure Americana or what they call alt-country today instead of a true crossover style with the dark genre as the image suggests. In spite of the terms ‘gothic americana’, ‘gothic country’, ‘southern gothic’ or ‘dark roots’ that they use to interpret their music. But you do not hear me complaining; Heathen Apostles are an interesting band that I will definitely continue to follow.
Henk Vereecken
Bloodgrass Vol. II Review on Viola Noir
Bloodgrass Vol. II Review on Viola Noir:
Heathen Apostles continue the series of thematic EPs Bloodgrass. While previous release was focused on redefining bluegrass, the new one shapes the main features of reinvented genre.
The opening Deadly Nightshade seems to be the darkest variation of Southern Gothic ever known. It’s full of bluesy yearning, dark folk depression and pagan mysticism. Paint the Stars sounds more familiar with what the band makes nowadays. The song is swiftly, brief, but at the same time it contains some elements of intricate dark roots/bloodgrass ornament.
In addition, it is accompanied by stylish and atmospheric video. It was directed by Jorge Jaramillo, whose portfolio consists of macabre and technically complex visual projects with recognizable style. It is not surprising, therefore, that his collaboration with Heathen Apostles turned out to be so efficient.
Ramblin’ Man sounds a little surprising. It has bluesy mood, but not the one we have heard before. It is more contemplative, sensual, halftone. D.O.A is instead melodic and lyrical, it deeply roots in the memory. Shady Grove inherits gothic country and bloodgrass stylistics, while the final chapter Fever Jane is a smooth and calm ballad, adorned with Mather’s voice, which has no borders and limits in singing talent.
In general, the new EP proves to be great comeback of Bloodgrass theme – without any crisis of ideas or clichés.
You can listen to Bloodgrass Vol. II HERE.
Great Review of Heathen Apostles Bloodgrass Vol. I in Ox fanzine
A 9 of 10 stars review of the Heathen Apostles Bloodgrass Vol. I EP will be in the next issue of Germany’s Ox fanzine, there will also be an upcoming feature on the band to coincide with their August 2018 tour of Europe. The English translation is below for those who don’t read German:
HEATHEN APOSTLES
Bloodgrass Vol. I
Ratchet Blade • ratchetbladerecords.com • 21:01 • 9 of 10 stars
Blood, horror and passion in the happy the southern heat of America: HEATHEN APOSTLES call their Dark Alternative Gothic Americana Doom Bluegrass sound simply Bloodgrass. On the new EP of the band from Los Angeles, that features former members of THE CRAMPS and THE KINGS OF NUTHIN ‘, there are two cover songs and three brand new ones Original compositions. The dark-hypnotic Bluegrass version of the Gershwin classic “Summertime” opens up the dance, and the soulful reinterpretation of Darrell Scott’s “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” closes it. In between are three of the Heathen Apostles own Gothic Americana songs: The Nick Cave -inspired “Death Came a Ridin’ “, the jazzy “Dark Days” and the driving bluegrass piece “Lady in Gold”. Reviewed by Karin Hoog
Preview the Bloodgrass Vol. I EP HERE.
Heathen Apostles – Bloodgrass Vol. I – Gothic Americana / Dark Country
Heathen Apostles are launching a series of EPs, united by one theme, a new bluegrass style. In hearing the prominent gothic americana / dark country of the project it is properly deemed bloodgrass. Passion, blood, horror in the hot southern summer night. And no one will get away alive.
The legendary and truly imperishable spiritualism of Gershwin’s Summertime by Heathen Apostles sounds like a dark ritual dark folk; a song from the other side, from the world of the dead. Death Came a Ridin’ continues it, but it is more familiar to Heathen Apostles fans, the impetuous gothic americana thriller. Dark Days has a dark cabaret sound, noticeably different in its style from the rest of the track list of Bloodgrass Vol. I. Lady in Gold – a colorful sample of the combination dark country / bluegrass, it can be said, exemplifies the form and direction of the “new” subgenre. The modern classic country of Darrell Scott’s You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive completes the first experience in the world of bloodgrass, with all the dimensions of the appropriate atmosphere.
Interesting EP. Heathen Apostles develop as a creative unit without leaving their format. At the same time there is no self-repetition, self-plagiarism, Bloodgrass sounds quite exciting. 7/10.
You can preview and order Bloodgrass Vol. I HERE. Read more from Viola Noir HERE (In Russian, use Google Translate if necessary.)
“Albatross” Single & Video Review on Gothic.com
The Heathen Apostles latest single Albatross has been reviewed by Viola Noir on Gothic.com, the English translation is below, click HERE for the original review:
“Albatross” Single Reviewed at Chain DLK
The Albatross single and video have been reviewed in alternative magazine Chain DLK, you can read the entire review HERE, and preview and order the single HERE.
The Heathen Apostles take a central core of faithful Americana and murder ballad arrangements and give things a slightly stylish, faintly gothic twist. “Albatross” is a one-track single and while their discography has several remixes and electronica elements in it, this is a straight-up three-minute 3 / 4 song featuring slightly Chrissie Hynde-like vocals over a folksy arrangement of violins and mandolins that would appeal to staunch Levellers fans.
Review of “Fire to the Fuse” on Midnight Calling
A new review of the latest Heathen Apostles studio album Fire to the Fuse has been posted, read the teaser below then click on the link to read the entire review.
Following up their excellent debut album Boot Hill Hymnal, Heathen Apostles draw their musical six guns, and stalk once more through haunted graveyards, dangerous streets, and debauchery-filled saloons. Fire to the Fuse continues the epic Western Gothic journey, and demonstrates that Heathen Apostles are musical desperadoes to be reckoned with.
Click HERE to read the review. Click HERE to preview and purchase Fire to the Fuse.
“Misery and Gin” EP Reviewed By Midnight Calling
Here’s a great review of the upcoming Heathen Apostles’ Misery and Gin EP by Aiden of Midnight Calling, the EP will be out this Friday July 22nd, and be sure and check out the new video for the title track HERE. Click HERE to read the review.
“Requiem For A Remix” Review In Uber Rock Magazine
Here’s the intro and review:
“Hailing from Los Angeles, California and playing what they call “southern gothic outlaw country and dark roots music,” Heathen Apostles are actually nothing of the sort really. The title of their new album, ‘Requiem For A Remix’, should probably give their game away as Uber Rock’s Jason Palmer soon discovers, these bad boys (and a girl) are all about the murder ballads, baby!”
Cick HERE to read the review.
Great “Fire to the Fuse” Review on Alternate Root
Heathen Apostles Fire to the Fuse – The Roots of Heathen Apostles has a dark current that roars through dense gothic tales surround by mountain music, back alley Jazz, murderous Americana, and bone-chilling Folk. The latest release from Heathen Apostles, Fire to the Fuse, lights the primeval blackness of the tales as it slowly ticks out for a Measure of Time, battles rattling whirls to spew words and sound on Death’s Head, and hangs on to the rapid rhythms of Lily of the West. Vengeance, greed, and lust are riding shotgun in the love tales strewn over Fire to the Fuse as fractured chords strum and stutter out the title track and propel Yveline through hushed whisper and frenetic fiddles while Without a Trace thunders a musical force and Evil Spirits scatter on percussive rhythms.
Heathen Apostles profess their faith for Americana by taking the Roots from their long Los Angeles history of blending Goth and Rock, with lineage in bands such as The Cramps, Christian Death, Radio Noir, Nick Curran and the Lowlifes, and 45 Grave. Fire to the Fuse makes use of mountain music backing to stomp out a skeleton-shake on glimmering strings and gypsy rhythms for a version of Cher’s “Bang Bang”. Desert wind blow western dust on the horse-hoof patter of Fool’s Gold as Looks are Deceiving sets the barn dance on fire and Heathen Apostles use the chaotic strum of strings to scratch their way to the surface for a breath in Drowned in Trouble.
Listen and buy the music of Heathen Apostles from AMAZON or iTunes
Read the review HERE
“Fire to the Fuse” Review On Viola Noir
The second full-length release of Heathen Apostles is the hope for all gothic americana dark country and southern rock music. The bulk of it could be already well known to their audience by the singles and videos, but this fact didn’t make Fire to the Fuse less surprising.
Opening the release is the mystical tragedy Fool’s Gold, their familiar summer single. It’s a good beginning, because this track is probably one of the most colorful and characteristic in the discography of Heathen Apostles. Drowned in Trouble and Yveline join in this atmosphere, which is carefully woven from sounds of authentic instruments from the South — guitars, violin, banjo, upright bass and powerful voiced Mather Louth. In her voice we hear all — sorrow, anger, love, hate, melancholy and drive. In addition, Yveline has an invisible, but perceptible skin wildly-proto-goth-rock origin. Fist City somewhat reduces the tempo, this track can be attributed to the contemplative, romantic-tragic side of the Heathen Apostles concept . There’s an exciting video for this track — it’s fully in line with the recognizable Heathen Apostles style: fairly bloody, mystical, and presents to us an eternal antagonism between light and dark forces. All this against the backdrop of Southern landscapes and the accompanying paraphernalia. The dark theme continues with a track featuring Jyrki 69, Evil Spirits, familiar from the eponymous EP. Looks Are Deceiving suddenly sounds quite positive and relieves the tension before the blues-track Fire to the Fuse, and then Death’s Head is perceived as epic denouement. Also, a cover of the immortal Nancy Sinatra hit Bang Bang surprised and pleased me. First of all, the fact that Mather wasn’t attempting an exact copied intonation of Nancy, unlike previous versions, but introduced her interpretation of the song. It turned out pretty original and recognizable. Measure of Time — hypnotic ballad with a very heartfelt vocal line slightly expands framework of existing genre Heathen Apostles. The familiar Without a Trace comes with mood of fury , then the lyrical Before You Go and finally with Lily of the West the dark-cabaret veil once again passes through with core emotions, and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. So good, that makes this release coveted for re-listen.
The release is universal in the sense that those, who follow the works of Heathen Apostles, will have the opportunity to listen to the familiar tracks. By one session of the Gothic Americana’s atmosphere. Those who begin acquaintance with the project Fire to the Fuse, immediately get a feel characteristic sound of Heathen Apostles. 8/10
Evil Spirits EP Gets 4 Star Review
James G. Carlson of the Examiner.com and No Depression Magazine has given the Heathen Apostles & Jyrki 69 Evil Spirits EP a 4 star review:
Los Angeles-based dark roots and gothic country band Heathen Apostles have released a new four-song EP, Evil Spirits, on Ratchet Blade Records. This lineup includes the band’s core players – vocalist Mather Louth (Radio Noir) and multi-instrumentalist Chopper Franklin (The Cramps, Nick Curran & the Lowlifes) – as well as newer members, violinist Luis Mascaro and Finnish vocalist Jyrki 69 (69 Eyes and 69 Cats).
With Franklin pickin’ and strummin’ on various acoustic stringed instruments, including banjo, mandolin and guitar, and working the keys, and with Louth belting out her strong, haunting vocals, Heathen Apostles continue to make the sort of music that will almost certainly outlive the roots revival that has taken hold of the underground in recent years. Now, with Mascaro’s violin playing, which alternates from mournful to rustic and lively, and Jyrki’s vocals, which, with its deep cool drawl, brings to mind a combination of Hank Ray and Johnny Cash, there is even more to Heathen Apostles’ sound, though without reaching the point of being too much.
Out of the four songs on the Evil Spirits EP, “Hallowed by Thy Name” and “After I’m Gone” are easy standouts. Be that as it may, the entire thing is worth repeated listens, including the title track, “Evil Spirits,” and the third track, “Maylene.”
Evil Spirits by Heathen Apostles is available now from Ratchet Blade Records.
Read the review at Examiner.com HERE
Review of “Fool’s Gold” Single and Video
The Gothic magazine Viola Noir has reviewed the Fool’s Gold single and video, it received 9 of 10 stars:
The Heathen Apostles, leaders of the genre Gothic Americana, recently presented a new single and video called Fool’s Gold. This track is in the best traditions of Heathen Apostles — the sounds of guitars, violin, banjo, bass and the soaring, sad, but at the same time strong and furious vocals of Mather Louth. The Fool’s Gold single has melancholy, irony and, of course, the whole flavor of Gothic Americana.
The Fool’s Gold music video is excellent, although the Heathen Apostles have never disappointed me with the visual component of their work. The clip is stylized as silent cinema with it’s title cards, body language and the facial expressions of the actors. A remarkable storyline of action — a most authentic esoteric salon with all the accompanying attributes. Periodically the shots of the main storyline are accented by by sweet pastoral pictures, somewhere in the fields and meadows with Tarot cards flying on the wind. In the Fool’s Gold video a lot of attention is given to detail.
As for the plot — this time Heathen Apostles have told the story, full of the occult, gang fights, shots, blood, Tarot and fools. Also there is a love story with a curse, and accordingly, a sad outcome. 9 of 10
You can preview and order the Fool’s Gold single HERE.
Heathen Apostles Article In love/hate Magazine – Murder Ballads
Out of the City of Angels comes a devilish band with a dark twist on classic American country, bluegrass and murder ballads. The Heathen Apostles offer a sound that combines gothic and punk overtones with edgy lyrics of murderous love, outlaw crime and damnation. These heathens have been making a stir around Southern California during the past 2 years and just recently appeared at the annual Ink N Iron Festival at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.
Now, when you first gets a glimpse of the Heathen Apostles, it is hard not to do a double take. This band casts a dark shadow over the crowd as they enter and appear more closely visually to funeral entertainment for a 19th century downed gunslinger versus an LA club night with twenty-something hipsters in the crowd pecking away at iPhones. However, with head-to-toe blackness, vintage Victorian-era attire, stern countenance and a wide array of instrumentation, the shear visuals of the band can be both alluring and overwhelming. The final blow comes from the diva front woman, Mather Louth (Radio Noir) who normally takes the stage with full funeral head veil, jet black lipstick and pale white skin. Mather out front of this group mystifies the crowd with haunting gazes and enigmatic poses throughout the performances, which transmits both beckoning and threatening signals at the same time.
Heathen Apostles may have roots in many genres, but their combined sound is altogether their own. The band touts familiar names such as Chopper Franklin (The Cramps) on guitar and Stevyn Grey (Christian Death, 45 Grave) on drums, but other band members round out this musically tight and original arrangement including Thomas Lorious (The Kings of Nuthin’) on an upright bass, Viktor Phoenix (Dessau) on both banjo/mandolin and the talents of Luis Mascaro on fiddle.
The songs of Heathen Apostles range all tempos and emotions. From the fast-paced, boot-clicking tunes of ‘Without A Trace’ and ‘Forget Me Not’ down to the somber murder ballads of ‘Before You Go’ and ‘Dark Was The Night’, the listener is not stuck in a monotonous or monochromatic musical experience.
Heathen Apostles has a tight musical delivery, an innovative dark approach and an unforgettable stage performance that stays with you long after the performance is over. The Heathen Apostles are not your typical night out on the town and definitely should not missed, as we might be seeing an ushering in of a new genre with possible copycat bands soon to follow.
Heathen Apostles will be playing various shows in and around Southern California including Hippy Killer Hoedown 2015 in Perris, CA. Please visit the band’s website or follow them on Facebook for more info.
Full length album, Boot Hill Hymnal and 3-song EP, Without A Trace, now available at www.heathenapostles.com.
Read the article online HERE.
Great Review of the Death’s Head Video
A review of the new Heathen Apostles’ Death’s Head video has been released on the Russian music blog ViolaNoir. Here is the English translation:
A new music video and single has been released by probably the most prominent representatives of Gothic Americana at the moment – the Heathen Apostles. In Death’s Head there is everything for their audience: a blues mood, the occult, voodoo, a blatant and magnificent Gothic vibe and the powerful voice of Mather Louth.
The video and single were released in conjunction with Friday the 13th, and it was also the day before Valentine’s Day, and the connection is not lost. Death’s Head tells the story of love, turning into hate, then hate turning into love, and it’s a tale of a stolen heart and also that sometimes even death do us part. The Heathen Apostles again create a stunning painting, visually there is nothing superfluous; the atmosphere and mood of the song go back and forth, even in the smallest details. Definitely one of the best videos lately.
Read the review (in Russian) HERE.
Watch the Death’s Head video HERE.
4 star Review For Without A Trace on Examiner.com
‘Without A Trace’ by Heathen Apostles
by James Carlson
Rating: 4/5 stars
September 1, 2014
If there is such a thing in the current fringe roots genre as a supergroup, it would certainly be the Los Angeles-based dark roots and alt-country band Heathen Apostles, whose participating artists include ex-members of Radio Noir (Mather Louth), The Cramps (Chopper Franklin), Kings of Nuthin’ (Thomas Lorioux), and Christian Death (Stevyn Grey) in its ranks. That is one hell of a lineup. And their collective musical output is equally impressive.
Heathen Apostles made quite an entrance on to the scene with their debut full-length album, Boot Hill Hymnal. And now, this gothic outsider country and dark roots quintet have written and released a new EP of material on Ratchet Blade Records, titled Without A Trace. This three-song release is a worthy follow-up to Boot Hill Hymnal, even though the three songs go by all too quickly at a little over ten minutes. Quite simply, this is one of those quality over quantity things.
Without A Trace opens with the EP’s title track, moving from wild Irish folk-like fiddle, a beat akin to marching drums, and punctuating strums, to somewhat of a country punk bit, all with Louth’s strong vocals. “Before You Go,” the second track, is a slower gothic country offering, with clear strumming, string picking, a beat that carries the song structure forward, subtle yet effective bass, and Louth’s voice at its most hauntingly beautiful on the EP. The Closer, “Lily of the West,” is a countrified murder ballad and arguably the best song on the release.
Read the review on Examiner.com HERE.
Preview Without A Trace HERE.
“Without A Trace” Review in DYNAMITE Magazine
Americana
Heathen Apostles
Without A Trace
Ratched Blade Records, EP (Download)
4 of 5 stars
“The mastermind of the Heathen Apostles is Chopper Franklin (The Cramps, Nick Curran, etc. ). They describe themselves and their music as ” … southern gothic imagery surrounded by haunting, minor-chord melodies, helmed by the voice of a evocative indigo child, unstuck in time … ” Unfortunately there are only three songs on the EP, but they are in a league of their own, Americana at it’s best. Whoever likes Bob Wayne, Hank III and friends, should get these songs.”
TS
DYNAMITE Magazine
Germany
Get DYNAMITE Magazine HERE (it’s in German).
Record Release Show Reviewed in SugarBuzz Magazine
Heathen Apostles
Redwood Bar and Grill
Los Angeles
By Lucky
Fifteen hours at the mundane didn’t stop me. Unusual cold weather for Los Angeles didn’t stop me. Killing time in Echo Park didn’t stop me. Six dollars to my name didn’t stop me. Nothing stopped me on this particular Monday’s eve from attending the Heathen Apostles record release party at the Redwood in downtown L.A.
The lot was free and so was the show, so that fit my budget just grand. Apparently the lure of free entry appealed to others as well as there was a damn good
turnout on a night that otherwise could have been a death null. Seems the buzz surrounding Heathen Apostles is sweater than sugar.
Despite being close to the Heathen Apostles’ set time, frankly hoping to dig the show and then go man go, I discovered there was still another band slated before the headliners. Good thing extra added adrenaline surged my veins when I hit the fabled décor. It enabled me to rage. The band was called “Red Rose” and I do recall I liked them more and more as their set progressed. I liked the bass player. She was cute. She walked by me later as the night progressed, and didn’t even take a look. Alas, she doesn’t know I exist.
The period wear sported by various members of Heathen Apostles sparked interest amongst the barflies, kinda of an 1800’s reverend look, a bible in one hand and a gun in the other. All wore black and all meant business. Interest turned to intrigue as Mather Louth took the stage, in regalia that harkens back to times of hardship, blood and pain. Cape, hat, and a black mesh veil that disguised, made heads pivot. It was on as Chopper Franklin strummed the opening chords of “Red Brick Dust”.
Read the rest and comment HERE
Boot Hill Hymnal Reviewed on GeneratorArts
Boot Hill Hymnal opens with Red Brick Dust, a hard-driving tune that doesn’t let up and sets the stage for the entire album, with lead singer Mather Louth’s sultry voice floating above the guitars, fiddle, and banjo. The album takes the listener on a journey through dusty backroads, tall forests with no moonlight, forgotten ghost towns, and lonely murder scenes.
In The Reckoning, slightly reminiscent of early 16 Horsepower, long-time Louth fans will recognize the familiar energy; defiant, sultry, and unrepentant all at once. Louth seems to sing a bit more from the gut on this track, complete with an unforgettable banshee shriek to punctuate the end of every chorus, like a flying flaming spear thrown from one of the Four Horsemen as they descend upon a town whose Judgment Day has come.
The transition to the next track, The Dark Pines, is refreshing respite from the hard-charging The Reckoning, to a jerky and lonely Tom Waits-esque banjo riff. Here, Louth’s storytelling that shines through the haunting lyrics is transcendent and vaudevillian, highlighted by contrast by a long, low, foreboding drone underneath nearly the entire track.
Boot Hill Hymnal closes with Lonesome Whistle, a song that captures the crushing stillness of loneliness deftly, set to a slow honky-tonk waltz, with the soul in Louth’s ethereal voice taking center stage. Against an album of confrontational lyrics and charging rhythms, this track stands out because it breathes and lets the listener breathe and be still and be comfortable with the uneasy and unavoidable stillness of the song.
Overall, this murder-themed album explores all avenues of the subject, from love, to loss, to crime, to redemption, and ultimately, the loneliness of those left behind. Set against a soundtrack of solid country noir, Boot Hill Hymnal is a solid effort from the Heathen Apostles, and with luck, the first of many.
Another Rave Review For Boot Hill Hymnal!
By Aiden
Midnight Calling Magazine
Some time ago, I had the privilege of reviewing Mather Louth’s CD from “Radio Noir” so I was very pleased to see the advent of Heathen Apostles. (Mather is one of my favorite musicians, and I also admire her impeccable fashion sense.) Not only does Heathen Apostles consist of Mather, Chopper Franklin, and Thomas Lorioux, Viktor Phoenix, and Luis Mascaro, all accomplished musicians, but the band also combines two themes very dear to my heart: Goth and the Old West. I have always thought that the Old West teemed with Gothic elements. Here was not the brooding poetry of the drawing room and absinthe fueled dreams , but the open menace of a strange, dangerous, and alien land. The merging of Gothic and Old Western sensibilities only seemed logical.
Several bands have taken this path, and Heathen Apostles are among the foremost. Mather’s wonderful voice and darkly charming demeanor are a perfect fit. The Old West conjures images of vast desolate spaces, grim conflicts, and lonesome death, punctuated by roughshod towns teeming with a disparate mix of sophistication and brutality. It is no accident that Heathen Apostles rises from Los Angeles, that musical Mecca of the Far West, and that their music is steeped in 150 years of history and musical lore.
“Red Brick Dust” starts evocatively with acoustic guitar and low, moaning violin. Electric guitar suddenly punctuates the song like shotgun blasts in the alleyways of old Tombstone. Vocals are pleading, yet dangerous at the same time. Late in the song, violin emerges Paganini-like with a brief, impulsive burst.
Ominous, yet rich violin opens “Dark Was the Night”. Masterful percussion drives the song with a rocky gait, and the mandolin adds a definite western flavor. Vocals are exquisitely layered, sultry and moody.
‘Forget-Me-Not” is a rollicking tune, with sharp, syncopated percussion and edgy banjo, as the violin hovers in the background, only to suddenly rise with the fervor of an assassin. Vocals are strong and confident, yet with an underlying sense of foreboding.
“Never Forever” has a very edgy, evocative intro, with guitars in tandem and violin. They are joined by low-key, yet striking banjo that reminds me of some of Neil Young’s works. Vocals are slow and expressive. The song slowly rises in volume, and vocals drop to an eerie whisper at about 3:06. Then suddenly, some wonderfully cowpunk-ish guitar erupts, and Mather’s superb vocals rise to a crescendo. There is a cool spaghetti western vibe adeptly mixed with ’80′s alternative that makes this is a very compelling song.
‘The Reckoning” ramps things up with Saturday night saloon exuberance and energy. The intro reminded me of the movie “Dead man”, and there is a vague steampunkish element somewhere here amidst the rattling percussion and gypsy flourishes. Brief flashes of fuzz laden guitar add to the demented carnival atmosphere, as Mather’s vocals are both enticing and dangerous.
“The Dark Pines” is one of my favorite songs here. With what I call a ‘Western Cabaret” style, haunting mandolin and menacing violin accompany Mather’s darkly vibrant vocals. Rousing guitar licks and driving percussion propel the song to a very ominous finish.
“It All Came Down” starts with a great little vignette of a tinny Blues song playing as the actions of various firearms are worked and clicked. Then the song launches with syncopated percussion, slow banjo, and low bass that brings a smokey Speakeasy to mind. Guitar is low and menacing, and the organ gives an unsettling edge. This is further heightened by the sardonic, yet sinister male-female vocals that deftly weave around each other.
“Murderer of Souls” is awesome! This is pure Cowboy Gothic for the 21st century. There is some excellent post-punk guitar and sparse, eerie banjo over a gripping electro background. Very edgy violin emerges, then grows stronger as the song progresses. Percussion is as rhythmic and pounding as hooves along a lonely trail. Vocals are smooth, with a nice touch of layering, which heighten the sense of desolation and fatalism that the song evokes.
“Darkness of Dawn” is more Cowboy Cabaret, with Mather’s soulful vocals, wandering violin, and sparse banjo. The percussion canters along, while the guitar adds a darkly expressive touch, especially on the moving, yet dynamic refrain. This song makes me envision a high mountain range on the horizon, with miles of emptiness behind you.
“Lonesome Whistle” is languid and moody, with an ominous carnival-like beginning. Vocals are refined, yet a bit ominous, while the guitar has a definite edge. The backing atmospherics are measured, and inexorably move the song towards a doleful finish.
“Boot Hill Hymnal” is superbly produced, and the arrangements are precise and striking. The band clearly takes their music seriously. The wonderful thing about “Boot Hill Hymnal” is that Heathen Apostles are not bound by the usual boundaries. For example, they are not just a Gothic band that dresses up in Victorian and Old West fashions and makes a few literary references amid the standard doomy droning. They are not a Steampunk band. They are not a Country/Roots band trying to be “authentic”. Heathen Apostles have skillfully created their own innovative sound and vision. There is a delightful variety of musical here, including Gothic, Cabaret, Blues, and Gypsy Jazz, that is deftly bound together by the band’s dark and sometimes brooding sense of a bygone age. This is all filtered through a wholly contemporary level of musical excellency that is both relevant and unique.
This is a very fine work, indeed. I look forward to hearing more from Heathen Apostles.
Read the review HERE
Boot Hill Hymnal 5 of 5 Review on DarkestJack.com
Artist: Heathen Apostles
Album: Boot Hill Hymnal
Label: Ratchet Blade Record
Released: 2013
It’s not often a band surprises me with something strange and different, but that is exactly what Heathen Apostles did when I heard the first verse of their debut album “Boot Hill Hymnal”. The musicians here are well known to me with vocals by Mather Louth (Radio Noir) and Chopper Franklin (The Cramps) handling the guitar. However the sound that hit my ears was nothing like this groups individual past projects. Some are calling this “Gothic Country” but I feel this is misleading. When one hears the term country, one generally thinks of modern country of the last say 20 years. Heathen Apostles sound is birthed by the music of the far past. Unlike the music of bands like Fields of the Nephilim that blend a southern country or cowboy image into the Gothic sound, Heathen Apostles transports the listeners into another time frame completely. I personally prefer the label of “Dark Roots” music to describe their morbid melodies.
The album begins it’s morbid journey of murder ballad Americana with the toe taping track “Red Brick Dust”. This song is a great welcome to the band’s sound. It’s a familiar sounding structure while introducing the listener to this new sonic world. It’s the most rock or punk groove on the album and it’s chorus hits vocal melodies that are reminiscent of the Radio Noir song “Desert Woman”. Not to contraindicate my statement from earlier. The album really descends into it’s signature style with the second track, “Dark Was the Night”. Incidentally my favorite cut on Boot Hill Hymnal. This morbid tale of the loss of a loved one quickly transports the listener into the desolate landscape of a western town in the late 1800′s. The somber tone of Mather‘s haunting vocals are at flat out beautiful. The music now filling out the sound with fiddles, guitars, and mandolin. It’s easy to close your eyes and find yourself in a dark and haunted town full of lawlessness and death.
“Forget Me Not” is a toe tapping tune that has a touch of Nick Cave‘s Murder Ballads in it. It’s a ghostly tale that really shows off the incredible song writing this group possess. Which is very evident in the cohesive nature of the whole album. This is not a “Let’s give this sound a try.” type of album. Heathen Apostles throws everything into this album to make a truly authentic experience. My mind floats thorough the dark side of the Wild West and the Civil War while listening. Mather is no stranger to creating different time periods. Her work with Radio Noir invokes a 1920′s/30′s atmosphere.
I am not going to go song by song in this review. Suffice it to say every song is wonderfully crafted and they are all worth a good listening too. However, there are a few stand out tracks for me, in addition to “Dark was the Night”. “Murderer Of Souls” is a powerful track that has a huge sound and, well, just plain rocks. I could easily see this as the theme to some dark western or a Southern horror tale. The albums closer, “Lonesome Whistle”, is a simple yet strong melody that leaves the listeners with a bleak feeling and a want of more. Then there is “The Reckoning”. Returning to the toe tapping beat this song has a huge story and sports an apocalyptic feel. Like a steam train out of control and spewing fire from it’s stack. A killer track that also has a great video, the first video from Boot Hill Hymnal.
This debut from Heathen Apostles is a wondrously crafted album that weaves a world all it’s own. It’s powerful, somber, toe tapping, and dark. This is a group distended to leave an indelible mark on the Dark Alternative scene. I am looking forward to the next offering from these macabre masters of melody. Until then I will set Boot Hill Hymnal on a loop. This is a must have album for just about everyone. Do yourself a favor and get the whole album and get lost in this wondrous world known as Heathen Apostles.
5/5
Reviewed by: Darkest Jack
Read the review HERE
“Boot Hill Hymnal” Reviewed on Examiner.com
4 of 5 stars
The burgeoning roots revival that has taken hold in recent years has spawned a great many new bands and singer/songwriters. Out of a significant yet heterogeneous faction of them, there are certainly more than a fair number, existing as most worthwhile things do on sacred ground well beyond the borders of the mainstream, whose experimental songs aren’t exactly what a music purist would deem proper roots material. That is due in part to all of the genre and subgenre crossbreeding, or musical hybridization, as it were, by bands and singer/songwriters endeavoring to combine the roots styles of a bygone era with a number of latter-day outsider styles that have since developed throughout the scene. A reasonably new addition to the scene is the Heathen Apostles, a dark roots and gothic country band out of Los Angeles, whose newly released debut on Ratchet Blade Records, “Boot Hill Hymnal,” is a perfect example of this.
Heathen Apostles began when singer/songstress Mather Louth (Radio Noir) and seasoned punk figure Chopper Franklin (The Cramps, Charley Horse), each with a fondness for the darker side of roots-centered music, came together and conspired to develop just such a sound, though based on their very own creative visions and musical ideas. Musician Thomas Lorioux (Kings of Nuthin’) was soon brought into the fold, and baptized a fellow heathen, so that he could contribute upright bass to the project. Together, these three birthed a signature sound built on a foundation of guitar, banjo, mandolin, keyboards, bass, and vocals. Even so, like many other roots artists, the Heathens are fine with employing fellow artists throughout the scene to provide additional instrumentation, just as they had for the album. And…on evidence presented by listening to the album itself, the auxiliary instrumentation by non-members indeed served to lay down layers of sound ornamentation, and, as it were, overall compositional improvement. And that is how such remarkable songs as Red Brick Dust, Dark Was the Night (no, not the Blind Willie Johnson gospel blues masterpiece), Never Forget, The Reckoning, The Dark Pines, and It All Came Down were forged.
Both organic and mechanical, or rather both acoustic and electric, the Heathens’ sound possesses twang and distortion, eerie string arrangements and measured rhythms, finger-picking and foot-stomping, the keen low-end of the upright bass and…a host of other qualities, all of them complemented by the sultry yet haunting female vocals of the lovely Mather Louth. In its way, it is also a rather cinematic sound they have created, evoking both old-timey and present-day imagery. And the dark, fire n’ brimstone poetry of the lyrical content…lines of meaningful words which altogether prove a compass of sorts, its points pausing briefly here and there at dusty desert wastelands to the West, sprawling gray cities to the East, Heaven to the North, and Hell to the South. To get to these musical destinations, there is much in the way of sin and virtue, the saved and the damned, tragic love affairs and that which transpires before the fall, nature and artificiality, pleasure and suffering, beauty and ugliness, sanity and madness, and so on in the way that contraries pull the human heart and soul this direction and that direction. Ultimately where we end up is a mystery, however, a well-kept secret about by the haggard sisters of fate, who sit crooked in their dank and sparsely furnished cells, weave the fabric of life with gnarled fingers on their ancient looms, and to often snip the strings of providence too high or too low.
“Boot Hill Hymnal” can be inserted into the noteworthy category of today’s roots music, beside such comparable artists as Phantom of the Black Hills, Tears of the Moosechaser, Bad Luck City, Sons of Perdition, The Dead Brothers, Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots, Those Poor Bastards, Peter Murphy’s Carver Combo, and the like. Recorded at The Devil’s Doghouse in Echo Park, and produced and mixed by Chopper Franklin himself, “Boot Hill Hymnal” consists of ten all-original tracks of the Heathen Apostles’ dark roots, gothic country, murder balladry, and historic Americana. Some of the songs were composed by Franklin, some by Louth, but in most cases by both of them together…and they did an excellent job in that respect.
While the songs on “Boot Hill Hymnal” are inextricably bound to the present, the modern American South West, but reaches back to long gone years in humankind’s history to come across as a vintage soundtrack to the dusty Depression era, with its filthy faces and empty pockets, its tattered clothes and worn-out shoes, and infertile soil as far as the eye could see; to rattlesnake-handling preachers delivering fevered revival tent sermons while members of the congregation are moved by the spirit and flail about as they speak in tongues; to so many sickbed prayers falling from the dray and cracked lips of those stricken with consumption and nearing their ends; to painted harlots lounging in ornate parlors of brothels on the outskirts of town; to gypsy hexes and acts of six-gun vengeance; to shadowy bounty hunters on horseback, stalking their prey through the moonlight hours; to Johnson Family hobo wanderers sitting around a fire and passing around a bottle of rotgut beneath a rickety covered bridge off a dirt road somewhere in the American countryside; to battered old bibles placed religiously on bedside tables, only a few feet away from the ol’ double-barrel shotgun, and white-robed sinners waiting in line for muddy river baptismal immersions in the Deep South; carrion birds circling overhead, biding their time before descending upon a lover murdered in a violent act of passion; and the like.
That is the Heathen Apostles’ “Boot Hill Hymnal.”
James Carlson – The Examiner
Read the review HERE
