Apostle of Solitude
"Embraced by the Black" EP
Self-Released

By Rev. Psycho Matthias

Apostle of Solitude is back with three more songs of somber doom metal, arriving just in time for those of you who suffer from seasonal affectional disorder and depression in general. Right away, the first song "Last Tears" establishes the overall pace for the EP with its palm-muted marching-into-battle riffing that induces the listener into instant head banging. All you ragers and moshers will get into this part of the song before the band breaks down to a doomy part, just to remind you of where they stand in the metal musical universe. Fear not, Chuck Brown and Justin Avery trade off licks at a progressively-faster pace before returning to the "instant-head banging" riff that also concludes the song, along with an outro lead by Chuck.

The second track "Curse of a Gift" starts at a more doomy pace with plenty of sustaining leads before going into the main riff, at which Chuck's unique and clean vocals (not enough of this in this screamo and guttural age) kick in right away. The main riff is another great one that induces the listener into instant head banging. As with the first song, this one also breakdowns in the middle to a (seemingly) slower pace, during which Chuck and Justin trade off solos while Corey Webb (drums) and Brent McClellan (bass) hold down the thunderous low end. The band builds back up to the verse section which ends the song.

"Life Like Quicksand" starts with Chuck doing volume swells on his guitar with a lot of vibrato before the rest of the band kicks in with the doom. The verse sections contain organ emulation sounds that some listeners might not notice, however, they stood out for me and I felt they added to the old-school doom feel. This song moves at a very dirge-y pace up until the end, when Corey hits on the floor toms and AOS starts rockin' out, with plenty of wah-drenched soloing from Chuck amidst all the ragin'. The EP thus comes full circle, ending at the same pace as it began.

Overall, I think this is very great sounding EP. This is probably one of Mike Downton's finest moments as a producer. All the instruments were loud, clear, and EQ’ed appropriately for their roles. Granted, this EP doesn't have the presence of the higher-budget metal releases, but this is doom metal and it NEEDS to sound dark to fit the overall atmosphere of the music. The End of Days has arrived and what holy wars over oil won't kill, global warming will and this, along with the first demo, will make a fine soundtrack for the doom and gloom destined to unfold. I recommend you buy both AOS releases, put them on a single CD-R with the proper track listing, and listen to that CD-R as you take your Prozac, watch the news on TV, and engage in your role as a consumer whore.

For fans of: '70s Black Sabbath, Place of Skulls, The Obsessed, Solitude Aeturnus, Pentagram, and Candlemass