Posted in Whathaveyou on April 25th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Tomorrow, April 26, Indianapolis doomers Apostle of Solitude launch their 20th anniversary European tour at the Grand Paris Sludge festival, embarking on a 14-date run that culminates at the inaugural Desertfest Oslo. The last time the band traveled abroad was in 2018 — the Beforetimes! — and in addition to changes like drummer Corey Webb cutting his hair and losing his beard in favor of a fierce, nigh-on-authoritarian mustache, and bassist Marshall Kreeb joining in place of Mike Naish, let alone being on the other side of a global pandemic, etc., that’s also long enough ago to be before they put out their latest album, 2021’s Until the Darkness Goes (review here). If you were looking for an excuse to see them, the record alone should do it.
As one might when promoting the kind of tour that doesn’t happen every year, the four-piece of Webb, Kreeb, and guitarist/vocalists Chuck Brown and Steve Janiak have posted a new video, for the track “Deeper Than the Oceans” from Until the Darkness Goes. Made in DIY fashion with Kreeb filming and Janiak handling the edits, it’s duly watery in the visuals and a showcase for the song itself, which leads off the second half of the record and is resonant in both its overarching melancholic heft and the emotive crux in Brown and Janiak‘s shared and oft-harmonized vocals.
Over the course of their now-20 years, Apostle of Solitude have always excelled at conveying a sense of defeat or despondency without losing themselves in that musically, and “Deeper Than the Oceans” encapsulates this well. That’s not to say they’re pairing sad-sung verses and choruses with hard-charging thrash — it’s a doom song with water in the title; full-on “big nod coming” dogwhistle for the converted — but while they’re plenty depressive on Until the Darkness Goesand in “Deeper Than the Oceans,” they dwell in more than just that atmospherically, as the build in the midsection after four minutes in demonstrates. They’re never totally hopeless, as brooding or dark as their material might seem.
And believe it or not — and they might take this as an insult but I assure you it’s not meant that way — they’re fun live, too. Yeah, actual fun. Don’t tell them I said that, but if you’re in their path, this tour would be a fitting occasion to show up and find out for yourself as they move on toward a new full-length hopefully sometime in 2025.
Enjoy the video:
Apostle of Solitude, “Deeper Than the Oceans” official video
Apostle of Solitude’s music video for “Deeper than the Oceans” from the album “Until the Darkness Goes” available from Cruz Del Sur Music.https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com
Filmed by Marshall Kreeb Edits: S. Janiak special thanks: Mike Naish
Recorded by Mike Bridavsky at Russian Recording, Bloomington, IN Mixed by Mike Bridavsky Mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room Chicago, Il
Apostle of Solitude 20th Anniversary European Tour: April 26 – Paris, France @ Savigny le Temple, l’Empreinte Grand Paris Sludge April 27 – Martigny, Switzerland @ Les Caves du Manior April 28 – Torino, Italy @ Ziggy Club April 29 – Bologna, Italy @ Freakout Club April 30 – Viareggio, Italy @ Circolo ARCI GOB May 02 – Osnabrück, Germany @ Bastard Club May 03 – Berlin, Germany @ Slaughterhouse Berlin May 04 – Vienna, Austria @ Escape Metalcorner May 05 – Budapest, Hungary @ Robot May 07 – Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof Wiesbaden May 08 – Göppingen, Germany @ Zille May 09 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ Pitcher May 10 – Sebnitz, Germany @ Wonnemond Festival May 11 – Oslo, Norway @ Desertfest Oslo
Apostle of Solitude: Chuck Brown – Guitar, Vocals Corey Webb – Drums Steve Janiak – Guitar, Vocals Marshall Kreeb – Bass
Apostle of Solitude, Full Band Interview, March 3, 2024
(L-R in video: Steve Janiak, Marshall Kreeb, Chuck Brown, Corey Webb)
Apostle of Solitude, Until the Darkness Goes (2021)
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 6th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Over the last several weeks, the inaugural Desertfest Oslo has piece-by-piece announced the remainder of the lineup for May 10 and 11, and the list is substantial. Wolves in the Throne Room, Weedpecker, Kadabra, Steak, Crippled Black Phoenix, Earth Tongue, Apostle of Solitude, Orsak:Oslo, Margarita Witch Cult, REZN, Bongzilla and Slomosa joined the bill one at a time, broadening the scope exponentially in terms of style from searing black metal thrust to sad post-goth to stoner rock of progressive and willfully unprogressive strains and outright ambience, older and newer bands, and geographical range. It’s kind of stunning how commonplace this standard has become for the Desertfest brand over the last decade-plus.
Tickets for each day are also on sale now — in case, what you want to see Acid King and not REZN? it’s okay, I’m not judging; I know people have lives and things to do — but it’s pretty clear looking at the full roster of who’ll play that Desertfest Oslo 2024 is all-in on the thing. And with Kadavar, Monolord, Crippled Black Phoenix and Eyehategod headlining, they’ll rely on a multifaceted draw from the top down through the entire lineup. This feels both like a festival brand reaching into new territory and new collaborations — which it is, absolutely — and a righteous start to what could become a staple of the Spring touring circuit. Do I really need to go on about Norway’s underground boom? Probably not when a hand-picked selection of those responsible are present below to remind you.
Bottom line here is I look forward to seeing how this unfolds even from a distance, but whatever Desertfest Oslo does in the longer term, this is a monster. Behold:
Finally the day splits are here!
As well as day splits we’ve also made single day tickets available from february 29th.
Friday: KADAVAR Monolord Wolves In The Throne Room Acid King Slomosa Weedpecker Håndgemeng Orsak:Oslo Kadabra Earth Tongue Bismarck Karavan Superlynx
Saturday: CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX Brant Bjork EYEHATEGOD REZN The Devil And The Almighty Blues Bongzilla Full Earth Margarita Witch Cult Steak Agabas Saint Karloff Apostle of Solitude Suncraft
Today, Indianapolis doom metallers Apostle of Solitude announce the longest stretch of European touring they’ve done. Anchored by appearances at Grand Paris Sludge, Wonnemond Festival and Desertfest Oslo, it’s not their first time abroad, but it’s special both because they’re going places they’ve never been and it’s how the band are celebrating their 20th anniversary.
Following a pair of formative demos, their debut album, Sincerest Misery (discussed here), came out in 2008 through Eyes Like Snow, and set them on an innovative course that helped define an emotive strain of doom which continues to flesh out today. After the warm-but-for-the-artwork reception their second full-length, Last Sunrise (review here), garnered upon release in 2010, the band offered a pair of splits in 2011 and restructured the lineup around founding members Chuck Brown (guitar/vocals) and Corey Webb (drums), bringing in Bob Fouts (who passed away in 2020) on bass and Steve Janiak of heavy rockers Devil to Pay as a second guitarist and singer.
The addition of Janiak to Apostle of Solitude shouldn’t be discounted as a landmark in the band’s 20-year run. I remember picking up their 2012 Demo (discussed here) at Days of the Doomed in Wisconsin that year and listening to the CD on the long drive home. It wasn’t a full conceptual reset for the band — they were doom before and doom after — but it was the start of a new era, and I’ll gladly put the three records they’ve done since, 2014’s Of Woe and Wounds (review here), 2018’s From Gold to Ash (review here), and 2021’s Until the Darkness Goes (review here), forth as examples of their progression in style and songwriting.
They’ve been talking about their next record for a while now, which is kind of how it goes. In the video interview below, which was conducted this past Sunday afternoon as the band met for rehearsal in Brown‘s basement (recognizable from any number of shared pics over the years), they talk a bit about new material and how they might or might not put it together for a sixth LP, but there’s no concrete recording or release plan at this point, and three years out from the last record, that’s fair. But if it’s 2025 or even 2026 before Apostle of Solitude make their next offering, what, you’re gonna be like, “No, this took too long so I won’t listen?” Probably not.
From Webb and Brown as originals, to Janiak now tenured for 13 years, to bassist Marshall Kreeb, who joined last summer, Apostle of Solitude have a range of perspectives on the band’s history, and I felt fortunate to be able to talk to all of them about it. And let the record show that when called upon to stand up for 20 years of Apostle of Solitude, they indeed stood. I say it to them and I’ll write it here: congratulations on 20 years of Apostle of Solitude.
Enjoy the interview. The tour announcement (fresh today) follows in blue.
Here you go:
Apostle of Solitude, Full Band Interview, March 3, 2024
(L-R in video: Steve Janiak, Marshall Kreeb, Chuck Brown, Corey Webb)
Commemorating their 20th Anniversary, Apostle of Solitude embark on a European tour this spring. The tour begins at the Grand Paris Sludge festival in Paris France on April 26th, and includes 14 shows in 7 different countries (including 5 shows and 2 festival appearances with Eyehategod), concluding at Desertfest Oslo in Oslo, Norway on May 11th. Apostle of Solitude have released five full-length albums since the band’s inception in 2004, the most recent being their 2021 release “Until The Darkness Goes”, on Cruz Del Sur Music.
20th Anniversary EU Tour dates are as follows:
April 26 – Paris, France @ Savigny le Temple, l’Empreinte Grand Paris Sludge April 27 – Martigny, Switzerland @ Les Caves du Manior April 28 – Torino, Italy @ Ziggy Club April 29 – Bologna, Italy @ Freakout Club April 30 – Viareggio, Italy @ Circolo ARCI GOB May 02 – Osnabrück, Germany @ Bastard Club May 03 – Berlin, Germany @ Slaughterhouse Berlin May 04 – Vienna, Austria @ Escape Metalcorner May 05 – Budapest, Hungary @ Robot May 07 – Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof Wiesbaden May 08 – Göppingen, Germany @ Zille May 09 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ Pitcher May 10 – Sebnitz, Germany @ Wonnemond Festival May 11 – Oslo, Norway @ Desertfest Oslo
Apostle of Solitude, Until the Darkness Goes (2021)
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 18th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
To answer the question you most definitely didn’t ask, yeah, I was kind of thinking of posting this Apostle of Solitude December weekender as an excuse to check in and see what’s going on with the band. Thank you for (not) asking. Also the poster is cool!
As to that, what’s going on with Apostle of Solitude and these three shows is… there are three shows… and the band will play them… with… other bands. And doom! Yes. Doom! Doom will be had.
Those who’ve been waiting for word from the Indianapolis-based doomers about a follow-up to 2021’s Until the Darkness Goes (review here) can just keep waiting. Good doom takes time. Apostle of Solitude, nearly 20 years on since being founded by guitarist/vocalist Chuck Brown and drummer Corey Webb, more than 10 since they brought in Steve Janiak (Devil to Pay) on guitar and vocals, brought in new bassist Marshall Kreebthis summer to replace Mike Naish, so one imagines it’s taken some time to get Kreeb integrated into the band, to learn the songs and their we’re-really-goofballs-and-everyone-knows-it-but-we’re-very-serious-in-pictures presentation while they continue to write for the inevitable next release.
2024 for that? Not impossible if they hit it hard over the winter, but I’d be more inclined to think of them recording in the middle or second half of next year and releasing in 2025. The three years between 2018’s From Gold to Ash (review here) and Until the Darkness Goes was pretty standard, but if it’s another whole year before they get an LP out, just imagine how doomed the world will feel by the time it arrives. Mmm, an unknowable and invariably threatening future. Plus doom. Things to look forward to.
From social media:
AOS upcoming shows: Thu Dec 7th at 816 Pint & Slice, Ft Wayne IN w Feticide & The Holy Nothing
Fri Dec 8th at Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee, WI w Carbellion & Lost Tribes of the Moon
Sat Dec 9th at Burlington Bar, Chicago, IL w Faces of the Bog, Arriver & Arbogast
Apostle of Solitude: Chuck Brown – Guitar, vocals Steve Janiak – Guitar, vocals Marshall Kreeb – Bass Corey Webb – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 29th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
So long, Mike Naish, and thanks for the seven years of holding down low end in Apostle of Solitude. Naish, who has also played in Shroud of Vulture, Astral Mass and others, joined the Indianapolis-based doom metallers in 2016, taking the place of Dan Davidson and making his first appearance on record with 2018’s From Gold to Ash (review here) before also performing on 2021’s Until the Darkness Goes (review here). I’ll count both of those as among the finest releases in US doom of the last five years — if you’ve got a list, they’re probably on it, or if not I’d be genuinely interested to know why; and no, I don’t mean that as a challenge — and as Marshall Kreeb, who used to play bass and keys in Devils of Belgrade while also handling engineering, mixing and mastering duties, steps in to fill the role live, the band also reportedly has new music in progress heading toward presumably their next album.
The follow-up to Until the Darkness Goes — whatever it’s called, however completed it is, and whenever it sees release — will be Apostle of Solitude‘s sixth LP overall, and one assumes that it will see release as well in continued alliance with Cruz del Sur Music because, well, that alliance seems to work well for all parties. I don’t know how much touring they’ll do or where, but they have hints in that regard as well, so a bit of general pot-stirring to go with the lineup shuffle. It happened the other day, actually, that I was thinking it had been a few minutes since the last time the band had an update, and I wouldn’t expect a new LP before 2024, but that’s in like six months and not so terribly long from now. When and if I hear more, I’ll post accordingly. Unless I’m told to keep it secret, which also happens sometimes. Shh…
First show with Kreeb is Sept. 1, so they’ve all got some time to get settled in. As per socials:
Friends, due to family and work constraints and commitments, our friend and brother, Mike Naish has unfortunately had to step away from bass duties in Apostle of Solitude. We wish him all the best.
Stepping in to fill that role, Marshall Kreeb (ex-Devils of Belgrade) will join us for our next show at the Melody Inn on Friday September 1st, with Wolftooth and Firebreather (Sweden):https://facebook.com/events/976523766729749/
We have new music, more tour updates and other surprises in the days to come. Thank you for your support.
Posted in Questionnaire on September 19th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Corey Webb from Apostle of Solitude
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
For 19 years now, I have played the drums for Apostle of Solitude. It’s a passion, a labor of love, and a source of balance to other aspects of my life. Thinking back, it seems a bit surreal sometimes how far we’ve taken this idea since the beginning, and the experiences we’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy as a band. AoS is obviously just an underground doom metal band in a sea of other bands doing this on a much larger scale, but I remember when our goal was simply to record a demo and maybe play a show for a few friends, so I truly am grateful for the friends I’ve made along the way and anything we’ve been able to do beyond that. When I started doing this I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to do some of the things I’ve since done. I am forever grateful for the places this journey has taken me.
My own path that led me to play in this band started a bit later in my life than others. I pursued a degree after high school, met my wife, got a “career” sort of job, and got married and shortly after we had our first son. Like others at that age, I was still just sort of finding out who I was as a person. I suppose I had a bit of an identity crisis, where I loved my “at home” life, but more wholistically speaking I basically decided that I couldn’t just work a 9-5 corporate America job every day, come home, mow the lawn, eat dinner, go to bed, rinse and repeat. I quickly became disillusioned with all that and decided there had to be more to it.
There had to be more to me. I wanted something more; some sort of outlet for individual and artistic expression, self-identify, etc. Music had always been an important component in my life, and something that I deeply enjoyed. Tape trading, making mix tapes, buying albums, drawing band logos on my school folders; all that. I played drums / percussion in middle school concert band, and then later marching band in high school, and my dad had an old ‘60s Ludwig kit around the house that I’d play occasionally back then (he was in a wedding band when he was younger), and although I loved playing I never really took it very seriously.
So fast forward to my quarter-life identify crisis of 2003 or so. I’d always been a bit of an introvert and a lone wolf, so I started going to shows by myself. I took photos, started collecting flyers and handbills, and wrote a few reviews. Some I submitted to a few early online sites and local print music publications, but most I just kept for myself. I was just doing it for myself anyway; just sort of exploring. I started to make some friends in the local metal and punk scene here in Indianapolis, and then started helping with flyer distribution for certain bands that I liked. I wanted to be a part of this little scene that’s always been there, but I’d just discovered. Sure I went to bigger sort of actual “concerts” with friends when I was in high school, but otherwise was pretty much wholly unaware of anything closer to the ground than that.
At the time I certainly didn’t realize there was a thriving local music scene with some great bands right under my nose, but I was starting to make the connection. A few months later I bought a cheap Fender guitar and started to learn some chords and whatnot. I had a little 4-track Tascam recorder and started experimenting with recording (that didn’t last long). Sort of toyed with the idea in my head of maybe one day playing in a band, but never really seriously considered it until my friend Steve (Steve Janiak, who also, as fate would have it, happens to play in AoS now) suggested to my buddy Carl Arana and I that we should start a band. This was at a show at The Melody Inn, a small but famous Indianapolis rock club, at a show for Steve’s band Devil To Pay, who Carl and I were both big fans of. Carl and I both sort of laughed it off at the time, but I believe it was like the very next day when we were like “dude, yeah let’s give it a shot”.
Carl had recently moved to Indiana from California and was one of the first new friends I met going to local shows. We were both walking down an alley looking for the entrance to a show featuring Devil To Pay (from Indianapolis), Slow Horse (from New York), and The Rubes (from Ohio). Both Carl and I sort of recognized each other as having “the look” of someone looking for the show, so we introduced ourselves as we were looking for the club. Absolutely killer show, by the way, and “the club” ended up being a private studio (“Ventilator Studios”) with a sort of DIY “donation to drink from the keg” sort of deal. After that Carl and I became good friends and decided to start jamming together and see where it might take us.
I ditched the guitar (I think it currently still has the same set of strings on it as when I bought it, ha) and bought a cheap entry level Ludwig drum kit. We wrote a few songs together and made some rehearsal recordings under the moniker “Tri Power”. We also got together with Steve and recorded some of those same ideas with the 3 of us under the moniker “Arlorey Eve”. We were so proud of that little CD-R, and gave about 20 copies or so out to friends. That felt so good at the time. It was like “hey man, we can do this!”. Carl had a great ear for music (still does), and came up with some pretty killer guitar riffs. Then the bottom sort of fell out for me a few months later when Carl moved back out to California. I decided I still wanted to do something with this, but I was honestly a bit intimidated about playing with someone else.
Being new to all this, the notion of linking up with more seasoned musicians was definitely intimidating. I met up with Chuck Brown via a local “musicians wanted” message board, and we talked online a bit, and then decided to get together to jam. At the time, Chuck played drums in The Gates of Slumber, so Apostle of Solitude was more of a side project to him in that regard. He had some songs from a prior band that he had called The Keep, which sort of petered out and then he decided to regroup and call it Apostle of Solitude.
The first time we got together, it was Chuck, Brent McClellan on bass, and me. I’m not sure if those guys considered it an audition or not, but from my perspective we were just getting together to see how things would click. I think we played Saint Vitus’ “Born Too Late”, and three or four songs from a demo cd that Chuck sent to me. Maybe one or two of the songs that eventually ended up on the first AoS demo we put out? I don’t recall exactly. The short-term goal was just to record some songs and play a few shows, which was perfect for me and all I really wanted at the time. Nearly 20 years on, Apostle of Solitude continues to play doom metal from the heart and with absolute sincerity. Our music seems to connect with people on a very personal level, which is something we are pretty proud of.
Describe your first musical memory.
Probably my dad’s blue sparkle Ludwig kit set up in our living room. I grew up on ’80s heavy metal, but before that it was ’60s and ’70s “classic rock” from my dad’s record collection. Of course as a teenager it took some time before I realized that some of the music my dad listened to was actually good music. Like most kids, at the time I was thinking “that’s what my parents liked, so it couldn’t be cool, right? No way”. I gravitated at an early age towards the heavier, grittier, and darker sounds with BIG drums and loud guitars. I distinctly remember the day I first heard Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks.”
I was in 4th or 5th grade, and my dad put the record on the hi-fi stereo in our living room. Referencing the posters from Hit Parader, Creem, etc. (then later on, Metal Maniacs, etc.) on my bedroom walls featuring spandex-clad androgynous rockers, he said something to the effect of “son, let me show you what REAL music sounds like”, ha. I reluctantly agreed and sat down in the chair as he proceeded to drop the needle onto the record. As corny as it may sound, that moment changed my life. Though I probably didn’t really openly admit it to him or myself at the time, that was the first time I realized some of the music my dad listened to was actually cool. But also, and more importantly, John Henry Bonham, right? I don’t think you can really call yourself a rocker if you hear the beginning of that song and don’t want to air drum. I knew then that someday I wanted to do something that captured that same sort of feeling, and that thought has never really left me.
Another early memory: Somewhere in Time was the first Maiden record I bought on the day it was released, and I can still remember that excitement. It seems to me it was a bit more exciting back then to buy a record on its release date. The thrill of going to the record store to pick the album up and then going home and listening to it as you poured through the liner notes and album art were all very tangible things.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
The first time Apostle of Solitude went to Europe was a real trip. By that time we’d already done multiple US tours primarily consisting of the Midwest, the east coast states, and the southern states; but this was our first time touring internationally, and it was so exciting. Everything was like a new frontier. We booked eight consecutive dates through six different countries culminating in a performance at the legendary Hammer of Doom festival in Wurzburg, Germany. The first stop on that tour and our fist time playing for an audience outside the US was at the Doom Over Vienna festival at the Viper Room in Vienna, Austria. Being totally immersed in another country and another culture like that is cool, regardless. Everyone was so friendly and appreciative, and in a way we really felt like we were doing something big; I know I did. We had a big touring van and a driver, and a guarantee for most nights with accommodations. Stuff we hadn’t really experienced yet on prior tours in the US.
Chuck had already been over to EU with The Gates of Slumber in 2004, but this was the first time for the rest of us. Our bass player Mike had just joined the band about a year prior to that so we finally felt like we were firing on all cylinders, and to be doing it in front of audiences in France, Belgium, Poland, The Netherlands, and Germany felt great. Playing on the big stage at the Hammer of Doom festival for the first time on that tour is something I’ll never forget. We’d played several US doom fests but Hammer of Doom is something on an altogether different scale. HUGE stage, and a crowd larger than we’d ever been in front of before. The “house kit” included my choice of like six different type of snare drums and multiple options for cymbal sizes and makes. We had our own separate green room with our name on the door, proper catering, fans asking for autographs, the whole nine. We were like “yeah, so let’s definitely do more of this.”.
That memory is probably at the top of my list, but prior to that holding our first demo in my hands, then later releasing our first album on vinyl and cd (on an actual record label!), playing our very first show outside the mini barn we used to practice in, the first proper tour we did (nine or 10 dates through the East Coast… one of them being for a crowd of two people at a tavern in New Jersey), playing our first doom metal festivals in those earlier days (Doom or Be Doomed in Maryland, Templars of Doom in Indiana, Born Too Late in New York, Born To Be Doomed in Maryland, Days of the Doomed in Wisconsin, Stoner Hands of Doom, then a bit later the first Maryland Doom Fest, etc.) are all also on the list.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
My marriage and thus my family are interracial, and this was a bit of a first for both my wife’s and my families. I’ve always subscribed to the notion that “love is blind”, and have never had any issue whatsoever with relationships outside one’s race or sex, etc. I grew up in a fairly diverse environment and it just wasn’t something I really thought about. And I’ll say my parents and immediate family have always been absolutely supportive of me, my wife, and our kids in that regard. When my wife and I first met and first started dating, I never really even considered that we might get static for being together. But we do live in a fairly conservative area of the country so I’ve since learned that being in an interracial relationship means sometimes ignorant people might be judgmental and might think it’s their business to let you know they don’t approve. Shortly before we got married I had an older, sort of old school extended family member that really acted like an ass about it, and went so far as to threaten to “remove my name from the family tree” (like that’s a thing). It was both hurtful and embarrassing to be honest, but I was angry more than anything. That person apologized to me years later on their deathbed at the hospital, but I carried that resentment around with me for a long time before that, and I probably still do a bit. I suppose I thought blood was thicker than water, but that’s not always the case.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Refinement of the things you do well and/or evolution and change from what you previously did. With art, its obviously subjective so sometimes this means the band or artist you like creates something you like even more; other times it means the band you once liked made an album you absolutely cannot stand to listen to. My opinion is that the best art, art that is true to it’s creator, is always deeply personal, so as the person creating art evolves so does their personal expression through their art. There’s nothing at all wrong with taking into consideration what others might like as an ingredient to your recipe, but ideally I think that notion should be a secondary ingredient to your creation.
That said I love AC/DC, so take all that with a grain of salt. What was that Angus Young quote?….”I’m sick to death of people saying we’ve made 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we’ve made 12 albums that sound exactly the same”. So in my opinion artistic progression is certainly a good thing, but it’s not necessarily a requirement.
How do you define success?
Happiness.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I was walking in the woods once with a friend, and we walked up on a deer that had gotten its leg caught in an old piece of farm fence and had either starved to death or gotten killed by something. The deer had obviously been dead for quite some time. It was summertime, and the carcass was swollen up like three times its normal size. The eyes looked to be gone and decay had set in. The hair had started falling off in clumps, and the skin was stretched around the bones like old leather in the hot sun. Absolutely smelled to high heaven (I can’t stress this fact enough, we actually smelled it before we saw it… so nasty). Well, as we got closer we noticed it was moving (!). And making this weird grunting / slurping noise. My friend and I both sort of froze in our tracks and just stood there trying to figure out if we were tripping or what. The grunting continued, and the carcass continued to move in these sort of jerky motions and just as we both were looking at each other like “dude wtf” a wild hog crawls out of the deer carcass, absolutely covered in guts from its rooter to its tooter. It just stood there blinking at us as it’s eyes adjusted to the sunlight outside of the deer carcass, and then it walked away casually. Looking back it’s a bit of a funny story, but it seemed to be the pentacle of “things that are not pleasurable to look at” at the time.
Oh and I also watched all the Faces of Death VHS tapes when I was younger. In retrospect I definitely wish I hadn’t done that, ha.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
The next Apostle of Solitude album. We also have some things we’re working on for a potential collaboration, but I need to keep a lid on those plans for now.
I’ve always been a “one band” sort of guy commitment wise, but someday I’d like to play drums in another project; possibly something much different than Apostle of Solitude. Maybe something along the lines of Grand Funk, Free, or Lynyrd Skynyrd? ;)
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
If an artist makes something that’s true to themselves, but someone else also connects with it on a personal level, that’s magic. If it changes the way the viewer or listener sees things, or the way they approach things, that’s even better. And if the viewer or listener hates it or are offended by it, that’s still good. There’s a connection there that’s specific to this human experience, and it’s a special thing in this world.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Probably our next family vacation, though I’m not sure where or when. Our oldest son graduated high school this summer and he’s working now and taking college courses, so it’s getting more difficult to coordinate that sort of thing. We went to the San Francisco area last October and absolutely loved it out there. We got to see some of the redwood trees in and around Muir Woods, but I’d really like to go further up the coast and inland a bit to see the Sequoia trees. It’s absolutely beautiful out there, and while I love my home state, California is definitely a bit of fresh air in more ways than one compared to the Midwest.
This year’s Maryland Doom Fest has already begun. It started last night and will continue through Sunday, packing as much volume as possible between the first switched on amplifier and the final, inevitable broom swept across the floor afterward at Cafe 611 in Frederick, MD, where the fest is held. These shows are jammed. They start early. They go late. There’s nothing else quite like Maryland Doom Fest out there, and when you go, you’re made welcome whether you’re a regular or not. It’s too intimate a space and too cool a crowd for bullshit attitudes to survive. Relax and enjoy the tunes.
I’m sad to say I’m not there this year — let’s call it “family stuff” and leave it there — but the lineup is incredible and I wanted to do at least some tiny measure of tribute to that, so here we are. Some of these bands are MDDF veterans — Apostle of Solitude, Zed, Foghound, Faith in Jane, Caustic Casanova, etc. — but some are new to the event as well — Coven, Great Electric Quest, Formula 400, and others — so it’s a good mix, and you know I’m a sucker for ending epic, so The Age of Truth seemed perfect for that. They’re gonna kill it this weekend playing songs from Resolute and everyone there will know it long before they go on and they’ll still kill it. That’s just how it goes down there. You’re gonna have a good time.
Thanks if you listen, thanks if you’re reading. Thanks in general. And if you’re at the fest this weekend, enjoy it.
The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at: http://gimmemetal.com.
Full playlist:
The Obelisk Show – 06.24.22 (VT = voice track)
Coven
Wicked Woman
Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls
Zed
Chingus
Volume
Apostle of Solitude
Apathy in Isolation
Until the Darkness Goes
VT
Problem With Dragons
Live by the Sword
Accelerationist
Horseburner
A Joyless King
The Thief
Thunderbird Divine
Qualified
Magnasonic
Heavy Temple
A Desert Through the Trees
Lupi Amoris
Great Electric Quest
Seeker of the Flame
Chapter II – Of Earth
Formula 400
Ridin’ Easy
Heathens
Horehound
Hiraeth
Collapse
VT
Shadow Witch
Witches of Aendor
Under the Shadow of a Witch
Faces of Bayon
Ethereality
Heart of the Fire
Ol’ Time Moonshine
Raven vs. Hawk
The Apocalypse Trilogies
Caustic Casanova
Truth Syrup
God How I Envy the Deaf
Foghound
Known Wolves
Awaken to Destroy
Orodruin
Into the Light of the Sun
Ruins of Eternity
Faith in Jane
Gone Are the Days
Mother to Earth
Alms
The Offering
Act One
Guhts
The Mirror
Blood Feather
VT
The Age of Truth
Return to the Ships
Resolute
The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is July 8 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.
About five minutes after I sent in this playlist, a mass email went out from Gimme Metal to reinforce the guidelines for how to make shows in terms of length and allowing room for promos, voice tracks, and so on. If in fact that’s more than coincidence, I won’t say I didn’t earn it, considering. Some of this stuff I’ve played before — Apostle of Solitude, Uncle Woe, Scott Kelly probably — but a lot of it is new too. If you’ve been on the site at all this week, you’ve probably already seen premieres for Soldat Hans, Uncle Woe and Ealdor Bealu (the latter today), and Moura and that new Geezer were recently featured here as well. You see? It’s all about cross-promotional synergy between varying sides of the massive corporate machine that is The Obelisk. We own Coca-Cola now, if you didn’t know. A recent pickup.
Keep an ear out for the shift from MWWB to Tau and the Drones of Praise. There’s some weirdo back and forth in the playlist here that I love, especially in that middle block of music. I tried to talk less and cram in as much music as I could. You know how it is. Next time, I’ll try to keep it to the established timeframe. I try to be good. And no, The Obelisk didn’t really buy Coca-Cola. Not that I would if I could, but I can’t even afford a can thereof, let alone the company itself.
Thanks if you listen, thanks if you’re reading. Thanks in general.
The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at: http://gimmemetal.com.
Full playlist:
The Obelisk Show – 03.18.22
Apostle of Solitude
Apathy in Isolation
Until the Darkness Goes
Crowbar
Zero and Below
Zero and Below
Geezer
Broken Glass
Stoned Blues Machine
VT1
Deathwhite
Earthtomb
Grey Everlasting
Daisychain
How Can I Love You
Different Shades
Moura
Baile do dentón
Axexan, Espreitan
Ealdor Bealu
Mirror Reflecting Mirror
Psychic Forms
MWWB
The Harvest
The Harvest
Tau and the Drones of Praise
Already Written
Dream Awake: Live at Roadburn Redux
Atlas789
El Despertar – Luz Y Sombra
El Despertar – Luz Y Sombra
Dark Worship
Culling Song
Death of a Saint
Scott Kelly & the Road Home
The Field That Surrounds Me
The Forgiven Ghost in Me
Famyne
Once More
II
Kaleidobolt
I Should Be Running
This One Simple Trick
VT2
Uncle Woe
We Plant the Seeds for Things We Know Will Never Grow
Pennyfold Haberdashery & Abbatoir Deluxe
Soldat Hans
Anthaupt
Anthaupt
E-L-R
Opiate the Sun
Vexier
The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is April 1 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.
Apostle of Solitude 20th Anniversary European Tour:
