Apostle of Solitude: Last Sunrise (2010)

Review

I picked up Last Sunrise, the sophomore full-length from Indiana doomsters Apostle of Solitude, on a whim when ordering from Profound Lore. Sometimes what you find can be far from what you expect.

Pay more attention to the band name than the horrible album art: this is straight doom metal. During the lumbering instrumental that opens the album, they sound more like The Gates of Slumber than anything else, and the riffs in the next few songs continue in that vein. But there's something very odd about them. Their vocalist sounds like he would be a better fit for Candlebox than Candlemass, with a clean, pain-filled singing style straight out of grunge. It's more than a little turn-off at first, but it could grow on you, and "Acknowledging the Demon" is a great slow-burner to whet your appetite.


After the first few TGOS-like, short burts of song, they enter "Letting Go of the Wheel". The 9 minute track is minimalist, featuring sparse drumming and clean echo-laden guitars, drawing a lot of attention to the vocals and recalling some of Acid Bath's softer moments. It's a nice effort, but not enough to grab me; nor is the follow-up heavier track much to speak of.

Thankfully, "December Drives Me to Tears" puts things in perspective, showing what this band really has to offer. For the first half, it's another soft one with echo effects, adding in understated piano, and then it gets heavy and just plain good. After another couple of tries at straight doom, they give a similarly great closing track with Acid Bath similarities.



The Verdict: It's a little hard for me to get into this band. If you like grunge and doom metal, there's a good chance you'll love it. But for me, much of it was forgettable and the band seemed not to know what they're about. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.