apostle of solitude

Indy doom dealers find a light in the darkness

The first thing that strikes listeners upon first hearing the fifth album by doom veterans Apostle of Solitude is how, for all the beautiful, slow melancholy going on, there’s more of a sense of urgency in the music this time around. Clocking in at just over 36 minutes, Until the Darkness Goes wastes no time grabbing one’s attention, and in the process just might be the Indianapolis band’s finest work to date. ¶ “For this album in particular, the end result was a very honest reflection of how things felt over the past couple years,” says drummer Corey Webb. “The roots of those songs began before the pandemic, but the emotional weight of the times, so to speak, is definitely apparent in these songs. We all have personal struggles, which seemed to be amplified by world events during the writing of this album.” ¶ Right. That damn pandemic. “This overriding sense of uncertainty and worry sort of permeated through to the music,” Webb adds. “Having to reschedule the recording

three to four times did, however, give us ample time to really let these songs marinate, so when we finally were able to set up for a few days, we were ready, and everything went smoothly and comfortably. The songs were tight and we were confident in our direction, so it felt good to finally put these songs to tape.

“We made the decision early on that this album might be a bit more focused than prior records. The production was stepped up a bit as well, so this is a more refined version of all the things that we think we do well as a band. We’ve done the 15-minute ‘Sincerest Misery’ dirges before, so it felt right to go straight for the throat on this one, with a bit more direct approach.”

One of the best things about melodic doom metal is how it can be comforting to wallow in misery, the music enveloping the listener like a quilt as the snow blows outside. When it comes to Apostle of Solitude, it always feels like there’s the faintest glimmer of optimism cracking through the darkness, but especially on this record. With a mostly bleak 2021 in the rearview, such sentiment is especially welcome.

“Each of us in this band is drawn to this sort of music for our own reasons that are reflected in the music, but hope is always present,” says Webb. “Without hope, sometimes there’s not much else, is there? There has always got to be hope for something better, for some sort of good in this world to ultimately prevail; otherwise there’s not much point to anything. It’s easy to get lost in the blues sometimes, but it’s important to remember that there is hope.”