Great Heathen Apostles 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
Heathen Apostles’ “Fire to the Fuse” Reviewed 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 thelyrical 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
Review of Heathen Apostles’ “Fool’s Gold” Single
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
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Radar: Heathen Apostles
Out of the City of Angels comes a devilish band with a dark twist on classic American country, bluegrass and murder balladry. 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.
Four Star Review of POTBH’s “Moonshine Bright”
The new Chopper Franklin produced Phantom of the Black Hills album Moonshine Bright has been reviewed by The Examiner, it received 4 of 5 stars:
Phantom of the Black Hills, one of the outlaw music scene’s favorite bands of renegade pickers, stummers, pluckers and bangers, is back with a new album on Ratchet Blade Records, Moonshine Bright. Continuing to terrorize the musical wagon trail of the current roots revival with their signature sound of doom country, frontier-core and hellbilly punk, Phantom of the Black Hills’ most recent collection of songs is as powerful and violent as the fiery blast of an old blunderbuss, with each deadly projectile hitting a different mark.
Throughout Moonshine Bright Phantom of the Black Hills lay down some mean distorted chords, plenty of pickin’ and strummin’, hillbilly fiddin’, strong drums, and gritty outlaw vocals. The opening song, which is also the title track, is as dirty and intoxicating and homegrown as the contents of the musical barrel in which it was distilled. “Hellbetties Risin’,” the first single from Moonshine Bright, is a raw cowpunk offering with male and female vocals, is as sharp as the edge of a boot knife. “In Hell” takes a lawbreaker anthem which rides like hell for the horizon, loot in hand, putting some distance between oneself and the hangman’s noose, yet knowing full well that when the times comes hell will be one’s ultimate destination. “The Storm is my Shelter” is about as close to traditional country music as Phantom of the Black Hills get, but it is still pretty far removed from the purist idea of the genre, which is decidedly a good thing. The closer, “A Life for an Eye,” is a little different from the rest of the album in that it is garagey roots rock and dark country punk hybrid.
Moonshine Bright by Phantom of the Black Hills is available from the Ratchet Blade Records webstore here.
by James G. Carlson
The Examiner
read the review online by clicking HERE
Heathen Apostles’ “Without A Trace” 4 Star Review
‘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.
Heathen Apostles’ “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).
Another Rave Boot Hill Hymnal Review
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.
Heathen Apostles’ “Boot Hill Hymnal” 5 of 5 Review on DarkestJack.com
Artist: Heathen Apostles
Album: Boot Hill Hymnal
Label: Ratchet Blade Record
Released: 2013
Website: www.heathenapostles.com
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
Heathen Apostles “Boot Hill Hymnal” Reviewed at 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
Order Boot Hill Hymnal HERE
Phantom of the Black Hills ENEMY! Reviewed in UBER ROCK
Phantom Of The Black Hills – ‘Enemy’ (Ratchet Blade Records)
CD Reviews
Written by Gaz E
You remember how it was when you were a rock kid buying albums with your pocket money, selecting which ones were gonna go home with you purely on their cover art, generally finding out that they sucked all kinds of arse? Well, as the years have gone by, it usually works the other way: I look at an album cover now, sigh, and think of how much time I will waste listening to what lies inside and then trying to write something worthwhile about it, sometimes finding an unlikely gem.
Kinda happened that way with ‘Enemy’, the third album from the mysterious Phantom of the Black Hills.
Masked figures being lynched on the front cover, masked men holding banjos and big fucking knives on the back – this was going to be one of those 45 minutes that I wasn’t going to get back in a hurry, I guessed……but I guessed wrong.
With no clue as to who is actually behind the masks – I’d guess that the band is made up of the members of various other bands but I couldn’t (be arsed to) find out who on the ol’ interweb – I had no clue what to expect when I slipped the disc into my death deck; another of those ‘comedic’ stabs at a country album by someone who should know better was at the top of my list. Thankfully I was wrong again, way wrong.
‘Battle Cry’ opens the album and does exactly what it says on the tin. The Phantom is described as a hellbilly/doom country band and that’s exactly what I got….and a fine example of that curious genre chimera at that. There’s a whiff of the more cinematic moments of Rob Zombie’s newer solo material about the vocals, some Al Jourgensen too, before you remember that Al actually turned in his own attempt at this genre around a year ago; that album by Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters a bit of a mess, truth be told. ‘Enemy’ blows it away, sharp, rather than shit, shooter style.
The follow-up to 2010′s ‘Born To Gun’ album, itself following 2009′s ‘Ghosts’, ‘Enemy’ was produced by Cramps bassist Chopper Franklin and mixed by legendary punk producer Geza X (Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, The Germs), having me thinking once again that these mystery men are players in more than just the doom countryside. But I digress, it mattering little anyway – this is a great album; filthy of tongue, keenly-produced, and hugely impressive.
The album’s dirty dozen tracks fly by, making a mockery of its running time. From the aforementioned opener to ‘Read My Bible’, the album’s closing track, The Phantom and his bad pack mix traditional country instruments – the banjo, fiddle and mandolin, the secretive press release informing me, pushed more to the front than on the album’s predecessors – with distorted guitar and vocals, this album seemingly leaning more heavily on samples and loops: many prime examples of hard-hitting, controversial dialogue permeating the raw, rusty sounds of the record. “Violence is as American as apple pie” – yes, that’s a quote that we’ve heard many times before but here…it just seems right, a tight fit.
Whoever they really are, Phantom of the Black Hills cuts the throat of convention and bleeds out an album cooler than the blade of their frontman’s impressive weapon. The penultimate song on the album is ‘Call Your Bluff’ – sums it up really.
Read the review on the UBER ROCK site by clicking HERE
Phantom of the Black Hills’ ENEMY! Gets 9 Star Review in Ox Magazine (Germany)
Finally, a band from that stands out from the musical pabulum: PHANTOM OF THE BLACK HILLS are in a separate category that really speaks for them. There are some musicians that go in a similar direction (Hellbilly or Doom Country) such as Hank III and ASSJACK, Hipbone Slim or in the broadest sense Bob Wayne. The CRAMPS have already proved in the Seventies what depth this kind of sound can have. You can hear the CRAMPS in the PHANTOM OF THE BLACK HILLS, which is probably because the album was produced by their ex-bassist Chopper Franklin and mixed by punk legend Geza X (DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG etc.). The special feature is the Phantom’s especially brutal use of fiddle and banjo, which is reinforced by striking guitar riffs and very critical lyrics. Overall, the result is a brutal, varied album, suitable for both line dancing as well as the Pogo. (9 stars) Igor Eberhard, Ox-Fanzine, Germany
Berlin Brats “Believe it or Rot: 1973 – 1976” Reviewed
An older but still great review of the only full length release by Hollywood’s Berlin Brats has been brought to our attention, read it here:
EXHUMED: Berlin Brats Believe It or Rot 1973-76 LP
Finally, Hollywood’s first and foremost New York Dolls worshipping glam scum (and best band to appear in a Cheech and Chong movie), The Berlin Brats, have been given their just dessert with the release of Believe It Or Rot: 1973-1976. Eleven tracks of great, glammy, rock n’ roll recorded in what sounds like a fallout shelter. The obligatory inclusion of the “(I’m) Psychotic” 7” is found here on the A-side as well three other studio cuts, apparently discovered on a “lost” tape that one can assume had been left next to a boiler for the last three decades.
The second side of the LP features six live tracks, with slight repetition setting in during the reappearance of “(I’m) Psychotic” and “Vinyl.” A good cover of the Stones’ “Surprise, Surprise” and Mr. Berry’s “Bye Bye Johnny” mix in with a smattering of originals last heard when Iggy was a platinum blonde – all adequate documents of the moister side of rock n’ roll, circa the mid-1970’s.
Berlin Brats
Across the board, the sound is tinny and thin but the punch is as raw and vicious as ever, so if the Berlin Brats come off as a poor man’s Dolls, then that’s because they were more desperate and hungry than their East Coast inspiration. What the BB’s lacked in skill and originality they more than made up for in their attack (in an almost identical manner to the UK’s Hollywood Brats – I’m beginning to see a theme here…). This is the shit, fuckers.
Berlin Brats in 1976
Read the review on the Victim of Time site by clicking HERE
OG LA Punk “Scorched Earth Policies” Reviewed on Rock Over America
Established in 1977, resulting from the breakup of their former band the Berlin Brats, OG LA punk band the Mau Maus have a notorious reputation as trouble makers. With the release of their first legitimate recorded album ‘Scorched Earth Policies: Then and Now’, the band has given their fans something tangible, as they have been craving for almost forty years.
With the legendary Rick Wilder filling the position of front man; Robbie Krieger, Michael Livingston, and Greg Salva on guitar; Scott “Chopper” Franklin on bass; and Paul “Black” Mars on drums, the band has become an icon in the Punk scene. Though Wilder is the only original member still standing, all have a chemistry that is undeniably powerful. Their drive and ability to create a lasting sound has made them a permanent staple in the music industry.
Mau Maus 1982
With a history like The Mau Maus, there is no escaping their reputation. Band members changing like the days of the week, cops appearing at their doorstep about five times a night, and starting uncountable riots, the band hasn’t just made their mark on music, they’ve made it on society. Incorporating both songs from their past as well as recently written and recorded songs from today, they have pieced together a compelling album that will be played for many decades to come.
Rick Wilder
Kicking of their album with “(I’m) Psychotic”, they already paint a picture of just who they really are. The dominant bass line, sweet guitar solos, extremely fun chorus, and just about as much china as you can handle introduces The Mau Maus in the best way possible. “Warbaby” is the perfect song for one who’s looking for the angst expected from angry rockers. With impressive guitar riffs and a single amazing guitar solo the song has become a fan favorite. “Joyride (to the End of the World)”, written by Wilder, is one of the slower (however, not slow at all), and more powerful songs. “Doomsdaze”, one of the most enjoyable songs on the album, opens with the group yelling, “Yeah, yeah, yeah” which continues throughout the song, giving off the loud, rambunctious vibe loved by all Punk listeners.
Mau Maus 1982
Though they’re what would be considered veterans of the scene, The Mau Maus plan on releasing another album in the future. With talent like theirs, there is no reason not to. The Mau Maus have been an influential band throughout the entire OG LA Punk industry since 1977 and are continuing to influence bands in today’s music scene.
Phantom of the Black Hills “ENEMY!” Reviewed in New Edition
Phantom Of The Black Hills – ENEMY!
Ratchet Blade Records
Wow. After 2 great albums that sound like nothing I’ve heard before (doom country), along comes the third album that sounds a little different because the country influences has moved forward some in the overall sound. The big difference is that banjo, mandolin and fiddle take more space and I really like that. The mean sounding guitar and the hard driving bass are still there and they make this bands still sound like one of a kind.
All that along with lyrics that could have been written by an angry Hank Williams if he still was alive today, and with vocals that for some reason reminds me of Hasil Adkins, they have an unbeatable mixture. With this they have a formula that no other band has come close to finding. If this album gets some wide circulation my guess is that there will be other bands trying this formula.
It´s an album that is hard, brutal and beautiful at the same time, a rock´n´roll answer for the Sam Peckinpah movie The Wild Bunch. Buy buy buy.
Razorcake Review of the Mau Maus’ Scorched Earth Policies
THE MAU MAUS
Scorched Earth Policies: Then & Now
Formed from the ashes of legendary Los Angeles glam rock band Berlin Brats, the Mau Maus have proven to be one of punk rock’s more tenacious groups, with lineups having existed in five different decades now—and yet despite forming in 1977—prior to this CD, the only legitimate recordings one could find were two tracks featured on the second Hell Comes to Your House compilation. In an effort to both clear the vaults and make up for lost time, this features six tracks recorded in 1983 and produced by Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger (who also lays down a barnburner solo on one track), plus eight tracks of more recent vintage that meld fairly seamlessly with the earlier tunes, making this the definitive showcase for this band’s take on punk rock: one part Dolls, one part Stones, mix in a whole lotta attitude ‘n’ hostility and set the whole fuckin’ thing ablaze. An all-around swell collection complete with extensive liner notes, pics, and some of the finest punk rockin’ you’re likely ever gonna come across.
Jimmy Alvarado
Razorcake Magazine
Mau Maus In-Store Review
The Mau-Maus
Permanent Records, Eagle Rock, CA
by Michael Essington
A couple of years back I wrote a review for a show I went to at the Redwood in Los Angeles. The show was Mau-Maus, Billy Bones and Symbol Six. Fun show, but I wasn’t overly enthused with the Mau-Maus performance. Now I didn’t fully slag them off, but I could have been a little nicer in my review.
Anyway, a year and a half, or so, later Mr. Rick Wilder shoots me an email saying that I was probably 99% accurate in my review. This surprised the shit out of me. Usually when a review doesn’t go a band’s way I get cursed at and told I know nothing about music. Not in this case. Mr. Wilder was a true gentleman and has become a bit of a friend. So, I told him to be fair, I’d come and check them out again next time they play.
On June 3, 2012, Permanent Records in Eagle Rock, CA created an event page on Facebook for an in-store show with the Mau-Maus promoting their new album, SCORCHED EARTH POLICIES: then and now.
Two or three weeks back I went to lunch with master photographer Edward Colver, and after lunch we stopped into Permanent Records. So, I knew exactly where it was. Great streamlined shop. Unlike most used records shops it’s not over-run with clutter.
Show is scheduled for 6:00, and I tried to take a shortcut which made me about twenty minutes late. I hate being late. Ran into the shop at about 6:25, 6:27. The shop was pretty empty. I figured Mau-Maus went on at 6:00, blew through their set and I missed the whole fucking thing. I went up to the counter, and asked the lady sitting there if “I missed the set?” She said, “No,” they were waiting for the opening band to set up. Whew.
I stood around and waited, no opening band. I bumped into a couple of friends who I saw the Mau-Maus with two years ago, Mary and Frank. Then a friend of my late uncle Rick’s comes up and introduces himself, Danny from Warning Label Records out of Boston. Small frickin’ world.
As I’m talking to Danny I hear the crowd start to buzz, “He’s here, he’s here.” The party has started. Rick Wilder, Michael Livingston, Scott Franklin and Paul Black did a few final tune-ups and they launched into a kick-ass set. My main complaint last time I saw them was I couldn’t hear Mr. Wilder’s vocals, not the case this time. The mike was held close to the grill throughout his performance.
Only problems they had was the mikes cut out once, then, I think, the amps cut for a minute. Both resolved quickly and then back to a powerful set.
Rick Wilder is a cool front man, people are drawn to him. You want to see what he’s going to do. And I have to mention Michael Livingston, he is such a great guitarist that it’s almost unbelievable.
Afterwards, Rick gave me a copy of their new album to review, and I hung out with him for a bit. The album review will be here soon, buy a copy. All in all, a great show.
Promo Video for Phantom of the Black Hills’ “Enemy”
A new short promo video for the Summer 2012 Ratchet Blade Records release of “Enemy” is up, the record is currently being mixed by producer extraordinaire Geza X (Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Mau Maus).
Doghouse Lords Free Download
Get a free download of the unreleased Doghouse Lords song “Don’t Drive Me Away” and hear the new rockin blues of Javier “Jake” Matos (Blue Shadows), Chopper Franklin (Mau Maus, Nick Curran & the Lowlifes), John Bazz (Blasters) and Bill “Buster” Bateman (Blasters, Red Devils). Also included in the free download is “Voodoo Lucy” from their debut cd “Diggin’ at the Doghouse” on Ratchet Blade Records (RBR 711). Get the download HERE, and you can check out “Diggin’ at the Doghouse” HERE.
Charley Horse Professional Sinners Black Cover Released
Ratchet Blade Records has just released the NEW Limited Edition Charley Horse pressing of “Professional Sinners”! These Limited Edition Vinyl LPs are Screen Printed and Hand-Numbered copies of just 200 and are on a BLACK cover! You can listen to large sized chunks of this great record featuring Sean Wheeler (Throw Rag, Sean & Zander), Chopper Franklin (Mau Maus, Nick Curran & the Lowlifes) and Corey Parks (Nashville Pussy, Die Hunns) HERE.
Mau Maus In-Store at Permanent Records
The Mau Maus will be performing at Permanent Records in Eagle Rock, California on Saturday June 30th at 6pm. It will be the 1981 line up playing the Mau Maus classics, come on down and catch the set and pick up a copy of the new “Scorched Earth Policies: Then & Now”. If you already have a copy, bring it down to get it signed, the address and phone is 1583 Colorado Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90041 (323) 739-6141. Check out the Mau Maus at www.themaumaus.com
