4 star Review For Without A Trace on Examiner.com ‘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. “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.” Boot Hill Hymnal Reviewed on GeneratorArts: The album opens with Red Brick Dust, a hard-driving tune that doesn’t let up and sets the stage for the entire album, with lead singer Mather Louth’s sultry voice floating above the guitars, fiddle, and banjo. The album takes the listener on a journey through dusty backroads, tall forests with no moonlight, forgotten ghost towns, and lonely murder scenes. In The Reckoning, slightly reminiscent of early 16 Horsepower, long-time Louth fans will recognize the familiar energy; defiant, sultry, and unrepentant all at once. Louth seems to sing a bit more from the gut on this track, complete with an unforgettable banshee shriek to punctuate the end of every chorus, like a flying flaming spear thrown from one of the Four Horsemen as they descend upon a town whose Judgment Day has come. The transition to the next track, The Dark Pines, is refreshing respite from the hard-charging The Reckoning, to a jerky and lonely Tom Waits-esque banjo riff. Here, Louth’s storytelling that shines through the haunting lyrics is transcendent and vaudevillian, highlighted by contrast by a long, low, foreboding drone underneath nearly the entire track. The album closes with Lonesome Whistle, a song that captures the crushing stillness of loneliness deftly, set to a slow honky-tonk waltz, with the soul in Louth’s ethereal voice taking center stage. Against an album of confrontational lyrics and charging rhythms, this track stands out because it breathes and lets the listener breathe and be still and be comfortable with the uneasy and unavoidable stillness of the song. Overall, this murder-themed album explores all avenues of the subject, from love, to loss, to crime, to redemption, and ultimately, the loneliness of those left behind. Set against a soundtrack of solid country noir, Boot Hill Hymnal is a solid effort from the Heathen Apostles, and with luck, the first of many. Artist: Heathen Apostles Album: Boot Hill Hymnal Label: Ratchet Blade Record Released: 2013 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