Ok, this is the one. The one that my doom appetite has been craving for, what seems like, forever. I'm a huge doom metal fan and rely on this style of music the same way that some people rely on Valium or Xanax; it's my escape from stress and anxiety on those days that I just can't deal with the demands of life. And APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE, with their 2014 release, "Of Woe and Wounds", is the strongest of doses, the elite of the elite, and is so heavy that their music should come with some kind of a warning label.

Hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana, APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE consists of Chuck Brown (ex-THE GATES OF SLUMBER, ex-THE KEEP) on vocals and guitar, Steve Janiak (DEVIL TO PAY) on guitar, Dan Davidson (ex-SIGNS OF DECAY) on bass, and Corey Webb on drums, and with "Of Woe and Wounds", they return to action with, what I consider, their finest offering to date. The music is Doom Metal in its purest sense and they bring to the table a sound that could be described as a mixture of BLACK SABBATH and ALICE IN CHAINS. All of the instruments are down-tuned to perfection and gallop along in masterful harmony, at times at a head-banging tempo, while at other times, they drizzle at the speed of cold honey. Brown's vocal range is vast and spot on, and has moments in his lower register that eerily reminds me of Layne Staley (ALICE IN CHAINS). The guitars are haunting and heavy as hell, and will consume every bit of strength in your body by the time you're done with this record. The bass and drums sealed the deal for me, delivering a bottom end that will destroy your sub-woofer, if you get too crazy. Wrap this all together, and you have a huge slab of lead. With the momentum APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE has gained in the past couple of years, this monster release should have these guys at the forefront of the doom metal genre in the near future.

If you're like me, and grew up listening to BLACK SABBATH, and then found yourself attaching your emotional woes to bands like, TROUBLE, CANDLEMASS, SAINT VITUS, and THE GATES OF SLUMBER, or if you just long for those dark and heavy, down-tuned classic sounds that started the whole doom/sludge movement way back when, this masterpiece was tailor-made for you. "Of Woe and Wounds", is the Doom Metal release of the year, by far.