Apothecary Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

-We are called Apothecary. We formed around the end of 2012 and we wanted to make some slow, heavy music. For us it was just about getting the people I (Andy) was closest with together to jam. The bands we had played in recently had all dissolved so we wanted to keep the train going in one way or another. Being from Arkansas, you have a lot of musical inspiration surrounding you. So many great bands have been founded here, so its hard to stop once you get started.  

2.So far you have released an ep and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

-We are definitely proud of both releases. We feel the new album takes a turn from the first EP ,in the sense of, It was more of a collaboration between all of us and the EP was just one person writing the songs. We feel we refined the sound a bit more of the full length.  

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

-We are all big fantasy fans (Conan, Star Wars, DnD, ect.) so our lyrics reflect that heavily. The first EP and the full length are actually a connected concept about one persons very long journey. As far as future releases go, there will definitely be more wizard lyrics, haha. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Apothecary'?

-A close friend of mine named Matt Velte actually gave us the idea for it. Seeing as our lyrics and sound,to some extent,reflect a fantasy world, we wanted a name that you could associate with that. 

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

-We have played a plethora of incredible shows around here. The local scene is not he biggest in the world, but I feel its one of the strongest. One that always comes to mind is playing with a band called Wreck and Reference. Definitely a humbling and crushing experience.    

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

-As of now we have commitments keeping us from leaving the state for too long, but we plan to be on the road as early as the fall. 

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

-We have been fortunate enough to have received a few offers, but nothing that has struck us hard yet. We are keeping our ears to the ground for sure.  

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom and death metal?

-Fantastic so far. I think we get more attention from outside the US than we do inside, haha. It seems doom is on the upswing once again and people are really enjoying it. 

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

-Not really as of now. Andy has a one-man black metal project called Suffer that has been on the back burner, but we really just try to pour all of our creative juices into one project. 

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

-We just got the opportunity to record a special Jethro Tull cover for a compilation that is being put together here in Little Rock. We are very excited about that. We are also writing new material for a new release. We are trying to line up a split with another band in the near future. 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

-Other than the classic doom guys like Reverend Bizarre, Vitus and Warning we are all really into 60s-70s prog. Bands like Magma and Gentle Giant had a big effect on this last album, but we also are heavily influenced by more recent bands like Swans. 

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

-We all play MMOs and all of that shit that shit that doesn't get us laid, haha. Not much else happens outside of music. 

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

-Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, and thank you to who ever gives us the chance and reads this. It means a lot to us!

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Apothecary/Drifting Towards The Ancients/2015 CD Review

  Apothecary  are  a  band  from  Arkansas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Drifting  Towards The  Ancients".

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  an  early  90's  influenced  doom/death  metal  direction  along  with  some growling  vocals  and  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  music  also  brings  in  grim screams  at  times  which  also  gives  the  music  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  all  5  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean singing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  which  also  gives  the  music  a  70's  feeling  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  avant  garde  sounds  and  all  of  the  album  of  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  playing  also  makes  its return  on  some of  the  later  tracks  and  the  whole album  also sticks  to a  very  slow musical  direction.

  Apothecary  plays a style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  early  90's  but  also mixes  in  traditional doom  vocals  at  times  along with  some  more  modern  influences  and  a  touch  of  black  metal to  create  a  sound  of  their own,  the  production  sounds  very dark,  heavy  and old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorrow,  lost,  and  concept.  

  In  my  opinion  Apothecary  are  a  very  great  sounding  doom/death  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dawn  On  Me"  and  "Gamma  Soul".  8  out  of  10.

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