St. James & The Apostles' "Black Psalms" Modernizes Cult-Eclectic Rock

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As several core Philly bands get ready to reconvene for the first time since March at Delaware's Shady Grove Music Festival, we revisited St. James & The Apostles’ latest LP, Black Psalms, which dropped last November. 

A cathartic experience, listening to this album feels like stepping into a realm of eclectic cult rock, glam rock, and psychedelia. Whether it be for the sake of the aesthetic, or simply just a not-so-underlying theme, St. James is committed to the tropes of a modern day altruistic, self- believer. 

Where some bands choose to question the theologies and practicalities of religion in a subtle, take-it-as-you-will kind of way, St. James lays it all out there. The overt intentionality of the album is portrayed through a sort of gospel-esque vocal styling, with lead singer James Mahon preaching to his listener all while being backed by a classical gothic-sounding choir. 

Fusing metal and post-rock, old-age grunge is made new as modern tracking allows the gritty beds to contrast with slick riffs.  With a heavy focus on nostalgic, avant-garde guitar licks and irreverently dark lyrics,  Black Psalms is a palatable bridge between “Satanic Panic” era rock and modern, easy listening metal. 

Pianist Mike Kiker told us, “The overall theme of the album certainly reflects the current state of affairs pretty well, although all of the songs were written well before any of this happened. One person said to us not long after it started that us and SLOMO SAPIENS may have ushered in the apocalypse with our "evil" music.” Black Psalms certainly does feel predictive right from the get go. Just as SLOMO SAPIENS did on Cabin Fever Dreams, released in March, there is certainly an overwhelming tone of impending doom. Neither of these groups could have known just how topical their releases would be, and yet they seem to be the soundtracks to our quarantine. Kiker continues, “My hope Is that after all this, people will be so starved for live music that they would be willing to make the effort to go see local bands in smaller venues more often, but that's just wishful thinking I'm sure.”

St. James & The Apostles returns to the stage as a 6-piece this Saturday, ready to greet crowds in person for the first time since early spring. As they don their priest-like attire and proclaim their truths to the crowd, we’ll be listening for their elusive reflections of the self.