Apokalypsis (Chelsea Wolfe album)

Apokalypsis (stylised as Ἀποκάλυψις) is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, released on Pendu Sound Recordings on August 23, 2011.

For the general concept of Apocalypse, see Ἀποκάλυψις.

Apokalypsis
Studio album by
Chelsea Wolfe
ReleasedAugust 23, 2011
Recorded2010
GenreGothic rock, neofolk
Length37:28
LabelPendu Sound
Producer
  • Chelsea Wolfe
  • Ben Chisholm
Chelsea Wolfe chronology
The Grime and the Glow
(2010)		 Apokalypsis
(2011)		 Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs
(2012)
Singles from Ἀποκάλυψις
  1. "Mer"
    Released: June 1, 2011[1]

Writing and composition

The tracks "Demons" and "Moses" are re-recordings of two songs which previously appeared on Wolfe's previous album The Grime and The Glow as "Bounce House Demons" and "Moses," respectively.

On the Bandcamp release of the album, an alternate version of "Primal / Carnal" exists with an accompanying backing instrumental that runs at about a minute in length.[2]

The album features a folk rock sound[3] that was labeled as "doom-folk"[4] and "drone-folk"[5] by the critics.

Album art

The album cover, as stated by Wolfe in an interview with Self-titled Magazine, explained, "with the eyes blanked out in white, is meant to represent a sense of epiphany and the positivity in realizing and accepting truths, whether they are beautiful or hideous."[6]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic67/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Pitchfork7.3/10.0[9]
Consequence of SoundC−[10]
No Ripcord6/10[11]
CMJ7/10[12]
The A.V. ClubC+[5]

Apokalypsis was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 67 based on 5 reviews.[7]

CMJ's Sasha Patpatia noted, "Songs like 'Wasteland' and 'Pale On Pale' drop the energy and could easily be forgotten among the stronger tracks on the album. The instrumentation on each song, though, is rich and brooding, weaving a distinguishable sound that suitably ties Apokalypsis together," adding, "'Movie Screen' is stunning. It seems otherworldly and is the first real sample of Wolfe’s amazing and deep vocal range. This song is the spookiest track on the album, even creepier than 'Primal/Carnal' because it feels much more personal than the horror-film soundtrack." Pitchfork's David Raposa observed, "She's able to approximate the general pallor and stuttering sample-based rhythms of Dummy-era Portishead (on 'Movie Screen'), makes like a superfan of Zola Jesus' The Spoils (on 'The Wasteland'), apes early PJ Harvey (on the fittingly titled 'Moses'), and even recalls the icy allure and off-kilter harmonies of the Knife (on 'Friedrichshain'). It speaks favorably to Wolfe's abilities that she's able to approximate all these different styles successfully, but these tracks don't say much about who Wolfe actually is."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chelsea Wolfe

No.TitleLength
1."Primal/Carnal"0:24
2."Mer"3:44
3."Tracks (Tall Bodies)"4:00
4."Demons"3:14
5."Movie Screen"5:34
6."The Wasteland"4:03
7."Moses"4:07
8."Friedrichshain"2:43
9."Pale on Pale"6:59
10."To the Forest, Towards the Sea"2:41

Personnel
Band[13]
  • Chelsea Wolfe – lead vocals, guitar, record producer
  • Ben Chisholm – synthesizer, backing vocals, production
  • Kevin Dockter – lead guitar
  • Drew Walker – drums
  • Addison Quarles – bass
Production personnel

References
  1. ""Mer" – Forkcast Archive – Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. June 1, 2011.
  2. "Primal / Carnal – Chelsea Wolfe – Bandcamp".
  3. Hurt, Edd. "Chelsea Wolfe w/Wovenhand". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  4. "Apokalypsis - Chelsea Wolfe | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  5. "Chelsea Wolfe: Apokalypsis Album Review – The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. August 23, 2011.
  6. "Chelsea Wolfe: Interview with Self-Titled Magazine". Issuu.com. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  7. "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  8. Phares, Heather. "Chelsea Wolfe – Apokalypsis". AllMusic. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  9. "Chelsea Wolfe: Apokalypsis Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. October 6, 2011.
  10. "Chelsea Wolfe: Apokalypsis Album Review – Consequence of Sound". Consequence of Sound. May 23, 2011.
  11. "Chelsea Wolfe: Apokalypsis Album Review – No Ripcord". No Ripcord. August 23, 2011.
  12. "Chelsea Wolfe: Apokalypsis Album Review – CMJ". CMJ. August 25, 2011. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  13. "Chelsea Wolfe: Interview with Lieutenant Uhura". February 20, 2012.
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