Review A Pale Horse Named Death - And Hell Will Follow Me 2011

A Pale Horse Named Death "sounds like Alice in Chains mysteriously sneaking up behind Type O Negative with a butcher knife while being filmed for a future episode of 'Law & Order'". At least according to the album information that's handed to us that's suppose to review the thing. Sounds almost like something they could have taken straight from Hallowed. Information sheets can't really be more vague than that and it certainly doesn't help anyone to review the thing. However, it wouldn't seem to far fetched to think there will be some similarities between Type O Negative and A Pale Horse named Death since Sal Abruscato who's the man behind this band was also one of the original members of that band (and John Kelly who's behind the drums also have some history there). This time though, oddly enough when it comes to musicians, he claims he's done the best album in his career. And my guess is that he really think so too. But is it? In our world too?

Well, if you like atmospheric, moody music in mostly low tempo - toned down and somewhat vapid with a vocalist that sounds like the son of a voice generator since every tone he takes makes it sound mechanical and undifferentiated. If you like that, then this might just be a band for you! Me on the other hand has always seen this industrial branch of the hard rock as a fantastic way to ruin perfectly good music. Melodies and a nice atmospheric sound is mixed with a gripping mood but the industrial sound is so painful to sit through because there isn't a single guitar line, vocal part or any other kind of sounds, except perhaps the drums, that is left alone from this mechanical and extremely over filtered sound pushed in to layer after layer after layer of mixing and computer enhancement that makes everything sound robotic and inhuman.

Beneath the surface there's an album filled with really good music. Something that is perfect when you relax in the sofa or laying out in the grass a sunny summer afternoon (without a care for bugs or parasites) or in some other nice and relaxed place and time where you can enjoy the music.That's until you get pushed out of the sofa or attacked by ants in the grass and thrown in to this exaggerated industrial sound that kills the mood you felt. This album is defining how it feels to live - you get thrown around between good and bad throughout the entire album and you never really just feel YEEES or NOOOO more than a few seconds because it's always up and down, here and there, back and forth and never really, really right or wrong. The only thing you can say for sure is that this album is that about 95% of it goes in a low tempo with hesitant tones that never really get anywhere and extremely depressing lyrics. They are like… oh… negative?

Normally I put some comments about the name of a band when they have such startling names as this band have and I guess those of you who normally read my reviews has been waiting for this moment… but… the only thing I got to say about this band name is that it's a bit too obvious that they want people to comment on their name. Actually I could easily make up thirtytwopointelevenandahalfmillionthreehounredandsixtyfive names that would fit this band much better. Names like Slurb. Or Khunderklamp. Or Dhegrenherator. Or Sproppiftfly. or Jhigg. Or something else. But why bother? The name has been chosen and the artwork is painted with the name in mind. I personally don't see the benefits with calling a band this, but if it's comments they want, there you go mr pale horse - calling yourself death. I hope it satisfied you.

You might think I have something better to conclude with than I've been saying so far, but sorry to disappoint. There's not a single thing I want to argue around with this album. If you like bands such as the three mentioned in the Similar bands section, then you fulfil all the basis to like even this. I personally would have liked it better if they'd let the sound distortion machines have somewhat of a break sometimes and kept the nice melodies running alongside with the atmospheres the way they sounded in original form instead of modifying them beyond recognition. Kind of like Robocop. Who could recognise the good old Alex J. Murphy after his modification to OCP Crime Prevention Unit 001? Well, this has the same kind of issues. The music that might have been human, personal and emotional is just mechanical, processed and impersonal. Still okay, but where is the soul in a machine? Absolutely nowhere...

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A Pale Horse Named Death And Hell Will Follow Me

A Pale Horse Named Death
And Hell Will Follow Me