A Pale Horse Named Death – And Hell Will Follow Me (SPV Records)

Friday, 22nd March 2013
Rating: 6.5/10

The loss of Type O Negative has left a void for many, and while it’s admirable for ex-Type O members to step up to the plate, imitating the band’s lush and sordid Goth metal sound is easier said than done. Case in point, And Hell Will Follow Me, the debut from A Pale Horse Named Death, who feature former Type O drummer Sal Abruscasto as the band’s figurehead. It’s a clear stab at replicating Type O, but in doing so, doesn’t quite hit the mark.

With a quasi all-star cast in tow featuring current Biohazard lead guitarist Bobby Hambel, former Type O drummer Johnny Kelly (who coincidentally replaced Abruscato when he bolted for Life of Agony) and members of Type O spin-off Seventh Void, A Pale Horse Named Death can probably get away with name recognition alone. However, there’s nothing here to indicate that the assembled talent is actually present – there’s no real standout moment to be heard.

Abruscato handles vocals here, and his laid-back, one-tone style is fitting for the slow-mo music they’re spitting out. There’s almost this degree of laziness to the proceedings, something that hurts songs like “To Die In Your Arms,” “Devil In the Closet” and the poorly-named “Pill Head.” Without a real spike in any of these songs, the album slowly coalesces into a glob of sameness that unfortunately, is never broken out of.

Good intentions aside, And Hell Will Follow Me runs like an ill-conceived Type O Negative album. Without the charm and gall of Peter Steele, there’s not much to latch onto. That’s not to say Abruscatao and friends won’t turn things around, but at the moment, we’ll gladly retreat to the comforts of Bloody Kisses and October Rust.

www.apalehorsenameddeath.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

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