A Pale Horse Named Death was formed in Brooklyn, New York in 2010 by ex Type O Negative drummer Sal Abruscato, who in this case sings and plays guitar. Beside him is guitarist and producer Matt Brown.
The band’s debut ‘And Hell Will Follow Me’, dedicated to the memory of Peter Steele, was a quite promising dark hard rock/metal album. ‘Lay My Soul to Waste’ flows in the same vein. It’s apparent that Alice in Chains, as well as Jerry Cantrell’s magnificent solo album ‘Degradation Trip’ (with Trujillo on bass and Bordin on drums) is the group’s main influence. That fact alone makes this a pleasant listening experience for me, thanks to its sable riff driven vibe, but something is missing. The compositions don’t evolve, there’s no variety, no inspiration for a more unique instrumentation. It’s a pity because some parts, for example ‘Day of the Storm’, show that there could be improvement towards a more special result.