A Pale Horse Named Death

A Pale Horse Named Death

A Pale Horse Named Death is an American gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2010. The group is led by Sal Abruscato, who previously plays drums for Type O Negative. The project is also associated with Matt Brown, who produces and engineers the early recordings and is a former guitarist of Seventh Void and Uranium 235.

Formation and members

The band starts in Brooklyn and is active from 2010 to the present. Its line-up includes Sal Abruscato alongside Dave Bizzigotti, Bobby Hambel, Chris Hamilton, Eddie Heedles, Johnny Kelly, Oddie McLaughli, Eric Morgan and Joe Taylor. Early live performances feature Johnny Kelly on drums and Eric Morgan on bass, with Bobby Hambel contributing guitar leads on three songs and also playing live with the band.

Albums and releases

The debut album, And Hell Will Follow Me, is released in 2010. The album includes guest contributions from Keith Caputo of Life of Agony, who provides background vocals on four tracks, and Ulrich Krieger, Lou Reed’s saxophonist, who appears on “Die Alone”. The double LP edition includes the bonus track “Pickup Truck”, and the cover artwork is by Sam Shearon, also known as o'Mister-Sam. And Hell Will Follow Me is ranked No. 5 album of 2011 by Revolver magazine.

The second album, Lay My Soul to Waste, is announced in January 2013 and released later that year in North America, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the rest of Europe. Sal Abruscato describes it as the band’s sophomore album and says it is mixed by Matt Brown and mastered by Ted Jensen.

Later activity

In 2017, the band announces a new album. In 2018, the line-up changes, with Joe Taylor and Tommy Spano joining on guitar and drums respectively, before Johnny Kelly returns on drums. The band also signs to SPV’s Long Branch Records imprint.

Style

The band is described as gothic metal, and is also tagged with doom metal, stoner metal, metal and grunge.