Rising out of the simmering ashes following the sudden death of the Gothic Doom Metal icons Type O Negative came a new entity titled A Pale Horse Named Death. Shedding its dark magic onto the world in unexpected ways, the new band was originally formed by two former Type O Negative Drummers Sal Abruscato, now on vocals and guitar, as well as Johnny Kelly on drums. Succeeding at keeping that stylistic Gothic Doom sound as pure as possible, they put out two compelling albums, 2011’s And Hell Will Follow Me as well as 2013’s Lay My Soul to Waste. Now, along with Joe Taylor (guitar), Eddie Heedles (guitar), and Eric Morgan (bass), they return with their third full-length album, When The World Becomes Undone, on Friday, January 18th via Long Branch Records.
Mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Meat Loaf) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering, while the artwork was once again created by Sam Shearon (Rob Zombie, Cradle of Filth), this 13 track album is a ride into a mist covered abyss where only the open-minded peace advocates survive. It starts off with a quiet and somber track of church bells and tears called “As It Begins” before fluidly chiming into a six and a half minute adventure with the title-track. With piano and drums, it emerges into heavy, deep guitar and back out again, making it arguably the most beautiful masterpiece on the album. It fluctuates in the vein of Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots as do a few numbers on the album, but keeps that Gothic heart which holds them in a category of their own.
Next, “Love The Ones You Hate” is a lyrically informative song that grinds out some great doomy riffs and reeks of popularity in a live setting. This is while “Fell in my Hole” is a doomy, gloomy heavy-hearted attraction with aspiring results. Shortly after, it is followed with “Vultures” which is a dark and Doom-based tune portraying those evil human souls that ruin lives as the vultures they became.
Later on, the echo enhanced vocals in “End Of Days” lay the groundwork for the structurally sound piece full of righteous doom chants. This is while “The Woods” is a purely tribal interlude that transitions into the lovely demise of the last half of the album featuring notable brandishing songs such as “Lay With The Wicked” and “Splinters.” However, the most epic journey lies within “Dreams Of The End,” which carries a heavy burden though an appealing one, along with a Type O Negative Goth Metal vibe. With emotionally intense plus honest lyrics, like “Why don’t you look at your self in the mirror” etcetera, it takes you on a dark but necessary path of self-reflection and healing.
Last, but far from least, “Closure” ends the album similarly and eerily where it began. This type of trickery is similar to those antics Type O Negative has been known to pull off on many past occasion. The reflection is clear, and the somber haunting is achieved with high success.
For any fan of the Goth Metal and Doom genre, When The World Becomes Undone is a must have. A long gap between albums, Brooklyn’s Lords of Doom are back, and it was well worth the wait. For all the above reasons and more, Cryptic Rock gives this album 5 out of 5 stars.
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