10

Dark Horse

APHND were here to promote (pretty much in its entirety) their debut album from 2011, And Hell Will Follow Me. Again like BRD, the songs on offer don't lead to a happy & fluffy environment. A purgatorial odyssey of drug abuse, nightmarish deleriums and agonizing meditations on loss. Sounding like prime Alice In Chains throughout, these ashen songs – from the Burroughsian narcotic haze of Heroin Train to the psychopathic discharge of Serial Killer – are inescapably bleak, but quite compelling. Vocallist Sal Abruscato, and guitarist Matt Brown, define themselves as "the murdering evil version of Lennon & McCartney". And you know what, I cant argue with that at all.

Type O's original drummer (Sal) has moved to the front of stage for this band to lead his own way for A Pale Horse Named Death, and does so with great confidence and attitude. They clearly do not mimic Type O Negative, but use them as a creative influence alongside the afore-mentioned Alice In Chains.
Opener To Die In Your Arms has a grinding riff keep the headbangers in the crowd happy. You can feel the pain and despair in his voice. Whilst not the best singer in the World, Abruscato holds a tune, and can be more in the Rob Zombie camp of vocalization.

When a band has only one album to plug there is a tendency to play everything, and that's just the case here (except for Bad Dream). Not all hit the mark for me, but hey, it was my first ever experience of APHND, but they did have some pretty useful songs – Cracks In The walls being a more classic rock number, Heroin Train, Bath In My Blood, Serial Killer in particular will become staples in their set over the coming years.

Whilst not my first choice APHND put on a pretty good doom laden/gothic show. I suggest getting down to see them on the remainder of the tour as new bands like this deserve all the support they can get. For a tiny crowd like Wrexham (shame on you people of Wxm for not showing) APHND never let it get to them and put on a sterling performance. A cool bunch of guys