ALBUM REVIEW: Infernum in Terra – A Pale Horse Named Death

When your musical CV records your time as a member of both LIFE OF AGONY and TYPE O NEGATIVE, you’re going to have a prominent effect on a band’s reputation. Sal Abruscato is no different. Although a drummer for the aforementioned outfits, since 2010 he has been the mastermind behind New York progressive doom-meisters A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH, with fourth album Infernum In Terra (translation: Hell on Earth), arriving this Friday via Long Branch Records.

The band’s previous effort, 2019’s When The World Becomes Undone, was solid if not particularly spectacular, however the knock-on effect of the last two years have given Abruscato the time and space to really work on this record, and it’s shown in every aspect. The combination of SABBATH-esque riffs on the likes of Shards Of Glass and the excellent Believe In Something (You Are Lost) with Abruscato‘s dreary, low-end vocals are suitably doom-laden, but there’s also an air of grunge involved as well, mostly akin to the heavier end of the ALICE IN CHAINS spectrum.

It’s easy to forget that, although he has a band behind him, Abruscato has written and played every part on this record himself, which just shows how exceptionally talented he is. Take the final two tracks, Reflections Of The Dead and Souls In The Abyss; while the former is a seven minute behemoth that delivers a crushing and despairing sojourn through loss and grief, the latter is a mournful number that features little more than a piano and bleak, swirling ambience to round out the record in a suitably gloomy reflection.

Additionally, there is a marked improvement from When The World… to now in terms of production. Any music that falls somewhere under the ‘doom’ category needs a way to audibly spread and envelope the listener and this is soundly achieved with Infernum In Terra. Every element of the 11 tracks is captured with the utmost clarity, ensuring that there is no muddying of riffs or drum fills and that each section doesn’t feel too overpowering. Similarly, the little nuances, like the more psychedelic interlude in Two Headed Snake Propofol Dreams, or the piano that leads into tracks like Cast Out From The Sky or Slave To The Master are given the respect they deserve and are not merely consigned to a novelty that promotes variety within the album. Thirdly, the whole thing feels beautifully entrenched in the gothic world of the 90s, something that is still beloved given the continuing adoration for PARADISE LOST – the idea of these two taking their material out on tour is a salivating prospect.

Those who thought A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH were on the slide have been proven wrong in the best way possible; this is the sound of a band who are back on track and firing on all cylinders. Easily their finest output since 2011’s And Hell Will Follow Me debut, there is no better soundtrack for the supposedly impending apocalypse than the 55 minutes of Infernum In Terra, an album which appropriately lives up to its name.

Rating: 8/10

Infernum In Terra is out now via Long Branch Records.

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