A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH

TRANSPORT LEAGUE/ALUNAH

ISLINGTON ACADEMY 2, LONDON

Embodying both the allure of a flamehaired glamourpuss and good ol’ Midlands grit, aLUnah’s Siân Greenaway is a hypnotic Earth Mother colouring her band’s fuzzy, occult-tinged sounds with an otherworldly presence. By contrast, TransporT LeaGUe are the archetypal biker doom rockers. Gifted on the sixstring, their pedal-to-the-metal set deserves a space bigger than this poky second stage room. After years playing in Type O Negative and Life Of Agony, a paLe horse naMed deaTh frontman Sal Abruscato’s frequent complaints about the venue are both forgivable and uncomfortable, but once they settle in his effusive gratitude for the fans is a tonic. With former Danzig and Lita Ford musicians also in the band, it’s hard not to be enthralled by the cathartic power of their gothic doom flecked with the languid aesthetic of grunge. Cuts from this year’s When The World Becomes Undone are gratefully received but it’s Killer By Night, accompanied, also uncomfortably, by “This one is about killing my fucking exgirlfriend” and the foreboding When The Crows Descend Upon You that seal the deal.