Clearly, the Norwegians who comprise
Audrey Horne are major
David Lynch enthusiasts.
Audrey Horne was a character that Sherilyn Fenn portrayed in
Lynch's television cult hit Twin Peaks, and the title
No Hay Banda was inspired by a line in
Lynch's movie Mullholland Drive. Those who speak español will know that
No Hay Banda means "there is no band" in Spanish -- or, if you're a connoisseur of Mexican culture, it could mean "there isn't any banda music" (banda is a brassy style that has been around since the late '30s but has been especially popular among Mexicans in the '90s and 2000s). But these Scandinavians weren't trying to show their knowledge of the Spanish language -- they were showing their knowledge of
David Lynch. What does their music sound like? Some have described
No Hay Banda as goth metal, but that's misleading. Truth be told, this 2005 release is best described as alternative metal that contains post-grunge elements and is forceful yet moody and darkly melodic -- and being moody and darkly melodic doesn't automatically mean goth rock or goth metal. In its true sense, goth metal is headbanger music that unites metallic heaviness with the sort of dark romanticism one expects from
Bauhaus,
Sisters of Mercy,
Black Tape for a Blue Girl,
the Crüxshadows, or the underexposed Caledonia.
Audrey Horne never comes across as a metal equivalent of any of those bands; instead,
Audrey Horne inspires comparisons to alt-metal and alt-rock bands like
Tool,
Helmet,
Staind, and
the Foo Fighters -- perhaps
Alice in Chains at times. And while they aren't really goth metal, they're enjoyably good at what they do. This is a worthwhile, if derivative, effort that alt-metal enthusiasts should be aware of -- even if they don't get the
David Lynch references. ~ Alex Henderson