siLLy puPPy Although PENTAGRAM has become known as a doom metal band following in the footsteps of the granddaddies of doom and gloom themselves, Black Sabbath, they didn't really adopt the low-tuned crushing chords and apocalyptic feel until they started releasing full albums in the 80s. Despite being formed in 1971 the band wouldn't see a full length release until 1985. This has to be a record of some sort for a band to fritter away fourteen years between their inception and actual debut into the market place. To be fair Bobby Liebling is the only member who transverses the band's entire history and between unstable lineup changes and legal troubles it's a miracle the band survived at all.

The band was active despite it all. They were fairly big in the underground scene and recorded quite a few demos and tracks over the years at low budget studios inching their way at a snail's pace to an actual album. Most of these tracks were recorded between 1973 and 1974 with the group's original lineup. After many long years of being totally unavailable to the public, the band decided to remaster many of their lost archival material and release it to the public. FIRST DAZE HERE: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION is the first of such compilations to emerge.

The music on here does have a hint of doom metal but this is a different sound for PENTEGRAM. The influence is more from the heavy psych of the 60s by the likes of Blue Cheer, Cream and Hendrix. Many of these tracks would go on to be reworked and appear on other albums in the more familiar doom metal format such as “Be Forewarned.” Personally I don't find this an extremely interesting listen as it is just repeating the sounds of bands that had been done to death at this point and nothing on here really adds anything new to any particular genre. This sounds like a collection of demos and bonus tracks to me and I rarely desire to put this on but it does serve its purpose as a historical relic that allows a glimpse into the missing decade for fans of their later stuff. Hardly essential in my book but not horrible either.

Warthur Unlike many of the bands that spearheaded the development of doom metal in the 1980s, Pentagram had a key advantage in recapturing the spirit of the 1970s - they'd actually been there. The proof is on this nicely selected compilation from the very first phase of their career. Aside from Starlady, which dates from 1976, all the material here comes from demo and rehearsal tapes recorded between 1972 and 1974, but despite these humble origins the sound quality is quite acceptable.

Musically speaking, Pentagram hadn't yet hit on the Sabbath-worshipping doom metal sound of the 1980s. In all honesty, the material here isn't necessarily all that original, with a lot of it being blues-influenced proto-metal - resembling Led Zeppelin playing Sabbath riffs. The sludgy, fuzzy guitar sound spices things up, and Bobby Liebling does a reasonable Robert Plant impersonation on vocals.

Ultimately, the material here doesn't represent a great lost chapter in metal music so much as it demonstrates how rough around the edges Pentagram were for the first decade of their existence - between unstable lineups and riotous living they simply weren't together enough to put out a proper studio release until the 1980s.

Indeed, many songs first developed here would later get a doom metal workout on Pentagram's proper studio albums, and I can't put my hand on my heart and say I don't prefer them in that context, but for those who are already Pentagram fans this collection is a great way to explore the origins of the band.