PENTAGRAM — Pentagram (Relentless) (review)

PENTAGRAM — Pentagram (Relentless) album cover Album · 1985 · Traditional Doom Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
siLLy puPPy
RELENTLESS is basically the re-release of the eponymous debut album by PENTAGRAM with the tracks in a different order. It doesn't change my opinion of it and is only released in this format these days:

Bobby Liebling started PENTAGRAM all the way back in 1971 but despite being fairly big in the underground music circuit they never managed to really take off due to constant lineup changes and legal issues. In 1979 he called it quits and moved on. Meanwhile bassist Lee Abney and guitarist Victor Griffin recruited drummer Joe Hasselvander to form another doom metal band named Death Row. They quickly found Bobby Liebling who would be the vocalist. After Abney being replaced by Martin Swaney and Hasselvander being replaced by Stuart Rose, the band finally had a stable lineup and chose to change the name to PENTAGRAM. The band was resurrected from the ashes and this time it was for good.

PENTAGRAM has always been the kings of procrastination. This album was recorded all the way back in 1982 and although released as a demo, Bobby Liebling felt no rush to release it as a full-fledged album. I guess he may have figured that after so much time why not just take the time to do it right. This album would be re-released in 1993 and retitled RELENTLESS with the tracks being switched around. It has also found a home as a double discker with “Day Of Reckoning.” Despite all this confusion, the band known as PENTAGRAM finally had an album!

The music is an early doom metal revival very much of the Black Sabbath variety. In fact I don't really think they distinguish themselves enough for my tastes on this debut. Another aspect of this debut is i'm not really enthralled with Liebling's vocal style. When played after an early Sabbath album this just doesn't match up to the intensity of theirs. I find this album a tad disappointing simply because these guys had so many years in different bands to come up with better material but I don't dislike this totally. Overall it's a decent start to a delayed career and the albums would get better and better. The album starts off a little slow for me but picks up by the end making this a nice listen. “20 Buck Spin” found a new life after being in the vaults since the early 70s. Despite it not being my favorite PENTAGRAM album it still seems like an essential listen simply because of its influence on the whole doom metal subgenre.
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