Pentagram [Relentless]
Pentagram
1985
Death Row
All Your Sins
Sign of the Wolf (Pentagram)
The Ghoul
Relentless
Run My Course
Sinister
The Deist
You're Lost I'm Free
Dying World
20 Buck Spin
Pentagram is a Doom Metal band from the nineteen-seventies and one of the pioneering bands of the genre. I've always referred to them as the American Black Sabbath. They don't necessarily sound that much like Black Sabbath, but they were around at the same time of Sabbaths early years and carry a similar sound. Anyway, this album is the bands debut.
"Wait, what? did he say debut? I thought the band was from the seventies?"
Yeah, debut. It took the band from the time they formed in nineteen-seventy-one until nineteen-eighty-five to get a full length album out. The band had countless demos during that time but due to complications in getting things recorded and released they didn't produce any full lengths.
This album is best known as Relentless, but its really a self titled [Pentagram] album. So, if you're looking for the album 'Pentagram' or 'Relentless' is the correct one.
This album is an absolute must for someone trying to get into Doom Metal or just Metal in general. Its an absolute classic and extremely overlooked by the 'naked eye'. (meaning non-metal fans.) I got into this band when I was getting into metal took a while off from listening to them while I went through my Thrash/Death/Black Metal spells, and luckily rediscovered them when I got into Doom Metal.
Rather than giving a track-by-track break down I'm just going to give a description of the album in full.
Bobby Liebling is a vocalist that in some ways reminds me a bit Ozzy. Liebling never really pushes himself on this album, and just likes his vocals easily flow with the music. This album is full of grim riffs laid down by Victor Griffin, and some torture filled lyrics that are written by Liebling. I do want to mention one song on this album,
Sign of the Wolf, its my favorite song on this album. Its one of those songs no matter how many times I hear it I never grow tired of it. Its a Doom Metal tune that has a killer guitar solo that will beat your brains out. Nothing about this album is bad in my opinion. Its jut a criminally underrated slab of thick, heavy, mean Doom Metal killing machine. I've been listening to this album for two years and it never grows boring in my opinion. This band released albums nearly as good as this one, but none compare to this one in my opinion. Actually, if you're trying to get into this band I suggest working from the early work up to the newest. However, I don't think the newest one is very good due to lack of personal, but that would be another review within itself.
So, please try and check this album out if you've never heard it and you're interested in Doom Metal or just Metal in general. I don't see how any Metal fan can dislike this dudes, but obviously there are some out there that do. I honestly wouldn't rank any song on this albums below solid.