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Last Active 06-27-17 11:01 am
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| Presenting my favorite bands pt. 1 (Pentagram)
English isn't my native language so prepare yourself for bad grammar and weak vocabulary.
This list features the Bedemon and Death Row too | | 1 |  | Pentagram
If The Winds Would Change
Release date: March 26, 2011
This vinyl contains some of the earliest recordings by the band. Tracks like Burning Rays, The Bees, Buzzsaw, Out of Luck and Diver can be found here in their rawest form. All of them was later re-recorded in the Liebling/Hasselvander collaboration that gave us doom masterpieces such as Review Your Choices and Sub-Basement. Considering this records very raw rehearsal sound, it is mostly recommended for big fans of the band.
Favorite track – Burning Rays
Rating 3.0 | | 2 |  | Pentagram
First Daze Here (The Vintage Collection)
Release date: February 19, 2002
This is the most appreciated work by the band. It contains demos from 1972 up to 1976 by the band’s original lineup. The lineup is Geof O’Keefe on drums, Vincent McAllister on guitar, Greg Mayne on bass and vocals by Bobby Liebling. First Daze Here is packed with classics like the stomping Forever My Queen, the bluesy When the Screams Come and the majestic Star Lady. 20 Buck Spin and Hurricane shouldn’t be avoided too with their wild soloing and heavy riffing. The Charismatic front man Bobby Liebling is also at his peak here and never sounded that much in top form. The production on First Daze Here is quite good too, considering this is demos from the early 70s.
Favorite Track – 20 Buck Spin
Rating 5.0 | | 3 |  | Pentagram
First Daze Here Too
Release date: March 7, 2006
FDHT is not as consistent as the much-loved predecessor, but there’s still a lot to explore here! On side A there’s been given more space to some of the material from 1976, where the band was going for a more funky sound. The number Much Too Young to Know from this 1976 session impresses with its cool bass break where guitarists Vincent McAllister and Marty Iverson does some sweet dueling. The rest of the album is quite raw and especially the 10 minute long Show ‘em How. Bobby also shows a lot of diversity on here, like his Rod Evans impression on Catwalk and his inner Iggy on the Raw Power inspired opening track Wheels of Fortune.
Favorite Track – Much Too Young to Know
Rating 4.5 | | 4 |  | Bedemon
Child of Darkness: From the Original Master Tapes
Release date: December 16, 2005
Bedemon was a side project by the members of Pentagram. The main writer here is Randy Palmer who was Pentagram’s second guitarist in 1974. The Bedemon sessions took place in 1973, 1974 and in 1979 three more songs were added to the catalog.
The 70’s Pentagram was more inspired by the likes of Blue Cheer, The Groundhogs and Sir Lord Baltimore and wasn’t really a doom band in those days. However, Bedemon was very Black Sabbath influenced and is technically the first ever US doom act. The music here was way ahead of its time. The theme of the songs deals with drug addictions (Serpent Venom must be the evilest song about heroin IMO), depression and just pure misery. Doom as fuck! Bobby also does some of his most soulful singing on songs like Into the Grave, Touch the Sky and Last Call. Those recordings are very raw too and not everybody will appreciate that… To me it just adds to the heaviness!
Favorite track: Time Bomb
Rating: 5.0 | | 5 |  | Pentagram
A Keg Full Of Dynamite
Release date: 2003
The original Pentagram lineup split in late 1976 and the band was in standby until 1978. Bobby Liebling raised the Pentagram banner with a whole new lineup consisting of Joe Hasselvander and Martin Swaney from the later Death row lineup and Hellion, and guitarist Richard Kueht and Paul Trowbridge from the band Hellion too. This period is referred to as the High Voltage era. For the first time the band played a lot of live shows and it’s exactly what this record is about. This is the band’s first live album and the first live recording of the band! It’s very raw sounding like a lot of the early Pentagram stuff but it’s not unlistenable. Actually Pentagram opened for Judas Priest back in the days. That’s quite awesome! Along with the live recordings, the Pentagram single Livin’ in a Ram’s Head/When the Screams Come ends the album on a more polished note. This version of Livin’ in a Ram’s Head is their best IMO.
Favorite track: Livin’ in a Ram’s Head
Rating: 3.5 | | 6 |  | Death Row
Alive in Death
Release date: October 15, 2009
This release documents the Death Row era of the band. Pentagram at that time was history and Death Row was the new thing. Drummer Joe Hasselvander and guitarist Victor Griffin teamed up in 1980 and invited Bobby into the band along with Martin Swaney. Death Row was very Black Sabbath influenced like Bedemon which can be heard on this album’s live recordings and demos from 1980-1983. In 1983 Joe Hasselvander left the band and the band changed their name to Pentagram. Joe Hasselvander first joined the band again in 1993 where he re-recorded the drums on Day of Reckoning from 1987. Stuart Rose played the drums on that album except for Burning Saviour. Joe played on that one.
Favorite track: Commited to Vengeance
Rating: 3.5 | | 7 |  | Pentagram
Pentagram
Release date: February 1985
Pentagram’s debut album is considered a milestone in the doom metal genre though it was pretty much ignored when it first was released. The record was actually recorded in 1982 as the All Your Sins demo under the Death Row banner, but was later reissued as Pentagram’s first record three years later. The sound on here is dark, gloomy and doomy. Victor Griffin does some of his best riffing to date on here. Just listen to Relentless, All Your Sins, Death Row and The Ghoul. Compared to the soulful performance by Bobby in the 70’s, he did change his vocal style here to a more sinister and nasal one. This is a doom classic and is considered by many to be their best album… I kind of disagree!
Favorite track: The Ghoul/Relentless
Rating: 4.0 | | 8 |  | Pentagram
Day of Reckoning
Release date: June 1987
To be objective Day of Reckoning is maybe the bands most perfect album to date! The production is better than the debut and the compositions is a little more adventurous. One of Pentagram’s best numbers called Burning Saviour is the album’s centerpiece and holy mother it’s a masterpiece. It starts out with acoustic guitars and then heavy riffing takes over. Victor Griffin’s guitar solo at the end is the freakiest one of a kind I’ve heard. The only letdown here is When the Screams Come. Not that it’s bad but the song had been done a lot better in the 70’s. Other tracks like the upbeat Broken Vows, the sinister Evil Seed and the anti-war song Wartime kicks seriously ass! The band split up soon after this release. In 1989, Bobby resurrected the band along with original Pentagram bassist Greg Mayne and Randy Palmer off Bedemon. They were working on a new album but sadly, this lineup soon split after their first gig.
Favorite track: Burning Saviour
Rating: 4.5 | | 9 |  | Pentagram
Be Forewarned
Release Date: April 1994
The Death Row lineup reunited back in 1993 after Peaceville Records took interest in the band’s two earlier releases. Now it was time for the band to conquer the world… Not! It was a hell for the band to record this album. Bobby used more time at the bathroom fixing and talking to his imaginary friend “Gilla” (A monkey figure that Bobby thought was his son… Don’t do drugs!) than working on the album. Under those circumstances, this is actually a fantastic record with atmospheric content of romanticism. The guitar tone is warm and just adds to the heaviness of numbers such as Wolf’s Blood, Petrified and The World Will Love Again. Bobby also did one of his most powerful vocals on this album’s title track. Victor Griffin and Joe Hasselvander split soon after and joined Cathedral as an opening act for Black Sabbath on their European Cross Purposes tour.
Favorite track: Be Forewarned/The World Will Love Again
Rating: 4.5 | | 10 |  | Pentagram
Change of Heart (1996 Demo)
Release date: December 2012
This was an attempt to resurrect the band once again. Joe Hasselvander joined Pentagram again along with his fella Ned Meloni (bassist) who he had played with on some Jack Starr side projects like Devil Childe, Phantom Lord and his first solo album Lady Killer. The highlights on this demo out of the four songs, is the doomy Change of Heart that later appeared on Review Your Choices and the beautiful ballad Because I Made It that ended up in a disappointing version on Curious Volume from 2015. Because I Made It has one of the most beautiful guitar solos by Greg Reider. I‘m literally crying every time I listen to it, ha!
Favorite track: Because I Made It
Rating: 4.5 | | 11 |  | Pentagram
Review Your Choices
Release date: July 19, 1999
The Italian label Black Widow Records showed interest in band and wanted Bobby Liebling to record a new Pentagram album. Bobby invited Joe Hasselvander back in the band who now took care of all the instrumentation. Bobby’s addictions really started to show its grim face on this album. The vocal tracks on here was actually scratch tracks that was recorded the first day in the studio. The tragic results when Bobby wasn’t allowed in the studio after the producer found out that he was shooting heroin in its bathroom. It wasn’t Bobby’s best attempt at singing on those scratch tracks though. He sounds literally stoned out of his mind. Otherwise, this album was the heaviest record by the band at that time. Only outdone by Sub-Basement! Review Your Choices is also the most bizarre album in their discography. Look at that album cover! It sums up the dark, druggy and strange atmosphere found here pretty damn well.
Favorite track: I Am Vengeance
Rating: 4.5 | | 12 |  | Pentagram
Sub-Basement
Release date: September 17, 2001
The Bobby/Joe collaboration took all the heavy and moody ingredients of the predecessor and made a doom masterpiece called Sub-Basement. It was set to be released 09/11/01 but because of “You know what happened” it was released a few days later. The production has never sounded as good on a Pentagram album as on this. It’s crushing and ultra doomy. The concept of the album is about Bobby Liebling’s failing attempt to be a rock star and how he ended up being a low life junkie who was living in his parents sub-basement, smoking crack all day long. Some of the verses Bobby sings on the title track, After the Last, Going in Circles and Out of Luck send shivers down my neck. Even Bobby has mentioned in several interviews that he can’t listen to this album more than two times a month because of the demented content on the album. It’s actually his favorite album too off his own discography
Favorite track: Target
Rating: 5.0 | | 13 |  | Pentagram
Show 'Em How
Release date: 2004
My favorite record under the Pentagram banner. After a failed gig in 2001 (Bobby didn’t show until the last song) the Bobby/Joe lineup split up. Bobby then invited the local doom act Internal Void into his band and together they recorded a forgotten masterpiece. Sometimes hated and misunderstood. Show ‘em How was a return to the roots. There’s no sinister or slow doom grooves here. Bobby’s vocals is at times very drug influenced, but he sings with so much passion! It’s real blues here! The man was almost dying, his long time girlfriend Sherry had past away (Don’t know how) and he had lost the faith In achieving his dreams. The worst part is that he knew it was his own fault (The incident at Columbia records). Internal Void does a perfect job here with the Captain Beyond influenced Show ‘Em How and the autobiographic Prayer for an Exit Before the Dead End. Last Days Here never sounded that authentic too.
Favorite track: Prayer for an Exit…
Rating: 5.0 | | 14 |  | Pentagram
Last Rites
Release date: April 12, 2011
After too many years of extreme drug abuse Bobby had finally battled his inner demons and became sober. He married a woman half his age and ended up being a father too. The growing interest in the doom metal scene also gave Pentagram the chance to finally record their Last Rites album. Last Rites is a great record, but it’s also one of their weakest to date. Pentagram is playing it quite safe here with their “real” retro rock that’s absorbed in modern production. Some of the songs here was written way back in the 60s but doesn’t sound as convincing as the bands attempt to go back to roots on Show ‘Em How. What can I say… It’s a great comeback and is definitely worth listening to. Bobby sounds passionate and sober but something magical is missing.
Favorite track: Nothing Left
Rating: 3.5 | | 15 |  | Pentagram
Curious Volume
Release date: August 21, 2015
I was so psyched when Pentagram announced the release of Curious Volume. The first listening also surprised me with their Stooges-esque proto punk on Misunderstood and Sufferin’. Bobby’s vocals is more varied than on Last Rites and the doom and retro blends fine together. There’s three things that bother me tough. The modern production, Bobby’s vocals is manipulated with studio effects and there’s missing some more jams… some more guitar solos. Bobby’s vocals is not what it has been, but his vocals can still be powerful live, so I see no reason to polish them on record. Otherwise, it’s a great album with a fine flow. I feel like I’m attacking the album but I’m just very critical of my favorite band. They haven’t really sold out for decades so 2015 was the year to do it… that’s fair. I just hope they do a masterpiece next time.
Favorite track: Misunderstood/The Tempter Push
Rating: 3.5 | |
FullOfSounds
06.04.16 | They seem like a neat band; I might check them out. | CamiloG
06.04.16 | Haven't heard about them tbh | Alastor
06.04.16 | great band, but I don't like 12 and 13 as much as their classic stuff | BenMorrison
06.04.16 | @Alastor
Because Bobby's vocals or musicanship? | Alastor
06.04.16 | On 13 they sound like a completely different band imo. 12 is actually not bad, I should give it some more listens. | Idleness
06.04.16 | yo check Grotesque | BenMorrison
06.04.16 | On 13 they were an almost completely different band, but they still sounded more like the original lineup than everything after 1979. 12 is more like a one of a kind in their discography. It sounds very modern compared to the other albums. | BandNewbac
06.04.16 | 10/10 for effort put into this list | NLD
06.04.16 | yeah never listened to these guys but this list is impressive as hell | wham49
06.07.16 | great list man, I love Pentagram, but obviously do not have the insight you do, will def. check out bedemon, love the early funky stuff | wham49
07.08.16 | again great list, have used this to get through Bobby's entire catalog | wham49
03.29.17 | here is that list Kill, introded me to Bedemon,, which is awesome | CompostCompote
03.29.17 | If you like early funky stuff, check out Alfred Pee Wee Ellis |
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