Pentagram (Official Thread)

Nololob

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Oh no, no official thread of this incredible band? :wtf:

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Pentagram on Wikipedia

The most well-known and recognized Pentagram, from Arlington, Virginia, United States of America, is one of the earliest doom bands around. Having been around in one form or another since 1971, it’s safe to say that Pentagram had a big impact on Sabbath inspired doom metal that was to follow over the next decade. The band also strongly intertwines with the band Bedemon and is sometimes seen as one and the same. Pentagram are considered to be one of the all time classics by many older fans for understandable reasons. Their music can perhaps best be described as “proto-Doom” with a strong resemblance to the first Black Sabbath releases.

Pentagram’s first 7 inch was released under the name Macabre, entitled "Be Forewarned" and included "Be Forewarned" and "Lazy Lady." The record was produced by Phillip Knudsen and released on Intermedia (TBSM 003). This recording ended up being one of the band's only proper releases. Although a promotional 7 inch of the song "Hurricane" (Boffo Socko R13859) was released. A large number of demo and rehearsal recordings, as well as 22 unreleased studio recordings exist from this time period. Despite the handful of recorded material, Pentagram’s repertoire reportedly consisted of nearly 80 original songs, written or co-written by Bobby Liebling, as well as covers such as "Under My Thumb" by the Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds’ version of "Little Games."

Demos that they recorded include:

1. A 3-track demo recorded at Columbia Studios on 20 September 1975 (featuring "Run My Course", "When the Screams Come" and "Wheel of Fortune")
2. A 12-track demo recorded at the American Mailing Warehouse, Alexandria, VA, in December 1972 and on 2 February 1973 (featuring "Virgin Death", "Yes I Do", "Ask No More", "Man", "Be Forewarned", "Catwalk", "Die in Your Sleep", "Forever My Queen", "Review Your Choices", "Walk in the Blue Light" and "Downhill Slope").
3. A 5-track demo recorded at Underground Sound, Largo, MD, on 4th, 12th and 23 September 1976 (featuring "Smokescreen", "Teaser", "Much Too Young to Know", "Little Games" and "Starlady").

In 1985 the band released the first full-length studio album. Initially self-titled, the album is often referred to as Relentless due to it being given the name when it was reissued by Peaceville Records. The album contains a mix of new songs and 70s era songs, as will all the Pentagram albums to follow. After recording their second album, Day of Reckoning, the band folded yet again, and in 1989 Greg Mayne and Randy Palmer rejoined Liebling with the addition of Ted Feldman on guitar and Jon Cook on drums. The band was working towards recording the third LP, but shortly after their first performance in Maryland, the band split up. The previous lineup then reformed in 1993 and Peaceville Records reissued the first two albums. During this same time, Peace Records released the semi-legitimate 1972–1979. This was the first time many of the 70s songs were released. In 1994 they released their third full-length album, Be Forewarned. The band split up again and emerged as a duo, with Liebling retaining vocal duties and Joe Hasselvander taking care of all instrumentation. In 1998, Downtime Records released a number of early recordings on a compilation album entitled Human Hurricane. Liebling and Hasselvander recorded both 1999's Review Your Choices and 2001's Sub-Basement as a duo. A bootleg follow up to 1972–1979, 1972–1979 (Vol. 2), was released in 1999 by Peace Records. Shortly after Sub-Basement Hasselvander split with Liebling, who soon recruited guitarist Kelly Carmichael, bassist Adam Heinzmann, and drummer Mike Smail, all members of Frederick, Maryland based doom act Internal Void. The new lineup recorded Show 'em How in 2004. This album in particular has seven re-recorded 70s era Pentagram songs and three originals.

Albums

Pentagram (1985, later reissued under the name Relentless)
Day of Reckoning (1987)
Be Forewarned (1994)
Review Your Choices (1999)
Sub-Basement (2001)
Show 'em How (2004)
Last Rites (2011)


Forever My Queen


Sign of the Wolf


Show 'em How


Burning Savior


Pentagram+l_e1996b50414c4735a60eacbf5713.jpg
 
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Prime

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Re: Pentagram

Very cool band. I've never actually listened to them until now, but i'm liking what i'm here. They seem like a very mellow metal band. At least that's what i'm feeling when I listen to the songs.
 

DaKillerWolf

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Re: Pentagram

I have Petagram's first 5 CDs and the later issues of their previously unreleased 70's recordings. I also have the recordings from back in the days when they were known as Bedemon. Really cool stuff \m/

My favorites are Day of Reckoning and Be Forewarned . I look forward to hearing their 2011 release entitled Last Rites.
 

Nololob

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Re: Pentagram

My favorites are Day of Reckoning and Be Forewarned . I look forward to hearing their 2011 release entitled Last Rites.
Speaking of Last Rites...
"Last Days Here" (formerly "Last Rites"), which tells the story of Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the cult hard rock/heavy metal band PENTAGRAM, will world premiere at the 2011 South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival in March.

Frozen for decades in his parents' basement, Bobby's music is finally discovered by the heavy metal underground. With the help of Sean "Pellet" Pelletier, his friend and manager, Bobby attempts to overcome years of addiction, loneliness, and broken dreams. Intimate, raw, and unexpectedly funny, "Last Days Here" portrays the unbelievable journey of a man at the crossroads of life and death.

The film was produced by 9.14 Pictures, an independent production company that specialized in documentary films. The film was directed by Don Argot and Demian Fenton and produced by Sheena M. Joyce. The company's filmography includes last year's critically acclaimed "The Art Of The Steal", "Two Days In April" and "Rock School".

In a November 2010 interview with Metal Sucks, Liebling stated about "Last Rites", "It's been in the making for about four years. And when it started out, I was still real effed up, I mean, I'm using drugs in the movie in the beginning, and I weighed 105 pounds and was practically on my deathbed. And then I met my wife and things started to change, and I started realizing that, hey, doing all this stuff and believing in the wrong, dark instead of light, ways just bring more darkness on you. I don't like rainy days [laughs] and I don't like the rain. I'd rather look up to the sun. It's a spiritual thing to me, a spiritual awakening, I guess you could call it."
 

DaKillerWolf

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Re: Pentagram

I can't wait to see that .I have been a big fan since Pentagrams music first appeared in the underground. It should be a very interesting doc. I was also under the impression that there is going to be a CD released by the name of Last Rites along with the film ( though they may have changed the name of it now as well ).
 

joe

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Re: Pentagram

Excellent job. Great thread.:grinthumb

Being an avid vinyl collector way back when and seeking rare, obscure heavy psych/hard rock, and proto-metal albums, Pentagram was this long lost underground legend I had heard so much about that they rivaled Black Sabbath and some said were heavier.

I picked up Relentless when it was first released some 25 years ago when doom was reborned. I picked up First Daze Here about 10 years ago. My expections were too high I guess. Three or four tracks that stood out but the rest was 'mediocre'. I was expecting this sludge/slab heavy cross between Black Sabbath's s/t debut and Master Of Reality.

No question the band was a huge influence on doom genres that would come. Me personally, I got away from doom for about 20 years until DKW spawned my interests with his knowledge of the genre.
 

DaKillerWolf

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Re: Pentagram

I hadn't heard of them until 10 years ago when they had their resurrection
back into the metal scene. To be honest I was a bit disappointed at first because as Joe said they were being compared to Sabbath and called "HEAVY".

But after hearing them for awhile and after realizing they were not as super heavy as the hype would indicate but still a really cool sounding dark proto metal proto doom band they really grew on me. Now I love them .Heavier then Sabbath ,,hell no .But awesome none the less.
 

DaKillerWolf

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Re: Pentagram

Regardless of what Joe says about them Nololob you got me diggin' out my
Petagram CDs :grinthumb

Awesome old school stuff .
 

Nololob

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Re: Pentagram

Regardless of what Joe says about them Nololob you got me diggin' out my
Petagram CDs :grinthumb

Awesome old school stuff .
I'm very infective in a positive way. :heheh:

Oh, that reminds me. Pentagram's tribute to Captain Beyond!

Dancing Madly Backwards
 

DaKillerWolf

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Re: Pentagram

I put my diskman on pause and plugged my headphone in to blast that ..
haha ..that was awesome \m/

Great cover , is that on a CD ? I have never heard it before
 

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