Pentagram
Be Forewarned

THE REVIEW

Probably in 1994, even the most devoted and hopeful of fans would have thought the members of Pentagram had met a grim end. Years of flirting with hard drugs, various hallucinogens, and less than reputable dealings with the occult would have produced devastating effects on anyone's psyche. But Pentagram are not normal individuals in the common sense of the term, and after seven years of oblivion, they are regurgitated from the bowels of hell that had swallowed them after the release of "Day Of Reckoning" to gift the followers of Tony Iommi's riff cult a new delivery of funereal and grinning Doom Metal: "Be Forewarned".

The long inactivity spent outside the musical environment (only Joe Hasselvander gives updates in this regard with the Raven) does not diminish the fervor with which they subject the unwary listener to exhausting pours of putrid, sulfuric, and sluggish Rock'n'Roll, and indeed the result is among the most inspired and diverse in the Pentagram's discography.

The first thing that stands out is the clarity and power of the sound, thanks to a modern production that gives the guitar a tone even akin to the panther-like Thrash that was so popular in those years. The sound gains in aggression, but unfortunately, the atmosphere is less decayed compared to works from the past decade.

In the hour that constitutes the CD, "Life Blood" and "Ask No More" represent the sinister and wild spirit of the American band, while "Live Free And Burn" is groovier. Still, tracks like "Vampyre Love," so melodic it could, if appropriately cleaned, hold its own on MTV, or "Frustration" and the title track (a kind of Led Zeppelin blues violated by Black Sabbath after they ingested large doses of Peyote), with their acoustic inserts, represent new facets in the group's career, as does the breakneck speed (by their standards) of "Nightmare Gown." Furthermore, alongside the charismatic leader Bobby Liebling, lascivious and mocking as usual and excellent at giving each track a distinct imprint, and the malevolent riff-forging machine known as Victor Griffin, the star of drummer Joe Hasselvander shines bright, who, besides branding the compositions with blows as gentle as an ogre stuck in traffic and adding a touch of class with his punctual fills (not for nothing does he have a jazz background), significantly contributes to the songwriting with at least two gems: "The World Will Love Again" featuring a messianic Liebling and the hypnotic "Petrified".

"Be Forewarned" may not be on par with the previous two masterpieces, although many consider it the best work of Pentagram, but it undoubtedly represents the last significant chapter in the discography of the indomitable Doom Metallers from Washington, who would go on to produce good but not transcendental chapters, nevertheless characterized by that honesty that has never faltered over the years.