Pentagram
Day of Reckoning

THE REVIEW

When discussing ‘80s doom metal, the bands most frequently mentioned are Candlemass, Trouble, Saint Vitus, or perhaps Solitude Aeturnus. Pentagram is one of those classic bands that sow a lot but reap little: founded in 1971 by the mustachioed singer Bobby Liebling with the intent to emulate the massive, funereal riffs of His Majesty Tony Iommi and the psychotropic distortions of Blue Cheer, they have scraped together a handful of full-lengths, myriad lineup changes, and much sweat spent in flea-bitten, often half-empty venues.

The work in question follows the debut, which presented alongside catacombal slow-motion anthems, a distinct bluesy taste and even some fast-paced pieces. In "Day Of Reckoning," only traces of up-tempo and blues influences remain, and the sound becomes more personal and varied, still maintaining the dark vein and slow tempos typical of the genre. The riffing is clearly Black Sabbath in origin, but not a pedantic transposition of the Birmingham group’s guidelines, and the results are always of the highest level, just think of the intro to "Broken Vows," which manages to be groovy and wicked at the same time, or what is undoubtedly the album's pinnacle, "Burning Saviour," 9 minutes that stand out at the album's center and undoubtedly the most representative, among acoustic arpeggios, massive guitars, and assorted delusions from a psychopathic preacher, passing through "Evil Seed" with its apocalyptic riff and hallucinated verse excellently slurred by the singer.

It is precisely Liebling who is the band's trademark, by virtue of his sick, slithering, acidic, and perverted vocals, which blend well with his luciferian and magnetic figure, making him a purebred stage animal. His lyrics deserve a mention, which despite a dark and occult image, often present religious and moralistic themes, a contrast that is nonetheless very common in the genre.

After this work, Pentagram will disband once again but will reform in 1994 to give rise to another doom milestone ("Be Forewarned") and continue to tread the boards worldwide, playing the dirtiest and most morbid side of rock.