Doom Metal Lesson #1: Pentagram
As a washed up musician and a member of the middle class, frustrations much like the ones in my formative years started to pop up over the last few years. Living in East Nashville and working in Rivergate can do that to you (I am not in the “cool/hip†part, I am nearer the beer at 9am and making babies for income crowd) So what happens…
Metal Returns!It turns out most my exposure to Metal was all Hit Parader and Circus as a kid. There was a whole other wing of extremeness going on across the pond and near my front door that I completely missed. Bathory, Celtic Frost and Sodom in Europe. The Obsessed, Pentagram, Unorthodox and a ton other doom bands right next door to me in Maryland and Virginia.Doom it is agreed started with Sabbath, but Blue Cheer, The Stooges, Sir Lord Baltimore, and Pentagram influenced a whole wing of Metal that grew up to be St. Vitus, Candlemass, Catherdal, Trouble, Witchfinder General and then The Sword, Witch, and a few others today. Doom is defined (IMHO) by downtuned, groove laden songs sung about drugs, witches, mythology, satan, and other super cool things. Plus it is HEAVY. Like really HEAVY. And I love it! So…Doom Band #1Pentagram
They started in 1970, so they were literally neck in neck with Sabbath. But the heavy was accentuated around 1971-72 so there was definitely a few spins of the first records possible. The Relapse release “First Daze Here†documents the beginning, and tracks like “Forever My Queenâ€, “Walk in the Blue Light†and “Starlady†are head bobbin’ groove fests, not to mention criminally overlooked retro classics. They really came into to focus in 1985 with the release of “Relentless†with a new line up under singer Bobby Liebling (who is the closest I have seen anyone come to actually looking like a vampire) and the addition of Victor Griffin who is one mean riff writer. This album is currently Hank III’s favorite album and they even played together (I would have loved to see that…) Regardless, as a Rock dork it rarely gets better than the bonehead stomp of bands like Pentagram, Bedemon, Sir Lord Baltimore, Blue Cheer, Groundhogs, Leaf Hound and other old forgotten dinosaurs I am slowly finding out about. To all the guys and gals digging Witch, The Sword, Witchcraft, and other retro groovers of today, lend an ear to the old guys who started it. Part 2 to come, I’m sure you can’t wait….
Metal Returns!It turns out most my exposure to Metal was all Hit Parader and Circus as a kid. There was a whole other wing of extremeness going on across the pond and near my front door that I completely missed. Bathory, Celtic Frost and Sodom in Europe. The Obsessed, Pentagram, Unorthodox and a ton other doom bands right next door to me in Maryland and Virginia.Doom it is agreed started with Sabbath, but Blue Cheer, The Stooges, Sir Lord Baltimore, and Pentagram influenced a whole wing of Metal that grew up to be St. Vitus, Candlemass, Catherdal, Trouble, Witchfinder General and then The Sword, Witch, and a few others today. Doom is defined (IMHO) by downtuned, groove laden songs sung about drugs, witches, mythology, satan, and other super cool things. Plus it is HEAVY. Like really HEAVY. And I love it! So…Doom Band #1PentagramThey started in 1970, so they were literally neck in neck with Sabbath. But the heavy was accentuated around 1971-72 so there was definitely a few spins of the first records possible. The Relapse release “First Daze Here†documents the beginning, and tracks like “Forever My Queenâ€, “Walk in the Blue Light†and “Starlady†are head bobbin’ groove fests, not to mention criminally overlooked retro classics. They really came into to focus in 1985 with the release of “Relentless†with a new line up under singer Bobby Liebling (who is the closest I have seen anyone come to actually looking like a vampire) and the addition of Victor Griffin who is one mean riff writer. This album is currently Hank III’s favorite album and they even played together (I would have loved to see that…) Regardless, as a Rock dork it rarely gets better than the bonehead stomp of bands like Pentagram, Bedemon, Sir Lord Baltimore, Blue Cheer, Groundhogs, Leaf Hound and other old forgotten dinosaurs I am slowly finding out about. To all the guys and gals digging Witch, The Sword, Witchcraft, and other retro groovers of today, lend an ear to the old guys who started it. Part 2 to come, I’m sure you can’t wait….
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