167 days till W:O:A 2023.
Pentagram, celebrating it's 50-something-th anniversary this year at W:O:A. Depending on the source the band was founded in 1969 or 1971 by Bobby Liebling (vocals) and Geof O'Keefe (guitar). The initial line-up was completed by Vincent McAllister (bass) and Steve Martin (drums). Until 1985 when the band released their first official studio album the line-up had changed several times, and it would continue to change throughout the band's history. More than thirty musicians played on and off with Pentagram, the only constant member was their frontman Bobby Liebling, who is apparently impossible to work with.
While being the face and probably the heart of Pentagram, Liebling is also the main reason why the band never made it commercially. Researching the band and especially Liebling was very depressing. There is a documentary about Liebling from 2011, which is titled Last Days Here. You can watch it on YouTube, which is what I did yesterday evening. The documentary shows a snippet of Liebling's life, living in the basement of his parents with 50 years of age, smoking crack and being delusionary. It deals with the past of the band and shows the the years up until 2011.
He gets clean, he relapses, he is making music again, he is in prison, he meets his future wife, they even have son together. The documentary wants you to like Liebling and at least in parts you feel for him. You are hoping he will turn everything around. Fast forward to 2023 and you know he hasn't. The very co-dependant realtionship with his wife was short-lived. Liebling was in jail for abusing his mother and fell into disrepute because of his abysmal behaviour towards women. Not a guy you are rooting for.
Musically, Pentagram has released 8 studio albums so far. The latest studio album was Curious Volume from 2015. Liebling also joined supergroup The Limit, who have released their first album in 2021. I've been listening to the early releasees from Pentagram over the last couple of days as they are said to be influential for doom metal. Pentagram is often cited to be one of the pioneers of doom metal. To be honest, I don't hear it. Pentagram has as much to do with metal as The Stooges have. They might have done different music in the early 70s. Turning things around, they sure were different in the way they were playing and particularly in their lyrics. But I am having a hard time connecting them with doom metal in any way. Liebling himself says they were and always have been a psychodelic rock band and I think this fits pretty well. I'd put them in "Early Metal" with Blue Cheer, Blue Öyster Cult and The Stooges musically.
Anyhow - First Daze Here is a compilation containing 70s material from Pentagram which was released in 2001. You can hear three of the four original band members on here: Liebling, Geof O'Keefe on drums and Vincent McAllister on guitar. Bass is played by Greg Mayne. Both, Greg Mayne and Vincent McAllister have sadly passed by now. First Daze Here brings you dirty and bluesy underground 70s rock with and authentic production and catchy riffs that will stick in your head for good.
Forever My Queen, Be Forwarned and Last Days Here are my favourites on this album.
Forever My Queen is one of Pentagram's best known songs and I expect to hear this at W:O:A this year. The guitar riff on this song has been stuck in my head for days now. It is insanely catchy.
Be Forwarned is really bluesy and has a foreboding feel to it. Lieblings vocal performance is really powerful and he brings the right attitude to this song.
The intro of Last Days Here hits me right in the heart. The way Liebling is singing is so gritty and authentic, I just love everything about it. There is a also a great guitar solo hidden in this song.
I am feeling very conflicted with Pentagram. There is much I love and much I feel is overrated. I am curious to find out if Bobby Liebling will actually take stage this August and I think I wanna go and see him perform. You kind of have to give the man credit for staying alive, although I sure hope he will behave.
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