Pentagram

Released way back in '85 while being in circulation sine '82 in a form of a demo, Pentagram's debut was a view into a band that would've succeeded if they (and by they, I mean Bobby fucking Liebling) weren't their own worst enemy.

It's a great album, with the distorted and down tuned guitar rolling through most of the songs, creating a headbanging atmosphere. Death Row and Dying World being some of them, with an infectious backbone of the guitar and crisp drums doing most of the work. The lyrics are mostly the standard occult, macabre and satanic stuff you'd usually find on these kinds of albums, with Bobby's vocals having enough gruff to stand on its own.

Despite the band being on the circuit for around 15 up to this point, this album felt, and still does feel, fresh. It does feel like Sabbath worship, but it has enough of a original momentum to it to distinguish them from their influences. Also, enough for me to consider looking deeper into their next (and archival previous) albums.