I refer, of course, to the 70s American band, not the modern black metal band of the same name.
People I know have raved about these records for so long, I finally decided to check them out - i should have known better, as one of my least favorite recomendations to listen to an album is "it sounds JUST LIKE (band X) circa (high point of band X's career)." Like, wow, dick. Because the world REALLY needs a tepid, mediocre version of Gang of Four, Bob Dylan, or the New York Dolls.
Pentagram's guitar sound is so blatantly stolen from Iommi that it's nearly embarrassing to listen to. I mean, I don't mean to badmouth a 'legendary' band here, but, really, waht's the appeal?
I'm not anti modern stoner / doom. Far from it. I think Sleep's "Dragonaut," fer instance, perfectly pays tribute to Iommi while still very much doing it's own thing. It also kicks major ass. What Pentagram stuff kicks major ass and DOESN'T sound like leftovers from Vol 4?
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 00:22 (nineteen years ago) link
I bought the collection "First Daze Here" that Relapse released a couple of years ago, and pretty much agree with you. There's a couple of catchy songs on there, but to me this is pretty much completely trivial, not at all worth spending my time with.
Oddly enough, when I'm trying to remember their songs now, all I can think of is East Of Eden's dreadful blues-bass number "Centaur Woman". Ugh.
It should be noted that I'm not a big Black Sabbath fan either, so my opinion on these kinds of bands probably won't be very weight for those interested in Pentagram. I'm more of the geeky Captain Beyond type, though I do like some newer BS-wannabe bands.
― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 00:31 (nineteen years ago) link
Far from it. I think Sleep's "Dragonaut," fer instance, perfectly pays tribute to Iommi while still very much doing it's own thing.Don't know which album's you're listening to. There is some variance in Pentagram's timbre and tone depending on who was in the band. Often the act didn't sound like Black Sabbath at all.
Sleep, eh. Six of one, half a dozen of the other with regards to Pentagram. Sleep did its own thing for "Jerusalem." Unlistenable, basically, but an artistic statement with a kind of screwy honor to it. Comparing Matt Pike ca. Sleep to Tony Iommi kind of insults Iommi.
Sleep no more kicks major ass than Pentagram, the latter which can also head into somnolence.
But "Review Your Choices" is Liebling's best album and the title cut a captivating song. It doesn't necessarily sound like Sabbath. It is sludgy, basically slow and glowering thing. Liebling puts a demented mutter (for example, "Megalania," which I think is him telling some story about a giant lizard) to it that is unique to himself. "20 Buck Spin" from one of the Peaceville records is good. "First Days Here" is not like Black Sabbath, to my mind. Pentagram also had a big first album Captain Beyond love going. Hard to find, but there was a recreation of the first Captain Beyond album by a collection of bands and Pentagram's contribution to it was excellent. For "Mesmerization Eclipse," the band did kick ass.
"Sub-basement," the last Pentagram LP I have, has a lot of wailing feedback on it.
Maybe you'd be more interested in Penance or Count Raven. Both are closer to Sabbath, particularly the latter. Sheavy also has or had a singer who is a dead ringer of Osbourne. None of these bands had rhythm sections as good as Sabbath's or can write as well as that band could.
― George Smith, Wednesday, 2 March 2005 05:26 (nineteen years ago) link