Album Review: Pentagram - Lightning in a Bottle
Reviewed by Gareth Pugh
You can’t have a conversation about Doom metal without mentioning Pentagram, the Washington D.C. outfit have been around for decades in one form or another. Sometimes active sometimes in hiatus, with a rotating roster of band members, the one constant being vocalist and legend Bobby Liebling. Formed officially in 1971, Bobby actually says there was a line-up as early as 1969, although the debut self-titled album (also known as ‘Relentless’ and re-released in 1993) didn’t see the light of day until 1985. Well fast-forward 40 years and the band are just about to release album No. 10 ‘Lightning in a Bottle’.
Coming ten years after its predecessor ‘Curious Volume’, and with a completely new line-up, ‘Lightning in a Bottle’ sees Liebling sounding revitalised on eleven brand new tracks (plus bonus tracks depending on which edition you get) of classic heavy metal compositions, that are raw but with plenty of catchy hooks. With guitarist/producer Tony Reed, Bobby has found a new partner in doom, and as with the majority of past Pentagram releases, the songs are centred on the riffs, and there are certainly plenty of tasty morsels on offer here, backed up by the rhythm section of drummer Henry Vasquez and bassist Scooter Haslip, the band churn out track after track of quality metal.
Opener ‘Live Again’ is a real rebirth, upbeat and heavy as hell, the superb ‘raw and dirty’ production really catches the energy this line-up effuses. ‘In the Panic Room’ sees the band introduce some more laid back yet sinister vibes into the proceedings, while ‘I Spoke to Death‘ rides massive riffs and a hypnotic groove. The most controversial and emotionally striking track is the autobiographical ‘Lady Heroin’ where Liebling lays bare his soul singing about his long-term addiction with drugs, it’s a harrowing yet fascinating journey, backed with music that owes as much to the likes of ‘The Beatles’ and ‘Cream’ as it does ‘Black Sabbath’. ‘Thundercrest’ lifts proceedings with a loud and catchy refrain, and ‘Solve the Puzzle’ has a real bounce and a hooky main riff, while the title-track is a nod to the past with its full-on doom approach and yet brings in some fresh dynamism into the fold.
It's great to see such a formative band like Pentagram back with a new release, and if you’re already a fan of the band you won’t be disappointed with ‘Lightning in a Bottle’, and if you’ve never heard of them before, then this isn’t a bad place to start.
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