Top 10: Pentagram Songs

Before there was thrash metal, power metal, and even the NWOBHM, there was Pentagram. Alongside Sir Lord Baltimore, Bang, and a small handful of others, Pentagram was one of the first American bands to play what we know today as heavy metal, going all the way back to the early 70s. Whereas both SLB and Bang had the benefit of major label support (from Mercury and Capitol respectively), even if briefly, Pentagram spent the better part of the 70s lurking around in oblivion. And the 80s. And the 90s. And the 00s. If you’re around my age (24), chances are your introduction to Pentagram came in the form of their infamous 2011 documentary, Last Daze Here. In the years since, they’ve finally gotten their due as doom metal innovators. Today, after 50+ years of nonstop touring, recording, and so forth, we pay tribute to these early metal masters with our Top 10 Pentagram Songs.

10. “Wartime”

After nearly 15 years of trying to make a name for themselves, things finally came together for Pentagram in the mid 80s. Their long-awaited debut album finally arrived in 1985 (later rereleased in 1993 as Relentless). Their sophomore follow up, Day of Reckoning, quickly followed in 1987. With Iommi inspired riff master Victor Griffin in tow, it seemed like nothing could stop Pentagram. Day of Reckoning is as revered today as their self titled, if only for the classic closer that is “Wartime”. This apocalyptic tale of death and destruction stands in stark contrast to the rabid thrash and death metal of the era, but is equally compelling, rounding out Day of Reckoning like a musical nuclear bomb.

9. “Hurricane”

If you were lucky enough to be a freaker in the D.C. area circa 1973, chances are you had the chance to get your hands on one of the 200 copies of Pentagram’s debut single, “Hurricane”. Assuming you’re one of the few reading who fits this bill, we hope you took the opportunity and ran with it, as it could gather you $350 on the low end today. In 2 minutes flat, this nasty little rager tears through your stereo with the unhinged attack of Purple, steamrolling strike of Sabbath, and crank-crazed fury of American garage rock. One could easily connect it to punk as well as metal, as this short and anything but sweet formula would become the norm come the latter half of the 70s. Pentagram walked so The Dictators could run, even if the latter didn’t know it!

8. “Vampyre Love”

By the early 90s, it seemed that doom metal was finally having its day. Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Corrosion of Conformity were dominating both rock radio and MTV alike, fusing heavy handed riffs with unforgettable hooks. In the same breath, Pentagram were keeping up with the times, embracing the production and songwriting tropes of the day with their third album, Be Forewarned (1994). Had they not nearly a quarter century under their belt, there’s no reason this album shouldn’t have been picked up by a major label, as exemplified by “Vampyre Love”. Heavy enough to get heads banging, but catchy enough to get toes tapping, the fact this isn’t a classic rock staple today is an absolute tragedy. This can be said for many songs on Be Forewarned, but it’s “Vampyre Love”, in all its sleaze-doom glory, that stands tall above all.

7. “Last Days Here”

When Relapse Records first released Pentagram’s retrospective collection, First Daze Here, in 2002, many a headbanger was shocked. How on earth was it possible that A. Metal of this caliber was recorded 30 years ago and B. Remained largely unheard for the better part of said 30 years? While these questions and more would be answered once and for all in the Last Daze Here documentary, in the stone age that was the early 00s internet, Pentagram remained enshrouded in obscurity. All people knew were these dozen songs that ran the gamut of doom, psych, and hard rock, bookended by a cryptic 6 minute ballad entitled “Last Days Here”. Perhaps it’s the lo-fi production that adds to the mystique of this song, as if the haunting melodies and desperate lyricism aren’t enough. Either way, there’s no denying its spot on this list.

6. “Forever My Queen”

The year is 1973. Black Sabbath are the crown jewel of the Warner Bros. roster, running up a cocaine tab in the hundreds of thousands. The equally no-nonsense Blue Öyster Cult are quickly picking up steam on Columbia, earning the respect of burnouts and critics alike. Grand Funk Railroad remain the highest grossing act on the planet, Led Zeppelin break new ground with Houses of the Holy, and Deep Purple, while hanging on by a thread, question their own vanity (Who Do We Think We Are?). The demand for hard and heavy music reached a fever pitch that wouldn’t be seen again stateside for another decade. Considering the climate, if I were the CEO of a record company and Pentagram walked into my office with a tape of “Forever My Queen”, I would’ve offered them a million dollars on the spot to crank out 9 other songs like it. “Black who? Blue who? Nah baby! It’s time for the Pentagram to shine!” *sigh* If only…

5. “Lazylady”

Like most bands of their era, Pentagram were more than just a one trick pony; they were dynamic. Post-Beatles, you had to be. for every grim hymn of darkness and despair, Pentagram could throw a curveball like “Lazylady”. Heavy as that one riff in between the verses are, “Lazylady” doesn’t feel as blatantly “metal” as their other early work. It rocks, and it rocks HARD. Think a primal spin on the likes of Hunble Pie and Free. There’s a nasty groove and swagger to the riffs and melodies. Add to that some brilliant lyrics (“Well, I could wander down the alley for a two-bit tramp, but I can’t dig a hooker’s romance.”) and you’ve got a pure 70s anthem.

4. “Death Row”

Fun fact: Pentagram wasn’t always Pentagram. Their initial incarnation formed in 1970 under the moniker Space Meat, who then quickly became Stone Bunny. When neither of those stuck, they became Pentagram…until 1972 when they became Macabre. That same year, they reverted back to the Pentagram moniker. Various incarnations continued to record and perform under such, until frontman Bobby Liebling hooked up with a band called Death Row…who soon rebranded themselves as, you guessed it, Pentagram. Unsurprisingly, many of these Death Row songs would be, appropriated on subsequent Pentagram releases, including the aptly titled “Death Row”. From those sludgy riffs and Liebling’s unforgettable vocals, to that horrifying chorus of “And what will you miss when death gives you a kiss”, “Death Row” is the definition of doom.

3. “Relentless”

Doom metal is often characterized by its slow tempos. However, this isn’t always the case. Off the top of my head, I can think of a handful of doom classics that buck this trend, among them being Black Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe”, Trouble’s “Assassin”, and this song right here, “Relentless”. Every time that lead riff kicks in, I find myself headbanging as ferociously as I would to any Slayer or Metallica or Exodus song of the era. Dare I label this “speed-doom”? Whatever the hell it is, “Relentless” rules and captures the *ahem* “Relentless” spirit that has led this band from day one. If you’re not thrashing it up and air guitaring to this one, what’s wrong with you?

2. “Sign of the Wolf (Pentagram)”

Ever hear a song that takes you back to a specific moment in your life? One of those songs that, if you closed your eyes, you see yourself reliving said memory? While I’ve heard “Sign of the Wolf (Pentagram)” countless times since junior high, whenever I hear it now, I’m taken back to Fall of 2020, when amidst COVID-mania, my best friend and I sat stoned in my garage, smoking a joint, drinking wine, and blasting “Sign of the Wolf (Pentagram)”. I can practically smell it now. While I have since given up recreational drug use, I haven’t given up Relentless, and I certainly haven’t given up this song. In an ideal world, it should be the be all, end all Pentagram song. Yet its magnificence is only outdone by…

1. “Be Forewarned”

Every now and then, a song comes along that’s so goddamn brilliant, you just have to sit in bewildering awe of its excellence. The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life”, Black Sabbath’s “Spiral Architect”, Pink Floyd’s “Dogs”…oh yeah, and Pentagram’s “Be Forewarned”. Look folks. I don’t know what Rolling Stone considers to be the “Top 500 Songs of All Time”, and frankly, I don’t want to know. If “Be Forewarned” isn’t on there, the list is null and void. This doom-blues ballad transcends time itself, thanks to its incredible lyrics, ominous riffs, and a soulful vocal performance from Liebling that sounds like a cross between Iggy Pop and Eric Burdon. It’s been covered many times since, even by Pentagram themselves, but nothing touches the fire of the original ’72 rendition, technically released by Macabre (Remember them from “Death Row”?). If you’re going to be a stickler for historical accuracy, then yes, “Be Forewarned” is the greatest Pentagram AND Macabre song of all time, bar none.