Customer Reviews

First Daze Here: Vintage Collection

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not too many people about Pentagram's 70s roots but they were the best Maryland/DC band of the period. This lineup almost hit the big time twice (possible deals with Columbia and Casablanca were struck but never went anywhere)) but never recorded a full album. Until now the only way to hear these incredible songs was to know people who know the band. Most of these songs were released on the two 72-79" comps on Peace records but "last daze" (which recalls a Stones/Stooges ballad) is totally new. Other great moments: "walk in the blue light", "star lady" (which KISS wanted to record!), "earth flight", "hurricane" and others that sound like Sabbath meets Blue Cheer meets BOC. The only drawback is the annoying remixing of "be forwarned" and "lazy lady" but if you haven't heard the original versions then you won't mind these. Other great moments from these sessions not included here: "wheel of fortune", "smokescreen", "much too young to know", "teaser", the original version of "run my course" and their cover of "under my thumb".

This is an exceptional vintage style album. Concurrent with Sabbath (1970-1975), this band was way ahead of the curve. They even beat Van Halen to the punch on some of these songs. Every song is classic. Well-written well-composed, soulful, sorrowful, sardonic, sad, powerful, pissed, proud. Vocals like the Stooges, songs like Rainbow and Sabbath and Deep Purple. All the highs and Low low low's of a seasoned doom band. Lyrics about love, vixens, depression, dying, psychadelia, the horned bad-guy below, and the man upstairs, too. Purportedly, this band's deal with the devil got hung up in the contracts department. It's so puzzling that they never made it big. My favorite album release of 2002, and that's across a host of genres. Best songs are "Starlady" and "Last Dayz," but you will love every song.

Pentagram is one of those obscure bands that you will probably never hear about on a mainstream level. This band's cds, particularly the two compilations: "First Daze Here," and "First Daze Here Two," probably can't and won't be found at your local Best Buy or Tower Records. You'll probably have to go to your local independent record store like I did (Bionic Records in Fullerton) and purchase the album from a guy who is addicted to ganja and the 4 foot long bong hidden somewhere in his closet. But once you do purchase these two early years comps., you'll be glad you did. You will feel like you stumbled onto an obscure band that you can introduce all of your geezar friends, uncles, older cousins, and even your father (and other balding, or grey-haired middle-aged men who grew up listening to early "heavy" bands like Steppenwolf, The Hendrix Experience, Mountain, Blue Cheer, the mighty Black Sabbath, UFO, Budgie, early Scorpions [Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth-era], and The Stooges)to, as well as some of your cohorts who are disciples of the aforementioned early heavy/stoner rock bands. And all of these people shall be quite impressed.

The best way to sum up the sound of Pentagram is--think along the lines of the music of Ozzy-era Sabbath meets the vocal sound of Ian Gillian. Please don't incorporate the Ian Gillian-era Sabbath reference here as that was a completely different sounding era. The guitarist, Vincent McAllister sounds like a direct apprentice of Tony Iommi, riffs, vibrato, solos and all--and what are the odds, he played a Gibson SG during this period? I wouldn't be surprised if he was using a Laney amp with a Big Muff distortion either! Plus, the lyrics are humorous and very much directed towards men. Any band that pens the lines "Now listen here baby--I got a message for you, I need a woman who can cook, clean and screw," is top notch on my list. These cats were straight-up American classic hard rock and it's about frickin' time their early music has been put on recorded media to be heard by the masses. The cd art is pretty dark and cool as well. You know a band doesn't mess around when they use the Sigil of Baphomet as their band's official symbol (mind you, this pre-dates any other metal band such as Venom using this symbol). Get ready to rock out and impress some friends when you listen to this one!

The original version of Pentagram was an amazing band. I grew up with these guys and shot the photographs that were used for this disc. The first version of Pentagram had it all - Geof's powerhouse drumming, Vincent's amazing lead playing (work that was every bit the equal of German Wonderboy Michael Scheneker.) Greg's solid keep-it-steady bass and Bobby's disturbing view of the world. Randy and Marty filled in as second guitars in two different phases of the band plus Randy wrote the amazing "Star Lady." They came so close to hitting it big - twice! This disc contains some great songs and hopefully more Pentagram jewels will see the light of day. In the meantime, Geof, Randy and Mike Matthews are proceeding with the Bedemon project and will record new material later this month. ( Bedemon is a side project of Pentagram formed by Randy that featured Geof on drums and guitars, Bobby on vocals and Mike on bass - that material was bootlegged and circulated for quite a while) ...Pentagram was formed by Geof and Bobby - for many years the world only knew of Pentagram as an eighties to ninties metal band. The first version of the band was incredibly talented - Awesome playing and songwriting. The mix have been cleaned up and the songs sound ten-thousand percent better than the bootlegged cassette to CD "releases." This is the real thing - the first "real" Pentagram disc from the original band. If you love early metal - this is a must have disc.

Before I get on with raving about how over the top excellent this album is, I just wanna say: ENOUGH with the Sabbath comparisons already!!! Anyone who has ever heard Bang, Blue Cheer and Budgie knows that these guys owe just as much to those guys as to Sabbath. Granted, their 80'ies stuff was a little more Sbbathy but that's not the point. And all these influences aside, Pentagram can very much hold their own. Ahhh... anyways:
Damn, this is a great album! Had Pentagram actually broken above underground level, then today they would probably be mentioned in the same breath as BÖC, Sabbath and Deep Purple. Loads of "classics" on this one. During my first listen, the cut "Lazy Lade" really cought me. It's kinda Hendrix-esque and extremely catchy. Any fan of heavy 70'ies headbanger music will/should love this! Hail to the [people] at Relapse for (re)releasing this masterpiece!

You'd be hanging out with your friends,in someone's parents basement. Trying to sort out something to do. Without a doubt, these lads would've been on the turntable (remember those?)waiting their turn to add to the gloom,in company with such uberworks as Deep Purple In Rock or Fireball, Sabbath's first and/or Master of Reality. If only I'd known of Pentagram back then. Sadly, I never heard of them, although heavily into this type music.
Now I've heard them (several times already this week, in fact).This disc is an excellent collection. For anyone who was in high school in the early 70s or if you are just interested in a brief taste of the above mentioned atmosphere, get this one today;I'm certain you'll enjoy it thoroughly.After all, a lot's changed in 30 years, but Seattle still has "rain gloomy afternoons".

Pentagram, the perpetually forgotten 70's American Metal band. Hailing from Alexandria VA, they toiled in obscurity for the better part of two decades before releasing an LP. Along the way, they released a handful of singles and recorded some demos as well. These tracks are culled from those various locations and given a good treatment to form what should be a mandatory disc for every Black Sabbath Fan. While comparisons to Black Sabbath are quite appropriate, I can almost imagine a straight line being drawn to this from the works of Blue Cheer (who these guys idolized) and other early stoner/psychedelic bands. Perhaps it's just my American patriotism or something. While this certainly is very heavy music, it's not in the same league as Sabbath, and as much as I like the guitar tone on here, it's really quite different from that of Tony Iommi. You might even call it a bit of an acquired taste.

First, I'll tackle the straight up metal stuff: Forever My Queen is supposedly the most well-known song from the band. Anyway it explodes right out of the gate with a simple yet crushing riff and an awesome solo to boot. When the Screams Come is my personal favorite song on here. The main riff just drips with evil and there's a bit of thrash in the middle. Certainly we have here one of the greatest ever forgotten metal anthems, and it's a tragedy that this is only know by a small circle of devoted fans. Earth Flight, B-Side of the band's second single starts with a bass intro and builds to a heavy rocker with Sab riffs. In fact, the one in the middle reminds me a bit of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Review Your Choices is similar to the aforementioned When The Screams come, but here the guitar is toned down a bit. That doesn't mean it's any less evil, however.

Now, as I mentioned the band literally worshipped Blue Cheer, and it shows on some of these tunes. Walk in the Blue Light hearkens back to the band's earlier material, which leans more toward Blue Cheer than Black Sabbath. Not bad, but there were much better things to come from the band. The song Starlady has become notorious, since Gene Simmons had offered the band $10,000 for this song but they famously refused. Incidentally, this may have resulted in Simmons ditching the band and signing Angel instead. In my opinion, this sounds much better than what KISS would have done with it. It's a pretty straightforward 70's rocker, and yes that's rock not metal. Be Forewarned was the band's first ever single in 1972, and it's trippy with its waves of tremolo guitar. Lazy Lady, the B-Side to Be Forewarned, is another Blue Cheer-ish song here with a sliding bass intro and just some hints of doom throughout. An auspicious start for an auspicious band.

The remaining songs are a mixed lot. These strike me as works in progress, or something that could have used more development. For example, Hurricane, the band's second single, begins with a rightly marching riff and then half-way through, goes speed metal for about 30 seconds. It sounds very awesome and quite innovative, but at the same time under focused. And Livin' in a Ram's Head, a VERY roughly recorded tune cut in a club in DC, has some sort of "stoner-punk" sound but feels a little incomplete as a song. I can only imagine that, given proper studio time and treatment, this could have been blaring out of every FM radio.

20 Buck Spin reminds me of some of those old heavy jam bands like Truth and Janey or JPT Scare Band. It's a tale of a hooker and life on the street, and at the end it just takes off into an extended jam. Vince McAllister gets a little self-indulgent, but that's okay, he's actually a good player. Then finally, Last Days Here, the "quiet" song, but not emotionally light, as it deals with death and the afterlife in a heavy-handed fashion. I like Bobby Liebling's vocals on this one.

The band personally oversaw the remastery of the CD and the creation of the included booklet, with full lyrics and a few photos. Very good job on that as well.

So to summarize, if you are any kind of a fan of stoner or doom metal check this out. You won't be disappointed. Also be sure to check out First Daze II, coming March 2006, and the related band Bedemon, whose Child of Darkness CD will be out very shortly.

Anyone who enjoys the original tunes on Blue Cheer's Outsideinside, with their trademarked "lurching" sound, would love this. I also hear bits of Hendrix, Mountain, Thin Lizzy, and Roky Erikson's 70s and 80s bands. Truth and Janey fans would dig this too. Not much Sabbath, though. I guess that came later in Pentagram's career.

every song is great on this,drawing from several noted influences but still totally original,the evil's so thick you can cut it with a knife.fave song is "hurricane",this song has got about 8 ingenious ideas wrapped into a 2 minute ball of fury,it reminds me of budgie meets sabbath,if there ever was."20 buck spin"is another highlight,reminds of zeppelin,especially the long-jam part of it."the screams come" wouldn't be out of place on sabs debut.just really great early metal songs,only starlady sounds out of place,since it was recorded in 1976,sounds like they were going for a pop-metal sound(geesshh!).a must own!!!

The history of hard rock legends Pentagram has been told a few times now, but never too much. Formed in 1971 by Bobby Liebling and Geof O'Keefe, Pentagram released several singles in the seventies but never got a real record deal until the band re-appeared in different form in the mid-80s and again --and again differently-- in the early and late 90s. Here are on CD for the first time in a decent (remastered but not remixed) and authorized format 12 classic Pentagram songs recorded between 1972 and 1976. This CD provides a very good overview of the band that was (co-)establishing and at the same time still developing a new brand of hard rock. Some songs still have a foot in the 60s, others are lightyears ahead of the rest. Highlights are "Forever My Queen", "Starlady", "Lazy Lady", "Review Your Choices" and "Living in a Ram's Head". The original Macabre single, "Be Forewarned", is included but in a slightly enhanced form with added vocals/guitar (so keep on looking for the original vinyl release on Intermedia Productions!). The packaging also is up to par with the band's artistic contributions, including informative notes by Geof and Bobby and pictures by Cameron Davidson. So drop everything and check this out!

Mathieu