Pentagram - Last Rites (2011)

I always found it annoying when people called Pentagram a doom band. The same could also be said for Trouble and Witchfinder General because these guys were in a field of their own. Pentagram are one of the only bands around who can still sound as though they're stuck in the '70s, and 'Last Rites' really is a nod to the blues soaked and oaken times, but all done in their own unique way, throwing in a few Sabbath-esque riffs made all the more ominous by Griffin's distinctive churn and with Bobby at the helm, this is a record that puts all imitators and followers to shame. From the get-go we are treated to the dense doom n' roll 'Treat Me Right' which boasts a Motorhead style bullishness, whilst 'Call The Man' has a more epic, bluesy feel, Bobby's almost lucid vocal croon lacing the black winds like a dove in flight. Then we've got the slower lope of 'Into The Ground' contradicted then by the monster mash riff of '8' and the stunning guitar stomp of 'Everything's Turning To Night' where Griffin really shines. By keeping eevrything so simple Pentragram have slayed what little opposition they already had, because instead of attempting to carve out monolithic slabs of repetitive doom, they have cruised along at their own creaky pace. 'Windmills & Chimes' is more of a folk rock soundscape than a doom yawn, it has a strong classic metal feel whilst the fuzz dirge of 'Walk In The Blue Light' and the creepy mutated Alice Cooper-esque crawl of 'Death In 1st Person' showcase the bands' flexibility, and yet proving just how original these guys are as, over te years, waves of Sabbath rip offs have come and gone, Pentragram, just like Ozzy's men, have stood high on the battlements and mocked all who cower below. 8.5/10