Relentless
Relentless sounds as though Pentagram have dragged the early seventies into the eighties. The guitar is heavy and dirty, the singing unsettled, and the songs have little interest in decoration. Beneath that simple surface sits a surprisingly mobile band. This is doom that regularly moves with the drive of forceful hard rock.
Victor Griffin gives the album its foundation. His riffs are direct enough to recognise quickly but threatening enough to offer more than a comfortable groove. Bobby Liebling adds a voice somewhere between a rock singer and a possessed shout. The Black Sabbath influence is obvious without preventing the music from developing its own character.
All Your Sins shows how well the parts work together. A brief drum outburst launches the heavy riff and memorable vocal lines. The Ghoul puts more emphasis on a disturbing atmosphere. The pace does not need to disappear completely; guitar and voice maintain the tension. Sign Of The Wolf (Pentagram) offers the other side of the band: short, catchy and lively enough to connect with listeners beyond a specialist doom audience.
The rough recording cuts both ways. It makes the playing feel immediate and unpolished but does not give every detail equal clarity. Anyone expecting a huge, tightly finished production will need to adjust. The shorter songs are not all developed with equal conviction, either. At times, the album relies more on the character of the performance than on a surprising composition.
That character is a major advantage here. Relentless keeps gloom and the pleasure of playing close together. Recognisable riffs and a lively approach make it a strong introduction to American doom, while the best songs retain enough personality to last much longer.
