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PENTAGRAM
Lightning In A Bottle

Heavy Psych Sounds (2025)
Rating: 7.5/10

Rising from his coffin like Nosferatu reborn, grand ghoul master Bobby Liebling assembles a new line-up and behold, Pentagram is back with a tenth full-length opus, the first for a decade. Liebling conducts his orchestra of doom like a man possessed; guitarist Tony Reed, bassist Scooter Haslip and drummer Henry Vasquez conjure ancient spirits for another séance of sound.

Detractors may be waiting in the wings to scoff at such clunky rock, but for me this is Pentagram doing what they do best, enticing the listener behind the black curtain and stifling them with a blanket of stuffy gloom. Liebling, as expected, rants and raves like the demented janitor at the haunted campus warning the latest students of their impending fate.

Liebling is also the bogeyman, staring wild eyed at the petrified audience he croons “I need to know that this time it’s real, I lost myself along the way” on opener ‘Live Again’. The riff is massive, somehow fresh yet somehow old and musty as Liebling bellows “You don’t know me… I wanna live again”, and damn you better believe him.

The American band does everything in their power to carve huge chunks of gargantuan doom that’s instantly catchy. ‘In The Panic Room’ is Pentagram in cheery mode with sonic 70s groove that’s somewhat generic and familiar, although I can’t for the hell of me think where I’ve heard it before. Even so, it epitomises the timeless quality of the band that has that effortless ability to construct maddening psychedelic and creaky, musty rock ‘n’ roll in equal measure.

‘Thundercrest’ chugs like it’s suddenly going to burst into thrash, the riff is gnarly to say the least but also sun-baked and contemporary. Meanwhile, ‘Lady Heroin’ rumbles with the same juggernaut intensity. Sure, the morose Pentagram still exists, particularly on stoned fuzz buzz ‘I Spoke To Death’ and the stark, monolithic title cut, but if anything Pentagram 2025 has more in common with Corrosion Of Conformity circa Wiseblood (1996) and beyond, and that’s due to those slightly serrated riffs and bulbous rolls which aren’t soupy enough to be doom metal. But c’mon people, it’s another Pentagram outing, the first in a decade, and one which sizzles with psychotic aplomb thanks to Liebling’s wizened, charismatic croons and wizard warbles. ‘I’ll Certainly See You In Hell’ is a straight up rocker, ‘Spread Your Wings’ a tried and trusted doomscape, and closer ‘Walk The Sociopath’ is a literal oozefest that shifts like treacle.

The deluxe edition of the album features three bonus cuts: a rough mix of ‘Lady Herion’, lethargic slugger ‘Might Just Wanna Be Your Fool’ and the bulbous and bluesy ‘Start The End’.

To an extent, Lightning In A Bottle isn’t a million miles away from 2004 platter Show ’Em How musically; the riffs are simple and all tracks on board are instant. No, it’s not an album that will go down as an essential purchase, but let’s just live in the moment and be here now for what could be Bobby Liebling’s last stand. Lightning In A Bottle is as solid as oak, a reliable and rich source of doomy rock sold to you by a crazed and glazed madman you just can’t ignore.

Neil Arnold

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