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Track Listing: Treat me Right Call the Man Into the Ground 8 Everything's Turning to Night Windmills and Chimes American Dream Walk in Blue Light Horseman Death in 1st Person Nothing Left

One of the forefathers of heavy metal and the pioneers of doom metal have returned to the scene with their latest release "Last Rites" with founder and constant member, Bobby Liebling. I always compared Bobby to Spinal Tap in the sense that I was amazed that he never just spontaneously combusted from the amount of drugs he took and the way he abused his body with them but I gotta give the guy some major props for the way he turned his life around. It seems like he's finally managed to pull it together to get Pentagram out there once again and I for one root for him to keep going in this direction.

There's been some scoffs about this latest creation, calling it dated and boring, but to me this is a refreshing call back to the days when metal was raw and gritty. In the 70s and 80s, metal was loud, dirty, and in your face and there are some bands out there that could learn a thing or two from Pentagram. "Treat Me Right" comes spilling out with some straight forth rock and roll and Liebling sounds top notch filled with aggression. Another nice surprise was to hear Victor Griffin, who also played on "Relentless", back on board. He shows off some skilled soloing on "Call the Man", and his riffs match with Bobby's melodic vocals perfectly. "Into the Ground", played in classic doom fashion, is haunting as Bobby drawls on about, what it sounds like the mistakes he made in his own life and what he needed to do about it before it was too late.

Majorly heavy riffs are laid down on "Everything's Turning to Night" while "Windmills and Chimes" brings in more of a 70s rock vibe with some bluesy undertones. The riffs on "Horseman" are dark and chug along nicely along with Griffin then delivering a killer solo. The melancholy "Death in 1st Person" has Bobby delivering his vocals in a classic Alice Cooper style that will give you chills. The closer "Nothing Left" marches on in more of a doom fashion as Bobby gives his all on vocals until it sounds like there is literally nothing left.

For the doubters out there, you need to at least give "Last Rites" a chance before making your final decision, you'll find there is more here than just some dated metal. Much more.