Pentagoatcross is yet another band/project from Black Priest, vocalist from Texan Black Metal underground pioneers Ceremony who is also active in several other bands. Pentagoatcross sits squarely in that pre‑codified Death Metal zone where late‑’80s extremity blurred Thrash Metal, proto‑Death Metal, and early Black Metal before genres hardened.
The influences are mostly first‑generation US Death Metal and its immediate Thrash/Black Metal precursors: Necrovore, Possessed, Hellhammer, Sacrifice, early Death, Dark Angel, Rigor Mortis, Infernal Majesty and Morbid Angel.
With such an impressive pedigree you get an album that has no groove, no technical showmanship, no genre purity; just speed, chaos, and occult hostility.
Vocalist Black Priest has a compelling animalistic voice that immediate grabs your attention before dragging you straight to hell. Songs like ‘Penetration of Pazuzu’, ‘Witchcunt’, ‘Siete Iglesias’ (hello there, Possessed!) or ‘Immolate the Wicker Man’ give you an idea of the timeless charm that oozes from this album.
Production-wise, the sound is impeccable and balanced, with panned ethereal solos, pounding drums, tons of reverb and atmosphere. And Black Priest snarls, pukes, roars and blasphemes all over this beautiful lunacy.
At this moment, the album is only available in its digital form, but CD versions, tapes, … are said to follow soon. Fans of this chaotic type of mayhem need to keep an eye on this band!
