Metal Blade Records signs Pentagram

Official press release: Metal Blade Records is proud to announce the signing of legendary doom metal act Pentagram. The band, now entering their 40th year anniversary, will be releasing a full-length album titled Last Rites in the spring of 2011 featuring all new tracks with a DVD to follow in late 2011. The doomed duo of Bobby Liebling and Victor Griffin has united once again to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Pentagram! Spring 2011 will bear witness to the revered pair's first studio album together in 17 years. Only days out of the sessions, the band will unleash these newborn heavies live! Monstrous new riffs and more will be freed the nights of January 6th, at Europa in NYC and January 7th, at Club Hell in Providence, RI. Also playing live with the band will be Pentagram alumni and current full-time bass player Greg Turley with Tim Tomaselli (Place of Skulls) filling in on drums. Bobby Liebling comments on working with Metal Blade Records; "I reflect on how Pentagram is coming into its 40th year and how it finally feels like we are entering into the major leagues. With Metal Blade now at our side, it feels like we made the World Series! I'll quote John Lennon from 'A Hard Day's Night' and ask the loyal rivetheads out there, 'Did we pass the audition?'" Victor Griffin adds; "Neither Bobby nor myself ever imagined we'd play together again. It's an honor to be re-united and celebrate the 40th anniversary of Pentagram, and the 30th anniversary of our musical relationship with a new album on Metal Blade Records! As always, we did it our way…thanks for making us survivors!" "I am very excited to welcome Pentagram to the Metal Blade Family. It is really amazing for us to work with such a legendary band and we look forward to a great success!" comments Chairman/CEO of Metal Blade Records, Brian Slagel. Cult rock legend Bobby Liebling has been churning out genre defining and highly admired hard rock/doom metal for over 40 years with Pentagram. Within its first decade, the band is largely regarded as co-creating two subgenres of hard rock. Heavy Metal at the birth of the 1970's and Doom towards its death. The classic "Death Row"-era line-up and the band's debut album, Relentless (1984) was inducted into Decibel Magazine's Hall of Fame in 2010. Guitarist Victor Griffin's invention of the "Drop B" tuning is first heard here. This heavy-handed hallmark went on to influence handfuls of players and defined a subgenre. These numbers recently included Jack White and his band The Dead Weather who cover Forever My Queen (Liebling) live. It was also played on late night talk shows worldwide and even released as a single on White's own Third Man Records.