Pentagram (US)

Pentagram formed in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971. Their early track "Forever My Queen" became a slow, heavy touchstone for what would later be called doom metal. The band's first album, Relentless, didn't arrive until 1985, and distribution problems kept it from reaching many listeners at the time.

Bobby Liebling has been the constant vocalist and lyricist, with guitarist Victor Griffin shaping much of their sound across different eras. Their 1994 album Be Forewarned, named for one of their songs, leaned back into a raw, heavy approach after some lineup shifts. They kept recording through the 2000s, with albums like Last Rites in 2001, but never quite broke through to wider commercial success.

Their music, including songs like "All Your Sins" and "Frustration," stayed rooted in slow tempos and dark themes. For a band that started in the early 1970s, their influence on later doom and stoner metal scenes grew quietly, more through word of mouth and reissues than through chart positions or big tours.