Chile’s Pentagram came to prominence with its demo tapes in 1987. This attracted the attention of tape traders like Max Cavalera and influenced bands such as Napalm Death and At The Gates. This influence was so great that frontman Anton Reisenegger joined members of those bands in supergroup Lock Up.
Despite this legacy, no album was forthcoming until a reformation in 2013. Their debut The Malefice saw them unleash their mix of death metal and thrash upon the world, with a number of shows in both Chile and Europe to back it up. Prior to the release of the album they added the (Chile) suffix to avoid confusion with doom legends Pentagram.
Frontman Anton Reisenegger and guitarist Juan Pablo Uribe are the remaining members from those old days. Juan Pablo Donoso takes care of the drum duties, with Juan Francisco Cueto on bass.
Eternal Life of Madness clocks in at just under an hour, with eleven tracks in total, taking us back to the thrashing days of the early 80s, with big influence from Slayer, Possessed and others of similar ilk.
“El Imbunche” opens up with instruments at full blast, telling the folk tale from the island of Chiloe in the south of Chile. The next track “Possessor” takes more of a brooding approach in the buildup before the blasts come.
“Omniscient Tyrant” has that line repeated throughout the song, among some blitzing solos. Throughout the album the band impresses, but doesn’t quite reach the levels of The Malefice. Artist Santiago Caruso has backed up his work from their debut, with a headless warrior backed by various moons standing out on the cover.
The back end of the album has some strong tracks such as “State of Grace” and “Deus Est Machina”, combining strong riffs and blasting drums with the shouted vocals but there probably needs to be a little more variety to keep listeners tuned in.
Pentagram: Facebook
Release Year: 2024
Label: Listenable Records
Category: Album
Country: Chile
Reviewed by Daniel Boyle
