That you will get something obscure when Bobby Liebling has been a part of it hardly comes as a surprise to anyone familiar with PENTAGRAM. And yes, "Last Rites" really sound like PENTAGRAM, that 70's Heavy Rock with the slight occult touch is still there and the songs are still odd and without rules as it use to be with PENTAGRAM. With that I mean there's not mandatory with verse, chorus, verse, chorus, stick, solo and so on. All this was very much a part of the psychedelic Rock of the 70's which still can be recognized in PENTAGRAM's music.

But what sets "Last Rites" apart from the earlier PENTAGRAM albums is the production and over all sound. I can understand if a lot of people have been writing off PENTAGRAM as un-listenable since the production of most all their albums has been very raw and rough, especially the last two-three ones. Of course, if you can look past that and dig a bit deeper you will see the greatness of this band. Now, with "Last Rites" the sound is a lot softer and better produced. Still, there's enough of that 70's feel to not loose the vibe. The Acid Rock Feeling is still there and PENTAGRAM's style can absolutely still be recognized. The only real difference I can point out is that this album has a little more Stoner and Groove Rock feeling over it. However, it's a far more accessible album and will probably appeal to a lot more people, just because of the smooth sound.

When it comes to the songs, well, I've always liked PENTAGRAM and think most of what they've done has been really good. It's the same with "Last Rites", it has its absolute highlights and some songs pass a little more unnoticed than others. An instant favorite was the one shortly titled "8" which starts off with a really nice 70's oozing guitar part.

Just like the ones BLACK SABBATH did so good in their early days. "Into The Ground" is a groovy tune that really caught my attention from the start. "Horseman" follows in the same footsteps, only with a very mellow and melodic verse. There are a lot of these melancholic tunes on the record, my thoughts went directly to Uli Jon Roth and "Electric Sun"-years, fantastic playing, the Hendrix dynamic and the odd vocals. Yes, Bobby Liebling has a very special voice but just as with Uli, when used to it there's nothing that could ever replace it to make it better.

The "Last Rites" album might very well be they entrance for a lot of new fans to discover PENTAGRAM. If this one settles it will be much easier to look over disturbances on the older albums. And the ones who already have seen the greatness of PENTAGRAM, don't worry, the album is still really obscure.