Deluxe edition with double gatefold vinyl, alternative cover and 3 bonus tracks.
Between records like Relentless and Show 'Em How, Pentagram have never lacked a sense of self-awareness when it comes to album titles. Their latest effort, Lightning in a Bottle, proudly continues that tradition. As the band’s tenth studio album, it finds founding frontman and doom metal icon Bobby Liebling leading a revitalized lineup featuring guitarist/producer Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere), drummer Henry Vasquez (Legions of Doom, Saint Vitus, Blood of the Sun), and bassist Scooter Haslip (Mos Generator, Saltine).
The energy this new ensemble brings to tracks like “Live Again,” “Solve the Puzzle,” and “In the Panic Room” is palpable. Yet, Lightning in a Bottle remains unmistakably a Pentagram album—defined by Liebling’s ever-charismatic delivery and the heavy, unmistakable groove that has long been the band’s signature. Recorded with Reed at the production helm, the album captures the essence of what has made Pentagram influential across generations of bands and diehard riff worshippers alike.
As only their third studio release in the past 15 years, Lightning in a Bottle is not one to overlook. Cuts like “Dull Pain” and “Lady Heroin” stand out, the latter serving as a raw, unflinching reflection by Liebling on his lifelong battle with opioid addiction—an inseparable thread in the Pentagram narrative. “Lady Heroin, have I seen the last of you?” he asks, leaving the listener to wonder whether the farewell stems from recovery or mortality. It’s that very ambiguity that makes the song resonate so deeply.
But it’s not all introspection and gloom—this is doom, after all. “Thundercrest” comes out swinging, and the title track stomps with a confident swagger that recalls the band’s storied past without simply rehashing it. The overarching message, however you choose to interpret it, is clear: despite everything Pentagram has endured over the last half-century, they remain an unshakable force.
Lightning in a Bottle may not be the band’s first reinvention, but it injects fresh perspective and vitality into one of doom metal’s most formative acts. From the first note, Pentagram don’t just show up—they own the moment.
