Pentagram Chile

Pentagram Chile (previously known as Pentagram) is an extreme metal band from Chile, formed in 1985. They were part of the first wave of extreme metal in the mid 80's, along with bands like Possessed, Celtic Frost, Sepultura and others. Considered as a very influential band in the Black metal and Death metal genres, they have influenced bands like At The Gates, Dismember, Napalm Death and Avulsed among others.

Early Years (1985—1987)

His first live performance was the December 28, 1985. The group then consisted Reisenegger Anton (vocals, guitar) and Juan Pablo Uribe (guitar), two heavy metal fans who were under the influence of thrash of Exodus, Megadeth, and Metallica, as well as more raw-edged, dark and wild Slayer, Possessed, Kreator and Venom. At that time they played with drummer Eduardo Topelberg. He still had his group Chronos and took a year to take the decision to become a stable member of Pentagram.

With this training, and Anton playing the bass parts, Pentagram recorded the Demo 1, January 1987. One of the characteristics of the thrash scene, and in general around the metalhead under, at that time, was the exchange of demo tapes, which were traded among fans and reviewed in magazines and fanzines. In this way, Pentagram made his name in Chile and abroad.

Reisenegger with Max Cavalera during their stay in Brazil to record an LP that never appeared.

Through the exchange postal, Reiseneger contacts the brothers Max and Igor Cavalera of Sepultura, those who receive it at home in Belo Horizonte. In those days the Brazilian group was launching her first album Morbid Visions. Anton remembers the whole family would gather Cavalera when passing a hard commercial on local television.

Now back to Chile, Pentagram consolidates a stable by signing bassist Alfredo Peña, the "Bey". 1987 was the year of Pentagram. The gigs were becoming more regular. They shared the bill with groups such as necrosis (band), Rust (later Warpath) and Chaos. These concerts were made mainly in gyms and Nathaniel Manuel Plaza of Santiago came more and more people. In September of that year they recorded the demo in February in which progress can be seen in the sound and quality of the compositions.

Thanks to the exchange system functioning in the community metalheads, Pentagram could edit a single seven-inch in Switzerland through the label Chainsaw Murder Records. This vinyl containing a demo themes "Fatal Predictions" and "Demoniac Possession" was managed by the owner of the label, a guy who called Dinosaur and had worked as a roadie for Celtic Frost.

Despite enjoying the recognition of the metal scene, members of Pentagram were discouraging to see that there was no interest from domestic and foreign stamps for hire. The public admired them, paradoxically, spitting in each of their performances, which was an incomprehensible and disgusting practice of those years. The discomfort that this caused, coupled with the immaturity of their own members, sealed the end of the group, who left in 1988 with a concert at Manuel Plaza at about two thousand people.

The Failed Back (1991—1992)

In 1991, tried to reset Pentagram, but this time I would do without the original members, 1 year after the death of Bey Peña, "Eduardo Topelberg" back to help drive Romance of Dorso, recording met with Marcelo Ulloa to record the demo White Hell. In this demo, it was Anton who recorded guitar, bass and vocals, while drummer would Ulloa. The search for a new bassist Anton fall into the hands of Miguel Angel Montenegro, after the end of his time as a replacement bassist Squad and Fallout. This training failed to record any song, even though they had a presentation circulated Flyer's with these members.

Pentagram Return (2000—2012)

In 2000, when Anton was already based in Europe, were reissued on CD Pentagram two demos plus a couple of live records in 1987. On May 27, 2001 was held back from Pentagram (or rather the dismissal), in a concert at a theater filled Providencia old and new fans of the group. On the occasion were three original members (Reisenegger, Topelberg and Uribe) as well as former Criminal bassist Juan Francisco Cueto Cato, who took over for the occasion because of the late Alfredo Peña. This concert included Pentagram issues, as well as covers of Slayer and Venom, was published under the title Pentagram Reborn 2001, making the necessary evidence of a flagship band of the genre metalhead in Chile and Latin America.

The 2008 goes on sale digipack Under The Spell Of The Pentagram, which includes the first two albums reissued demos 2000 and the second is a DVD containing the concert Pentagram Reborn 2001 and 3 presentations in 1987 gymnasium Manuel Plaza.

Pentagram 2009 reforming the way in a first stage a national tour, which begins in the Chilean Metal Summit (June 14, Theatre Caupolicán) the second is the European tour that takes them to countries like Spain and Norway, ending in Wacken Festival, Germany. Opening for the year ending with Atomic Aggressor the British Venom on December 9 at the Teatro Caupolican.

In May 2010 they took out the songwriting sessions for the new album, which resulted in eight new songs, which should be recorded in October 2010.

After 3 years of waiting, since it was announced the preparation of a studio album, on January 23, 2012, issued a statement from the official Facebook group:

Just wanted to let you all know we Have Resumed work on the first Pentagram album! | Les queremos comunicar que hemos retomado el trabajo en el primer álbum de PENTAGRAM!

The delays were due largely to the work of Reisenegger with Lock Up and Criminal mainly with who threw Akelarre in late 2011 and brought several concerts. All this left in doubt the continuity of work with Pentagram.

Name change and The Malefice (2012—present)

In May 2012, the band changed their name to Pentagram Chile, to avoid confusion with the American band of the same name.

In March 2013, the band announced they were releasing their debut album, entitled The Malefice, in June or July of the same year, 28 years after the band's formation.^[1]

Current members

• Anton Reisenegger — vocals, guitar (1985–present)
• Juan Pablo “Azazel“ Uribe — guitar (1985–present)
• Dan Biggin — bass (2009 (live), 2011–present)
• Juan Pablo Donoso — drums (2012–present)

Discography

• The Malefice (2013)

References