Penance - Parallel Corners - DOUBLE LP GATEFOLD COLOURED

Released in 1994 and not only considered one of the classics of 1990s traditional Doom Metal, many fans consider “Parallel Corners” to be Penance’s finest album. The first ever vinyl release of this criminally underrated doom-metal gem by Svart Records is a lush double LP gatefold with brand new artwork and insert with a photo collage and liner notes. A worthy addition to complete any Doom-mongers vinyl treasury, make sure you lay your hands on this heavy slab of metal history. Black Sabbath, Witchfinder General, Trouble, Candlemass… the history of doom metal is pretty simple and sparsely populated. To be sure, things picked up in the early ‘90s with the likes of The Obsessed and Cathedral, and then very quickly, Cathedral’s Lee Dorrian picked up on Penance, issuing the Pittsburgh band’s debut The Road Less Travelled on his nascent Rise Above label in 1992. Pre-Penance band Dream Death dealt in dastardly doom but also other faster forms of extreme metal, but move a few parts around and Penance was born, featuring Brian Lawrence on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Terry Weston on lead guitar, Rich Freund on bass and Mike Smail on drums. But then Parallel Corners comes and shakes the doom world to its foundations, the band now signed to Century Media, accompanied by further shifts in the lineup. Smail still anchored the bottom end—he’s a rare drummer who is essentially leader of the band, writing the lyrics and co-writing music. Elsewhere, Weston still delivered the black sheets of apocalyptic power chords, but the band had a new bassist in Frank Miller, and, most importantly, vocals now sat most resolutely with one Lee Smith, who roars authoritatively all over this landmark album, evoking Eric Wagner from Trouble atop monolithic songs that sound like the second coming of that pioneering Chicago band circa The Skull. And this is why Parallel Corners is deserving of vinyl reissue: Penance was one of the first bands to deliver a pure and powerful collection of songs indicative of the ‘90s doom revival to come. Soon there would be a thriving gothic and ultra-slow doom scene in England, anchored by Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and a prolific Cathedral, as well as “stoner rock” from everywhere, most notable the US and Sweden. Finland would provide some of the finest doom over the ensuing decades as well, while both Candlemass and Trouble—and indeed Penance—kept their hands in the game into the new millennium.

Side A :
Words Not Deeds / Born To Suffer / Words To Live By / Destroyed By One

Side B :
Crosses / Visions / Reflections / Monster I've Become