Penance (band)

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Penance


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Origin = Pennsylvania, USA
Genre = Doom metal
Years_active = 1990 – 2004
Label = Rise Above Records Century Media
Associated_acts = Dream Death Novembers Doom
Cathedral
Internal Void
Pentagram
Em Sinfonia
URL =
Current_members = Brian Balich
Terry Weston
Matt Tuite
Mary Bielich
Mike Smail
Past_members = Brian Lawrence
Lee Smith
Richard Freund
Frank Miller
Ron Leard

Penance is American doom metal band from Pennsylvania.

Biography

Penance was born from the ashes of Dream Death, when several members decided to pursue a more traditional doom direction. [ [http://www.bnrmetal.com/groups/pena.htm Penance at BNR Metal] ] Dream Death existed during mid eighties and played a mixture of doom, hardcore and thrash metal.

Founders of Penance were drummer Mike Smail and guitarist Terry Weston (both previously a members of Dream Death) and they were the core of the band from its early days to the disbanding. The band changed various line-ups, and one of their most notable members were Mary Bielich (Novembers Doom).

Penance's debut "The Road Less Travelled", featuring Brian Lawrence (who was also previously a member of Dreath Death) on vocals and guitar, was released 1992, under Lee Dorrian's label Rise Above Records. Alongside with Revelation's debut, it was a first doom metal album released on this label. They would embark on a European tour in support of doom legends Cathedral and Sleep. [http://rockdetector.com/artist,6812.sm Penance at Rock Detetor] ]

Their second album, "Parallel Corners", was released 1994, by the European metal label Century Media. Many fans consider this the band's best album, and it's also considered one of the classics of 90s (traditional) doom metal. On the next releases Penance adopted a slight range of psychedelic influences, but still remained fairly closed to their traditional doom roots.

"Spiritualnatural" (2003) would be the band's final album. They embarked on a European tour in 2004 partnered with Well of Souls and Orodruin. [http://rockdetector.com/artist,6812.sm Penance at Rock Detetor] ] They split that same year. "The Road Revisited" was released posthumously in 2005, which is the unreleased original recorded version of the first album.

Mike Smail went on to join Internal Void and doom legends Pentagram.

Discography

Albums

* "The Road Less Travelled" (CD) - Rise Above Records, 1992
* "Parallel Corners" (CD) - Century Media, 1994
* "Proving Ground" (CD) - self-released album, 1999
* "Alpha and Omega" (CD) - Martyr Music Group, 2001
* "Spiritualnatural" (CD) - Martyr Music Group, 2003
* "The Road Revisited" (CD) - PsycheDOOMelic Records, 2005

Demos/EPs

* "Living Truth" (demo) - demo release, 1990
* "Bridges to Burn" (demo) - demo release, 1998

References