Martin Swaney

Martin Swaney
Background information
Birth Name	Martin Swaney
Alias	Marty Swaney
Genres	Doom Metal, Heavy Metal
Instrument(s)	Bass
Years active	1978 - Present
Labels	Black Widow Records, Peaceville
Associated acts	Death Row, Pentagram, The Hounds of Hasselvander

Martin Swaney is a semi-retired bassist best known for his tenures with the "High Voltage" lineup of Pentagram, along with his tenure with Death Row.

Biography

Swaney would begin his career in a singer-less group alongside Joe Hasselvander Richard Kueht (guitar) and Paul Trowbridge (guitar). Liebling soon joined and in less than a week they would take on the Pentagram moniker and begin performing Liebling's material from the previous Pentagram lineup. This configuration played several shows and released a 7" single of Livin' in a Ram's Head in 1979, but personal problems caused this lineup to dissolve later that year. It is generally referred to as the "High Voltage era" of Pentagram. A live recording of this would be released by Italian label Black Widow Records entitled A Keg Full of Dynamite in 2003.

Swaney would later rejoin with Hasselvander and Liebling upon joining Death Row with Victor Griffin, replacing Lee Abney. Following two demos in 1982 and 1983, Hasselvander left the band in 1984. Stuart Rose was picked as his replacement, and the band soon assumed the Pentagram mantle. The 1982 demo, All Your Sins, was then remixed and partially rerecorded in 1984 for release in 1985 as the band's eponymous debut album (Then known as "Pentagram" and known more commonly as "Relentless"). The album contained a mix of new songs and 1970s-era songs, as did all of the following Pentagram albums.

The record's heavier sound and obscure lyrical themes helped cement Pentagram's reputation as one of the pioneers of the classic doom metal style. In 1986 the lineup of Liebling/Griffin/Swaney/Rose (With exception to one track) recorded the band's second album, while Griffin drew the logo for the band. After releasing their second album Day of Reckoning in January 1987, the band performed a couple times and folded yet again.

The previous "classic" lineup of Liebling, Griffin, Swaney and Hasselvander reformed in 1993, and Peaceville Records reissued the first two albums (Day of Reckoning featured re-recorded drums by Hasselvander). In 1994 they released their third full-length album, Be Forewarned. At some point the band also recorded a song for a Captain Beyond tribute album. Swaney would depart from the band again sometime after.

While Swaney would not participate in the 2000 or 2001 Death Row reunions in 2009 and 2010, touring briefly in the United States and Europe with Victor Griffin providing the lead vocals while Liebling was on tour with a newly touring Pentagram. Notably in Europe, the band performed two nights at Roadburn Festival and a special night at Hammer of Doom Festival Festival with Eric Wagner on lead vocals (Largely due to Victor Griffin being ill and unable to sing.).

Swaney would largely be retired from performing music, occasionally recording bass parts as a guest for friends Griffin (On 2013's Victor Griffin's In-Graved) and Hasselvander (On three albums with The Hounds of Hasselvander).

Bands

• Pentagram - Bass (1978 - 1979, 1983 - 1988, 1993 - 1995)
• Death Row - Bass (1981 - 1983, 2009 - 2010)

Discography

With Death Row

• All Your Sins (Album) (1982, Self-Released)
• Through The Shadow (VHS) (1983, Self-Released)
• Whore (Demo) (1983, Self-Released)
• Death Is Alive: 1981 - 1985 (Compilation) (2000, Game Two)
• Alive In Death (Compilation) (2009, Black Widow Records)

With Pentagram

• Livin' in a Ram's Head / When the Screams Come (Single) (1979, High Voltage)
• Pentagram (Album) (1984, Pentagram Records; 1993, Peaceville)
• Day Of Reckoning (Album) (1987, Napalm; 1993, Peaceville)
• Be Forewarned (Album) (1993, Peaceville)
• A Keg Full Of Dynamite (Live Album; Recorded 1978) (2003, Black Widow Records)
• All Your Sins (DVD) (2015, Peaceville)

Other Releases

• The Hounds of Hasselvander - The Ninth Hour (Album) (2011, Black Widow Records)
• Victor Griffin - Victor Griffin's In-Graved (Album; Bass on 3, 6) (2013, Svart)
• The Hounds of Hasselvander - Ancient Rocks (Album; Recorded 2011) (2016, Black Widow Records)
• The Hounds of Hasselvander - TBA (Album) (2020)

External Links

• Discogs