Hour of Penance is a technical death metal band from Rome, Italy that was formed in 1999. They have released seven full-length albums, the latest album Cast the First Stone being released in January 27, 2017 through Prosthetic Records. Influenced at first by a combination of black metal and death metal, Hour of Penance would soon move away from those styles, and – being influenced by Cannibal Corpse – opt for a more up front and pummeling style. Their first demo hit the scene in 2000, and was followed by their first album, Disturbance, in 2003. By this time they had laid the groundwork by playing the Swedish death metal festival at Gothenburg and signed with Spanish label Xtreem. Since releasing 2012's acclaimed "Sedition" (their fifth album), which Decibel lauded as a "hyper-blasting, inhuman, machine-like attack," Hour of Penance toured globally, playing well over 200 gigs alongside such acts as Behemoth, Skeletonwitch, Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Devildriver, Psycroptic, Misery Index, Deicide, Belphegor and Nile. Band members: * Paolo Pieri – vocals, guitars * Giulio Moschini – lead guitar * Marco Mastrobuono – bass * James Payne – drums
