Hour of Penance

{{Short description|Italian death metal band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{sources|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Hour of Penance | image = | caption = | landscape = | origin = Rome, Italy | genre = Technical death metal, brutal death metal | years_active = {{start date|1999}}–present | label = Xtreem, Unique Leader, Prosthetic, Agonia | website = {{url|hourofpenance.net}} | current_members = Paolo Pieri Giulio Moschini Marco Mastrobuono Giacomo Torti | past_members = Silvano Leone Francesco Paoli James Payne Alex Manco Mike Viti Francesco De Honestis Enrico Schettino Mauro Mercurio Simone "Arconda" Piras Davide Billia }}

'''Hour of Penance''' is an Italian technical death metal band from Rome that was formed in 1999.

== History == Their first demo came out in 2000 and was followed by their first album, ''Disturbance'', released under Spanish label Xtreem Music in 2003. In 2005 the second album ''Pageantry for Martyrs'' was released under the same label. In 2008, the band released their first internationally recognized success ''The Vile Conception'' under Unique Leader Records. It set the coordinates for their sound, marked by a technical guitar riffing, blast beats and fast vocal lines. In 2010, their fourth album ''Paradogma'' was released, and while keeping the brutal approach of the previous work, their sound incorporated more melodic and black metal influences. The album was recognized by the press as one of the death metal highlights of the year and opened the road for a deal with the Los Angeles-based label Prosthetic Records and a tour with Deicide. In 2012, Hour of Penance released ''Sedition'' which was followed by various tours with Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, and DevilDriver amongst the others. Another studio album, ''Regicide'', was released in 2014 and was followed by touring with Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse. The last album published with Prosthetic Records was ''Cast the First Stone'', released in 2017. Hour of Penance then signed a deal with Polish label Agonia Records and released a new album called ''Misotheism'' in October 2019.

== Members == {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} '''Current members''' *Paolo Pieri – vocals, guitars (2010–present) *Giulio Moschini – lead guitar (2004–present) *Marco Mastrobuono – bass (2013–present) *Giacomo Torti – drums (2022–present) {{col-2}}

'''Former members''' *Mike Viti – vocals, bass (1999–2004) *Alex Manco – vocals (2004–2006) *Francesco Paoli – vocals (2006–2010) *Francesco De Honestis – guitars (1999–2004) *Enrico Schettino – guitars (1999–2006) *Silvano Leone – bass (2004–2013) *Mauro Mercurio – drums (1999–2010) *Simone "Arconda" Piras – drums (2010–2012) *James Payne – drums (2012–2014) *Davide "BrutalDave" Billia – drums (2015–2022) {{col-end}}

'''Timeline''' {{#tag:timeline| ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:80 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1999 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1999 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1999 Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album

LineData = layer:back color:studio at:04/01/2003 at:06/01/2005 at:02/23/2008 at:03/30/2010 at:03/26/2012 at:05/13/2014 at:01/27/2017 at:10/25/2019 at:04/05/2024

BarData = bar:MV text:"Mike Viti" bar:AM text:"Alex Manco" bar:FP text:"Francesco Paoli" bar:PP text:"Paolo Pieri" bar:ES text:"Enrico Schettino" bar:FH text:"Francesco De Honestis" bar:GM text:"Giulio Moschini" bar:SL text:"Silvano Leone" bar:MM text:"Marco Mastrobuono" bar:MM2 text:"Mauro Mercurio" bar:SP text:"Simone Piras" bar:JP text:"James Payne" bar:DB text:"Davide Billia" bar:GT text:"Giacomo Torti"

PlotData= width:11 bar:MV from:start till:10/01/2004 color:vocals bar:MV from:start till:10/01/2004 color:bass width:3 bar:AM from:10/01/2004 till:12/31/2006 color:vocals bar:FP from:01/01/2007 till:07/01/2010 color:vocals bar:PP from:07/01/2010 till:end color:vocals bar:PP from:07/01/2010 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:ES from:start till:07/01/2006 color:guitar bar:FH from:start till:10/01/2004 color:guitar bar:GM from:10/01/2004 till:end color:guitar bar:SL from:10/01/2004 till:07/01/2013 color:bass bar:MM from:07/01/2013 till:end color:bass bar:MM2 from:start till:07/01/2010 color:drums bar:SP from:07/01/2010 till:07/01/2012 color:drums bar:JP from:07/01/2012 till:12/31/2014 color:drums bar:DB from:01/01/2015 till:05/01/2022 color:drums bar:GT from:05/01/2022 till:end color:drums }}

== Discography ==

=== Studio albums === *2003 – ''Disturbance'' (Xtreem Music) *2005 – ''Pageantry For Martyrs'' (Xtreem Music) *2008 – ''The Vile Conception'' (Unique Leader Records) *2010 – ''Paradogma'' (Unique Leader Records) *2012 – ''Sedition'' (Prosthetic Records) *2014 – ''Regicide'' (Prosthetic Records) *2017 – ''Cast The First Stone'' (Prosthetic Records) *2019 – ''Misotheism'' (Agonia Records) *2024 – ''Devotion'' (Agonia Records)

=== Demos === *2000 – ''Promo 2000'' *2007 – ''Promo 2007''

== External links == *[http://www.hourofpenance.net/ Official website] *[https://www.facebook.com/hourofpenance Official Facebook] *[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hour-of-penance-mn0000672135/ AllMusic] *[http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=10433 The Metal Archives]

Category:Italian death metal musical groups Category:Technical death metal musical groups Category:Musical groups from Rome Category:Musical groups established in 1999 Category:1999 establishments in Italy Category:Prosthetic Records artists