New Kensington, Pennsylvania's PENANCE arrived on the scene with the 1990 'Living Truth' demo session. A Doom band of high repute PENANCE would nonetheless undergo an ongoing series of both line up and label changes throughout their career. Debut album, 1992's 'The Road Less Travelled' was issued by Lee Dorrian of CATHEDRAL's Rise Above Records. At this juncture PENANCE comprised of vocalist / guitarist Brian Lawrence Goodbread, guitar player Terry Weston, bassist Rich Freund and drummer Mick Smail. All four were previously with Thrash outfit DREAM DEATH. PENANCE would embark on European touring as guests to CATHEDRAL and SLEEP. Smail had also contributed drums for the CATHEDRAL album 'Forests Of Equilibrium'.

Lee Smith replaced Brian Lawrence and Frank Miller came in on bass guitar for the 'Parallel Corners' album, released by German label Century Media, in 1994.

A promotional EP recorded in 1998 'Bridges To Burn', which saw Brian L. Goodbread contributing session bass guitar, preceded 1999's self financed 'Proving Ground', which saw the addition of the band's third career vocalist Brian 'Butch' Balich and yet another bassist in Ron Leard. Lee Smith meantime went on to join SALLY.

PENANCE kept up the recorded output with a very limited private pressing 'Turn For The Worse' EP. By September 2000 Weston, Smail and Balich had been joined by erstwhile MYTHIC, NOVEMBERS DOOM, WORMHOLE, MASTER MECHANIC, SUBMACHINE and EM SINFONIA bassist Mary Bielich and former WICKERMAN and MUSTACHE member Matt Tuite. This line up cut the Chris Koslowski produced 'Alpha And Omega' record for Martyr Music Group. Ron Leard would later turn up in HUMBUCKER with a debut album entitled 'Mondo Electro'. The 1999 outing 'Proving Ground' would be re-issued by the Hammerheart label during 2002, re-packaged, remixed and remastered.

Both Mary Bielich and Matt Tuite also operate in the "heavy-handed" political Punk band called BEHIND ENEMY LINES. Mike Smail would join the fabled veteran Doom band PENTAGRAM in September of 2003. PENANCE undertook European touring, partnered with WELL OF SOULS and ORODRUIN, during March and April of 2004.

April of 2005 found Brian Balich seeking musicians to form up a new Doom band project.