Penitencia was an early and obscure War/Death Metal band from Peru. Formed in 1987 by Raffo "Devastor" Iturrino (Headbanger zine editor) on vocals and Johnny Rivera Vila on bass with Pablo "Genocidio" Rey (Insaner, Mortem) on guitars and Giovanni Viale (Insaner) on drums, with influences from Death, Sepultura, Holocausto, Voivod etc. Pablo and Giovanni were replaced with Armando Mutante (ex-Hadez) on guitars and Fernando Boggio (Ataque Frontal) on drums. This line-up recorded a track called "Holocausto".

In 1988 Eduardo Gonzales replaced Armando on guitars and recorded a rehearsal called "Carniceria Infernal". That year they get a proposal from a new label called Posercorpse Music from Norway, owned by Euronymous (Mayhem). That time Eduardo and Fernando left the band to formed Situacion Hostil. Johnny Villacorta and Hugo Satan (Feretro, Mortem) joins on guitars and drums with Beto Locutor on guitars, playing at least two shows in 1989. Later that year Johnny Villacorta and Hugo Satan left Penitencia to formed Kraken. Penitencia split up that year.