There were other bands kicking out the jams for the Devil before Black Sabbath, oh yes. Maybe not metal, per se, but at least one American and one British band were dropping some flutey, trippy-dippy acid folk silliness in the name of the Dark One at least a couple months before Ozzy and Co. ever started melting faces under the Sabbath banner, those bands being Coven and Black Widow, respectively.
Coven was from Chicago, and confusingly enough featured a bass player named Oz Osbourne (no relation). Their debut album is more curios than mind-bending psychedelia, with pretty standard folky jams being the norm -- albeit with lyrics about being a slave to Satan rather than peace and friendship. Also, Coven themselves perform a REAL, LIVE BLACK MASS on Side B! Scandalous!
Speaking of scandal, Black Widow was a band who loved negative press, and was demonized by the UK media during their 15 minutes of fame in the late 60's and early 70's. They professed their love for Satan and took pictures of themselves holding human sacrifice rituals, which in 1970 was not really OK in British society. If I had to choose between these albums, musically speaking, I'd have to give it to Black Widow. They sort of capture a freaky, "dancing-naked-in-the-woods" vibe that I can get behind 100%. Good stuff.
DRINK OF MY BLOOD, SWEET SATAN
COVEN - WITCHCRAFT DESTROYS MINDS AND REAPS SOULS (1969)
Download HERE
BLACK WIDOW - SACRIFICE (1970)
Download HERE
Purchase HERE
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4 comments:
I've never heard Black Widow, but rock oh so gently out to Coven every once in a full moon.
I think the lady from Coven is still making music? I really hope so, she has an awesome voice.
Who cares if god is dead? When Satan dies, that will be the worst day ever...
Not to start any shit here, but Sabbath's lyrics acknowledged the allure and power of evil without praising it, the stuff with Ozzy anyway...
Of course. You would NEVER start shit, Steven. And I agree, Ozzy-era Sabbath did indeed have a whole "be careful or you might go to Hell" aspect going on, but it can't be denied that they were the first high profile rock band to openly court a demonic image. If you really listen to the lyrics, you can figure out that it's all an admonition of sorts, but the general public has this weird "knee-jerk" thing that they do. And really, I don't think it's any accident that the catchiest line in "N.I.B." is "My name is Lucifer / Please take my hand".
They knew what they were doing.
that coven album is really good, got it a while ago, time to check out black widow
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