Blog Archives
Song of the Week – Twist of Cain
Today’s song of the week was selected at random. The self-titled album from Danzig was the first album I got into from the dark and mysterious one. It was out quite a while before I was exposed to it, but I thought it was pretty cool and different from what I was listening to at the time. I haven’t listened to or followed Danzig for many years. After having a dose of it today, this album held up well over the years. The New Jersey quartet formed in 1987 and today still make music. They have released nine studio albums with their latest release in 2010. Here is your song of the week. Have a great hump day!
Song of the Week: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge by Coven
Since falling head over heels for psychedelic/doom retro revival bands like Blood Ceremony, Castle, Ghost, and Jess and the Ancient Ones I started working my way back into the history of the genre branching out my knowledge of pioneering psychedelic and doom bands other than Black Sabbath and Jefferson Airplane. During my ventures I became privy to a band from the late 60s-early 70s that went by the name of Coven. And since one of the big draws to my to the modern band I’ve been digging is that ominous witchcraft sound, a band name like Coven is a sold deal already. While digging around online about the band while rocking out to some of their tunes a few neat fun facts caught my eye.
Before Ronnie James Dio popularized them and John Lennon added another clue to the whole ‘Paul is Dead’ rumor, vocalist of Coven, Jinx Dawson was making regular practice of branding the universal symbol for metal at the beginning and end of all their concerts. The Devil Horns gesture is also featured on the back cover of their debut record (and the album this weeks song is from) Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls and is the first usage of them in association with rock music.
Charlie Manson and crew had mentioned that Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls was a preferred album they would listen to while they performed their ‘black masses’. In reaction to this the band’s label immediately pulled the record from their catalog and to this day the only ways one can get their hands on the album is through the bands personal website or finding it on Spotify (which is how I discovered the band).
While not confirmed, it is said that the band signed their first record contract in blood. They are also credited with being the first band to utter the phrase ‘Hail Satan’ on record. While by today’s standards that may not be too shocking (and imo hilarious, cheesy, and cheeky), think of all the eyebrows it raised and biblethumpers it pissed off. The album also contains a 13 minute track of the recording of an initiation of an acolyte in a black mass. If you want a good laugh give it a listen, the acting is so hammy and the over exaggeration makes me wonder how anyone in their right mind ever took this stuff seriously (I’ll post the Spotify player of the album below so you can check it out).
Anywho, enough with the facts, check out the song “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” (ok, one more quick fun fact, it is false that the worlds most versatile word originated from that phrase and neither ‘Fornication Under Consent of the King’. Its etymology derives from Germanic language origins circa the 15th century, especially the Middle Dutch word ‘fokken’- to thrust; copulate with. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is also the name of a Van Halen album). The tune is groovy as hell and hearing elements of early heavy metal past the Occult imagery can be heard. But above all, it’s just a damn fun and killer tune. Enjoy! Peace Love and Metal!!!!
Here’s the Spotify player containing the album, the track I referenced above is subtlety titled “Satanic Mass”.
Song of the Week: Black Sabbath
Today, Feb. 13, marks the 43rd birthday of quite possibly the most important album in all of metal’s history. To call Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut anything less than pioneering, innovating, genre defining, and all those other adjectives saved for use when describing something of the highest order would be considered a grave crime. If not for Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill making throughout use of the diminished 5th, dark blues sound, and menacing lyrics, the music that we all love so much today would not be here.
One of my favorite moments of the hallmark album is right on the first song of the record and simply sums up what I thought the first time I heard Sabbath’s debut. After the sounds of a storm rolling in and the dirge bells ringing the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the song takes a turn for evil as Tony Iommi plays what may be the most recognizable intro riffs ever in music. The sheer darkness and evil that exudes those notes is undeniable and then Bill Ward’s drums echo in to add a sacrificial ritual feel and Geezer’s bass calls in the thunder. But the part that really gets me is Ozzy’s first line, which pretty says what we were all thinking. “What is this that stands before me?”
I can only imagine what it was like for people first hearing this back in 1970 and how this new and crazy style of music must have effected them. How it must have terrified them and made them run for safety, lol. Actually, some people did take the evil sound of the music in the wrong direction and label Sabbath as Satanists, when in fact, the song “Black Sabbath” was more a warning against turning to the dark side. Oh, well, that’s people for ya. Anywho, a huge happy birthday to Black Sabbath and one of the best metal songs ever written. Enjoy!! Peace Love and Metal!!!!
