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By 1970, Satanism in rock was no longer even a taboo, already broken by Coven and Black Sabbath; but while the former were pretending to be Satanists and the latter were frightened by occultism, the Black Widow, born from the ashes of an insignificant blues-rock group, were seriously involved in that dark world, so much so that they officiated real rituals during their concerts, complete with sacrifices. Besides being excellent musicians, they were also marketing geniuses.
Their debut album, "Sacrifice", is the masterpiece of their originality, right from the first track, "In Ancient Days", opened by a powerful and dark moog, then supported by an immediate and catchy riff over which invocations of ancient demons rise: all accompanied by a brilliant flute and a seductive saxophone.
After the brief and interesting psychedelic break of "Way To Power", comes the highlight, "Come To The Sabbat", where tribal percussion, claustrophobic flute lines, and evil choruses invite the listener to join the satanic ritual. To leave nothing out, the A-side closes with another piece with ritualistic suggestions, "Conjuration", with a sulfurous harmonic progression.
If the A-side is surprising, the opener of the B-side, "Seduction", is no less, a complete register change towards soft, relaxing, and rarefied jazz, almost reassuring, if it weren't for the love lyrics dedicated to the powerful demon Astaroth. "Attack Of The Demon", despite the hard rock nerve and introspective lyrics, is just a transitional piece towards the album's masterpiece, "Sacrifice": a masterful display of skill on an overwhelming rhythm, with the musicians' frenzied solos chasing each other and creating atmospheres at times unsettling and at others energetic: culminating the human "sacrifice" that occurred.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Come to the Sabbat (04:55)
Help me in my search for knowledge,
I must learn the Secret Art.
Who dares to help me raise the one
Whose very name near stills my heart?
ASTAROTH
Discard your clothes and come on foot,
Through streams and fields and moonlit moors,
Your bodies soaked in secret oils,
Perfumed herbs will heal your sores.
Join me in my search for power.
Wives and husbands bring your kin.
We'll be as one within the hour.
Let the Sabbat now begin.
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Discard your clothes and come on foot,
Through streams and fields and moonlit moors,
Your bodies soaked in secret oils,
Perfumed herbs will heal your sores.
Join me in my search for power.
Wives and husbands bring your kin.
We'll be as one within the hour.
Let the Sabbat now begin.
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Come, come, come to the Sabbat.
Come to the Sabbat - Satan's there!
Help me in my search for knowledge,
I must learn the Secret Art.
Who dares to help me raise the one
Whose very name near stills my heart?
ASTAROTH
04 Conjuration (05:45)
Can it be the voice I heard,
borne on the wind, to reach my ears,
came from the lips,
I learned so well in other lives.
I swear that I will kill my fear,
perform the rites and swear on,
by me knee to help the one, I loved before.
I even steel my heart, to raise the devil himself.
In this secret place I stand,
unused for countless years,
to make my dream come true,
I call the lady Astarath come join me here.
Time has come, the power is raised,
the wind brings voices to my ears,
believe her faith the voices say,
have confidence the time is almost right.
06 Attack of the Demon (05:37)
You plead again for rich rewards,
[that] steaks your blood your mind your soul.
You try to gain all earthly power,
You unleashed plagues of famine, death and war.
All my sins have damned my soul in hell.
All off my sins have locked me in hell. (x4)
I try to turn my heart against the wickedness I wrote,
and in my dream my dear beloved mother came to me.
She beg me turn my face ones more up high toward the lord.
But notice came I could not weep, but Satan clutched my heart.
All my sins have damned my soul in hell.
All off my sins have locked me in hell. (x4)
07 Sacrifice (11:08)
A Sacrifice, a sacrifice,
you say you wanna sacrifice.
You say the words to easily,
to know just what you mean.
One black hand and one white hand,
I slaughtered with your knife.
I know full well you have a loss,
a thing to match their blood
The sacrificial knife is stained with [...]
and held on hair,
the blood is mixed within the cup,
and drunk by all who watch.
You [...] a power [...] touch.
You'll never get to power just by playing nasty games.
A sacrifice, a sacrifice ...
One black hand ...
When I crossed the abyss two thousand years ago,
I never even dream so many power I would reach.
Till the point on my knife reached my lovers silken throat,
the only thing I'd sacrificed have been my fathers' sheep.
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Other reviews
By Bartleboom
The Black Widow weaves her web in the darkness.
The beauty of 'Sacrifice' lies entirely in the chiaroscuro, in the contrasts.
