Black Widow
Sacrifice

THE REVIEW

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.