Coven’s debut is an oddity which at first comes off as an album that seems to be lost in time, which until the early 2000s, it sort of was, but only due to the result of the album being pulled from stores due to its dramatic presentation of occult themes. However, the resurgence of doom metal bands in the age of the internet seemed to propel Coven back into existence as people became slowly aware of this bizarre late 60s project that in terms of presentation, was quite far ahead of its time.
The album’s overt Satanic themes seem to solidify it as being outrageously dated whilst also being ahead of its time. In one breath, the constant references to Satanism played over campy, theatrical late 60s acid rock retains little of its shocking qualities after decades of pop culture’s interest in the occult following the early 70s. But in another breath, when taken into account the fact that Coven were so overly proud of their Satanic beliefs a whole year before Black Sabbath warned of Satan “coming round the bend” on their debut, and an entire decade before Venom pushed inverted crosses and pentagrams on their album covers, it makes the album seem all the more bizarrely intriguing.
Where Black Sabbath’s sound waned upon the impending doom of the early 70s with it’s heavily distorted guitar sound and Ozzy Osbourne’s desperate cries and wails, Coven’s debut is a more theatrical acid rock affair. Their sound is still tinged in the dark psychedelia of late 60s rock, one which presents the flower-power era at its breaking point. As a result, the album sounds far more theatrical and grandiose as it confidently celebrates it’s Satanic themes in tracks such as “The White Witch of Rosehall” and “Dignitaries of Hell”.
The album’s influence can even be heard in contemporary doom and stoner metal. Electric Wizard’s 2007 album Witchcult Today includes an eleven minute track named “Satanic Rituals & Perversions” in which Satanic rites are spoken over a fuzzy doom metal backdrop. In concept it isn’t too different to the 10th track on Coven’s debut, “Satanic Mass”, a thirteen minute track in which an actual satanic mass is recited in full. It proves that whilst Coven were unable to break out into any mainstream circles at the time due to their overtly Satanic themes forcing stores to pull their only release, the mystery surrounding their mere existence solidified them as a cult classic amongst doom metal veterans.
Coven’s dated sound certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but their defiance in their presentation and image as a theatrical Satanic themed rock n roll band is certainly something to marvel at in its obscurity. Oh, and they even had a song named Black Sabbath and a guy named Oz Osbourne before a couple of miserable brummies decided to take those ideas and revolutionise rock music as we know it. Give these tracks a spin this halloween:
BLACK SABBATH
WHITE WITCH OF ROSEHALL
WICKED WOMAN
SATANIC MASS
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