Occult & Evil Rock

What is good and what is evil? An objective division between the two is impossible to make. In an absolute sense, good and evil as eternal categories do not exist. What does exist is the moral evaluation of human actions, which changes with the passage of time. What Vergil once considered perfectly moral in his age may today be judged as a crime in the eyes of modern man, or vice versa.

Throughout history, mankind has lived largely in accordance with the moral outlook of its time. Yet there have always been individuals who questioned moral values and asked what “good” truly is. This became especially evident in the late 1960s. Suddenly, a world once dominated by money, family, church, and tradition was being revealed as a monstrous system responsible for poverty, violence, and war. The men in expensive suits who sat in church pews were, at the same time, the greatest thieves and murderers—if not directly, then indirectly.

Part of the youth, disgusted by the hypocrisy of a world that supported war and a thieving capitalist system while calling upon the Bible, chose a completely opposite spiritual direction. The forces of darkness have always acted like a magnet for mischievous spirits. Think of certain Romantic writers who found their rebellious role model in Milton’s Satan, or the many black bluesmen who, in legend, waited for Mephistopheles at midnight crossroads to sell their souls in exchange for the gift of music. Indeed, for white conservatives, blues had always carried a faintly satanic character. “Hellhound on My Trail,” “Me and the Devil Blues,” and “I’d Rather Be a Devil” are only a few of the songs that make undisguised reference to the monsters of Dante’s inferno.

White rock musicians of the era took this fascination further. Influenced by LSD, the magical writings of Aleister Crowley, and authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft, countless songs and albums drew upon imagery of hell and Satan. Even world-famous bands joined in: the Beatles included Crowley’s face on the cover of Sgt. Pepper, the Rolling Stones released Their Satanic Majesties Request, and then came Black Sabbath…

Even more intriguing, however, were the lesser-known bands who went beyond passing references. Coven recorded an actual initiation rite into the Church of Satan, while Anton LaVey himself produced a full Black Mass (though he was already a practicing priest of Satan). Electronic pioneer Mort Garson, under the pseudonym Lucifer, created his own version of a Black Mass.

Perhaps one of the most unsettling albums in history was recorded by the Italian band Jacula. The organ sounds as though it were dragged from a morgue, while a disembodied voice chants strange magical formulas, all within a dark and oppressive atmosphere. Listening to this album feels like being lost in the labyrinths of hell, with the music itself amplifying fear. Later, Antonio Bartoccetti and Doris Norton formed Antonius Rex, continuing this terrifying style. Particularly chilling is the track “Devil Letter” from their album Neque Semper Arcum Tendit Rex.

When speaking of black magic in rock, however, the band Black Widow inevitably comes to mind. Their album Sacrifice (technically their second release, after their debut as Pesky Gee) exudes a strange beauty. Where LaVey and Jacula terrify with their heavy, infernal tones, Black Widow seduce with rich, playful melodies that invite us to dance in burning meadows among poisonous black flowers, to join in revelry with demonic beings, and to feast at Satan’s opulent table. Black Widow revealed the beauty of the infernal flames, allowing listeners to love the mystique of the night without fear. The same could be said of the group Coven.

The British band Comus, while not explicitly satanic, nonetheless earned mention in this context through the gruesome imagery of their debut. Their music blends the beautiful with the terrifying: delicate melodies entwined with lyrics as horrifying as an innocent maiden stretched upon the wheels of the Inquisition.

If Jacula terrifies, and Black Widow and Comus enchant with dark beauty, then the band Satan and Disciples are almost comic. Their album is full of occult themes, yet the music lacks the horror necessary to leave a lasting mark. Still, the fascination with darkness spread globally. One of the strongest satanic-themed songs, “Satanás,” was created by the Mexican group El Ritual. Many bands only brushed the surface: Lucifer’s Friend evoked it in their name, Bruce Haack titled his record Electric Lucifer, and Harsh Reality adorned their album Heaven and Hell with infernal imagery.

Over time, the fascination with Satan persisted, even when unspoken. After all, is he not present where his name is never mentioned? In political meetings, in wars sanctioned by the gullible, in the hypocrisy of the church, and in the monstrous machinery of capitalism—there is the work of Satan. And music has always played a role of rebellion and provocation. When young rebels sang of Satan, they held up a mirror to the older generation and said: “It is you.”