Black Widow
Sabbat Days: The Complete Anthology 1969-1972 (Box Set) – Cherry Red Records/Grapefruit
A big part rock and metal attraction for the younger me was the occult imagery. The inverted crosses and pentagrams as utilised by bands like Black Sabbath and Venom just looked cool (and they’d certainly rile up a percentage of the population) but I soon learned they were precisely that; an image. Leicester’s Black Widow, however, seemed like the real deal. Their habit of “sacrificing” a naked virgin at the climax of every ritualistic show (along with the patronage of Wiccan High Priest Alex Sanders) made them seem like card-carrying devil worshippers. Of course, no band arrives fully formed and under the moniker Pesky Gee! the band got off to a faltering start with the folky Exclamation Mark (included here on the first disc). Changing their name to Black Widow the following year the band really hit their stride with the Sacrifice record. Featuring seven supremely evil songs, it always always feels a little dangerous playing this album, as if Satan will appear from the speakers during ‘Conjuration’. Feeling the wrath of the clergy and the tabloids, the band were even denied entry to America in light of the Charles Manson murders. Due to the backlash, the band toned down their stage show and dropped the occult themes but with it they lost their (black) magic and their final albums from this era failed to reach previous heights. This anthology includes those records along with two storming live sets from 1970-1, tracks from an aborted solo LP from former vocalist Kay Garrett (who was backed by Black Widow) and a demo version of the Sacrifice album, so there’s never been a better time to “Come To The Sabbat”!
Review By Peter Dennis