Coven - Witchcraft Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls

(Words by Richard Lewis, Doomfinder General)

Coven are one of those bands that time forgot. They are pretty much entirely responsible for creating the occult rock genre (along with Black Widow) and had they been around today they would probably be huge, but since their debut came out in 1969 there was a lot of negativity around their lyrical themes. Instead, they were dropped from their record label and had their debut album taken out of circulation.

The main question with albums like this is are they actually worth listening to or are you just trying to be more elitist than the people around you? Luckily enough, the music more than holds up to the band's reputation. Powered by Jinx Dawson's excellent vocals, Coven cover all the topics that occult rock is still using today - namely witches, satan, demons, satan and witches. The opener "Black Sabbath" creeps and crawls along with a sermon-like quality, "Wicked Woman" gallops along with psychy guitar flourishes and "Pact With Lucifer" shows just how impressive a vocalist Coven have but every song on the album stands out for different reasons.

However, one thing which I think dates the album is the last track. "Satanic Mass" is a 13 minute recording of an actual satanic mass and while I can appreciate that 46 years ago people might have found it scary it just sounds cheesy listening to it today and there is no need for it to be 13 minutes long. But still, since it's just a recording and at the end of the album I don't feel it detracts from the overall quality of the album. Just skip it and enjoy one of the finest rock albums around.

Björk - Selmasongs (Dancer In The Dark OST)

As far as Björk albums go this has to be the most boring one I have heard so far, if you can even call it an album at only seven tracks in length. Selmasongs is the "OST" to the film Dancer In The Dark, which also stars Björk in the main role. I've never seen the film and don't particularly plan on watching it, but I expected from Björk and all her super-creative weirdness a very challenging and enjoyable self-made soundtrack, but alas all we have here is a bunch of orchestral scores (which are nice in their own right, I suppose) with the odd Björk tune thrown in for good measure. Massive disappointment.

I can't really complain as I only paid £0.01 for this on Amazon (good luck "bricks'n'mortar" record stores!) but I was insanely let down by this short CD. Totally not worth waffling on about, and for Björk purists only.

Last Days Of Humanity - Hymns Of Indigestible Suppuration

Welcome to quite possibly the most perfect goregrind sound. Last Days of Humanity are probably better known for their later, 9000bpm efforts, but Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration is more my bag of disfigured body parts. The whole thing starts off with a frankly odd sample, before kicking into some of the best down-tuned slop I've ever had the displeasure of hearing. Could that artwork be summed up in a more perfect sound? I doubt it.

 

The guitars are a thick wall of mushy goodness; the bass and 6-stringer mingling together are seemingly inseparable  On top of that under-layer of filth are the drums; crisp, clear and clean - the ultimate opposite to the muddy thickness of the string section. The snare is one of the best sounds ever put to tape. It is bouncy, bright and brilliantly mixed in with the terminal goo oozing from the amps. The vocals...well, I don't really know what to say here! Jesus! 

 

There are still copies of this in circulation for a fairly acceptable price, although I am not sure if it is out of print or not. Out on Bones Brigade Records.