Coven : Witchcraft Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls 1969

Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls is the debut studio album by the American rock band Coven. Released in 1969, it was unusual in that it dealt with overtly occult and satanic themes and was removed from the market soon after its release due to controversy.
However it remains a classic of its genre, and in some ways set groundbreaking trends for later rock bands. This album marked the first appearance in music of the sign of the horns, inverted crosses, and the phrase Hail Satan. Today, these are characteristics of the occult and heavy metal genres. 

According to rock journalist Lester Bangs, "in England lie unskilled laborers like Black Sabbath, which was hyped as a rockin' ritual celebration of the Satanic mass, something like England's answer to Coven".[3] As a further coincidence, Coven's bass guitarist and co-writer (Mike Osborne) is credited as "Oz Osborne", and the opening track is "Black Sabbath".

The music on the album was considered underground rock; what made it distinctive was the heavy emphasis on diabolical subject matter, including songs such as "The White Witch of Rose Hall" (based on the story of Annie Palmer), "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", "Black Sabbath" and "Dignitaries of Hell".

The album concluded with a 13-minute track of chanting and Satanic prayers called "Satanic Mass" (written by their producer, Bill Traut, of Dunwich Productions, and described as "the first Black Mass to be recorded, either in written words or in audio"). This Satanic Mass was also the first time Latin phrases such as "Ave Satanas" (Hail, Satan) were used in occult rock music, and later Satanic and Black Metal bands continued this innovation (see List of songs with Latin lyrics for some examples).

The debut LP from the group Coven is noteworthy for reasons more historical than musical. That is not to say it is a bad record; it is more of an interesting record that is unique and listenable. With an elaborate package released on Mercury in 1969, a good trivia question can be made of the fact that bassist Oz Osborne performs on this album, whose opening track is "Black Sabbath." That the group Black Sabbath formed in 1969 when this album was issued seems to indicate that Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls may have had more than a little influence on the more popular heavy metal band.

With the "evil" prayers during "Coven in Charing Cross," Coven get a bit heavy-handed; the group goes over the top trying to push the black magic stuff. "Pact With the Devil" is written "Pack With the Devil" on the label, and the 13-plus minute "Satanic Mass" is more of a curiosity piece than musical adventure; it's no "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," and that's the flaw with this unique album. Had there been a song to hold onto or had "Satanic Mass" possessed the musical individuality of the Seeds' "Up in My Room," this disc would be more than just a novelty. "Choke, Thirst, Die," which ends side one, is actually one of the best performances on the record, though it also suffers from its excesses, with Jinx Dawson acting like a satanic Ruby Starr when she should have gone in the Wendy O. Williams direction.

In 1972, the band released a self-titled album that included "One Tin Soldier" which was rated as a hot pick in Billboard and Cashbox.[citation needed] By this point, the occult posturing was toned down to just one spooky black cat and a band member surreptitiously flashing the sign of the horns on the album cover.

Their third album, Blood on the Snow, was produced by Shel Talmy and released by Buddah Records in 1974. A music video was filmed for the title track.

An ad hoc version of Coven was assembled to back up Dawson and Ross for the 1990 film Heaven Can Help.

Jinx Dawson recruited a new line up of musicians in late 2016 - early 2017 in order to perform at Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands on April 20, 2017. This was Coven's first performance in Europe.

TRAXS

01."Black Sabbath"    Donlinger    3:32
02."White Witch of Rose Hall"    Donlinger    3:08
03."Coven in Charing Cross"    Donlinger    4:04
04."For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"    Dawson, Ross, Wilkerson, Osborne    4:41
05."Pact with Lucifer"    Donlinger, Wilkerson    3:32
06."Choke, Thirst, Die"    Donlinger    3:32
07."Wicked Woman"    Dawson, Ross, Wilkerson, Osborne    3:01
08."Dignitaries Of Hell"    4:09
09."Portrait"    Dawson, Ross, Osborne    2:37
10."Satanic Mass"    Traut    13:19

Personnel

    Jinx Dawson: lead vocals
    Jim Donlinger: guitar, vocals
    Jim Nyeholt, John Hobbs, Rick Durrett : organ, piano, keyboard
    Alan Estes, Oz Osborne: bass guitar
    Steve Ross: drums, percussion

Line-up / Musicians

- Jim Donlinger / guitars, vocals
- Steve Ross / drums
- Chris Neilsen / guitars, vocals
- Rick Durret / organ
- John Hobbs / keyboards
Releases information

Released by Nevoc Musick

COVEN IN CHARING CROSS

Thirteen cultists
Held a secret meeting,
Bringing powers of the darkness
Upon those who opposed them.
The cheif of the circle,
Known as Malchius
Drank the blood of a young baby
Offered unto him.

They danced ecstatically,
The orgied frantically.
The demon had arisen
From the circle on the floor.
The chanting was much louder
And more piercing than before.

They are seven.
They are seven.
Seven are they.

Out of the abyss they rise,
When day sinks into darkness.
Seven are they.
Coven in charing cross...
Coven in charing cross...

Soon, a certain family
Living in the village,
Would die one by one by
The curse of the cult.
The head of the family,

A witchhunter named Mead,
Had burned their leadser at the stake;
Soon he'd regret his deed.
Pain from Devil's we evoke!
Thirst and suffer til he'd choked.

The magic did take over
And the soul did feel the roar.
Incantations were much louder
And more piercing than before.
Born in the bowels of the hills
Evil ones, sources of ills.

Setters of unseen snares,
Death to all pity, all prayers.
Male they are not.
Female they are not.
No wives have they known.
No children begot.

The fiends they are seven,
Disturbers of heaven.
They are seven.
They are seven.
Seven they are.
Coven in charing cross...
Coven in charing cross...

PACT WITH LUCIFER

The farmer'd lost most all he had
His crop had failed, his stock went bad
He cursed his fate, wife and son
Vowed to sell his soul for dollar one

In disbelief he'd uttered such words
He'd hoped and prayed that no one had heard
With the smell of sulfur and a flash of light
Appeared a demon in the dead of night

The plan was for the farmer to sign
His name in blood upon the line
They'd meet again to seal the sign
In 1840, in seven year's time
Time!

The farmer prospered, did do well
Good fortune was his story to tell
Still he pursued the path he feared
The time was short, the dark day neared




The seven years had passed away
Now it was the judgement day
In memory of the words he said
Lucifer appear in a flash of red

It's the day I said I'd come for you
And now it's time to pay your due
I'm here to claim the soul I've won
To seal the bargain and take your son!

Flac  Size : 260 MB