SACRIFICE

Quite an amazing time capsule, Sacrifice brings out the 60s grooves, the Jethro Tull flute solos, and Aleister Crowley inspired Satan-themed lyrics. There was definitely a growing interest in the occult back then, with the Age of Aquarius coming to a close and groups like Coven, Black Sabbath and this group hitting the scene along with bald dudes like Anton Lavey spouting stuff. But for the bands exploring these elements, they often took wildly different routes in order to capture that freaky occult aura.

Sacrifice plays almost like a celebration of the black arts, unlike Sabbath's early material in which the message was more akin to "mess with evil and you are DOOMED". Almost every tune in Sacrifice seems to be about a quest for power through satanic rituals. In fact, the word "power" is said so often throughout this opus that it could be a drinking game. There's also the yearning for some far-out sex with a demon babe. The music itself complements the lyrics by giving everything a joyous vibe, as if it's an invitation to join the party, have a couple of bong hits, watch a sacrifice and get naked. The music is barely even rock at times, more of a breezy jazz & tribal folk hybrid with some rock thrown in that sounds much more like H.P. Lovecraft than heavy rock blues. Basically, Satan's a swingin' guy who likes to have a good time, as opposed to plodding along to Ozzy's wails or sitting around with screaming grim kids in their parents' basement.

Some highlights include the really sweet saxophone playing within the opening track, the jazzy mid-section of Seduction, and the killer chorus of Attack Of The Demon. I love that cool "na na na na" stuff backing up Kip's desperate strains. Of course, one can't talk about this album without mentioning Come To The Sabbat and its hilarious yet creepy chant. Again, what makes something like this work is how the music shuns the heavy and terrifying sludge riffs for a much lighter and sometimes progressive tone. Without the horror music, the lyrics alone become more of a focus, making Sacrifice an odd, disturbing yet weirdly appealing adventure. In the end, it's all silly stuff with keys of Solomon, ancient tomes, sacrificial daggers and cute princesses from castles of fire. Of course, silly can be fun, and in this case, it is.