| Occult rock | |
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| Other names |
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| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1960s to early 1970s, England and United States |
| Typical instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass, drums |
| Derivative forms | |
| Other topics | |
Occult rock (also known asdoom rock[1] orwitch rock)[2] is a subgenre ofrock music that originated in the late 1960s to early 1970s,[3] pioneered by bands such asCoven[3][4] andBlack Widow.[3]
The genre is influenced byhard rock,proto-metal,psychedelic rock,progressive rock andblues, as well as commonly incorporating lyrics referencing theoccult with influences from classichorror movies to books byDennis Wheatley.[5] Despite the common perception, it has been noted that occult rock is not inherently gloomy nor dark, although many bands have made music with these qualities.
The genre has been described as being influenced byhard rock,[6]proto-metal,[7]psychedelic rock,[1]progressive rock,[8] andblues,[9] as well as commonly incorporating lyrics referencing theoccult,[3] but is not inherently or invariably gloomy or dark.[8]AXS noted thatTony Iommi's doom rock style of riffing defined the genre of heavy metal.[10]
Occult rock emerged in the 1960s with groups such asJacula,Black Widow[3] and, most notably,Coven.[4][11]Iron Butterfly's 1968 track "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was very influential to the development of occult rock's sound.[12] Coven released their debut albumWitchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls in 1969, which preceded later occult rock groups such as the debut album by Black Widow, titledSacrifice.[3][13]Blue Öyster Cult released their debut albumBlue Öyster Cult in 1972,[14] which had significant influence on later bands such asGhost.[15] Due to the association with the occult, around the time of theManson Family murders, many occult rock albums were halted from distribution, which only helped increase the public's fear of the music.[16][17][18] WhenBlack Sabbath first released theireponymous debut album in 1970,Rolling Stone'sLester Bangs described it as "England's answer to Coven".[19]Early occult rock bands such as Coven, Black Sabbath,Blue Cheer,Hawkwind and Blue Öyster Cult are considered by some critics to be extremely influential on the development ofheavy metal music,[20][21][22][23] or more specifically, styles such asstoner metal,doom metal andsludge metal.[24][25][26] In 1976, Blue Öyster Cult released their fourth studio albumAgents of Fortune; the album's first released single, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", peaked at number 12 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart.[27][28] The imagery of occult rock bands was eventually revived, with the rise ofNew wave of British heavy metal bands such asVenom,Satan andHell.[29]
Beginning in the 2000s, occult rock experienced a revival, with a sound reminiscent of the style of the 1970s, including bands such asGhost,Luciferian Light Orchestra,The Devil's Blood,Witch Mountain,Orchid andBlood Ceremony.[30][31] Ghost'sthird andfourth albums reached numbers 8 and 3, respectively, on theBillboard 200. In 2007, occult rock bands Coven and Black Widow reformed and toured with many bands that they helped influence.[31]Prog Magazine described the revival as encompassing a myriad of styles, includingpost-rock, psych-prog and progressive rock, as well as a distinct number of bands possessing female vocalists.[8]Kadavar are considered by some critics to be one of the bands spearheading the German occult rock scene, despite them rejecting the label themselves.[32] Kadavar's third studio album "Berlin" reached number 21 on theBillboard Heatseekers albums charts in 2015,[33] which was five places higher than theirprevious effort.[34]
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