Description
Black Widow – Return To The Sabbat – Compact Disc
Return to the Sabbat is a 1999 release by British occult rock band Black Widow, featuring re-recordings of the material that was originally intended for their 1970 debut album. Before Sacrifice (1970) became the band’s official first album, Black Widow had initially recorded an early version with original vocalist Kay Garrett. However, before the album’s release, Garrett left the band, and they reworked the material with their new singer, Clive Jones, leading to the official release of Sacrifice.
For years, these original recordings remained unheard, until they were finally released as Return to the Sabbat in 1999. This album presents a rawer, unpolished version of Sacrifice, capturing the band’s original vision before label-driven changes.
Black Widow was often compared to early Black Sabbath, but while Sabbath leaned heavily into doom metal, Black Widow embraced a more progressive rock and jazz-influenced approach, drawing from bands like Jethro Tull and King Crimson. Their music was dark, theatrical, and heavily steeped in occult themes, featuring flute melodies, Hammond organ, jazz-inspired drumming, and haunting vocals.
The songs on Return to the Sabbat feel rawer and more ritualistic than those on Sacrifice. The production is less polished, making the album sound more intimate and sinister, reinforcing the band’s mystical, eerie atmosphere. Kay Garrett’s vocals also provide a different energy compared to Clive Jones’ later performances, giving the record a unique identity.
Black Widow was one of the first rock bands to fully embrace occult themes, even more explicitly than Black Sabbath. The lyrics on Return to the Sabbat focus on witchcraft, rituals, demonic invocations, and dark mysticism, making it one of the most thematically controversial albums of its time. Songs like “Come to the Sabbat” and “Sacrifice” directly reference pagan ceremonies, summoning rituals, and occult practices, which contributed to the band’s infamous reputation in the early ’70s.
However, unlike Sabbath’s horror-inspired fear of the occult, Black Widow’s approach felt more celebratory and theatrical, almost like a musical ritual rather than just a concept. This is why they were banned from performing at some festivals—many promoters feared they were taking the occult themes too far.
Upon its release in 1999, Return to the Sabbat was received as a fascinating alternate version of Sacrifice, offering a glimpse into the original vision of the band before their label-influenced changes. Fans of progressive rock, early heavy metal, and occult rock have since regarded it as an essential listen for understanding Black Widow’s legacy.
While Black Widow never reached the commercial heights of Black Sabbath or Deep Purple, their influence can be heard in later occult rock and doom metal bands like Ghost, Blood Ceremony, and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats. Their blend of progressive rock, jazz, and dark ritualistic themes set them apart as one of the most unique and mysterious bands of the early ’70s underground rock scene.
If you’re a fan of occult rock, early prog-metal, or dark theatrical music, Return to the Sabbat is a must-listen. It provides a raw, unfiltered look at Black Widow’s original intent, with Kay Garrett’s haunting vocals adding a different flavor compared to the later Sacrifice album. While it may not be as polished as their final debut, it holds a strange, mystical energy that makes it stand out as an underground gem of early heavy music.
Mystic Records
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
In Ancient Days
Way To Power
Come To The Sabbat
Conjuration
Seduction
Attack Of The Demon
Sacrifice
