Rockin’ the Occult
A look at rock ‘n’ rollers’ infatuation with the supernatural
Rock ‘n’ roll often embodies the paranormal. In the late 1960s, bands like Coven and Black Widow helped create a subgenre called occult rock that incorporated elements of hard rock, proto-metal, psychedelic rock, progressive rock and blues. The most notable example was Iron Butterfly’s 1968 track In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.
The new wave of music had lyrics referencing the occult, horror movies and occult-related novels. But the otherworldly themes didn’t necessarily include worshiping the devil. Just the same, some alleged that satanic rituals led to the recent Astroworld incident, where eight concertgoers died and 300 were badly injured during a performance by Travis Scott....
