Black Widow
From page 91 of Classic Rock Magazine February 2005
‘Ultimate Sacrifice’ (Mystic)
This Leicestershire band created a stir in the late 60s by re-enacting a black mass ritual on stage, causing wizards around the UK to get their pointy hats in a twist.
More Harry Potter than Aleister Crowley, the Widow drew heavily from both cheapo horror movie clichés, plus a few of the more renowned occult scripts, attempting a lyrical darkness that seemed strangely out of touch with the folksy, whimsical psychedelia of the music.
Typical of the confusion was their most famous song, ‘Come To Sabbat’, which contains the hysterical refrain: ‘Come to the Sabbat – Satan’s there.’ Somehow it had all the menace of Homer Simpson inviting you down to Moe’s Tavern.
That song is the showpiece of this double CD, which brings together their 1970 debut, ‘Sacrifice’ and ‘Return To The Sabbat’, which is actually the same album recorded a year earlier when the band had two vocalists: Kip Trevor (who also appears on ‘Sacrifice’) and Kay Garret (who left soon after the original recordings). All good clean fun, but both versions sound ridiculously dated.
★★ ★★★ Malcolm Dome


