From rock's darkest corners, we're exploring musicians whose alleged devil worship shocked the world. Dive into a controversial countdown of artists who embraced Satanic imagery, occult practices, and supernatural mystique in their music and personas.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the rock musicians who've
00:12allegedly been aligned with Lucifer.
00:21Number 10.
00:22Salim and Florida Lumucci – The Devil's Blood
00:32There's actually nothing rumored about our first entry, since The Devil's Blood proudly
00:37wore their satanic influences on their collective sleeves.
00:41This was a modern metal group indebted to the occult hard rock of old, a vintage musical
00:47collective anchored by siblings Salim and Florida Lumucci.
00:58The former served as the group's primary songwriter, and told outlets such as The Obelisk
01:03and MetalRage.com about how Satan was the driving force behind all my creative power.
01:10Indeed, the person scripting this video also interviewed Salim Lumucci prior to the musician's
01:16tragic death in 2014, and can speak first-hand of the veracity of these claims.
01:22The Devil's Blood was very much in league with Satan.
01:33Number 9.
01:34Papa Emeritus – Cardinal Coppia Ghost They say that The Devil has all the best tunes,
01:47which could go a long way in the explaining of the meteoric success of Ghost.
01:53This Swedish group has achieved a startling amount of mainstream success, thanks in part
01:58to the music's arena-friendly hooks as well as the memorable vocal harmonies from Papa
02:03Emeritus.
02:11He may have been born Tobias Forge, but his work with Ghost has embraced everything theatrical
02:17and wonderful about the dark side.
02:19The spirit of classic shock rock looms large within Ghost's music, while Forge's ability
02:24to develop heavy lore within his stage characters adds layers of mystery.
02:29It's all tied together with a cheeky bit of conceptual blasphemy that lends further
02:33fire to the satanic controversy behind Ghost's every move.
02:43Number 8.
02:44Alexandra and Zachary James – Twin Temple
02:57Three words that may not instinctively sound like they work to describe a musical style,
03:03yet that would be missing the point behind Twin Temple.
03:07A group helmed by Alexandra and Zachary James, this married couple proudly wear their satanic
03:13influences both on stage and in their everyday lives.
03:25The James have spoken out in places such as Revolver Magazine and Kerrang! about how
03:30the more progressive and left-leaning politics of the satanic temple have influenced their
03:35creativity.
03:36Meanwhile, the music of Twin Temple feels rooted in classic rock and roll tropes, a
03:42suggestive and seductive sound that stands proudly defiant as a true original.
03:56Number 7.
03:57Watain – Black Metal
04:05The world of black metal is one where the satanic influence is both pronounced and very,
04:10very obvious.
04:12Watain emerged from the post-second wave of Scandinavian black metal, bringing with them
04:17a stage show that said, in no uncertain terms, that they worship the devil.
04:22The conceptual lyricism of Watain is actually that of a theistic variety.
04:34In other words, the live rituals of Watain worship Satan as an actual living entity.
04:41These performances earned the group controversy for utilizing actual animal remains, as well
04:46as blood that often finds its way into the audience.
04:49There's nothing quite like a Watain ritual, particularly when the group's access to,
04:54let's say, materials is unrestricted.
05:04Number 6.
05:05Marilyn Manson
05:06It's difficult to describe for those who weren't there at the onset of the 90s just
05:18how much fear and trepidation Marilyn Manson instilled in parental figures.
05:23This was perhaps the most dangerous artist in the world, at the height of his notoriety
05:28and infamy for truly not giving a toss.
05:48Manson's desire to poke political bears and slaughter sacred cows was underlined by
05:52his association with Anton LaVey's Church of Satan.
05:56This position may have been an honorary one, but Manson's lyricism has also consistently
06:02referenced occultists such as LaVey and, particularly, Aleister Crowley.
06:12Number 5.
06:13Dave Mustaine – Megadeth
06:23Youth can often serve as a period of rebellion for us.
06:26It's this spirit of defiance that has been closely associated with Lucifer's biblical
06:31fall from heaven.
06:32The early years of Megadeth were notable for their intensity, with songs such as The Conjuring
06:37invoking imagery of spells and black magic.
06:46Dave Mustaine told Total Guitar about how his current Christian views impacted his decision
06:51to quit performing The Conjuring at concerts.
06:54The songwriter admitted to practicing black magic in his youth, actions for which the
06:58adult Mustaine has expressed regrets.
07:06Number 4.
07:07Graham Bond – The Occult
07:16The occult teachings of Aleister Crowley have influenced a number of classic rock musicians,
07:21including the influential Graham Bond.
07:24The latter's influence circled around classic British blues and psychedelia of the 60s and
07:3070s, together with a marked interest in Crowellian mythos.
07:34This interest can be seen most within Bond's late period work before his untimely death
07:39in 1974.
07:48Albums such as Holy Magic and Love is the Law take obvious influence from Crowley's
07:54writings, while Bond's circle of influence stretched to major classic rock players such
07:58as Deep Purple and Ginger Baker.
08:01Unfortunately, financial stress, mental health struggles, and substance use also dictated
08:06Bond's life, essentially relegating him to cult figure status, as opposed to the pioneer
08:11status he probably deserved.
08:20Number 3.
08:21Jimmy Page – Led Zeppelin It's the generational career profile of Led
08:31Zeppelin that's likely made guitarist Jimmy Page's occult interests the most well-known
08:37on this list.
08:38Page's admiration and interest in Aleister Crowley was such that the Led Zeppelin man
08:44even lived in the same house.
08:46Boleskine House was owned by Page for decades, serving as the setting for the scenes Page
08:52filmed in Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same.
09:05The band's album artwork has notably contained arcane symbols of magic, including the iconic
09:11zozo.
09:12Page also collected and curated occult literature in a shop known as the Equinox, and composed
09:17soundtrack music for the atmospheric cult film from 1972 titled Lucifer Rising, although
09:23this rejected score wasn't officially released until 2012.
09:36Number 2.
09:37King Diamond – Merciful Fate He's one of the godfathers of occult heavy
09:48metal, possessing a voice that's often imitated but never duplicated.
09:52King Diamond's work has shined bright as the morning star with both Merciful Fate and
09:56his solo career influencing Legions in his wake.
10:07Meanwhile, the devilish leanings of music come from Levean Satanism, a humanistic life
10:11philosophy rather than a place of theistic worship.
10:15Still, this hasn't stopped King Diamond from delivering some of the most iconic conceptual
10:19statements from heavy metal's golden years.
10:23Meanwhile, his relationship with the Church of Satan arguably helped bring more eyes and
10:27ears ever to Anton Levee's written works such as the Satanic Bible.
10:57Number 1.
10:58Jinx Dawson – Coven The album was titled Witchcraft, and it served
11:08as day one of the psychedelic, satanic underground.
11:12Jinx Dawson was the magnetic blonde witch who fronted Coven back in 1969, and whose
11:18occult mission continues today with a whole new incarnation of the band.
11:23The Witchcraft LP was notably subtitled, Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls, containing
11:29an epic-length satanic mass as its closing track.
11:38It was a case of diabolical kismet since Coven quickly became connected with a rising interest
11:45in the occult, specifically in California and cults such as the Manson Family.
11:50Meanwhile, Dawson's social media presence embraces Coven's permeative influence within
11:55heavy metal, all the while continuing a quest for world domination via The Devil's Music.
12:02For a full list of honorable mentions, just play this video backwards.
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