Recorded as the theme to 1971's kung-fu/hippie saga Billy Jack, the antiwar single "One Tin Soldier" launched Coven into the hallowed realm of one-hit wonders. Its fairy-tale naiveté and soaring chorus of "Go ahead and hate your neighbor/Go ahead and cheat a friend" remains an oldies radio staple.

But Coven secured their place in pop history two years earlier with a message far from the sunny pacifism that eventually gained them fame. Their debut, Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls, was the first satanic rock LP funded by a major label, a record too eerie to enchant the mainstream of the day, but one destined for legend.

Formed in Chicago by blond, icy-eyed singer Jinx Dawson, Coven were signed by Mercury Records on the strength of a theatrical stage show that incorporated blasphemous rituals drawn from Dawson's study of occult history. Instead of the philosophical approach of Anton LaVey, Dawson courted a spiritual Beelzebub, a supernatural deceiver who granted favors to supplicants and spread misfortune among the innocent. In older times she'd have burned at the stake, but during the freewheeling psychedelic era, Dawson got a record deal.

Modern ears accustomed to consuming satanism through the punishing sonics of black metal will adjust gradually to the somber mood of Witchcraft. Coven color their music with stabbing guitar flourishes, majestic swaths of organ, and funereal chanting. On heavier tracks, the band work up a healthy gallop, but overall the tone suggests a sinister San Francisco acid-rock act with pentagrams replacing peace symbols. Songs like "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge," "Dignitaries of Hell," and "Choke, Thirst, Die" describe ritualistic orgies, child sacrifice, and vengeful spells, and while Dawson's arch enunciation of lines like "accursed you'll be until ye dies" and "13 cultists held a secret meeting" might elicit the occasional guffaw, her voice is a marvelous instrument with a compelling intensity.

The LP concludes with what purports to be an authentic performance of a Black Mass. The details of the ceremony may be accurate, but the veracity of the recording itself is suspect. The rich, resonant voice of the head warlock recalls a disc jockey selling stereo equipment, and patently fake sound effects indicate an in-studio creation. Regardless, it's the perfect capper to a highly unusual document.

Although passionate about the black arts, the ambitious young musicians—Dawson, bassist Oz Osborne (no, not that one), and drummer Steve Ross—also wanted careers, so subsequent LPs eliminated overt diabolism, opening the door for "One Tin Soldier" and a peculiar legacy. Jinx Dawson recently revived the Coven brand, rereleasing the band's three albums on CD and bringing Lucifer to the masses via—what else?—MySpace.