Recently, my partner, who is a burlesque performer and producer, took me with her to a concert here in Chicago, to see a band I had never heard of. This is unusual for us. Since I’m a musician, I’m usually the one taking her to shows to introduce her to bands I’ve been listening to for decades. But she was a huge fan, apparently, of this band that’s only been around a few years. The band was Twin Temple and the music was rock n’ roll. And I mean 50s/early 60s era doo-wop and shimmy and shake. But when the rafters of the Metro, a Chicago venue I’ve frequented for live shows since I first moved here in the early 90s, shook with the crowd yelling “Hail, Satan!” along with the band, I knew something was a little different. This wasn’t your grandparents’ rock n’ roll. Or was it?
The Occulture of Rock and Roll
In our first show of our latest season of Pop Occulture, Lilith Dorsey and I interviewed my partner, Vivian Meretrix, about her experience as a lodge master and priestess in the OTO and how that crossed over into her burlesque world. While the topic of occult burlesque is another article in the future, suffice to say that Aleister Crowley’s Gnostic Mass is based on and directly influenced by burlesque performance, a fact that many Thelemites may not know. Further, we talked about the history of burlesque’s flirtation with classic Hollywood images of the Devil, with performers like Satan’s Angel in the nightclub scene of the 1960s, or Jayne Mansfield’s association with renowned Satanist Anton LaVey.
Rock music itself has always had a casual flirtation with the occult, as demonstrated so skillfully in Peter Bebergal’s 2014 book Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll. So there is a long history of popular entertainment being associated with not only the occult, but specifically Satanism. And while Elvis, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and countless other rock and rock n’ roll musicians (of course, metal is a whole other thing) have certainly been accused of being of the devil, very few have actually intended those associations, and certainly not as blatantly as Twin Temple, originally from Los Angeles.
The Couple that Worships Together…
As the backing band, all dressed in black suits with wide-brimmed hats pulled over their faces, took their places on stage, the band’s main duo, the married couple Alexandra and Zachary James, emerged with full ritual regalia – with the female vocalist holding the sword, and the male guitarist holding a chalice (complete with aspergillum to “bless” the audience), in a reversal of the traditional “Great Rite” stance of the priest holding the dagger or sword and the priestess holding the cup.
Yet, their look was not what you’d expect from a typical occult ritual either. Alexandra, of British and Korean descent, has been described as Amy Winehouse meets Elvira, but she has a distinct elegance. Meanwhile, Zachary’s look is a kind of bedazzled Bowzer (younger readers google Sha Na Na and yes, they were at Woodstock), complete with greaser ducktail do. Zachary’s glittering jacket is festively decorated with a pink Baphomet, which is also the main design of their stage backdrop (and yes, I know Baphomet isn’t the devil, but they have been long associated with the Church of Satan and its controversial statues). Completing the picture is a large altar, where the couple lay their ritual tools and drink from the chalices for refreshment through the show. The altar itself is flanked with upside down crosses.
Hailing Satan
And the show was incredible, with belting vocals, rocking guitar solos and lots of saxophone. The crowd was very into it, with avid, some might say, rabid fans singing along to all the lyrics, including those who dressed up like Halloween (I’m pretty sure I spotted a nun or two on the main floor). With songs like “Be A Slut,” “I Am a Witch,” “Burn Your Bible,” and the classic “Let’s Have a Satanic Orgy,” the message in the concert hall was pretty clear.
As a recovered Catholic and erstwhile Pagan who grew up among the various Satanic panics, I have to admit that the Hail Satan chanting still made me cringe a little, but I definitely appreciate the taboo-breaking quality that these kinds of performances represent, mixed with a strong dose of kitsch and sardonic humor, reminiscent of the witches in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and certainly the showmanship of the original carnival Satanist, Anton LaVey
But like many of the folks who hail Satan in their personal lives, the band’s approach to Satanism is inherently political. In a 2019 interview, Alexandra describes their Satanism as a philosophy that “really encapsulates a pretty specific set of core values and a certain way of viewing the world” that “values individualism, free will, pushing back against societal norms and reveling in subversion and transgression. You feel like an outsider and you enjoy donning the vestments of the adversary.” That approach to transgression surrounds their music, which also addresses themes like bodily autonomy, sex positivity and pro-LGBTQ messages.
Satanic Doo-Wop
And all this is wrapped around the sounds of yesteryear, like the Ronettes (who apparently were loved by LaVey). In interviews, Zachary reminds us not only of their close relationship with the metal scene (their first national tour was in support of Ghost) but how close Twin Temple’s music is to the punk scene, where bands like the Ramones and the Misfits were recycling 50s and 60s styles in their guitar playing.
Both Alexandra and Zachary reveal themselves to be well-read and informed on occult literature, not unusual for alternative folks growing up in Los Angeles. Alexandra talks about starting with Wicca, but quickly becoming more interested in Left Hand Path training. While name checking Eliphas Levi and Aleister Crowley in the aforementioned 2019 interview, she makes distinction between ceremonial magick and Left Hand Path magickal work, which sometimes (but not always) connects to the Luciferian. Overall, the way they wed the classic sounds of rock and roll with their Left Hand Path training is fascinating and at times, rather brilliant. While it’s not my path personally, I can appreciate anyone who can bring together magickal training and musicianship.
Of course, given their persona and their unapologetic Satanism, Alexandra and Zachary are no strangers to attacks from the Religious Right. After a 2018 write-up in the LA Times about a new generation of Satanists, right wing provocateur Alex Jones gave them lots of attention, which led to the couple being attacked on social media and doxxed, with their residence being bombarded with bibles. At our Chicago concert, Alexandra noted how they were surprised not to encounter any protestors outside of their show, a common feature on their tour.
Noting a prior protest, where a preacher led a prayer circle condemning the concert, Alexandra spoke about how the prayer was for everyone to have a terrible time. She then encouraged the audience to resist such closemindedness by having a great time. And the audience duly responded by, indeed, having a wonderful time, singing the transgressive lyrics, and jitterbugging their way to damnation.
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