When the Louvin Brothers declare Satan Is Real, they mean it. Never mind that the Lucifer they stand before on the astonishing cover of their 1959 country gospel release is a plywood mock-up, any hint of irony is soon dispelled when the pair launch into heartfelt close-harmony singing.
While Grand Ole Opry stars Charlie and Ira Louvin are no strangers to the world of secular folk, bluegrass and hillbilly music, they're God-fearing men, born and raised in the Appalachian mountains and duty bound to warn against sin.
To them, Satan's hand is evident in "the destruction of homes torn apart", and "Hell is a real place of everlasting punishment".
The album is rich with stirring stuff, posing such weighty questions as Are You Afraid To Die? and relating tales of The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea and Satan's Jeweled Crown.
Naturally, salvation lies in The Christian Life (later covered by the Byrds). When they sing There's A Higher Power, their joy is contagious.
History has imposed its own sense of irony on the Louvin Brothers' partnership.
Driven apart by incessant quarrelling, in part a response to Ira's worsening alcoholism, the pair launched solo careers in 1964.
Shot and nearly killed by third wife Faye after a booze-fuelled argument, Ira died in a motor accident in 1965.
Charlie plays on, releasing a 2007 album with a supporting cast that includes Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Will Oldham, Kurt Wagner (Lambchop) and Dunedin's own David Kilgour. A 2003 Louvin Brothers tribute CD features the likes of Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and James Taylor.
Described in the Country Music Hall of Fame's encyclopaedia as the link between the Delmore Brothers and the Everly Brothers, the Louvins have continued to grow in stature, as aficionados join the dots between traditional music and today's alt-country hybrids.
And that album cover... well, it deserves its own spot in an artwork Hall of Fame.
