Prayer of Death

iTunes Review

Guy Blakeslee’s third release under the Entrance moniker took a turn; not only did he venture into a folkier sound, adding fiddle and piano, but he stirred in a dash of psychotropic spice, pushing him a few decades forward into the ‘60s and ‘70s. On Prayer of Death, one can safely say the beast has been unleashed. A long-brewing sour mash of dirty blues, classic ‘60s psych-rock, and post-punk cynicism virtually explodes here, starting with the howling opener, “Grim Reaper Blues.” Hints of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the Gun Club lurk in the shadows, but Blakeslee’s vocals are not all dread and doom; his voice has a lightness and clarity, even when wailing about death and dying (this outing is allegedly inspired by The Tibetan Book of the Dead). Joined here by Paz Lenchantin (bassist for Billy Corgan's Zwan) on violin and bass (and as co-producer), and Derek James on drums, Prayer of Death bodes well for the rock future of Blakeslee. (Note: Prayer of Death was recorded by David Vandervelde, who makes ‘70s-tinged music of his own that’s worth tracking down.)