July 06, 2006 Music » Sound Advice

Sound Advice 

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click to enlarge Entrance - Prayer of Death - - - Entrance - - Guy Blakeslee, who performs as Entrance, has proven - himself a young man with the Delta Blues down pat. With - a power-quiver of a voice that yanks Marc Bolan out of - Charlie Patton, it seems like the 24-year-old could cop - sparse folky blues evermore. But with Prayer of - Death, he takes his sound elsewhere, creating an - amplified psych-blues rock that leans on blues and - Middle Eastern drone tradition while staring straight at - our war-torn modern world. The opener, "Grim Reaper - Blues," carries a stop/start intensity that would make - Cream fans stand at attention, and "Prayer of Death," a - lo-fi breather, is full of wailing pathos. Though the - layered sound gets a bit big for itself, Prayer of - Death has more strong moments than weak ones, - and is another progression for Blakeslee. - Elliott Johnston
  • Entrance

    Prayer of Death

    Entrance

    Guy Blakeslee, who performs as Entrance, has proven himself a young man with the Delta Blues down pat. With a power-quiver of a voice that yanks Marc Bolan out of Charlie Patton, it seems like the 24-year-old could cop sparse folky blues evermore. But with Prayer of Death, he takes his sound elsewhere, creating an amplified psych-blues rock that leans on blues and Middle Eastern drone tradition while staring straight at our war-torn modern world. The opener, "Grim Reaper Blues," carries a stop/start intensity that would make Cream fans stand at attention, and "Prayer of Death," a lo-fi breather, is full of wailing pathos. Though the layered sound gets a bit big for itself, Prayer of Death has more strong moments than weak ones, and is another progression for Blakeslee. Elliott Johnston

click to enlarge Six Organs of Admittance - The Sun Awakens - - - Drag City - - On last year's School of the Flower, avant-folk - guitar hero and Six Organs leader Ben Chasny reached - more ears by building robust, East-meets-West - experimental textures: blasting scorching reverb over - deft, woodsy finger picking while not skimping on the - emotive beauty. With The Sun Awakens, Chasny - presents a darker song cycle that is at once more eclectic - and more challenging "Torn by Wolves" channels the - burnt space-psych of Band of Gypsys-era Hendrix and - "The Desert is a Circle" sounds like monks chanting on a - spaghetti western score but no less rewarding. - Casual listeners may quibble with the droning 23- - minute closer, "River of Transfiguration," but anyone who - has been intrigued by the recent resurgence in - experimental folk will find another gem in The Sun - Awakens. Elliott Johnston
  • Six Organs of Admittance

    The Sun Awakens

    Drag City

    On last year's School of the Flower, avant-folk guitar hero and Six Organs leader Ben Chasny reached more ears by building robust, East-meets-West experimental textures: blasting scorching reverb over deft, woodsy finger picking while not skimping on the emotive beauty. With The Sun Awakens, Chasny presents a darker song cycle that is at once more eclectic and more challenging "Torn by Wolves" channels the burnt space-psych of Band of Gypsys-era Hendrix and "The Desert is a Circle" sounds like monks chanting on a spaghetti western score but no less rewarding. Casual listeners may quibble with the droning 23- minute closer, "River of Transfiguration," but anyone who has been intrigued by the recent resurgence in experimental folk will find another gem in The Sun Awakens. Elliott Johnston

click to enlarge Muse - Black Holes and Revelations - - - - Warner Bros. / Release: July 11 - - - For Muse or any band ever following an album as - flat-out outstanding as Absolution is all but - impossible, but it seems there's a better option than - Black Holes and Revelations. Absolution - , with its clarion calls of skies falling and time - running out, capitalized on the band's howling - melodrama throughout. Now, though, Bellamy and Co. - seem tired and tiresome, just barnstorming the choir - BHAR's songs are musically self-derivative and - lyrically embarrassing. No one, but no one, sounds - legitimate braying, "Destroy demonocracy!" The snarky - "Supermassive Black Hole," not about political - Armageddon but capricious floozies, is incongruously - and appropriately the standout. Muse has already made - their apocalypse album; the real threat to this amazing - band is running not out of time but ideas, and becoming - merely redundant. Matt Martin
  • Muse

    Black Holes and Revelations

    Warner Bros. / Release: July 11

    For Muse or any band ever following an album as flat-out outstanding as Absolution is all but impossible, but it seems there's a better option than Black Holes and Revelations. Absolution , with its clarion calls of skies falling and time running out, capitalized on the band's howling melodrama throughout. Now, though, Bellamy and Co. seem tired and tiresome, just barnstorming the choir BHAR's songs are musically self-derivative and lyrically embarrassing. No one, but no one, sounds legitimate braying, "Destroy demonocracy!" The snarky "Supermassive Black Hole," not about political Armageddon but capricious floozies, is incongruously and appropriately the standout. Muse has already made their apocalypse album; the real threat to this amazing band is running not out of time but ideas, and becoming merely redundant. Matt Martin

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