I see the phrase āmy holy grailā get thrown around a lot in the vinyl collecting community. I wouldnāt exactly call Entheogen that for me, but if I ever did browse used sections before I officially started collecting records, it was definitely because I was trying to find some version of this album. Now Iām just on a very loose journey to grab every variant of this record. I know itās pretty easily obtainable on discogs, but Iām in no rush.
The funny thing is I hated the CD when I first bought it some 25 or so years ago: the music, the vocals, the artwork, everything. I tried trading it to friends, but nobody wanted it. So I just forced it on myself, and still nothing. Then a drummer friend of mine told me to pay attention to the drums; the off-beat snare, the odd time signatures, etc. I wasnāt fully invested yet, but Bloodlet started to make a little more sense after that suggestion. Then I sat down with the lyrics and instead of insisting on putting a snap together model with glue, I let all the pegs fall into their place and, like I was on my own entheogenic adventure, a whole new world opened up for me. Even the artwork (created by a teenage Aaron Turner) became my favorite cover of all time, and still holds that title. Without Entheogen I may never get into Coalesce, Isis, Botch, Dillinger, Neurosis, and every other band in a subgenre that extends from technical and/or lumbering punk/hardcore/metal. It was definitely a lesson in absorbing art, one I still try to employ today, but itās so difficult now with the increased options and decreased time.
Another thing I read a lot in the ācommunityā is āeverything sounds so much better on vinyl,ā and maybe I donāt have the right set up, or maybe Iām just not an audiophile, but I really donāt hear much difference. However, this remastered version released by A389 is the best Iāve ever heard these recordings. Itās a soothing thump to the chest and then bursting waves that flow out to every extremity.