Magic, mysteries and messages from the beyond: Melbourne rock outfit Mantis and the Prayer lift the veil with their new single, 'The Whistle Of The Gods'.
Originally written December 2022, the band was gearing up for the vinyl release of the track mid-2023 when vocalist William 'Mantis' Parmelee received the news his younger sister Jacqueline had unexpectedly passed away."That's why there's been this big void; it just threw my life into a tailspin," he says. "There was a delay in getting the video out, but now in the middle [of the clip] a picture of my sister comes into frame, so it's become a tribute to her."
The song itself, Parmelee says, has themes centred around reaching out beyond our normal consciousness to see what else is out there. "I had these kind of themes larger than life that I was pulling; some visual things like angels are on the vinyl," he says.
"It's interesting that her passing coincided with this sort of very reflective piece on what else is out there. It's beyond ourselves, and I guess she knows now."
The music video contains elements of fairytale woven into a story of spirituality and, for Parmelee, comfort. "I love the idea of a magic mirror like the one in 'Snow White' – those kind of concepts and magic have always been interesting to me," he explains.
"So in the middle [of the video clip], the flower that's given to me through the mirror by this portal that opens up is a white rose, and in the back is a white petal that I open up, and there's a picture of my sister there.
"I like the idea of her contacting me from the other side, and I guess that's in there as a direct influence of my sister's passing and how she's woven into the song for me now."
The track will officially be launched at a special event in Melbourne later this month (27 April), which will feature support act INDTIKO and an appearance by spiritual activist Peter Wonderfeel, who will help dedicate the event to Jacqueline as well as another member of the Mantis and the Prayer extended family who recently died, Aisling 'Ash'
Clifford – who starred in the band's 'Go Too Far' music video in 2022 as the gothic girl in white.
Mantis and the Prayer's set won't be your stock-standard rock & roll show. While many of the past months have been spent in grief and reflection, they have worked on visual projections that will become part of the show for the first time.
"I'm already going through a very emotional time personally, which is definitely translating into my art, so there's going to hopefully be this feeling of emotional upheaval and elation – it's definitely not going to be the standard pub-rock show," William says.
"As well as bringing in someone like Peter Wonderfeel who can kind of steer the ship from a spiritual context, or just heightening that awareness that there's definitely more to what we see in front of us as far as the layers of reality, I suppose."
With inspiration lifted from the likes of Jim Morrison and The Doors, Parmelee says although he hates the term 'psychedelic rock' he likes what they did considering the context from which they came.
"I remember there was a quote that Jim Morrison said, something like, when their concerts are at the best, he feels like it's sort of a religious experience: he's there conducting this emotional, spiritual experience that the music and the audience are participating in equally," Williamn says.
"I like that idea of 'both'. I guess there's a bit of escapism there, too. Escaping and transcending into this space where you feel like anything's possible and you're being elated through the emotion, the power of the sonic elements."
Mantis and the Prayer will be joined by INDTIKO and Ritual Experience performed by Peter Wonderfeel at The Retreat Hotel (Melbourne) on 27 April.
