Here, Om plumb the depths of faith, ritual, awe and divinity by oozing back to a time before the Abrahamic religions rifted, when their prophets, patriarchs and saints still roamed. And who better to take us there than the rhythm section of legendary doom metal band, Sleep? What better genre to extract every ounce of shameless mysticism than atmospheric stoner rock, supplemented by Arabic and Hindi chanting, tabla, cello and an array of drones?
Though Om doesn’t do the fun, dumb stoner rock of wizards and hot rods – My Dying Bride is a better touchstone than Orange Goblin. And religiosity isn’t a new pre-occupation for them. But here, more than on previous records, Om remember what many doom, noise and drone bands forget: make every moment enjoyable.
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[rating:4]
