Do you think Southern Lord just wouldn’t let a band put out a record called “God Is Good?”
Whatever the reason, doom-metal mystics OM’s new record is released by the fine folks at Chicago’s Drag City. The Steve Albini-produced set is the first album to feature the band’s new lineup, with drummer Emil Amos (Grails) joining bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros, replacing Chris Haikus, who was Cisneros’ bandmate in the legendary doom band Sleep, before that band splintered into OM and High On Fire.
The record finds the group even further mellowed out than previous releases. There isn’t even that much of the ever-present fuzz that defined their genre; in its place instead are chimes, flutes and harps recalling the groovy mediations of Alice Coltrane and overt Middle Eastern influences.
I kinda wondered how long the group could mine just minimalist territory, and the expansive sounds of “God Is Good” have made me happy they aren’t confining themselves any longer.