OM Pilgrimage – Vinyl LP (black)

Pressing info : Second pressing (2014) on black vinyl LP.

OM was formed by Al Cisneros (bass/vocals) and Chris Hakius (drums), both founding members of legendary doom pioneers Sleep. They recorded their debut album Variations on a Theme in 2004. The album was an instant success; heralded as a triumphant return by Mr. Cisneros who had not made any music publicly for many years. The underground popularity of the band lead to exclusive live engagements in London, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. OM spent the fall of 2005 recording the album – Conference of the Birds. Comprised of two songs that build on OM’s use of cyclical rhythm, riff and vocal intonation, the album blends metal, chant, drone, dub and psychedelia. The band’s lyrics expound upon the structure of the universe, potentiality and freedom from the physical body. Engineered by Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Melvins) as with their debut and produced by the band, Conference of the Birds progressed beyond their debut, Variations On a Theme with more fully-realized songwriting and production. Three songs featuring OM’s unique use of riff, cadence and chant comprise the duo’s 2007 album Pilgrimage, their third album overall and first for Southern Lord. Lyrical themes address the processes of mind, psychic reality, astral and causal planes of being, and the nature of the soul. Motifs that were initiated on the band’s previous album are continued here unabated. Of particular note is how much the songwriting has developed and in turn makes the dynamics of the songs much more intensely powerful. Pilgrimage finds the band expanding their vision into new territories. Pilgrimage was recorded and engineered by Steve Albini at his Electrial Audio studios in Chicago and produced by the band. Mastering was handled by Bob Weston (also of Shellac).

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