OM - God Is Good

Despite the praise received by the previous “Pilgrimage“, Om remain, in every respect, a mediocre band.

Al Cisneros and newcomer Emil Amos are selling smoke (who knows, maybe even the “good” kind…). And they sell it with such nerve that they trot out, once again on “God Is Good”, the same old psychedelic-mystical routine, this time hiding behind a title that even drags the Big Boss into it.

It's hard to understand why the rehashing of certain sounds descending directly from the earliest, greatest Pink Floyd (specifically the one of “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun“) has had and continues to have so much success. Let's be clear: it's not the means that's on trial here, but the way it's used.

These two guys have just one idea and they trot it out to the point of tedium. The album opens with the endless “Thebes”, trailing the usual Eastern scents, the aforementioned Floyd, and chanting vocals. After seven minutes the drums kick in, taking the lead in a way so predictable it gives us hives. Naturally, shortly after, the bass starts to thicken up, stirring things along without ever managing to wipe the yawns off our faces.

“Meditation Is The Practice Of Death” veils dub behind shamanic practices, while the drums maneuver in a more airy and dynamic fashion. Then, to wrap things up, the two parts of “Cremation Ghat”: two sides of the same ceremony. The same old, deadly dull ceremony steeped in bargain-bin spirituality and wrapped in clouds of cannabis smoke. Even their choice of cover art shows little imagination. Oh, please!

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07/10/2009