Elvis-that's The Way It Is (se)

Al Cisneros and Chris Hakius of Om continue to explore the intersection of sludgy metal riffage and more meditative drones on their 2007 album, PILGRIMAGE. Overthe course of four doom-laden tracks, Omsearch for that precise place where heavy music emerges as a vehicle for a deeper state of consciousness. That said, Cisneros and Hakius are certainly in no hurry to reach their spiritual destination, as evidenced by the slowly unfurling, moody wanderings of the album's opener. And even when the duo does open up and start to bash a bit further down the road ("Unitive Knowledge of the Godhead, " "Bhima's Theme"), the moments play as stopovers on what is ultimately a longer journey into oblivion. When the album quietlyreturns full circle to where in began, the sense of completion is truly transcendent. Reviews: Spin (p. 122) - 3. 5 stars out of 5 -- "PILGRIMAGE throbs and grinds with hypnotic, almost dubby bass. "Uncut (p. 101) -3 stars out of 5 -- "'Unitive Knowledge Of The Godhead' cuts a grand swathe, allscything bass and clanging, doomy cymbal. . . "Alternative Press (p. 117) - "[W]ith Middle Eastern flourishes, psychedelic overtones, mournful chanting and somber vocals. . . "The Wire (p. 50) - "OM are expansive, their monolithic repetitions intended to open up a plateau in the mind stretching far beyond physical confines. . . . [They are] a revolutionary forcewithin the broad church of post-millennial Metal. "The Wire (p. 36) - Ranked #4 in The Wire's "Top Ten Records of the Year 2007" -- "Compact and dense rather than simply 'heavy', the duo's holistic vision showed through in passages that recall Pharoah Sanders as much as Black Sabbath. "Kerrang (Magazine) (p. 49) - "[D]eeply meditative. . . . [with] the hypnotic combination of eastern chant and repetition that has become their trademark. . . "

Track Listing

• 1 pilgrimage
• 2 unitive knowledge of the godhead
• 3 bhima's theme
• 4 pilgrimage (reprise)