Om | Artist

Om is an American doom metal band formed 2003 in San Francisco, California, by Al Cisneros (bass, vocals, percussion, piano) and Chris Hakius (drums), in 2008 Emil Amos (drums, percussion, guitar, piano) replaced Hakius and Tyler Trotter (keyboards, synthesizer) joined in 2018. Cisneros and Hakius were previously the rhythm section of stoner-rock band Sleep. Om's earliest works incorporate musical structures similar to Tibetan and Byzantine chant, as heard on the debut album Variations on a Theme. They followed this in 2006 with the excellent Conference of the Birds. The band's third album, 2007's Pilgrimage, was chosen as Mojo Magazine's "Underground Album of the Year." They then released two more equally fine albums with God is Good in 2009 and Advaitic Songs in 2012, the last being arguably their strongest work to-date. While the nucleus of Om's sound is based on stoner metal, they draw from a host of other influences such as psychedelic rock, Middle Eastern folk, dub, reggae, post-rock, and other sounds. The band's lyrics are heavily inspired by spirituality and various forms of religion, namely Eastern Orthodox and Middle Eastern variations. Their fixation with the eastern christian themes is seen in the artwork on their most recent three albums which feature Byzantine icons.

Artist Website: omband.bandcamp.com

Featured Albums: Om

Related Artists: Sleep

Video Clips: State of non Return, Live at Amoeba, BBC Radio 1