Although I wouldn't call OM's touring and release schedule "quiet" by any means, this highly anticipated album is really the first major release since Chris Hakius left the band over a year ago. Yeah they had that Gebel Berkel 7" (affectionately known as "that gerbil record" by
Prolly) but that shit blew and they hadn't been jamming for nearly long enough to get a decent vibe anywhere on that album. "God Is Good" (NOTICE: QUOTES IT'S A FUCKING ALBUM TITLE DAMNIT. Not really sure what's going on with that shit anyways. Probably just some more fucked up weed hippy stoner metal shit.) is definitely an improvement over gerbil barker or whatever it's called and definitely qualifies as an OM album but still comes in significantly under Pilgrimage.
The first track, "Thebes," starts off with a changed band. Well, possible an even more fucking stoned band. Let me put it this way. Sitar. Yes. There is prevalent sitar action from the first second the needle hits the grooves. Kids, if you're going to smoke weed, put away the fucking Yoko Ono records. Please, do it for me, do it for all of us, but most of all, do it for yourself. All bitterness aside, it actually kinda works to set up the groove that the song takes, especially when a cello comes in at like 3 min in and puts a little darkness into the sound. Al and Emil also chose to put the vox way up in the mix, making them much more of a focus than they have been in the past. Again, not a decision I would have made considering you can basically build any OM song using the words, "Lazarus," "sentient," "pyramid," sibilant, and "minaret." Not even when the drums start kicking in around 6min (in a much more understated, appropriate manner than on Gebel mind you) do the vocals start taking a back seat. Basically, the whole vibe is much more "clear" and "produced" than their last efforts but still holds together with their past vibe.
8:28. The OM turns on, song get's better from here... At least until they start talking about Shadrach, Mishack, and Abednego in the next song.
After that it's kind of uninspired for a bit and then returns to the Thebes vibes at the end but all and all, it's alright for it's purpose. Definitely the weakest of their LP's, but still not bad for the genre (the genre being Tibetan monk chanting inspired, super droney, stoner doom...?)
Check it out just for shits and giggles and lemme know what you think. Basically, it's just not the same without Chris grounding the whole thing I think.
