Released in 2009 via Drag City, Om’s God Is Good marks a profound moment in the band’s evolution, expanding their meditative drone-doom sound into a richer, more spiritual terrain. Following the departure of drummer Chris Hakius, Al Cisneros continues the project alongside new percussionist Emil Amos, resulting in an album that feels both rejuvenated and deeply introspective.
The record opens with Thebes, a sprawling, hypnotic piece that unfolds like a ritual, built around cyclical bass patterns, steady percussion, and subtle Eastern instrumentation. From the outset, it’s clear that Om are reaching toward transcendence, their sound guided less by distortion and more by rhythm, repetition, and spiritual resonance.
Throughout God Is Good, tracks like Meditation Is the Practice of Death and Cremation Ghat I embody the band’s mastery of restraint and flow. Each piece develops patiently, layers of bass and drums intertwining with tambura drones, hand percussion, and flutes that evoke devotional music from across cultures. Cisneros’s vocals, delivered in mantralike cadences, anchor the music with a sense of purpose and contemplation.
Production by Steve Albini captures the band’s sound with stunning clarity. Every tone feels natural and resonant the bass thick but articulate, the percussion warm and spacious. The live-room feel enhances the sense of immediacy, as if the listener is seated within the circle of musicians during a sacred performance.
God Is Good is less about aggression than ascension. It channels the power of Om’s earlier heaviness into something more luminous, emphasizing repetition as a path toward stillness and awakening. The music invites deep listening, not for catharsis but for communion.
Ultimately, God Is Good stands as one of Om’s most mature and spiritually attuned works. It captures a band transforming their monolithic sound into a form of prayer patient, resonant, and timeless.
