Om

Om sounds like a spiritual awakening occurring inside a massive, amplifiers-stacked cathedral. It is music built on the foundation of the riff, but it treats that riff as a sacred mantra rather than a tool for aggression. The bass is massive and fuzzy, yet the overall feeling is one of profound stillness and focused meditation. It is the sound of heavy metal stripped of its anger and replaced with a deep, vibrating sense of awe.

What makes Om truly distinctive is their rejection of typical rock structures in favor of cyclical, trance-inducing repetitions. Al Cisneros delivers his lyrics in a rhythmic, monotone chant that owes more to Tibetan monks or Byzantine liturgy than to any metal frontman. The addition of instruments like cello and tabla in their later work creates a unique fusion where the weight of doom metal meets the intricate textures of Middle Eastern and Indian classical music.

Start with Advaitic Songs if you want to hear their most lush and spiritually expansive work. If you prefer a rawer, more stripped-back rhythmic assault, go back to Conference of the Birds. This is music for when you want to disappear into a sound and emerge feeling slightly more aligned with the universe.