Pyramids: Pyramids With Nadja

Artist: Pyramids
Album: Pyramids with Nadja
Date Released: October 27, 2009
Genre: metal, post-metal, alt-metal, experimental, avant-garde metal, ambient, minimalism
Rating: 8.4

Pyramids with Nadja (streaming audio available) is a massive collaborative effort between Pyramids, Nadja and a number of other musicians. All members of Pyramids (f. coloccia, m. dean, m. kraig, r. loren, d. william) and Nadja (Aidan Baker & Leah Buckereff) perform on all four tracks on the record.

In addition to this, Pyramids with Nadja also features Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil (performs bass on track one and four), Albin Julius of Der Blutharsch (performs vocals on track four), Chris Simpson of Mineral (performs vocals on track two), Colin Marston of Dysrhythmia and Behold the Arctopus (co-produced/engineered track one) and James Plotkin of Khanate, Khlyst, O.L.D. Phantomsmasher (mixed and mastered the entire album).

As the number of contributors would suggest, the music on Pyramids with Nadja is a remarkable integration of diverse sonic influences, a palate that includes ambient, industrial, shoe-gaze, and experimental/minimalist metal. While Pyramids and Nadja dominate the album, there's no question that this is a product of many musical minds.

The album itself consists of four long-play tracks that weave in and out of the listener's conscious awareness. Pyramids with Nadja is about slowly morphing texture, mood, and walls of soundscapes; it's a very 'visual' album in this sense. Remarkably, despite the minimalism and atmospheric bliss-outs, the album contains a definite melodic quality. Without a doubt, this is one of the most original and remarkable albums of the year.

Om: God is Good

Artist: Om
Album: God is Good
Date Released: March 2009
Genre: stoner metal, minimalist metal, psychedelic rock, post-metal
Rating: 7.1

Om is a duo formed in 2003 by the rhythm section of the disbanded stoner doom metal band Sleep. God is Good is their fourth studio album and was recorded at Electrical Audio by Steve Albini. It's the first studio album by Om to feature the new drummer Emil Amos of Grails.

Om's music is slow and droning and at times similar in structure to Tibetan chanting. On God is Good, the album's four tracks feature the drawn-out wailings of sitar, tamboura, steady tappings of the ride cymbal and mantra-like vocal stylings. The arrangements are sparse and spacious. There is no rushing here; the band takes their time to express meditative and heavy music. Fans of Sun O))) and Earth will feel right at home with Om.