photos by Greg Cristman

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final/first week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

Shrinebuilder

The Aquarian: How was it being on stage with Shrinebuilder, as opposed to with Om?

Al Cisneros: It's definitely a different band. There's different elements that converge in both. A different combination. When a song and a riff opens up, be it Om or Shrinebuilder, I go right into it the same way always, as myself. It's different in the sense that there's different elements, different melody lines that come in, different instruments of course. Different song structures, but you know, in a way, it's very similar.

Shrinebuilder, Rwake and Liturgy teamed up on 11/15 for a BV-sponsored show at Le Poisson Rouge, an exclusive appearance from the supergroup. We already posted a set of pictures. Check out a second set below...

Continue reading "Shrinebuilder, Rwake & Liturgy @ LPR - a 2nd set of pics"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Sir Richard Bishop - Kaddak el Mayass (MP3)

Om in Brooklyn 9/23/08

On September 8th, Drag City will proclaim that God is Good. The duo of Al Cisneros (who recently played his final show in Sleep) and Emil Amos (also of Grails/Holy Sons) will release their new four track LP of that name, their first LP together and the first Om LP since 2007's Pilgrimage. More details on the Steve Albini-produced album to come.

In addition to the new Om album, Al Cisneros has also helmed a new compilation for Arthur Magazine. Entitled Transmissions from Sinai and featuring art from the legendary Arik Roper, the disc contains contributions from some of the usual Cisneros suspects (Current 93, Scott Kelly, Holy Sons, Grails, Wino) as well as previously unreleased tracks from J. Mascis, Six Organs of Admittance, Lichens, and Sir Richard Bishop. The full tracklisting is below. For more information and to order that disc, head to Arthur.

A few contributors to Transmissions From Sinai will be in NYC in the VERY near future! Lichens has a show at Cake Shop on June 15th with New Zealand's Bachelorette and Pikelet.

     Sir Richard Bishop

Arthur CD contributor, Sun City Girl, and Om's Drag City label-mate, Sir Richard Bishop double teams NYC in the coming days, with a show on June 13th at The Studio @ Webster Hall with Zaimph, and then two nights later with Bill Callahan (and a BV photo show) at MHOW. Sir Richard Bishop's new album THE FREAK OF ARABY was released by Drag City in May. All of his tour dates are below.

Om's previously mentioned live document, Live Conference, will be released (vinyl only!) via Important Records in the coming weeks.

Current 93 recently dropped Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain, as well as Monohallucinatory Mountain, the mono version of said record. Pick that up at David Michael Tibet's site. Spanning eight tracks over it's 53+ minutes, the LP features contributions from James Blackshaw, William Breeze (ex-Coil), Ossian Breeze (Coil), Rickie Lee Jones, Matt Sweeney, Andrew WK, Sasha Grey, and many many others.

Holy Sons (aka Emil Amos of Om / Grails) recently dropped Drifter's Symphony

Grouper recently toured with Animal Collective, and has a few additional tour dates in the Northwest laid out through the summer.

All tour dates and stuff below...

Continue reading "Al Cisneros made a CD for Arthur, Drag City releasing Om, released Sir Richard Bishop in May - 2009 tour dates"

by Black Bubblegum

"So I have to be guarded in a way and kinda prepare myself for what's gonna happen, because when it happens, I don't even know."

From their crust punk origins of more than twenty years ago, Scott Kelly and Neurosis have forged their own path with searing imperial riffery and singular artistic vision. Over the course of nine LPs including 2007's critically acclaimed Given To The Rising, Neurosis's firebrand mix of hardcore, metal, psychedelia, and all-of-the-above has inspired fans and musicians alike, giving way to sub-genres and sub-sub-genres based on their compelling, emotive songwriting.

Outside of Neurosis, Scott Kelly has took on additional projects like Blood & Time, Tribes of Neurot, solo recordings, his online radio station Combat Music Radio, and Neurot Recordings. In addition, Kelly announced his involvement in Shrinebuilder, an underground metal supergroup featuring Scott "Wino" Weinrich, Al Cisneros (Om, Sleep), and Dale Crover (Melvins).

With Roadburn 2009 going down this weekend in Tilburg and Neurosis on board to curate Beyond The Pale, we sat down with Scott Kelly in March to discuss Neurosis, the making of Shrinebuilder's debut LP, and why children's mobiles should come installed with music box versions of Lunar Womb!

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Where are you exactly in the process as far as Shrinebuilder is concerned? I know you provided recent updates on your blog, but since then, how's it coming along?

We are basically in the same spot we were... Not finished mixing yet, artwork's not done yet, but getting closer on both. Wino ended up doing an extra day of guitar in Baltimore about ten days after he did the initial recording and Dale's done a little bit of percussion overdubs and we've been kinda dialing in each song a little at a time. Its actually really close to a final mix. Al is recording the new Om album in Chicago, so when he gets done he'll be in there with those guys. I'd expect to have it all mixed probably within a couple weeks... it's really close.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Scott Kelly (Neurosis, Neurot, Shrinebuilder)"

by Black Bubblegum

Before High On Fire and Om, there was (and now is) Sleep, but before THAT, there was Asbestosdeath:

Asbestosdeath started life as trio consisting of Al Cisneros on bass, Chris Hakius on drums, and Tom Choi on guitar. Matt Pike later joined as a second guitarist. They recorded two 7"s: their first ("Unclean", 1990) was self released (Asbestos Records) and a second 7' ("Dejection," 1990) was released later that year by Profane Existence. Choi left Asbestosdeath to form Noothgrush after the release of the second 7". The band recruited Justin Marler to replace Choi and changed their name to Sleep. - [Wikipedia]

High On Fire recently announced that they are working on their new album for their new label, Koch Records. Check out great video of Asbestosdeath live at Gilman in 1990 as well as High On Fire live at Amoeba Records in 2007, below...

Continue reading "remembering Asbestosdeath (video, High on Fire, Om...)"

by Black Bubblegum

Sleep in Germany, 1993 (permission from Al Cisneros)

Sleep departed from this Earth 'round 1996, and not with a bang, but a whimper. In 1995, the future members of Om and High On Fire began work on their third LP, the follow-up to their highly-acclaimed Holy Mountain. Upon completion, Sleep delvered their new album, entitled Dopesmoker to their label, London Records, who deemed it "unmarketable". Undeterred, the band headed back to the studio and reemerged with Jerusalem, a leaner version of Dopesmoker with re-written lyrics. Again, London Records refused and as a result, Sleep disbanded.
Jerusalem AND Dopesmoker have since seen the light of day, and in that time the legend of Sleep has grown by leaps and bounds.

Nowadays Sleep is cited by most (if not all) doom metal enthusiasts as a seminal band, and usually in the same breath as such heavyweights as Saint Vitus (who are also reuniting) & Pentagram.

Since it was announced that Sleep would reunite for the ATP's The Fans Strike Back Festival, fans have been clamoring to hear more details about the reunion, as well as the reasons behind it and whether they would play any additional shows. Luckily, we were able to corner Al Cisneros of shortly after his tour of Europe with Om to discuss some of these issues as well as shed some more light on Om, Shrinebuilder, and High On Fire's new album!

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When I interviewed you in September, were the plans already in the works, or did the ATP folks corner you at the festival and start to nail it down then?

Continue reading "another interview w/ Al Cisneros of Om & Sleep -------------------------- on the reunion, future plans"

interview by Black Bubblegum, photos by Zach Dilgard

DOWNLOAD: Om - Gebel Barkal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Om - (Version) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Holy Sons - Gnostic Device (MP3)

Al Cisneros & Emil Amos

Om is the brainchild of Al Cisneros. In the wake of Sleep's dissolution, Al founded Om with his former Sleep and Asbestosdeath band-mate Chris Hakius. Sleep's guitarist Matt Pike went on to form High On Fire. Over five years, Om has carved a unique path... retaining the doom appeal of Sleep, while forging a new somber, yet also oddly calming tone over the course of three studio albums and various vinyl releases. Chris Hakius recently left the group, but was quickly replaced by drummer Emil Amos of former Om tourmates Grails.

Emil Amos is a juggler. Besides Grails and his new venture with Om, Amos also has a solo project called Holy Sons. Of course, Al Cisneros is also on the move, most recently forging an indie metal supergroup of sorts called Shrinebuilder - a four piece with Scott "Wino" Weinrich (of Saint Vitus, Hidden Hand, The Obsessed, many others), Scott Kelly (of Neurosis and Blood & Time), and Dale Crover (of Melvins and Porn).

Om was one of many bands who performed at the ATP festival at Kutscher's resort in upstate NY this past weekend. While there, we were able to coax the duo into taking a ride with us in one of the "sea nymphs", aka rowboats, on Kutsher's Lake. Along the way we paddled, and poked and prodded the band about Om, Shrinebuilder and their many other projects including, "Gebel Barkal", a limited Sub Pop 7" they recently put out (both songs from it are available for download on the top of this post). Among other things, we also found out about an electrician who happens to be very talented on the guitar.

Warning, if you have an aversion to poor yachting, please look away now.

Continue reading "an interview w/ Al Cisneros & Emil Amos of Om"