Lazarus Descends On The Brookdale

In the mountains, just twenty minutes north of Santa Cruz, the haunted Brookdale Lodge, home to a final incarnation of the Ink Spots (live record recorded) and host to a little girl who has no idea that she's dead, was the perfect backdrop for OM to unleash its particular style of monster rock. The Santa Cruz-based duo comprised of ex-Sleep members Al Cisneros (bass) and Chris Hakius (drums) pummel slowly and loud, with massive bass gear looming behind them and a drummer's tower of Babel surrounding Hakius– think Keith Moon in his latter years.

The gut-vibrating brown sound created was perfect for the wooden high-rafter venue, oozing lavaly from its pores and onto the mechanically slo-mo headbanging crowd. And while OM often verges on self-parody with songs that sound remarkably similar and lyrics that either Tolken-you-out or make you stare and grin, there is no denying the power the duo had over its all-ages audience who did not speak or stray, even during the extended mellow bass solo that broke down the band's final number.

DJing the event was the impeccable Comets On Fire noise-guru Noel Harmonson, who added color with his rants and raves around the hotel later that evening.