This is the American CD version of the collaborative EP by
Om and
Current 93. The original was issued by
Neurot on a 12" in the summer of 2006. There are two versions of this set. The difference is that the covers on the British edition are unique. In Great Britain,
Current 93 is listed first, and on the American version,
Om is. There are also separate takes on the cover presentation. More importantly for fans of
C93, the British version of their track
"Inerrant Infallible (Black Ships at Nineveh or Edom)," is significantly different from the one presented here.
Om's cut,
"Rays of the Sun/To the Shrine Builder" is the same.
Om's track is a bludgeoning, wondrous bass and drums
rock assault, a single riff played over and over with a simple drum kit hammering home the four/four rhythm. Vocals are done drone style as they were on
Conference of the Birds. But make no mistake, this is heavy music with a killer little break that changes tempo in the second half of the cut as the drums play breaks to illustrate the transition, though the riff is only slightly changed.
"Inerrant Infallible..." is perhaps the most sonic cut
David Tibet and
C93 have cut in some time. Nightmarish, visionary, delirious, pondering, in full-on distorted bagpipes and electric guitars, this sounds like John of Patmos laying out the prelude to the Revelation, or perhaps even after, drained, half mad, in exile on an island and prophesying from his own experience. But it's
Tibet who has visions perhaps no less profound and terrifying that those credited to the book of Revelation. It's all high sonic drone, feedback, and
Tibet's sweet, nasal, slightly out of key voice. The piece needs no drums because it's so pronounced in its rhythmic attack in inverted waltz form. This is a fantastic set of music; only 16-minutes long, it nevertheless renders the listener nearly speechless when it's all over. ~ Thom Jurek