The Mantric Return: Revisiting OM’s Variations on a Theme When Al Cisneros and Chris Hakius emerged from the five-year silence following the legendary dissolution of Sleep, they didn't return with a wall of guitars. Instead, they brought something leaner, heavier, and far more transcendental. Released on February 14, 2005 Holy Mountain Records Variations on a Theme
— Sustained “A-U-M” in root pitch. Variation 1 — Rhythmic subdivision (drum syllables: Om-ta-ta ). Variation 2 — Harmonic expansion (overtones, choral parts). Variation 3 — Dynamic contrast (whisper to fortissimo). Variation 4 — Silence as variation (spacing chants by long rests). Coda — Return to sustained Om, fading into resonance. om variations on a theme rar