An Omen EP
by How to Destroy Angels
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Nov 13, 2012
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. AllMusic
    Jan 7, 2013
    70
    If it's not wholly satisfying as an EP, blame that entirely on how it winds up showcasing promise: hearing it, you want to know what How to Destroy Angels will do over the course of a full album.
  2. Kerrang!
    Jan 2, 2013
    80
    A deeply unsettling, murky digital fog of a release. It's also brilliant. [24 Nov 2012, p.54]
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  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Nov 21, 2012
    83
    With Atticus Ross, Reznor pieces together wintry electronic headphone epics and deftly threads Maandig's ghostly sensuality into enigmatic tapestries. [30 Nov 2012, p.73]
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  5. Alternative Press
    Nov 19, 2012
    80
    If You ever needed proof that great tension can be generated without screaming or dialing an amplifier volume knob all the way up, start here. [Dec 2012, p.90]
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  6. Blurt Magazine
    Nov 19, 2012
    60
    Maandig remains the primary vocalist; yet she is MIA on many of the vast orchestrations that feel like Tattoo leftovers.
  7. No Ripcord
    Nov 19, 2012
    70
    This EP is not a singles-ready collection, nor should it be. Instead, the atmospheric songs do their part to transport the listener to another mood or mindset.
  8. Fact Magazine (UK)
    Nov 16, 2012
    70
    Even if How to destroy angels_ are simply tweaking a long-established formula, rather than clearing the chalkboard, An Omen_ still presents a band that has mastered the task at hand.
  9. Rolling Stone
    Nov 15, 2012
    80
    This debut EP is a small masterpiece of downtempo sound sculpture, finely detailed and often as gorgeous as it is discomforting.
  10. Consequence
    Nov 15, 2012
    60
    The EP's major aesthetic shifts do lead to one issue: the lack of a core or soul to How to destroy angels_, a shortcoming which will hopefully be resolved on the outfit's forthcoming long-player.
  11. Los Angeles Times
    Nov 15, 2012
    88
    "Ice Age" is one of six songs on the group's fantastic new EP, and it stands out for singer Mariqueen Maandig's wisp of a voice.
  12. Pitchfork
    Nov 15, 2012
    65
    The tracks themselves are, per Reznor and Ross's pedigrees, immaculately pieced together, richly detailed and suitably moody. Maandig, however, continues to stick out of this mix.... She still hits all the right notes, but brings a generic prettiness to her delivery that doesn't gel with the moody futurism going on around her.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. depoisfalamos
    Nov 28, 2012
    6
    The first EP from How to Destroy Angels was, in fact, a fabulous mix of seduction and romanticism with a certain adrenaline. It wasn't anThe first EP from How to Destroy Angels was, in fact, a fabulous mix of seduction and romanticism with a certain adrenaline. It wasn't an aggressive album although it was powerful in its own way. This Omen EP is somewhat flawed: there are no songs that will stick to your memory for days or even songs that will make check their names as they play on iTunes, but you can't say you didn't like it. For better or for worse, it's an album that you'll forget in a year but still an album you should be listening for a few days.… Full Review »
  2. thedarkorb
    Dec 18, 2012
    7
    How To Destroy Angels released their first EP back in 2010 and the only real fault I could find with their debut was that it sounded too muchHow To Destroy Angels released their first EP back in 2010 and the only real fault I could find with their debut was that it sounded too much like Trent Reznor's other work, just with female vocals. This second EP definitely strays from Trent's normal sound but rather then settle on a sound of their own An Omen feels like Trent and his wife Mariqueen are wandering the wilderness in search of themselves. This becomes clear as soon as you hear the opening track "Keep it Together". It's minimalist and lacks any kind of real melody, a description that can be applied to the rest of the EP as well. In general, while enjoyable, An Omen feels like it's made by lost musicians; people doing what they enjoy but lacking direction at the same time. The second track, "Ice Age", stands as the high point with the rest of the EP lacking anything to make it particularly memorable. An Omen works quite well as background noise, but lacks the strength or spirit of an album that you actually feel like listening to. Hopefully How To Destroy Angels can find the sound they are looking for by the time they release their first full length album.… Full Review »
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