An Omen EP

An omen EP_
EP by How to Destroy Angels
Released	November 13, 2012
Recorded	2011-12
Genre	Post-industrial, electronica, trip hop,[1] dark ambient
Length	32:32
Label	Columbia
Producer	Trent Reznor, Mariqueen Maandig, Rob Sheridan
How to Destroy Angels chronology
How to Destroy Angels (2010) An omen EP_ (2012) Welcome oblivion (2013)
Sigil numbers chronology
Sigil 02 (2010) "Sigil 03" (2012) Sigil 04 (2013)
Singles from An omen EP_
"Keep It Together" Released: October 9, 2012

An Omen EP (stylized as An omen EP_) was the second extended play release by American post-industrial group How to Destroy Angels, released November 13, 2012. Produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, his wife Mariqueen Maandig and longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, the EP contained various tracks later issued on their 2013 debut album, Welcome Oblivion. It focused on Maandig's vocal style, with a lighter tone than its predecessor.

The full EP was released for streaming purposes on November 8, 2012 at The Hype Machine and the band's official Soundcloud channel, five days before the official release date,^[2] then was released in digital and vinyl formats afterwards. As with many of Reznor's official releases, it was designated with a unique name and number: An omen EP_ is "SIGIL 03".

The release was announced by Trent Reznor in 2011, and initially slated for a November 2011 street date. However, due to Reznor feeling unsatisfied with the output, it was put on hold until he felt it was up to standard, taking it on what he referred to as a "Mulholland Test Drive." ^[3] The title was announced on September 22, 2012 as An Omen EP.^[4]

This was Reznor's first musical release (from either Nine Inch Nails or How to Destroy Angels) on Columbia Records, and his first non-independent release since Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero Remixed, which was released on Interscope.

Promotion

The first single, "Keep It Together", was debuted on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio One show on October 8, 2012, and the track was released via digital download a day later.

Art direction

Artwork, graphics and promotional photos were conceived by the entire band, and primarily executed by Rob Sheridan. He used a technique of creating glitch art similar to his previous work with Nine Inch Nails, not with Photoshop effects, but instead by placing raw images onto analog VHS tapes, then disrupting those very signals and photographing distortion through a CRT monitor.

Release

All versions were released on November 13, 2012.

• The EP was released in MP3 formats across all MP3 retailers, but the only way to obtain the high-quality and lossless audio formats for the release was to order through the band's own webstore.
• The EP was released on 12", 180-gram vinyl and that is the only way to obtain the album on a physical medium, as a CD copy of the EP was not pressed.^[5] When ordered through the band's webstore, initial copies came packaged with an exclusive 12" remix white label pressing of the EP's lead single "Keep It Together".^[6] This limited offer has since sold out.^[7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	78/100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[9]
Consequence of Sound	[10]
CraveOnline	[11]
KEXP-FM	(positive)[12]
Los Angeles Times	[1]
Ology	(B)[13]
Pitchfork	(6.5/10.0)[14]
The Plain Dealer	(positive)[15]
Rolling Stone	[16]

Critical reception

Critical response to the EP was generally favorable, with an average rating of 78% based on 11 professional reviews on Metacritic.^[8]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Trent Reznor, Mariqueen Maandig and Atticus Ross^[17]. 

Side A
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Keep It Together"	4:29
2.	"Ice Age"	7:00
3.	"On the Wing"	4:54
Total length:		16:21

Side B
No.	Title	Length
4.	"The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters"	4:25
5.	"The Loop Closes"	4:48
6.	"Speaking in Tongues"	6:59
Total length:		16:11

Credits and personnel

Written, arranged, produced, programmed, performed and packaged by How to Destroy Angels Mariqueen Maandig Trent Reznor Atticus Ross Rob Sheridan

Production Alan Moulder – mixing Michael Patterson – mixing (4) Tom Baker – mastering (at Precision Mastering, Hollywood, CA) Blumpy – engineer Dustin Mosley – additional engineering Rob Sheridan – photography, art direction/post-production Tamar Levine – photography Rebel Waltz – management Marc Geiger – booking (WME) Heathcliff Beru – publicity (Life or Death PR)

See also

• The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

References

1. Randall Roberts (2012-11-13). "Review: How to Destroy Angels' fantastic EP 'The Omen'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
2. Minsker, Evan (November 8, 2012). "Listen to the New EP From Trent Reznor's How to destroy angels_". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
3. "Twitter / trent_reznor: Mulholland test drive of the". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
4. Battan, Carrie (September 21, 2012). "Trent Reznor's How to Destroy Angels Announce New EP, Sign to Columbia Records". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
5. "Twitter / destroyangels: There is no CD release for this EP". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
6. "Twitter / destroyangels: RE: higher shipping costs on". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
7. "Twitter / destroyangels: Our stock of vinyl just sold". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
8. Critic Reviews for An Omen EP
9. Stephen Thomas Erlewine (2012-11-13). "An Omen EP - How to Destroy Angels". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
10. Derek Staples (2012-11-14). "Album Review: How to destroy angels_ – An omen_ EP". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
11. Morad Moazami (2012-11-09). "Review: How To Destroy Angels - ‘An Omen’". CraveOnline. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
12. Gerrit Feenstra (2012-11-13). "Album Review: How to destroy angels_ - An omen EP_". KEXP-FM. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
13. Brett Warner (2012-11-08). "Album Review: How to destroy angels_ - 'An omen_ EP'". Ology. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
14. Eric Harvey (2012-11-15). "How to destroy angels_: An Omen EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
15. Emmet Smith (2012-11-09). "How To Destroy Angels' new EP 'An Omen' a moody, tuneful affair (review)". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
16. Will Hermes (2012-11-13). "An Omen | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
17. "How To Destroy Angels - An omen". Store.destroyangels.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.