For almost three decades, SUNN O))) have consistently left listeners struggling to describe the ineffable sounds that Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson create. Genre-wise, most reach for terms like “doom” or “drone” metal, but those are insufficient descriptors. It’s like saying that Dick Van Dyke has a Cockney accent in Mary Poppins – it is technically correct, but the whole truth is far more complex. SUNN O))) aren’t necessarily genre-less, but they have transcended genre enough to be both influenced by jazz legend Alice Coltrane, and an influence on dub legend Kevin Martin (aka The Bug). SUNN O)))’s scope is nothing but far-reaching.
The one word, however, that is consistently used to describe SUNN O))) is “heavy.” Writing in the Guardian in 2019, John Doran even went so far as to call SUNN O))) “the heaviest band this century has seen so far.” It’s a moot declaration, but a compelling one nonetheless. When the agonised squeals of suffering guitars make way for the first echoic drones that feature on SUNN O)))’s new self-titled album, few listeners would debate that Doran may have a point. On that note, ‘XXANN’ is a devastating opening statement. Howling frequencies span cavernous lows and shrieking highs that are both equally ominous. It’s consistently spacious too, with O’Malley and Anderson sounding miles apart yet simultaneously telepathically connected.
This sonic openness may be a consequence of their chosen recording environment. SUNN O)))’s tenth album – their Sub Pop debut – was conceived at Bear Creek Studios in Washington, affording the pair ample hiking opportunities, among other benefits. With “no stress” and “no worry about the timeline,” according to Anderson, and surrounded by endless scenery, SUNN O))) appear to have crafted what may be their most quintessential album to date. Self-titled, therefore, with good reason, these six compositions total to an almost 80-minute onslaught of elongated compositions that morph into miniature time-warps. What results is an experience so disorienting, even the soberest of bystanders will be convinced that time is no longer linear, and that these are not drones but in fact quantum tunnels.
This will be of little surprise to longtime fans, who will be accustomed to the band’s mind-altering live performances. Usually, the duo remain cloaked during these, swamped by smoke machines and backed a Stonehenge of amplifiers. For music that features only small variations across long stretches of time, it’s an impressive presentation.
It makes sense, then, that SUNN O))) are shrewd enough to remain musically protean on record. Inflated runtimes and amorphous structures offer challenges, but they also afford SUNN O))) creative opportunities. ‘Butch’s Guns’ is interrupted with multiple false starts, akin to the sudden pauses of a faulty record player. The eventual resolution is soothing, much like the bass slides that tumble towards the concluding moments of ‘Does Anyone Hear Like Venom’. Meanwhile, ‘Mindrolling’ leans more melodically, with some semblance of a central riff creating dissonant portents throughout its 18-minute runtime. It’s also one of two compositions here to feature field recordings, alongside the sombre ‘Glory Black’ – the latter’s well-integrated piano passage offering a pleasing variation to the hour-plus entanglement of sounds that precede it.
The album’s cover art features paintings by Mark Rothko; his abstract minimalism an uncanny accompaniment to the music’s glacial pacing. The strange patternicity of Rothko’s art is present throughout ‘SUNN O)))’, as the duo transform dense meanderings into musical developments. The influence of their surroundings is notable too; the hum of SUNN O)))’s rumblings would be at peace within the depths of the woodland.
Most impressive of all, however, is SUNN O)))’s ability to create a lot from a little. O’Malley and Anderson handle all instrumentation themselves, something that they’ve never done previously. It a no doubt a consequence of their confidence, but also of their musicality, that they can achieve so much as a duo.
That all said, there’s no denying that ‘SUNN O)))’ is a taxing listen. It demands attention and patience with soundscapes that are often purposefully draining, both physically and emotionally. Across six songs, SUNN O))) have crafted some of their most sensorily dizzying music to date. But these gradually mutating drones are as glorious as they are overpowering. They may even be the heaviest there’s ever been.
BEN WILLIAMS