Sunn O))) (In case you don’t already know) was formed back in 1999 by Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley. Through the years they’ve released many EPs, live albums, and full length releases, many of which feature guest contributors from other well known bands. The bands sound is what has been labeled as drone/doom metal, which to be more specific is basically tremendously heavy and especially slow doom metal with plenty of droning moments, feedback, noise, and ambient like characteristics.
The bands sound is by no means typical as the songs do exactly as their genre description suggests: They drone, on and on never really forming a normal song with verses, chorus, or any sort of guitar solos. In description it probably sounds bland, but when you hear the real thing you find yourself being sandwiched between some of the heaviest trance inducing music every imagined.
So with the introduction aside you might say that Sunn O)))’s fifth album Black One is the black metal version of drone/doom metal. It’s weird because some of these riffs are downright freaky sounding, which is the sound most black metal bands strive for, but few actually still do these days. If that wasn’t enough well known black metal musicians Malefic (Xasthur, Twilight, Mord) and Wrest (Leviathan, Twilight, Lurker of Chalice) laid down vocals for this recording. Personally I’m really not into these guys bands, but I was still curious to see what black metal mixed with drone/doom was going to sound like.
The first song to really catch my attention was ‘Cursed Realm (Of The Winterdemons)’ which is indeed a cover of the old Immortal classic from 1994. However had I not been familiar with the song title I would have never imagined it to be a cover tune as there’s absolutely nothing that suggests the original sound except for the lyrics and of course Malefic screaming in a black metal voice. The song is stretched out to ten minutes and opens with the sounds of wind blowing when suddenly Malefic begins screaming and shortly thereafter heavy drony riffs and odd sounds that seem to suggest something catastrophic enter the song and continue throughout.
Perhaps the most stunning song though is ‘Báthory Erzsébet.’ Opening with the sounds of a bell chiming in the distance and a light pulsating ambient background sound, this may just be the evilest song ever. A complete feeling of loneliness, loss, and utter malevolence is found within these opening minutes when finally at the seven minute mark the heavy drony riffs enter the song and Malefic begins breathing heavily. A minute or so later you begin hearing his cries from the grave, and get this, Malefic’s vocals were recorded while he was inside a coffin! His muffled indistinct screams sound like a soul crying out for help or to simply have his life set free from the horrors he’s currently enduring. Truly a novel idea in my opinion and most definitely one of the freakiest songs you’ll ever hear.
In a word, amazing! I truly found just about every aspect of this release to be colossal, but of course Sunn O))) is by no means a band a typical metal listener is going to get into. To get into this stuff you have to have a huge appreciation for experimental music and especially slow long experimental songs. However if you’re a listener that strives to hear new and unique music than I would definitely suggest looking into this album and Sunn O)))’s back catalog as well.
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