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Sunn O)))

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Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, drone, black metal, dark ambient, and noise rock,[1] as well as for their extremely loud live performances.

Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) performing at the 2005 Roskilde Festival
Sunn O))) performing at the 2005 Roskilde Festival
Background information
OriginSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres
Years active1998–present
LabelsSouthern Lord
Members
Past members
Websitesunn.southernlord.com

The band's core members are Stephen O'Malley (also of Khanate and Burning Witch) and Greg Anderson (of Goatsnake and Engine Kid).[2]

History

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Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn amplifier brand, the logo of which includes a circle next to the "sunn" banner with waves heading off to the right. In interviews, Stephen O'Malley stated that the band's name was also chosen as a play on the name Earth, a band widely regarded as pioneers of drone metal throughout the 1990s. Before the band members moved to Los Angeles, they briefly used the name Mars.

The band's style is characterized by slow tempos, distorted guitars, lack of rhythm and melody, and alternative tunings. The guitars are notable for their low register, frequently utilizing tunings as low as dropped A. Additionally, the band is known for using resonant feedback to create monolithic soundscapes and eerie atmospheres. Percussion is rarely incorporated, with a lack of any discernible beat. When performing live, the band wears robes, fills the air with fog, and plays at a high volume.[2]

The band releases the majority of its music through the label it founded in 1998, Southern Lord Records. However, the band initially released ØØ Void (its second album) on multiple labels, including Rise Above Records, Hydra Head Records, and Dirter Productions (which pressed it as a double album on vinyl). Additionally, the original pressing of The Grimmrobe Demos was released by Hydra Head Records. It was later issued as a double picture record set by Outlaw Recordings and finally reissued by Southern Lord in 2004.

 
The logo the band uses is also that of the Sunn amplifier brand. Stephen O'Malley has stated the band licenses the use of the logo from Fender, Sunn's parent company.[3]

In 2008, Sunn O))) released a live album titled Dømkirke and also announced a mini-tour consisting of four concerts to commemorate the group's 10th anniversary, which coincided with the release of The Grimmrobe Demos.[4]

On December 17, 2009, the song "Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)" from the CD Monoliths & Dimensions was named the Heaviest Song of All-Time by Jason Ellis on The Jason Ellis Show on Sirius/XM. Greg Anderson then appeared on The Jason Ellis Show on January 12, 2010.[5] Hungarian-born Attila Csihar (Mayhem) has performed live with the band as their primary vocalist since 2003.

Sunn O))) released a collaboration album with Ulver titled Terrestrials in February 2014:[6] in October 2014, the band released the album Soused, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Scott Walker.[7] In November 2015, Sunn O))) presented a four-day program at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands, including Annette Peacock, Magma, Julia Holter and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and Sunn O))) itself.[8]

The band worked with producer Steve Albini on two albums, Life Metal and Pyroclasts.[9]

Musical style

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Sunn O)))'s musical style has been described as drone metal,[10][11] doom metal,[1][12] experimental metal[13][14] black metal,[15][1] noise rock,[1] and dark ambient.[1] Sunn O))) experiments with a variety of styles and sounds, progressing beyond the primarily guitar and bass style of The Grimmrobe Demos and ØØ Void. On White1 and White2, the band noticeably expanded on conceptualization by inviting several guests, resulting in everything from quiet meditative ambient sounds ("A Shaving of the Horn that Speared You" from White1) to a bizarre bass experiment track ("bassAliens" from White2). Black One continued in this direction, utilizing far more electronics, synthesizers, and other instrumentation than earlier Sunn O))) material, yet still marking a significant return to its traditional sound.

 
Sunn O))) on stage at the Ritz in Manchester, June 11, 2012

Sunn O))) is widely regarded as leaders in the genre, including by The New York Times Magazine of May 28, 2006, when the band was written up in an article called "Heady Metal" by John Wray.[16] Sunn O))) also appeared in the August 2007 issue of Q magazine (the "loud issue"), with its album White1 being named the 18th-loudest album of all time, just above AC/DC's Back in Black and below Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced?[17]

Discography

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For a more comprehensive list, see Sunn O))) discography and List of songs recorded by Sunn O))).

Studio albums

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Collaborative albums

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Monger, James Christopher. "Sunn O)))". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Wray, John (May 28, 2006). "Heady Metal". The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
  3. ^ "Stephen O'Malley on Sunn O)))'s Bear design, mystery in symbolism & metal merch". YouTube.com. June 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "Sunn O))) Announces US Tour Dates". Metalunderground.com. August 8, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  5. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Sunn O))), Ulver Ready 'Terrestrials' Album for February Release". Self-titledmag.com. November 18, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  7. ^ Minsker, Evan (July 17, 2014). "Scott Walker and Sunn O))) Team for New Album Soused". Pitchfork.
  8. ^ "Le Guess Who? Festival official site". Leguesswho.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  9. ^ "Sunn O))), Amanda Palmer, Spiritualized, Saves The Day & more releasing pink vinyl for cancer charity". BrooklynVegan. July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  10. ^ Roche, Jason (December 7, 2015). "Are Drone-Metal Icons Sunn O))) the Loudest Band on the Planet?". LA Weekly. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  11. ^ Brennan, Colin (May 27, 2016). "Sunn O))) to play metal show in world's largest maze". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  12. ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry; Born, R. "Sunn O)))". MusicMight. Archived from the original on July 21, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  13. ^ Martens, Todd (January 6, 2007). "Indies on the Verge". Billboard Magazine. 119 (1). Nielsen Business Media: 27. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  14. ^ "Scott Walker teams up with experimental metal duo Sunn O)))". The Guardian. July 2, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  15. ^ Maloney, Ali (November 28, 2011). "Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley: "Metal can be absurd and also really profound"". The Skinny. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  16. ^ Wray, John (May 28, 2006). "Heady Metal". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  17. ^ "The 20 Loudest Albums Of All Time". Q. August 2007. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
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