Sunn O))) have once again provided an album to lose oneself in. A place to forget. A multifaceted white noise machine to slow the world down around you, adding a space for clarity of mind and a chance for breath.
That sentiment is undeniable for me when listening to Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley paint these vast, monolithic soundscapes. The duo performs their loud and bitterly tuned instruments in a way no one else can. This record is truly a unique listening experience.
It’s not for everyone mind you, but what is? I suppose it’s not a stretch to say that the casual music fan would struggle to cope with this style and sound. Music with this kind of weight and broadness is often labelled as boring, just noise or “not music”. I beg to differ. Sounds like this for me are the ones which evoke the most vital emotion. The feelings lying deep beneath the superficial. For me, this album sounds nihilistic yet pure. Sunn O))) are channelling past experiences, worldviews and concepts of quite a primal nature, without the need to add excessive detail or language. Other than lots and lots and lots and lots of amps, feedback, distortion, and layered production, the formula is robust and weighty.
That’s not to say this record is simple though. The guitars are organised in such a way that it makes the chugs sound menacing and huge, like nothing you’ll hear anywhere else. Like a deafening alien craft, scanning the environment for life then death, the slow churning and chugging of the guitars make way for moments of doom metal mastery. The sparse yet welcoming licks and flourishes of the guitars come straight from the Iommi after birth. It’s like seeing the devil for the first time, over and over and over again. The 1922 film ‘Häxan’ comes to mind.
Alot of work goes into this musical construction. The sounds of water flowing or falling is a welcome addition all over the album. Opener “XXANN” and “Mindrolling” in particular pay homage to the environment their tenth album was recorded in. Essentially recorded in the middle of nowhere in the woods, it’s clear this music has a theme of nature. This is something they have delved into before of course and you get the idea that Sunn O))) like to use their surroundings as an aid to creating their madness. They don’t just sit in an underground studio with no lights on, spazzing out in the dark and making their ears bleed. There’s a controlled chaos to each throb of a chord switch or pitch shift. Nature is quite unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean it’s random.
For those unfamiliar with Sunn O))), the duo has been at it for quite a while now. Their first album – ‘ØØ Void’ – came out in 2000 and for over two decades they have bewildered audiences with their intense live performances. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this and what is astonishing is the volume. Granted, on record you won’t have as much of an ear shattering time. However, you will receive a similar sermon of epic drone and heavy nothingness. It’s Black Sabbath and Jesu on the back of a giant, man eating slug. Sludgy, eerie, repetitive yet engaging, this album is one long slog of screeching, building, unforgiving and atmospheric instrumentation via guitar, bass and synthesisers. No vocals needed. The sounds sing for themselves.
To the untrained ear, all the tracks sound exactly like each other. To a certain, surface level point I agree. Drone metal is a sound with limitations if you want to achieve the same scope of oblivion and doom in every release. I will say however, they all have their own unique qualities and moments of jaw dropping quality. “Butch’s Guns” for example, is one of the heaviest things I’ve ever heard. Full whack in the headphones, this jam blew my head, then dick, then dick-head clean off! Heavy shit man.
There are other artists in this field of similar stature, but my god Sunn O))) take the cake for raw power and size. The beauty of this album too is, you don’t need to be an expert or connoisseur of all things droney and spine shattering in order to feel what the duo are trying to portray. It sounds evil yet for me, it’s very calming and frankly quite beautiful. This album is a great example of how art from a sinister sonic palette can resonate in a way to make someone laugh and be joyous, rather than cry and despair.
Sunn O))): Sunn O))) – Released 3 April 2026 (Sub Pop)
O))) – Glory Black (Official Audio)
Liverpool born music writer with passion for punk and Everton FC
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