I have been listening to Kannon, the seventh studio album from the masters of drone, Sunn O))), for a few weeks now, mostly I have been trying to wrap my mind around the massiveness that comes from my headphones and speakers when I play this album. Their legacy is undeniable. Sunn O)))’s core members, Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson, catalyzed a genre of music that is not often heard or applauded and created Southern Lord Records, a launching point for some noteworthy albums over the years. On their newest album, Sunn O))) melds their inspirations from past works and collaborations into one intense and beautiful entity.
In thematically observing Kannon, it is important to understand who “Kannon” is. Kannon is a Bodhisattva, one who had achieved enlightenment but delayed Buddhahood in order for all to be saved. Kannon is an important figure in Mahayana scripture, and whose name can be interpreted as “Goddess of Mercy” or “One Who Observes the Sounds of the World”. Kannon was originally represented as a male, however the passage of time has seen Eastern Asian begin to portray him as her. In her feminine form is how we find the Bodhisattva on Sunn O)))’s Kannon. This femininity is important for the album and its ability to broaden the horizons of metal music, as the band has done many times before. Aliza Shvartz, who was commissioned by Sunn O))) to write notes centered around the topic of Kannon, wrote:
“What is metal about mercy? Metal is not usually associated with the feminine or with feminism. On the contrary, music critics usually write about the genre as concerned primarily with performance of masculinity and powered by a phallic thrust. Some metal is indeed vested in this maintenance of the masculine… Some metal can only thrust. Yet, if we think more broadly about metal, we might recognize it as moved by the sound and the intensity, which although often at play in masculine performance, cannot be reduced to that project. As a sensation, intensity is not merely penetrative but it also immersive; as a feeling, it does not simply enter the body but also surrounds it.”
Sonically speaking, Kannon swallows you. You become steeped in its density. The album consists of three songs, each chronicling the life and ascent of Kannon. Vocals are handled by Attila Csihar (the voice of Mayhem’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas). His hisses and groans act as another instrument to the disharmonious guitar drones of Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson. The musical and vocal arrangements also follow the lyrical story throughout Kannon. “Kannon 1” is long and ominous as Csihar’s voice seeps from his larynx to languidly accompany the long, rumbling riffs, rasping about Kannon’s ascent to immortality. “Kannon 2” sees Cishar utilize Gregorian-esque chants. The album culminates into “Kannon 3”, an apex of riffs and shrills as Kannon eradicates mortality and rescues light from the shadows.
Kannon is a complete work. Everything from the music, to the artwork, to Shvartz’s liner notes and story for the making of the album. It is executed with the highest level of commitment and dedication to crafting beautiful, discordant drone. Sunn O))) recruited sculptor Angela Bolliger, to create the artwork for the cover and the interior of the vinyl LP and had professional photographer Robyn Vickers, take beautiful minimalistic renderings of the sculptures for the album cover and interior comets, as they are called.
Kannon is an important album that teaches the metal fan a lesson. It reminds us that the music does not have to be in your face and brash to be considered metal. It also teaches a strong dedication to one’s craft can result in immeasurable respect from fans and fellow musicians alike. It’s immersion allows the listener to explore a meditative state and to become lost within the drones and distortions created by Sunn O))). That meditative state is enhanced by the overall layout of Kannon and creates a focal point for the listener’s thoughts during their absorption of the album. People may not understand the gravitas of O’Malley and Anderson’s work, but it must be noted that what they do is largely necessary for widening the scope of heavy metal as music. Kannon is the latest and arguably their most complete and important album to date.
Rating: 4/5