Emerging from the fuzz and fog, Sunn O))) have returned with their tenth studio album. This release marks a career-defining pivot and feels like a tectonic reset. Not only is it their first on the legendary Sub Pop Records, but this self-titled LP is their first recorded entirely without outside collaborators. By stripping away the guest rosters that defined the better part of their careers, Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson created a hyper-distilled sonic experience.
This is Sunn O))) at their most primal and concentrated.
It’s a stark reminder that, even decades in, the core duo remains the undisputed architects of the drone. While their signature gravitational weight remains, this record departs from the expectations of a standard metal album. You can easily imagine the duo setting up their monolithic amplifiers in a remote, rain-slicked barn. They seek an environment that allows their sound to decay naturally into something less industrial and more organic.
Instead of relying on pure aggression, the music inhabits an organic atmosphere where the low-end frequencies feel like a literal force of nature. The album maintains the core Sunn O))) DNA, but for the lack of a better term, it breathes. The landscape itself has been digitized and fed back through a wall of speakers. The duo created a soundscape where the silence between the notes is as heavy as the distortion.
On the surface, this record is as gnarly as it is hideous.
Let’s be real: Sunn O))) has never been “accessible” to the casual metal fan. Each of these mammoth-sized tracks is defined by industrial-strength feedback and the mechanical groan of gear pushed to its absolute breaking point. The music is personal and atmospheric, tailor-made for dark rooms with really good headphones. Once you survive the initial assault, a hidden, unspoken beauty begins to reveal itself.
At the risk of sounding flowery, listening to this Sunn O))) record is like being lost in a vast, untamed wilderness. This record conveys space where the weather elements and the wildlife want to kill you. Yet, that inherent danger doesn’t mean you shouldn’t appreciate a gorgeous sunrise or the clarity of clean air and crisp, fresh water. The beauty found throughout the album isn’t always metaphoric. The interludes featuring bits of piano arpeggios cut through the abrasiveness and add a much-welcomed air of levity. That in itself makes the gnarly parts feel heavier.
Ultimately, Sunn O))) is a powerful testament to a tremendous career.
The album ensures the band’s status as an essential staple of noise rock and drone metal. Even without their usual collaborators and on a new label home, O’Malley and Anderson remain the absolute best at what they do. However, the environmental textures serve as a poignant signal to the listener. Even when the world feels like it’s on fire, beauty still exists in the most unexpected, crushing spaces. It’s a mystical experience that demands you stand still, let the darkness descend, and listen for the melodies buried in the deep.
Sunn O))) is now available for streaming and purchase on Bandcamp.