For almost three decades, SUNN O))) have consistently left listeners struggling to describe the ineffable sounds that Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson create. Genre-wise, most reach for terms like “doom” or “drone” metal, but those are insufficient descriptors. It’s like saying that Dick Van Dyke has a Cockney accent in Mary Poppins – it is technically correct, but the whole truth is far more complex. SUNN O))) aren’t necessarily genre-less, but they have transcended genre enough to be both influenced by jazz legend Alice Coltrane, and an influence on dub legend Kevin Martin (aka The Bug). SUNN O)))’s scope is nothing but far-reaching.
The one word, however, that is consistently used to describe SUNN O))) is “heavy.” Writing in the Guardian in 2019, John Doran even went so far as to call SUNN O))) “the heaviest band this century has seen so far.” It’s a moot declaration, but a compelling one nonetheless. When the agonised squeals of suffering guitars make way...
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