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Biography
About|the band|the amplifier manufacturers|Sunn Infobox musical artist| name = Sunn O))) | image = Sunno)))cloaks.jpg | caption = Sunn O))) at a 2007 concert, wearing their characteristic robes | landscape = Yes | background = group_or_band | origin = Seattle, Washington|Seattle , Washington (U.S. state)|Washington , United States | genre = experimental music|Experimental , drone metal , doom metal , http://www.metalkingdom.net/band/1099_sunn_o Sunn O))) metalkingdom.net. 2007-02-03. Retrieved on 2009-09-08. avant-garde metal cite journal|title=Billboard|journal= Billboard Magazine |date=6 January 2007|volume=Vol 119|issue=1|pages=27|url= http://books.google.com/books? id=mBIEAAAAMBAJ& pg=PA27& dq=%22experimental+metal%22+music& hl=en& ei=YD09TqqqAurp0QHZ0fnMAw& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=7& ved=0CEYQ6AEwBg#v=onepage& q=%22experimental%20metal%22%20music& f=false|accessdate=6 August 2011|publisher= Nielsen Business Media |issn=0006-2510 | years_active = 1998& ndash;present | label = Southern Lord Records|Southern Lord | website = | notable_instruments = Electric guitar | associated_acts = Boris (band)|Boris , Burial Chamber Trio , Burning Witch , Earth (band)|Earth , Goatsnake , Gravetemple , Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter , Khanate (band)|Khanate , KTL , Merzbow , Nurse with Wound , Thorr's Hammer | current_members = Stephen O'Malley Greg Anderson (musician)|Greg Anderson
Sunn O))) (IPAc-en|icon|s|?|n) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone music|drone , ambient music|ambient , noise music|noise , and black metal . Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley (also of Khanate (band)|Khanate and Burning Witch ) and Greg Anderson (musician)|Greg Anderson (of Goatsnake and Engine Kid).cite news |url= http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/magazine/28artmetal.html? ei=5090& en=68f0bcd99797d7a3& ex=1306468800& partner=rssuserland& emc=rss& pagewanted=all |title=Heady Metal |accessdate=2007-10-12 |author=John Wray |date=May 28, 2006 |work= |publisher=New York Times
History
Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn amplifier brand, whose logo includes a circle next to the "SUNN" banner with waves heading off to the right (the band uses this logo in the cover art of many releases); In interviews, Stephen O'Malley stated that the name was also chosen as a play on the name of the band Earth (band)|Earth , pioneers of drone music throughout the 1990s, reasoning that Sunn O))) revolved around Earth. Before the band members moved to Los Angeles, the duo briefly used the moniker Mars.
The band's sound image is extremely slow and heavy, using electric guitars, in low tunings such as Dropped A tuning|drop A , enriched by resonant feedback creating its soundscape s. There is very little drumming and a lack of any discernible beat. When performing live the band wears Grimm Robes , fills the air with fog, and plays at an extremely high volume.
The band releases the majority of its music through the label it founded in 1998, Southern Lord Records . However, the band released ØØ Void , its second album initially on Rise Above Records and Hydra Head Records , and Dirter Productions, with the latter pressing the album as a Double album|double vinyl. The Grimmrobe Demos was first released also on Hydra Head Records . It was later issued as a double Unusual types of gramophone records#Picture discs|picture record set by Outlaw Recordings and finally reissued by Southern Lord Records|Southern Lord in 2004.
Sunn O))) experiments with a variety of styles and sounds, progressing the primarily guitar and bass style of The Grimmrobe Demos and ØØ Void . On White1 and White2 , Sunn O))) noticeably expanded on conceptualization by inviting several guests (see #Collaborations with other artists|collaborations below), 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 this direction, utilizing far more electronics, synthesis, and other instrumentation than earlier Sunn O))) material, yet still marking a significant return to its traditional sound.
The band is widely regarded as leaders in its genre, including by The New York Times Magazine of May 28, 2006, when Sunn O))) was written up in an article called "Heady Metal". It was praised in an issue of Wonkavision , an independent music magazine, as one of the greatest modern metal acts along with Lamb of God (band)|Lamb of God and other contemporaries. Sunn O))) was also shown 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? http://news.q4music.com/2007/06/the_20_loudest_albums_of_all_t.html The Q Daily: The 20 Loudest Albums Of All Time news.qthemusic.com. 6-28-2007. Retrieved on 2009-10-28.
In 2008, Sunn O))) released its live album Dømkirke , and also announced that it would do a mini-tour consisting of four concerts to commemorate the group's 10th anniversary to coincide with release of The Grimmrobe Demos .cite web|author=9:36 AM |url= http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm? newsid=38247 |title=Sunn O))) Announces US Tour Dates: News at metal-underground.com |publisher=Metalunderground.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-20
The band's seventh studio album, Monoliths & Dimensions , was released on May 18, 2009, and was critically acclaimed by both press and public alike.cite web|url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx? mode=Article& newsitemID=114368 |title=Sunn O))) announces new album in May 2009 |publisher=Roadrunnerrecords.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-20
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. http://ellismate.blogspot.com/2010/01/druggy-ellis-show-11210.html#links Greg appears on Jason Ellis Showdead link|date=July 2011
The group played the All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|ATP New York 2010 music festival in Monticello, New York, during September 2010, where it collaborated with Boris (band)|Boris to perform the Altar (album)|Altar album live. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=blog.view& friendId=4769164& blogId=531613898 Sunn O))) + Boris Present Altar, Tortoise, Hope Sandoval and More for ATP NY! blogs.myspace.com 2010-03-25. Retrieved on 2010-04-01.
For live performances, Hungarian-born Attila Csihar has performed as prime vocalist since 2003.
Collaborations with other artists
Unreferenced section|date=May 2009
Author/musician/occultist Julian Cope provided the spoken-word vocals of the 25-minute song "My Wall" on White1 , telling a Wodenist death tale that takes place upon England's medieval 46-mile land barrier Wansdyke (earthwork)|Wansdyke , Cope integrating O'Malley and Anderson into the fabric of the text.
Attila Csihar , best known for his vocal work on Mayhem (band)|Mayhem 's classic black metal album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas , performed vocals for the songs "Decay The Symptoms of Kali Yuga" and "Decay2 Nihils' Maw" on the album White2 , quoting directly from the Srimad Bhagavatam . He has also been performing live with the band, and additionally contributed to the 2007 EP Oracle (Sunn O))) album)|Oracle as well as their 2009 full-length Monoliths & Dimensions . Moreover, he's been a member of four Sunn O))) side-projects: Burial Chamber Trio , with Greg Anderson and Oren Ambarchi; Gravetemple , with Stephen O'Malley, Oren Ambarchi, and Matt "Skitz" Sanders; Pentemple , with Greg Anderson, Oren Ambarchi, Sin-Nanna, and Stephen O'Malley; and lastly, he and Stephen O'Malley collaborated for the 2007 album "6°FSkyquake".
Joe Preston (bassist)|Joe Preston known for his work in Earth (band)|Earth , Thrones (band)|Thrones , The Melvins and High on Fire contributed to the recordings of both the White1 & White2 albums, the EP Oracle , Altar (album)|Altar , and Monoliths and Dimensions .
Runhild Gammelsæter from Thorr's Hammer contributed with vocals on the song "The Gates of Ballard", from White1 .
G. Stuart Dahlquist of Asva and Burning Witch contributed to the recording of The Grimmrobe Demos , ØØ Void , and the track "FWTBT" on Flight of the Behemoth .
Peter Stahl and Petra Haden contributed to the recording of ØØ Void .
Japanese noise master Merzbow worked with the band on the tracks "O)))Bow1" and "O)))Bow2" on Flight of the Behemoth , as well as that LP's bonus disc tracks "O)))Bow3" and "O)))Bow4".
Rex Ritter of Jessamine (band)|Jessamine and Fontanelle contributed live and on the production of both White1 & White2 .
Dawn Smithson of Jessamine (band)|Jessamine contributed live and on the recording of White2 .
Anthony Sylvester and Savage Pencil contributed to the recording of Candlewolf of the Golden Chalice .
Malefic from Xasthur and Wrest from Leviathan (band)|Leviathan provided vocals on Black One .
Oren Ambarchi and John Wiese contributed to the creation of Black One , providing experimental guitar and electronic elements and other instrumentation. John Wiese toured with the band across Australia, Europe and Scandinavia in 2005. Oren Ambarchi has since become a regular live performer with the band.cite web|last=Stannard|first=Joseph|title=Sunn O))) Exclusive Interview Transcripts: Oren Ambarchi|url= http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/2343/|work=The Wire (Issue 302)|publisher=Wire Magazine|accessdate=29 May 2011|date=08/04/2009|month=April|year=2009
Malefic from Xasthur and John Wiese contributed on the track "Coma Mirror" on Angel Coma .
Ulver provided production and contributions to the track "CUT WOODeD" on WHITEbox .
Thomas Nieuwenhuizen from Beaver (band)|Beaver , GOD (British band)|God , 35007 and Jesus and the Gospel Fuckers has appeared on Solistitium Fulminate , Angel Coma on Micromoog , Moog Taurus and Moog Rogue , and continues to perform with the group as an integral live member.
Guitarist Justin Broadrick , formerly of Napalm Death and Godflesh , currently playing with Final (band)|Final and Jesu (band)|Jesu , has played live with the band in their late 2006 tour of the UK and Ireland, as well as in a few west coast dates in 2007.
Other live collaborators have included Peter Rehberg , Kevin Drumm , Daniel O'Sullivan , Lasse Marhaug , Bill Herzog, Holy McGrail, Steven Stapleton and Robin Fox.
Cover songs and remixes
Sunn O))) occasionally covers songs by other bands, reinterpreting them to fit their style.
"F.W.T.B.T.", from Flight of the Behemoth , is a cover of Metallica 's "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine" from Cro-Monolithic Remixes for an Iron Age ( Earth (band)|Earth remix).
"Catch-22 (Surrender or Die)" from Cro-Monolithic Remixes for an Iron Age ( Merzbow remix).
"Cursed Realms (Of the Winterdemons)" from Black One ( Immortal (band)|Immortal cover), although only the lyrics are used.
"Báthory Erzsébet" from Black One can be said to be a loose (even by Sunn standards) cover of "A Fine Day to Die" by Bathory (band)|Bathory .
"CandleGoat" from Black One also quotes the lyrics from "Freezing Moon" by Mayhem (band)|Mayhem .
Although "Rabbits' Revenge" from ØØ Void is often thought to be a cover of The Melvins ' "Hung Bunny", it is actually a reworking of an earlier Melvins track.
Discography
listen|filename=SunnO)))-NN_O))).ogg|title="NN O)))"|description=The second track from ØØ Void |format= Ogg listen|filename=SunnO)))-OrthodoxCaveman.ogg|title="Orthodox Caveman"|description=The fourth track from Black One |format= Ogg
Demos
The Grimmrobe Demos (1999, CD 2000, 2xPLP 2003, 2xLP 2004)
http://www.bonereader.com/? p=2233 Interview with Greg Anderson on The Bone Reader
Sunn O))) Category:American doom metal musical groups Category:Heavy metal musical groups from New York Category:Musical groups established in 1998 Category:Southern Lord Records artists Category:Musical groups from Seattle, Washington
