sunn O)))

Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn amplifier brand, the logo of which includes a circle next to the "sunn" banner with waves heading off to the right. In interviews, Stephen O'Malley stated that the band's name was also chosen as a play on the name Earth, a band widely regarded as pioneers of drone metal throughout the 1990s. Before the band members moved to Los Angeles, they briefly used the name Mars.

The band's style is characterized by slow tempos, distorted guitars, lack of rhythm and melody, and alternative tunings. The guitars are notable for their low register, frequently utilizing tunings as low as dropped A. Additionally, the band is known for using resonant feedback to create monolithic soundscapes and eerie atmospheres. Percussion is rarely incorporated, with a lack of any discernible beat. When performing live, the band wears robes, fills the air with fog, and plays at a high volume.

The band releases the majority of its music through the label it founded in 1998, Southern Lord Records. However, the band initially released ØØ Void (its second album) on multiple labels, including Rise Above Records, Hydra Head Records, and Dirter Productions (which pressed it as a double album on vinyl). Additionally, the original pressing of The Grimmrobe Demos was released by Hydra Head Records. It was later issued as a double picture record set by Outlaw Recordings and finally reissued by Southern Lord in 2004.

File:Sunn.png brand. Stephen O'Malley has stated the band licenses the use of the logo from Fender, the owner of the Sunn trademarks.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IPes2MzG2k&t=2s&ab_channel=EVILGREED.NET |title=Stephen O'Malley on Sunn O)))'s Bear design, mystery in symbolism & metal merch |website=YouTube.com|date=June 24, 2024 }}]]

In 2008, Sunn O))) released a live album titled Dømkirke and also announced a mini-tour consisting of four concerts to commemorate the group's 10th anniversary, which coincided with the release of The Grimmrobe Demos.{{cite web |url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=38247 |title=Sunn O))) Announces US Tour Dates |website=Metalunderground.com |date=August 8, 2008 |access-date=July 20, 2011}}

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] {{dead link|date=July 2011}} Hungarian-born Attila Csihar (Mayhem) has performed live with the band as their primary vocalist since 2003.

Sunn O))) released a collaboration album with Ulver titled Terrestrials in February 2014:{{cite web |url=http://www.self-titledmag.com/2013/11/18/sunn-o-ulver-ready-terrestrials-album-for-february-release/ |title=Sunn O))), Ulver Ready 'Terrestrials' Album for February Release |date=November 18, 2013 |website=Self-titledmag.com |access-date=December 21, 2014}} in October 2014, the band released the album Soused, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Scott Walker.{{Cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/55864-scott-walker-and-sunn-o-team-for-new-album-soused/ |title=Scott Walker and Sunn O))) Team for New Album Soused |last=Minsker |first=Evan |website=Pitchfork |date=July 17, 2014}} In November 2015, Sunn O))) presented a four-day program at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands, including Annette Peacock, Magma, Julia Holter and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and Sunn O))) itself.{{cite web |url=http://www.leguesswho.com/ |title=Le Guess Who? Festival official site|website=Leguesswho.com |access-date=June 17, 2015}}

The band worked with producer Steve Albini on two albums, Life Metal and Pyroclasts.{{Cite web|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/sunn-o-amanda-palmer-spiritualized-saves-the-day-more-releasing-pink-vinyl-for-cancer-charity/|title=Sunn O))), Amanda Palmer, Spiritualized, Saves The Day & more releasing pink vinyl for cancer charity|website=BrooklynVegan|date=July 25, 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=July 31, 2019}}

Sunn O)))'s musical style has been described as drone metal,{{Cite news |url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/are-drone-metal-icons-sunn-o-the-loudest-band-on-the-planet-6349356 |title=Are Drone-Metal Icons Sunn O))) the Loudest Band on the Planet? |last=Roche |first=Jason |date=December 7, 2015 |newspaper=LA Weekly |access-date=January 30, 2017}}{{Cite web |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/05/sunn-o-to-play-metal-show-in-worlds-largest-maze/ |title=Sunn O))) to play metal show in world's largest maze |last=Brennan |first=Colin |date=May 27, 2016 |website=Consequence of Sound |access-date=January 30, 2017}} doom metal,{{cite web |author1=Sharpe-Young, Garry |author2=Born, R |title=Sunn O))) |url=http://www.musicmight.com/artist/united+states/california/los+angeles/sunno+29+29+29 |publisher=MusicMight |access-date=March 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090721025537/http://www.musicmight.com/artist/united+states/california/los+angeles/sunno+29+29+29 |archive-date=July 21, 2009|url-status=dead }} experimental metal{{cite journal |title=Indies on the Verge |first=Todd |last=Martens |journal=Billboard Magazine |date=January 6, 2007 |volume=119 |issue=1 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mBIEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22experimental+metal%22+music&pg=PA27 |access-date=August 6, 2011 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media |issn=0006-2510}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/02/scott-walker-teams-up-metal-duo-sunn-o |title=Scott Walker teams up with experimental metal duo Sunn O))) |date=July 2, 2014 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=January 30, 2017}} black metal,{{cite web|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/interviews/sunn-o-s-stephen-omalley-metal-can-be-absurd-and-also-really-profound |title=Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley: "Metal can be absurd and also really profound"|last=Maloney|first=Ali|date=November 28, 2011|website=The Skinny|access-date=March 15, 2019}} noise rock, and dark ambient. Sunn O))) experiments with a variety of styles and sounds, progressing beyond the primarily guitar and bass style of The Grimmrobe Demos and ØØ Void. On White1 and White2, the band noticeably expanded on conceptualization by inviting several guests, 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 in this direction, utilizing far more electronics, synthesizers, and other instrumentation than earlier Sunn O))) material, yet still marking a significant return to its traditional sound.

File:Sunn O))) (7180409975).jpg

Sunn O))) is widely regarded as leaders in the genre, including by The New York Times Magazine of May 28, 2006, when the band was written up in an article called "Heady Metal" by John Wray.{{cite news |last1=Wray |first1=John |title=Heady Metal |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/magazine/28artmetal.html |access-date=May 5, 2019 |date=May 28, 2006}} Sunn O))) also appeared 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?{{cite magazine |url=http://news.q4music.com/2007/06/the_20_loudest_albums_of_all_t.html |title=The 20 Loudest Albums Of All Time |date=August 2007 |magazine=Q |access-date=December 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305001338/http://news.q4music.com/2007/06/the_20_loudest_albums_of_all_t.html |archive-date=March 5, 2008}}

{{mainlist|Sunn O))) discography|List of songs recorded by Sunn O)))}}

• ØØ Void (2000)
• Flight of the Behemoth (2002)
• White1 (2003)
• White2 (2004)
• Black One (2005)
• Monoliths & Dimensions (2009)
• Kannon (2015)
• Life Metal (2019)
• Pyroclasts (2019)

• Altar (with Boris) (2006)
• Terrestrials (with Ulver) (2014)
• Soused (with Scott Walker) (2014)

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Sunn O)))}}

• {{Official site}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20091015164437/http://www.southernlord.com/band_SUN.php Southern Lord Records]
• [http://www.ideologic.org Stephen O'Malley official site]
• {{MusicBrainz artist|id=1d3da898-4fb4-4445-b704-cd7315e01789|name=Sunn}}

{{Sunn O)))}}

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Category:American avant-garde metal musical groups

Category:Drone metal musical groups

Category:Heavy metal musical groups from Washington (state)

Category:1998 establishments in Washington (state)

Category:Musical groups established in 1998

Category:Musical groups from Seattle

Category:Southern Lord Records artists

Category:4AD artists

Category:American musical duos

Category:Heavy metal duos