For close to three decades, SUNN O))) — Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson — have continuously pushed the limits of heavy music, operating at the crossroads of the avant-garde and rock while shaping a sound that’s instantly unmistakable.
Now, SUNN O))) return with their first album of entirely new material since 2019’s acclaimed “Pyroclasts”. Their tenth studio album, set for release on Friday, April 3 via Sub Pop, showcases the duo’s command of time and space, light and shadow, and their ongoing drive to expand and evolve their signature sound into daring new territory.
The self-titled album “Sunn O)))” was recorded at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington, with Brad Wood (HUM, TAR, Sunny Day Real Estate, Liz Phair) behind the controls — a setting that would ultimately play a vital role in shaping the recording process.
“The vast tracking room had big windows looking out on trees,” says O’Malley. “We could go hiking and be out in the woods, spend time outdoors. That became a big part of it.”
“It was very inviting and very comfortable there,” adds Anderson. “There was no stress, no worry about the timeline or anything like that. We just let ourselves go, and let the music come out”.
SUNN O))) have always embraced collaboration within their tightly sealed universe, working over the years with respected kindred spirits such as Hungarian vocal innovator Attila Csihar, Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, Seattle multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore, Texan polymath Mark Deutrom, SILKWORM co-founder Tim Midyett, and the legendary Scott Walker. For the new album, however, O’Malley and Anderson turn inward, exploring the raw, still-powerful primal space of the duo format.
“On this album for the first time all of the instrumentation was performed by Greg and I,” says O’Malley. “All of the records have our leadership and direction, of course, but this time around, it was almost like this crucible of ideas that was really at the core of what we’ve been doing”.
Recording strictly as a duo shouldn’t be seen as SUNN O))) holding themselves back or imposing limitations. On the contrary, it has unlocked new creative possibilities for their sound.
“What’s been happening with our performances over the last couple years with the two of us and no other collaborators or players has been really fresh and exciting,” says Anderson. “There’s been a lot of development. A lot of that was unexpected. And a lot of things that happened in the studio were really exciting and different from what we had been playing live, as well”.
The six compositions on SUNN O))) are expansive and panoramic yet finely detailed, reflecting the arboreal setting in which they were recorded. Opener “XXANN” enters with howling feedback before crunching into what might at first seem familiar territory — until one registers the sound of water trickling beneath. “Mindrolling” likewise incorporates field recordings, as does “Glory Black”, which in addition introduces piano, by turns sonorous and delicate, into the mix, lending the already formidable piece a hushed, solemn feel. The Newcastle-forged originators of black metal get a shout out in the title of “Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?” which seems to position Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon as deep listeners, attuned to their Tyneside surroundings in much the same way as SUNN O))) are to the forest enfolding Bear Creek Studios. Throughout the album, the interplay between O’Malley and Anderson attains fresh heights of telepathic intensity as they shape a music that itself breathes the bracing, earthy air of the Pacific Northwest.
“It’s always developing,” says Anderson. “That’s a constant, and that’s what sustains my interest and passion. There’s a movement that’s happening, whether it’s forward, backwards, to the side, whatever.
That’s what makes playing in this group, at least for me, different and unique and special.”
“Sunn O)))” track listing:
01. XXANN
02. Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?
03. Butch’s Guns
04. Mindrolling
05. Everett Moses
06. Glory Black
