Sunn O)))-Kannon (2015)

Sunn O)))-Kannon (2015)

“Music is ultimately sound evolving in time.”

Joshua Fineberg

By: Erreh Svaia

I came to Sunn O))) after seeking some more sounds peripheral to black metal, it is remarkable to talk about Sunn O)))´s ability to capture a place in time that seems to be suspended and isolated form anything else, yes, they come from Seattle, and perhaps their only tie to the grunge scene might be their close connection to Earth, or should I say admiration towards Dylan Carlson band, and some sonic affinity to the Melvins, yes, Sunn O))) are a Seattle band, but the type of band closer to other outsiders like Burzum, The Swans, Burial or The Bug, this 2015 record by them is perhaps the most awaited record for the season behind Danzig's excellent Skeletons, Sunn O))) is quite an experience, they did wonders on expanding their approach on the brilliant Monoliths & Dimensions, and on their collaboration with European legendary band Ulver, they recorded an album with the mythical Scott Walker, but this time, Kannon, is a very different affair, as the band retreats towards known territory, coming back to the root of their sound without more associates than the ones known for the close relation to them.

Saying that Kannon is more of the same characteristic Sunn O))) sound, is a half-lie half-truth, as the band truly immerses in a textural battle more than ever, there is a sense of an introspective look, with the band searching within for a clue to their future inside their brutal monolithic riffs coming stronger than ever, with every slow slashing riff more lethal than ever before, Sunn O))) might be considered confined to the duo of Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson, but they have proven themselves to be open enough to consider regulars like Hungarian Attila Csihar, Australian Oren Ambarchi, Rex Ritter and Steve Moore along the once again wonderful production of Randall Dunn, as nearly a stable and permanent part of their inner circle of collaborators.

Kannon, more than any other Sunn O))) record deals with spirituality, by paying close attention one can perceive a strange mix of ancient Christianity and Paganism atmosphere exemplified by Csihar outstanding and chameleonic performance, and there is also a deep and brutal dash of Tibetan mythology, musically speaking, it takes the concept of density lightyears ahead of genius bands like My Bloody Valentine, as it can be felt on Kannon 1, with music made not to be heard, but felt, as the sound experience becomes something more physical, demanding the listener to get really immersed and become possessed and penetrated by the dark sonic vibrations.

Recently I have become enthusiastic on meditation, not as regular as I wish, but getting initiated on it, when done right is a challenging practice, it takes time and patience, and creates inner changes building character, endurance and strenght, is not so hard to compare the experience of fully enjoying Sunn O))) to meditation, as it is a hard experience that requires full attention, and an amazing effort, but also one that compensates us with an awesome listening experience, as details start to emerge after applying a deep listening attitude towards the invasive music, who would argue against the idea of Sunn O)))´s music being very close to the Tibetan chants of Lama Tashi?

Kannon 2 continues the sonic onslaught, as the band develops a new extense musical texture, one that gets close to the animalistic, thanks to Cshiar, and that slowly becomes a kind of black mass Symphony that haunts the listener obsessively with its dark grandeur, the duo synchronizes their guitars to perfection and manages to bring even more detail to the composition, as guitars wail at slow motion leaving traces of sounds all around, the guitar attack is impressive second after second, Sunn O))) has somehow managed to create a unique sound that picks up the work of slow heavy music pioneers like The Swans or The Melvins to never before heard extremes, all this while Csihar donates his quasi Gregorian chant, giving the tune a near primitive Christianity character that becomes a startling reflection about today's some peoples perception (Victor Orban, perhaps) of Christianity being menaced and at an epic war in Europe.

Big surprise comes in the form of Kannon 3, where the band starts developing really innovative sounds an introducing disorientating elements while really bringing out the noise thru feedback drenched abstract melodies, you can feel the guitar vibrating and growling, you can hear here the input of drone master Oren Ambarchi trading sounds with O´Malley and Anderson, and as guitars growl and wail, the sort of Spectralist Music developed by compositors like Romanian great Iancu Dumitrescu, a favorite of mine, here Csihar again lends his monstrous vocals adding even more chilling moments to the piece, as the band gets on a truly cerebral attack on their instruments, making astute combinations and restraining and liberating noise and sound while also exploiting silence intervals all at once developing brilliant structures of sound with what seems to be a life of their own.

Kannon might not be as groundbreaking as Monoliths & Dimensions, in a way is an evolutionary step towards the band´s roots, it might be a way to ending the band´s chapter collaborating with others out of their inner circle, is a strong effort that obviously points towards something else, if this is the sound of the band scouting their territory, just wait for them once they make it all their own once again.