Sunn O)))
White2
[Southern Lord; 2004; Drone Metal]
Rating: 8.1
southernlord.com

One hour, three epic tracks, one sick record with a disturbing cover...

Fourteen minute opener, HELL-O)))-WEEN, consists solely of a slow, pulsating current of distorted bass guitar riffs that seem to originate from some otherworldly region. This is perhaps the prime example of Sunn O)))'s intentions to pay homage to the original slow-droners, Earth.

Twenty three minute follow-up, bassAliens, builds and decomposes in a more lush manner by adding more textures of static, faint screeches and buzzes, bouts of violent feedback and tolling guitars over the relentless trance. As the track progresses more influences seem to evolve, from post-rock experimentation to eerie movie soundtracks, field recordings to knob twisting manipulation as it fades to near silence momentarily at the end interrupted by plinks that sound like metallic raindrops and finally nothing but feedback.

In my opinion, the best way to arrange an album is only use good material, no filler, and save the best for last to reward an attentive audience. Following this procedure, album closer DECAY2 [NIHILS' MAW], incorporates the same basic principles driving the sound of the record, but adds subtle, yet psychedelic chanting vocals to the already dark sound, swirling you down to previously unknown chasm.

This plays as a auditory definition of the drone genre much like Braque and Picasso visually define cubism.