SUNN O))) — Monoliths & Dimensions (review)

SUNN O))) — Monoliths & Dimensions album cover Album · 2009 · Drone Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Phonebook Eater
Sunn O))), pronounced Sun, is one of the most famous American drone metal bands out there, their popularity increased a lot more when their seventh studio album came out in 2009, "Monoliths & Dimensions", which some consider it to be their masterpiece. Personally, I can't hide my love for this album, that hypnotized, confused, and somewhat moved me interiorly.

"Monoliths & Dimensions" is a step forward in experimentation and ambition compared to their earlier stuff, such as the two White's and Black One. Sure, the album is still Sunn O))) style: we still have these incredibly heavy,loud,distorted,low notes that could easily blow up your speakers if put up to a high volume. But M&D has a much more orchestral and symphonic feel, thanks also to the use in some parts (in the track "Alice") of orchestral instruments,played by an infinite amount of musicians, from the harp to the flutes, from brass to violins and strings. There is also moments where there's a choir that enriches the music ("Big Church") and that comes in pretty frequently to give to the track an eerier and more mysterious feeling to it. It's easy to understand then why this can be considered their most adventurous and original album, but arguably the best.

"Monoliths & Dimensions" is four,long, extended tracks; "Agartha", the opener, is a seventeen minute piece that is possibly their least experimental. For about six minutes there's the usual drone metal, until a deep guttural voice starts speaking, and goes on until the end of the song. Every now and then in the songs a few hits of surreal and mystery come along, like the solemn sounding voices. A great track, no doubt. "Big Church" is probably the strangest song of the album. Like I mentioned before, it's full of choir female voices that are added to the drony guitars and bass. What I thought was interesting is that in a few times along the song the music stops, and a sound of a church bell is heard, followed by a few seconds of tense silence, and then again the agonic music continues."Huntering & Gathering" is another great song, the only one where there's actually a little bit of melody, and for ten minutes it goes on, with some occasional hit and runs by synths and keys. "Alice" is for sure the most ambitious song off the album; sixteen minutes, the first half has it's nucleus in a guitar chord that keeps repeating. The second half of the song is magical; the orchestra comes in and dominates the music completely, while before it kind of stayed in the background. Probably "Alice" is the most representative song for this album, compared to the other ones that still had some lnfluences from their previous albums. What a great ending track.

In conclusion, I thought I wasn;t going to like it that much, but I honestly enjoyed the hell out of it, and I hope it will do the same to you listeners.
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