Sunn 0))) - Kannon Review

2009’s “Monoliths and Dimensions” was a bristling mire of tortured strings and shuddering guitar.  There wasn’t a moment of respite from the constant sense of imminent doom, making it a draining experience that stripped you of every emotion but intense depression and fear of the impending cosmic horror that was about to befall humanity.  As much as I respect them for achieving this level

of emotional involvement and physical interaction, I can’t say I was exactly “looking forward” to Sunn 0)))’s latest project “Kannon”.

The first track “Kannon Pt. 1” begins with a rather hopeful ambient tone, one far less distorted and dense than I was expecting.  However the droning guitar eventually creeps into the instrumental, dousing it in nihilistic atmosphere.  The creaking growling vocals instil the same sense of dread that “Monoliths and Dimensions” did, as they slink in and out of coherence, always lurking somewhere in the depths of the gnarled morass.  The song essentially never shifts in tone or pitch, there are no moments in which the listener breaks the surface of the instrumental, and this is perhaps its main problem.  

Bands like Deafheavan are able to keep a consistent tone whilst exploring other means of delivering it, whether that be through vibrant shoegaze and dream pop sections or otherwise.  Sunn 0))) generally don’t offer anything remotely deviating from the slow droning doom metal they’ve become so accustomed to. 

“Kannon Pt. 2” suffers from the same symptoms.  While these songs are certainly creative in their own way, variations of distorted droning over the same three or four chords for two albums now doesn’t constitute the kind of progression I’d hoped for.  “Kannon Pt. 3” is more of the same. 

It may be that my ear simply isn’t astute enough to decipher the intricate details that change throughout these songs.  But as far as I can tell, not only is “Kannon” a much shorter and less involving album than “Monoliths and Dimensions”, it’s also pretty much identical in the small amount that it does offer.  If you liked “Monoliths and Dimensions” then you’ll have no issue with “Kannon”, I would however only recommend that you stream it otherwise.

Charlie McCartney

Deafheaven - New Bermuda Review

From the moment it starts “New Bermuda” is as dramatic and dark an album as Deaf Heaven have ever created.  While it may only be five songs long, the length of these songs makes the album an impenetrable monolith, even in its brighter moments.

 The opening song “Brought to the Water” begins with the mesmeric ringing of wedding bells and a distorted electronic bass simmering away underneath it, before it’s all engulfed by the wall of sound the guitars produce.  George Clarke’s animalistic vocals fight for supremacy as the guitars rattle and shudder with syncopated energy.  The song seamlessly shifts tone when the shoegaze elements manage to briefly establish themselves in absolutely beautiful passages of melodic tranquillity.  Deaf Heaven have been praised for their ability to fuse these two genres together, and it’s never been more evident that this praise has been absolutely warranted.  By the time the song fades into the piano outro the album is already as gripping as “Sunbathers”.

The majestic soaring guitars on “Luna” make it one of the most breath-taking songs on the album, and while it may be the longest song, it comes and goes too quickly for the listener to possibly uncover all its complexities in one listen.  One of the main strengths of this song is the intricacy of the drums, which allow the song to somehow seem intensely syncopated and utterly synchronised all at once, a technique that I don’t think has been utilised as effectively before.  In a brief, lucid moment in which only the guitar plays, I’m almost reminded of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, before the thundering cacophony returns.  In it’s final dying moments, “Luna” is as personal, impassioned and grandiose as any other song on the album. 

“Baby Blue” seems a rather placid title for a band like Deaf Heaven, and admittedly seems to be a far more straightforward song from the first few minutes.  It embraces more fully the reverb and simplicity of shoegaze, and as a result acts as something as a respite from the crushing depth of the rest of the album.  The layered guitars become gradually more hypnotic and soothing, as the song progresses, even once the intense, crushing guitars and vocals return.  The song is somewhat marred in terms of subtlety by the fairly vulgar tapping of the lead guitar.  But that is brief and forgettable once the rumbling guitars integrate in a threatening assault that eventually fades out as the song transitions into a sample of a woman talking, complimented in the instrumental by ambient synths. 

The understated guitars of “Baby Blue” seem to return in “Come Back”.  That is until the band begin an onslaught on the listener’s senses with a sudden, fast paced barrage of guitar volleys, immediately instilling a sense of immersive dread.  There is small respite later in the song as it returns to the peaceful guitar tones of the beginning for the second half of the song, even incorporating some acoustic guitar.  The fast paced clean guitars of the closing song “Gifts for the Earth” seems alien to the howling screech of the vocals, but this is quickly resolved when the guitars return to the distorted intensity of previous tracks.  By the time the acoustic guitars and piano lead the final serenade, I feel as affected as I have following very few albums this year. 

I can’t remember the last time a metal album left me feeling this drained, beaten and impressed.  For a five song album to be such a bone-crushing, awe-inspiring behemoth is absolutely incredible, and I can’t recommend this album highly enough.  Buy it on vinyl. 

Charlie McCartney