SUNNO)))


"The Grimmrobe Demos" (Southern Lord; 2005)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

The sonic din that penetrates your soul on this four-track, 60+ minute endeavor belongs to SUNN 0))), whose latest release is in fact a re-release of the first batch of aural awakenings the project unveiled way back in 1999. 

And yes, it contains all of the mesmerizing dissonance, hypnotic low-end mutterings and ploddingly painful sounds as only Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson can muster. 

If you're a fan of the avant-garde end of the metal spectrum, this enchanting entry into your brain is a welcomed addition. 

For more information, check out http://www.southern.net/southern/band/SUNNN/


"White 2" (Southern Lord; 2004)

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

If you're sitting around the house, congratulating yourself on your hearty mental health, and you happen to wonder how the other half lives, all you have to do is pop in Sunno)))'s "White2" and, within ten or fifteen minutes, you'll know.

Because "White2" is the kind of endless ambient musical noise that those in the darkest corners of the most forgotten insane asylums must hear day after day, week after week. It's a droning, buzzing, haunting soundtrack for madness. It almost hurts to listen to. 

Yet it is utterly and irrevocably fascinating.

"White 2" consists of three tracks: "Hell-o)))-ween," "bassAliens" and "Decay 2 (Nihils' Maw)." Each is different in its own way but each could easily be absorbed by the others. All three simply exist - they don't rock, they don't roll, they don't burn, they don't simmer - they just are. The down side here is that I can't imagine listening to this CD more than once. Really, what would be the point?

The back of the CD describes "White2" as "profound music for those beyond burnout, for those wishing to lick the void, for those who want to kill time dead or just step outside for awhile." And the music is just as confusing, and as damnably engrossing, as that description.

Fans of extreme stoner rock might find something to their liking here, as may those who like something completely original. This much is certain: "White2" isn't for everyone ... and I'm not even sure it's for me.

For more information, check out http://www.southern.net/southern/band/SUNNN/


Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.


Back to CD Reviews Home

Back to RoughEdge.com Home

Copyright © 2005 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
Revised: 04 Mar 2024 14:36:45 -0500.