Southern Lord Records re-issue in 2011 / Original release Double H / Rise Above records 2000
Available on CD, 2 xLP and digital via Sunn O))) band camp
A review that is late even for the re-issue and thirteen years after the original release, but after having recently picked up a copy of 00void on vinyl to test my new hifi set up, it feels good to think about and dwell a bit on Sunn O))) again.
After what feels like a significant amount of time spent on other projects, and Southern Lord itself seeming to have moved away from doom / drone / whatever towards crusty blackened hardcore, listening to Sunn O))) again feels like a throwback. Even typing the O and three brackets seems ridiculous. As someone who very much bought into Sunn and Southern Lord records, committing a huge amount of money and time before effectively burning out on the whole scene, coming back to an earlier Sunn record with which I was not hugely familiar is pretty exciting. The second in Sunn's early trilogy of albums, 00Void very much picks up where the Grimmrobe demos leaves off - crushing simplicity and dedication to the signature earth shaking raspy bass sound. As such, it is brilliant.
Later Sunn records moved towards a broader range of sounds, instruments and personnel, especially around the release Black One and the huge influence taken from black metal and the theatrics and overt gloominess that comes with the genre. 00Void however fits very closely with the Grimmrobe demos, a record built out of riffs, and an atmosphere that is a byproduct of the dedication to playing those riffs slowly, loudly and with a lot of bass. Arguably the key to this album is a cover of the Melvins track 'Hung Bunny' from Lysol ( renamed 'Rabbit's Revenge' here), which is both a fairly faithful cover and a key indication of the creation of Sunn's sound. Rabbit's Revenge is effectively Hung Bunny slowed down, stripped of percussion and beefed up bass-wise - it fits in with the rest of the bands music perfectly. Like Grimmrobe, and the album that followed it, 00Void is not a record about varied textures and sounds, but about one huge deep and rich sound that deserves some dedication.
A track by track dissection doesn't particularly fit a Sunn record, but as a album Ive enjoyed most on vinyl, the little bit of breathing space provided by changing sides or discs has helped me to appreciate each track individually. The opener 'Richard', written by Stuart Dahlquist (the main man behind Asva) winds up to its lurching drone fairly quickly (well, quickly relative to its 15 minute running time), and eventually starts to allow a variety of sounds in around the edges. Nothing ever threatens to dominate that signature sound, and it feels like the dominating riff sweeping through all other sound. On the second side is NN O)), featuring an absolute goliath of a riff, that would arguably fit just fine on any number of sludge records, and some great haunting vocals and an utter ferocious coda that could easily pass as a funeral march for the end of the world. Pounding dull thuds augment the already suffocating sound to make for a powerful final third of this track. The C side is the previously mentioned Melvins cover, and D side 'Ra At Dusk' rounds the record off, beginning with a pacey, chugging riff that soon gives way to more abstract drones. Probably my favourite track on this album, as it is just a brilliant opportunity to bask in wave after wave of bass bliss.
It is difficult to effectively explain the appeal of a Sunn O))) record without appearing deeply pretentious and ignoring almost all elements of what makes music enjoyable in the first place, but anyone who would be interested in sampling something more extreme, 00Void would be a pretty decent place to start off. Still a metal record at heart, but quite considerably developed into something almost unrecognisable. To anyone familiar with Sunn (and somehow not familiar with this record), 00Void clearly comes highly reccommended. For me it is just that bit more varied in tone and structure than the Grimmrobe demos, while still retaining that signature Sunn sound.
00 / 00
- While I was writing this review the new Sunn O))) website launched, featuring a huge number of t-shirt and hoodie designs as well as a considerable range of Sunn music on vinyl, cd and digital. This also included a re-issue of Black One on vinyl (with exclusive hoodie and colour of vinyl for the webstore), and a few copies of the Candlewvlff Ov Thee Golden Chalice EP on vinyl. Check it out here.
- Most of the Sunn O))) catalogue is also available to listen to and buy at Bandcamp.
- Two tour dates have been announced for Holland and Belgium -
12 DEC De Kreun Kortrijk, BEL
13 DEC State X Forms Den Hagg, NL
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