Sunn-O)))’s music inhabits so many bizarre levels that, inspite of it’s actual simplicity, it’s difficult to work out just how to listen. They are regularly cited as being on the cutting edge of the contemporary avant-garde, yet famously appear at all publicity and live appearances in monks habits. There’s an ever present unease with which they straddle the serious and banally humourous. If it wasn’t for the vocals of Attila Csihar, Monoliths And Dimensions‘ opening track ‘Agharta’, for example, would be a beguiling drone work which slowly evolves into evocations of dark pastoral grandeur via conch shell blowing and a small orchestra. Csihar’s intonation’s, however, lean the piece towards parody. “Thunderous resonant sounds call from beyond the depths”, presumably written about the mythical city at the earth’s centre of the title, are pushed to the ridiculous by his sub-Mordor drawl. But, then, that’s probably really been the point of Sunn O))) since their inception – push the ludicrous until it finds its way back around to being serious, and seriously affecting.
The album’s 4 tracks come in at just under an hour, which gives an indication of the space and time each is given to develop and envelope. Each has it’s own mood while contributing to the fairly overwhelming whole. ‘Hunting And Gathering (Cydonia)’ betrays Sunn O)))’s metal roots most clearly, the guitar shifting through black metal chord structures with relative pace and Csihar returning for more. Album closer, ‘Alice’, is, for me, undoubtedly the highlight. The guitar fuzz (as it is right across the album) is envelopingly warm – super distorted but without any repelling aural sharpness. After 12 and a half minutes, the orchestration which has been building for the entire piece comes to the fore as one last fuzzed chord recedes to a place of distant background bass texture. The orchestration could have been scored for a Bjork album, such is its off-kilter beauty. It’s a fitting finale to what is undoubtedly a remarkable album.
I come at Monoliths And Dimensions from the point of view of someone interested in the experimental perspective of sound exploration, and have virtually no interest in heavy/metal strands of music at all. For me, it’s Oren Ambarchi, ‘yes’, Thorr’s Hammer and Mayhem, ‘no’. Yet Sunn O))) manages to be all things to all people and so, in spite of the downright silliness of some aspects, the overall effect of the album is captivating. Yep, it’s heavy. Yep, it’s dark. But, yes, it is also has warmth, beauty and pathos.
Adrian Elmer
