Sunn O)))
So I’m not much of a metal fan, but…
I was listening to the Jason Ellis show this afternoon and they were trying to figure out what the heaviest song of all-time is. I understand that interpretations about what exactly “heavy” means can vary, but I find it hard to believe that there is anything heavier than this song by Sunn O))):
This song is utterly ridiculous, but I kinda love listening to it, especially the parts with horns. If the descent into hell doesn’t sound like this, it really, really should.
Any of you metal heads care to chime in on the heaviest debate?
Comments
I’m not a huge Sun O)) fan, but I can appreciate their vibe and their deal and yeah that’s pretty much I think as “heavy” as it comes. There are faster bands, more noisy bands, screamier bands, etc. But their stuff pretty much encapsulates “heavy”. Also pretty much anything those dudes have been involved with previously including Burning Witch and Khanate. Burning Witch in particular is ridiculously heavy and the vocals are even more pained and frightening.
I know nothing about this sort of music but Monoliths and Dimensions is one of the best things I’ve heard all year.
Love love love Sun 0))), even if some so-called purists like Kev shit on them for being hipstery or “beard metal.” Honestly, I’m surprised, Kev, you didn’t shit on them at all here.
I’ve been really into Jason Crumer’s new album, which is pretty disgusting. I can’t seem to find anything of it on youtube, though.
It’s from his previous metal, but it’s one of the few things I think one-ups Sun O))) while still being listenable. Password is the same as the FTP.
One thing I found interesting from the debate on the show was that there were a lot of what I presume to be older dudes calling in to nominate songs from Pantera and Slayer. Is the consensus that that Sun 0))) song is just plain heavier, regardless of whether or not it is hipsterish or “beard-metal” (I love the fact that something called beard metal exists by the way). Kev, you seem to be both old school and purist (I guess maybe they go hand in hand anyway?) but you would never argue that Slayer is heavier than this craziness would you?
I’m clearly misunderstood on the metal front. I did state unequivically that I like most hipster/beard metal. A lot. I just don’t consider it classic metal in most cases. Here’s the thing. As much as I love metal, if I were to start a metal band based on all my influences it would likely end up dounding like a hipster/beard metal band because I listen to too much other music in general. So all my other fruity, artsy, hipstery influences would seep in. Same with most of the dudes in these bands which is what separates them from a fully traditional metal vibe more practiced by dead-ender type kids who never progressed beyond their Slayer/Metallica/Pantera records.
Yeah, there’s no denying that something like Sun O)) is heavy as fuck and probably as heavy as it comes (along with a lot of the other stuff I mentioned). But there are a shit ton of bands in the whole doom/sludge metal sub-genre that are just as heavy, and slightly less tongue in cheek than they are.
I could be wrong, but I feel like Sun O))) is one of the few that isn’t tongue in cheek. Did you see any video of that album they recorded in the church? Dudes are pretty out there.
I’m not saying it’s all tongue in cheek but a large part of it is. I mean the fact that they started out as an Earth tribute band (thus the name) and claimed their intent was to create music that would make people lose control of their bowels. Stephen O’Malley is a pretty artsy/avant garde guy so even if it’s not tongue in cheek it’s definitely not as straight forward and serious as say Norweigan Death Metal is.