Every once in a while, I end up doing a review of an artist that I feel needs a little bit more of an introduction. If you’re familiar with Sunn O)))’s body of work, feel free to skip a few paragraphs, bearing in mind they aren’t a household name the way last week’s review subject, Beyoncé, is.

The metal band, comprised of Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley, put out their most recent record last week, but it’s been the only thing on my mind for the better part of two weeks since it was first premiered on NPR’s First Listen segment.

Sunn O))) — which is simply pronounced as “Sun,” but good luck convincing your brain of that one while you’re reading this — is perhaps the biggest driving force behind the subgenre of metal known as drone metal, which, for better or for worse, often comes across as pure, slow noise.

I’ve seen more than one person say their music sounds like someone tuning their guitar for the length of an album. And, honestly, that’s a criticism I can’t even fully disagree with. Drone metal is, at its heart, an experiment in repetition, in long sustained notes, in eardrum-breaking loudness. It’s not for everyone.

Sunn O)))’s latest entry comes to us as “Life Metal,” and is the band’s eighth studio record. The title of the record, of course, is a pun on the phrase “death metal,” but in many ways, it seems like the perfect title for a Sunn O))) record.

In many ways, Sunn O)))’s music is the exact opposite of death metal. Sure, it’s very loud — one of the band’s previous albums, “White1,” was listed by Q Magazine as being one of the loudest of all time, a fact often touted by Sunn O)))’s fans —but that’s truly where the comparisons stop. Sunn O)))’s music isn’t cramped at all like most death metal. Instead of cramming the soundscape full of noise, it’s more of a stretched out, sustained noise.

What makes “Life Metal” sound so unique in comparison to Sunn O)))’s previous records, though, is the production wizardry of Steve Albini. The producer-extraordinaire is perhaps best known for his work with bands like Nirvana and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and he once again brings his production stylings to a record, making it sound incredible.

Albini allowed Sunn O))) to sound far more organic than they ever have before. In the past, the band accomplished their signature “wall of sound” by digitally manipulating separately recorded elements, layering tracks of guitar and bass fuzz on top of each other.

This time, though, with Albini’s help, the band was able to record these elements live, leading to a far more tangible sound. The guitars feel more “there,” for lack of a better term. It’s easier for the listener to get lost in the music.

And truly, that’s the only thing left to do on the record. “Life Metal” sees Sunn O))) stripped to their most basic elements in many ways, excising frequent collaborators like Mayhem’s Atilla Csihar or Japanese noise artist Merzbow, instead focusing on the guitar work of the band itself.

However, it isn’t without collaborators. Standing out on the record is Hildur Guðnadóttir, an Icelandic cellist who provides haunting vocals on the album’s opening track, “Between Sleipnir’s Breaths.” The song, named for the eight-legged horse ridden by Norse god Odin, is deeply meditative, and Guðnadóttir adds a stirring element.

“Meditative” is the perfect word for the record, though. I haven’t focused much on the album’s songs — four in total, that stretch the album to just over an hour — because there truly isn’t much of a difference between them. This is a record that is meant to be experienced as a unit, with the incredibly loud wall of sound simply washing over the listener.

But, “Life Metal,” like all of Sunn O)))’s music, is really not for everyone. Some, perhaps most, listeners will find it excruciatingly boring. But there’s a quiet, hidden beauty in its deafening loudness.

If you let it, “Life Metal” has a transcendent quality, becoming something more than itself.

Or it’s just noise. It’s up to you.

Sunn O)))’s newest record, ‘Life Metal,’ was released on April 26.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_SunnO-_LifeMetal.jpg.optimal.jpgSunn O)))’s newest record, ‘Life Metal,’ was released on April 26.

By Patrick Kernan

pkernan@timesleader.com

Album: ‘Life Metal’

Artist: Sunn O)))

Label: Southern Lord Records

Length: 68:56

Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan