Donkey Kong themed drone? Sounds good to me.

Written by [user id=4365] on 30.09.2015 at 20:08

Droney Kong

So this has leaked, apparently.

Written by [user id=142921] on 28.11.2015 at 15:16

Kannon goes [url=DD3JywdV3KE]BOOM[/url]

Link doesn't work for me =P

At any rate I'm already nearly at the half way mark (it's only a smidge over half an hour long). Pretty disappointed with it thus far.

So yeah, on the whole a pretty big letdown. It's only 33 minutes long, but it feels like there's only about 10 minutes of material here. Way too much repetition with the same few chords over and over again, with not enough justifiable build up. And that's coming from someone who loves repetition. Poor sound too I think, too much treble that it becomes unpleasantly abrasive, which is an issue for a band that should be emphasising bass.

I don't know if I'm going mad but Kannon 3 sounds almost identical to another Sunn song. I don't know which one offhand, but I can't figure out if this was some kind on intentional leitmotif, or if they really ballsed up and ended doing the same thing without realising. Either way you've basically got a third of the album already taken from another record.

[EDIT]

I wasn't going mad, it's Cannon from the live Domkirke album from back in 2009. Except the live version sounds waaaaay better.

So it's just 20 minutes of actual new music and a third rehashed track. Very meagre effort.

Written by [user id=4365] on 28.11.2015 at 15:31

I wasn't going mad, it's Cannon from the live Domkirke album from back in 2009. Except the live version sounds waaaaay better.

Worse still is finding out that all the material from Domkirke as a whole was completely original music. Thus making it even more excellent.

Written by Alakazam on 29.11.2015 at 03:31

Worse still is finding out that all the material from Domkirke as a whole was completely original music.

This album is the only time for me amazingly that Sunn O))) actually felt as if they genuinely had made this album only in a matter of few days.

That's exactly what it feels like: rehashed, rushed and lazy. What really compounds it though is the high pretentiousness of the bandcamp description which makes it sound like they're trying to sell polished turds to hipsters. Was expecting much more after reading it.

What the fuck? Like, honestly, what the fucking fuck? There are a lot of things wrong with this, so I really just need to take a breath and organize my thoughts here...

1. Bad production. While the whole loud feedback thing certainly isn't new for Sunn O))), here it sounds really gritty and abrasive... more like your ears are being rubbed against a cheese grater than like you're being enveloped in a giant void of frequencies. Dunno if they were going for something new here, but if so, it didn't work.
2. Vocals are way too buried in the mix. I mean, Jesus, you've got ATTILA MOTHERFUCKING CSIHAR with you, of all people. Let the dude shine here like he did on M&D and bring that shit out
3. Personal preference, but where are all the nonmetal instruments from M&D? I guess I shouldn't complain too much about this, because Sunn O))) never really do anything twice, but I was just looking for more horns and synths, at the very least.
4. As Joe said... the last track here is essentially a rerecording. This means that we're only dealing with slightly over 20 minutes of new material here. After 6 years without a full length, and multiple collabs, only one of which (Terrestrials) was actually pretty decent... that's kinda pathetic. The lack of effort is blatantly obvious and it's honestly quite sad.

I'm regarding this as more of a mediocre EP than a new full length Sunn O))) album. Really pains me to say it, but I know what I'm voting for for Biggest Disappointment in the MSA now

I gave a few chances already, for the last releases of theirs or so... But I guess Sunn O))) Isn't worth following any more.
Which is a shame. Attila is by far one of the most impressive vocalists I've ever heard. However he keeps doing these or joining other instrumental projects (??)
I wish he joined Plasma Pool again, or made a performance on Mayhem like De Mysteriis, something like that, yeah.

Written by Karlabos on 01.12.2015 at 01:04

Attila is by far one of the most impressive vocalists I've ever heard. However he keeps doing these or joining other instrumental projects (??)

Don't interpret his performance here as meaning that all of his more ambient/ritualistic work is shit... because that certainly isn't the case. This is just a rather subpar performance in that department. But who even knows? The decision to have him more buried in the mix could very well have been O'Malley and Anderson's, not his.

As far as Attila's more shamanic work is concerned, THIS is what I'm talking about, man. Guy is a fucking wizard.

Quite a boring effort, with very little new being brought to the table. Are Anderson and O'Malley running out of steam?

By far their most accessible record to date. Nothing new but definetly not bad. 6,5/10 for me.

Written by [user id=4365] on 28.11.2015 at 15:31

Poor sound too I think, too much treble that it becomes unpleasantly abrasive, which is an issue for a band that should be emphasising bass.

Ok, so I'm not going crazy, I noted this in my review and you hear it too. It's a lot more of a ringing, high pitched sound than usual for the band, which is strange. I don't care for it at all though. Innovation and trying new things is something I respect, but not necessarily something I always enjoy if what results is such a shit contrast to what came previously.

Written by Auntie Sahar on 10.12.2015 at 23:34

Ok, so I'm not going crazy, I noted this in my review and you hear it too. It's a lot more of a ringing, high pitched sound than usual for the band, which is strange. I don't care for it at all though. Innovation and trying new things is something I respect, but not necessarily something I always enjoy if what results is such a shit contrast to what came previously.

And when the live version of something sounds better you know you've fucked up (though I doubt Sunn do, as they're probably bathing in the inflated scores other outlets have inexplicably given them).

Written by [user id=4365] on 10.12.2015 at 23:39

.....they're probably bathing in the inflated scores other outlets have inexplicably given them).

Not to mention.... I haven't seen them myself, but a lot of people who have are saying that in the liner notes Sunn O))) got some feminist art critic to really suck their dicks with some pretentious dribble about how the band are channeling feminist themes with the album or something?

I think the overall atmosphere of the French art scene has really been fucking with SOMA's head

Written by Auntie Sahar on 11.12.2015 at 00:19

Not to mention.... I haven't seen them myself, but a lot of people who have are saying that in the liner notes Sunn O))) got some feminist art critic to really suck their dicks with some pretentious dribble about how the band are channeling feminist themes with the album or something?

I think the overall atmosphere of the French art scene has really been fucking with SOMA's head

Always risky business. When the message becomes bigger than the music you can justify any old waffle you put out there. I'm sure we just don't "get" it though.

Honestly, I'm having a hard time noticing the similarities between both versions. (Yes, this is the first time I'm listening to it). Are there any particular times (specific minutes) in both versions when it's clearer to notice?

Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.12.2015 at 22:48

Honestly, I'm having a hard time noticing the similarities between both versions. (Yes, this is the first time I'm listening to it). Are there any particular times (specific minutes) in both versions when it's clearer to notice?

Go from 5.30ish (randomly clicked there) on Cannon, and from, I dunno, 1.50 on Kannon 3. For like a minute or so on each. Defo built from the same track.

Written by [user id=4365] on 14.12.2015 at 22:52

Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.12.2015 at 22:48

Honestly, I'm having a hard time noticing the similarities between both versions. (Yes, this is the first time I'm listening to it). Are there any particular times (specific minutes) in both versions when it's clearer to notice?

Go from 5.30ish (randomly clicked there) on Cannon, and from, I dunno, 1.50 on Kannon 3. For like a minute or so on each. Defo built from the same track.

Ah, yeah... that progression in the riffs is indeed the exact same. Honestly I'm not hating this as much as you guys. I'm almost willing to bet if this was marketed as an EP or a demo no one would have given that much thought to it. As it is now it's somewhere between a mid 6 and light 7. I think the problem were the expectations and the fucking horrible way they described it as the second coming of christ.

Quote:

Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.12.2015 at 22:57

Go from 5.30ish (randomly clicked there) on Cannon, and from, I dunno, 1.50 on Kannon 3. For like a minute or so on each. Defo built from the same track.

Ah, yeah... that progression in the riffs is indeed the exact same. Honestly I'm not hating this as much as you guys. I'm almost willing to bet if this was marketed as an EP or a demo no one would have given that much thought to it. As it is now it's somewhere between a mid 6 and light 7. I think the problem were the expectations and the fucking horrible way they described it as the second coming of christ.

It's probably 6.5 for me, or thereabouts. The tracks are enjoyable to an extent. Not awful though, just a let down.

Quote:

Written by [user id=4365] on 14.12.2015 at 22:58

Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.12.2015 at 22:57

Go from 5.30ish (randomly clicked there) on Cannon, and from, I dunno, 1.50 on Kannon 3. For like a minute or so on each. Defo built from the same track.

Ah, yeah... that progression in the riffs is indeed the exact same. Honestly I'm not hating this as much as you guys. I'm almost willing to bet if this was marketed as an EP or a demo no one would have given that much thought to it. As it is now it's somewhere between a mid 6 and light 7. I think the problem were the expectations and the fucking horrible way they described it as the second coming of christ.

It's probably 6.5 for me, or thereabouts. The tracks are enjoyable to an extent. Not awful though, just a let down.

It's basically on the same level as the rehearsal demos they released a while ago... Meat and potatoes drone. It ain't bad but I can totally udnerstand the reaction. I liked those rehearsals (and you even staff picked one of them) because it was great for what it was... This is a full length with far more time given on. So yeah, no excuses.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.12.2015 at 23:02

It's basically on the same level as the rehearsal demos they released a while ago... Meat and potatoes drone. It ain't bad but I can totally udnerstand the reaction. I liked those rehearsals (and you even staff picked one of them) because it was great for what it was... This is a full length with far more time given on. So yeah, no excuses.

This one is lacking cool Russian / Czech whatever vocal samples 8]

I guess for a full length people were expecting a bit more.

Written by [user id=4365] on 14.12.2015 at 23:05
This one is lacking cool Russian / Czech whatever vocal samples 8]

Hahahaha, yeah, those details do make some differences which get larger when it comes to ambient music.
Now that I'm done with this... I'm gonna go back to Domkirke, thank you very much.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.12.2015 at 23:06

I'm gonna go back to Domkirke, thank you very much.

Good choice!

Finally got around to listening to this, and I didn't dislike it as much as you all made me think I was going to. Sounds like the production is little flatter and less textured than their older albums, but the concept for the material itself is okay.

Then again, maybe I'm only feeling like it's good because I've only listened to "Why Dost Thou Hide Thyself in Clouds" from Domkirke. Maybe I should go listen to that whole thing and then come back to this afterward.

Written by Karlabos on 01.12.2015 at 01:04

I gave a few chances already, for the last releases of theirs or so... But I guess Sunn O))) Isn't worth following any more.
Which is a shame. Attila is by far one of the most impressive vocalists I've ever heard. However he keeps doing these or joining other instrumental projects (??)
I wish he joined Plasma Pool again, or made a performance on Mayhem like De Mysteriis, something like that, yeah.

If you haven't listened to "Decay2 [Nihil's Maw]" from the White2 album, you should. Probably my favorite Sunn O))) track of all time--sounds like melting into an endless, screaming, white abyss, and Attila's vocal work is pretty interesting on there.

I liked this album, but then I do like my meat and potatoes.