Band:	Sunn O)))
Album:	Oracle
Style:	Dark Ambient, Drone doom metal
Release date:	2007
Guest review by:	Goat-Christ

01. Belülrol Pusztít
02. Orakulum
03. HeliO)))Sophist [bonus]

I consider myself somewhat lucky to have found a copy of "Oracle" on vinyl because it is an amazing Sunn O))) record I wish others could hear as it's meant to be heard. This album is solely material they wrote for a private performance... mind you, it's not a live recording. Just an interpretation of a previous performance captured in the studio.

Attila Csihar tackles the vocal duties here and he sounds more depressing and volatile than ever (aside from his performance on "Ordo Ad Chao"). He goes to all kinds of extremes and leaves you holding your breath for fear of missing anything. You hang on his every word. And as always the music is absolute drone with lots of ambient drums and strange noises. To put it quite frankly, this record is a nightmare etched onto vinyl. The music has this uneasy calm about it and just when you think you might be safe something happens that catches your attention. I hope Attila will do more with Sunn O))) in the future because he really is the star of this album, and probably the most nightmarish part about the whole thing.

"Oracle" can get to be a little too much sometimes and you definitely have to be in a "mood" to listen to it. This isn't something you listen to in your car. The production is nice and polished and a little more breathable than other Sunn O))) releases. But not to worry, it's still heavy as all hell, just sounds a little emptier. This was most likely to achieve a dark atmosphere and give Attila some room for his throat. The two tracks "Belülrol Pusztít", and "Orakulum" are very well written opuses but still don't live up to some of Sunn O))'s back catalogue, but for what it is it's pulled of nicely. There are these odd frightening noises that will turn up now and again but they fit perfectly into the sound-scape. At certain points they actually overpower the music and kind of leave your head spinning but it's never gets to the point of "Shut this off or my ears are going to bleed!".

If you can obtain a copy then I recommend sitting in a dark room with this turned up to 11. With a sub-woofer. That might be too much, but I think you should try anyway (let me know how it goes). If you're into melancholy, DEPRESSING, music then I suggest you find a copy of "Oracle" somewhere (if you can, but you can order it online I believe... vinyl or CD).