Anticipation & Discussion thread for New Sunn O))) LP! Kannon

http://thequietus.com/articles/18892-sunn-o-kannon

We are told that Kannon has roots in Soused and Sunn 0)))'s Ulver collaboration from 2013, and will consist of "three pieces of a triadic whole: Kannon 1, 2 and 3."

The album was recorded with Randall Dunn and features long term allies and collaborators including Attila Csihar, Oren Ambarchi, Rex Ritter, and Steve Moore. We're also told that "It is possibly the most figurative album SUNN O))) has created, which is unusual as they usually dwell in layers of abstraction and subjectivity. On the other hand the album is the most outright “metal” in years, drawing personal associations and memories of cherished albums like Panzerfaust and Twilight Of The Gods again to the forefront of consciousness. Kannon is also very close to the cyclical character of mantra which the band has evolved into as a living creature, the enormity of intense sensate detail and manifestation of the live in concert element of SUNN O))), the organism that has flourished, metamorphosed and transcended tremendously over the past ten years."

The title is explained thus: "The literal representation of Kannon is as an aspect of Buddha: specifically “goddess of mercy” or “Perceiving the Sounds (or Cries) of the World”. She is also sometimes commonly known as the Guanyin Bodhisattva (Chinese: 觀音菩薩) amongst a plurality of other forms. There is a rich lineage behind this idea tracing back through many Asian belief systems, with as many names and cultural personifications of the idea. "

Very excited I didn't love the last two albums, but M&D is all time great.

I hated Soused, but that's cause I hate Scott Walker. Terrestrials was better. Definitely looking forward to this.

Realized when I got this press release that I've been listening to Sunn O))) for 15 years - I was handed a copy of The GrimmRobe Demos by a guy from Hydra Head in 2000, outside CBGB. (He handed me Discordance Axis's The Inalienable Dreamless at the same time - the last track on TGRD is almost as long as the entirety of TID.)

I didn't think there was anything particularly Sunn-ish about Soused (I don't hate Walker, but I also feel very little need to listen to his recent stuff most of the time).

I loved it but I love scott walker as much as sunn 0)))

As I said on the results thread for last year's ILM metal poll, "I hate Scott Walker's voice. Sunn O))) were doing some interesting things on Soused, but Walker's Opera Man bullshit sank the whole thing. The whole second phase of his career has been one of the greatest Emperor's New Clothes scams of all time."

Quite anticipating this, though I've never exactly loved anything they've done before. Wish they'd ditch Attila Csihar though, I think his hamminess threatens to ruin M&D a lot of the time and I reckon it would've been a lot better without him. The chanting in Big Church is cool though.

Soused felt more like a latterday Scott Walker album that happened to have thick froney guitars on than a true collaboration. The Ulver thing was OK.

repping for SUNN O))) and then calling latter day Scott Walker "one of the greatest Emperor's New Clothes scams" is pretty rich.

i am a fan of both btw.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/09/24/15/2CB669F600000578-0-Aston_Villa_captain_Micah_Richards_has_taken_to_social_media_to_-a-5_1443105711618.jpg

he's ready

the robed ward of the wardrobe

The whole second phase of his career has been one of the greatest Emperor's New Clothes scams of all time.

Probably doesn't need defending but I genuinely enjoy 90s onward Scott about as much as any other favourites. One of the few things I can point to as something that's been going totally brilliant for the last 20 years.

Which Twilight Of The Gods is being referred to? There's a few albums with that name but must be Bathory?

SOMA told me at the start of the year that the new SunnO))) was going to "sound like early to mid Bathory" and I guess I'm not betraying any confidence by repeating that now. If that's what it was.

Just pre-ordered the 2CD Japanese edition.

Sweet, do we know what's on the second CD?

Track listing is at the link. But here you go:

DISC ONE
1. Kannon 1
2. Kannon 2
3. Kannon 3
DISC TWO (JAPAN EXCLUSIVE BONUS DISC)
1. Sending Pearl Of Light (Kannon 1 alternate mix)
2. She Played Such Music, Flowers Blossomed (Kannon 2 alternate mix)

Sorry about that, you linked to the Japanese language page and I didn't notice that there was an option to switch into English.

Oh, because I had already clicked the English-language link I assumed it was displaying that way for everyone...

Listening now for the first time... I loved Monoliths and Dimensions, but on more recent releases, I've found Sunn O)))'s drones a little muted, which is strange because I imagine their live experience to be a proper wallop to the gut. On Soused, it was very easy to forget they were even playing on it, coming off like a more dialled-back accompaniment to Bish Bosch with a few grinding noises going on in the background. For a band who put a lot of effort into sounding 'big', I kind of want a bit more low end or something, I dunno...