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PO SOON : Sunn O))) - Life Metal (04/26)


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Sunn O))) have announced details of Life Metal, their first studio album in four years. Above, you can watch an exclusive video preview for the album.

Co-founders Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson begun production on the record at the start of 2018 with a determination to create new music and a new method of working inside the studio without forgetting their production history over the course of the group's first two decades.

They set out with one specific goal: to work on the album with Steve Albini in his Electrical Audio studio. In spring of last year, O'Malley and Anderson gathered at Downtown Rehearsal in Los Angeles, the building in which the band was formed, to begin writing and conceptualising the new LP. They followed these early sessions in summer with a pre-production session at Dave Grohl’s 606 studios in California alongside longtime collaborator T.O.S..

They then spent two weeks at Electrical Audio with Albini. A press release explains: "An all analogue technique was used, they recorded and mixed on tape, providing a creative gateway for Sunn O))) to evolve their production methods into stronger, confident, performance based and a more logical executive process."

It has also been revealed that a second "more meditative" LP titled Pyroclasts, which was recorded by Albini alongside Life Metal, will arrive in the autumn of this year.

Sometime live collaborator of Sunn O)))'s and film composer Hildur Guðnadóttir contributed to Life Metal, adding vocals, electric cello and haldorophone to proceedings on the track 'Novæ'. Tim Midyett, a close friend of O'Malley and Anderson, added aluminium neck bass and baritone guitars to other tracks. Midyett, Guðnadóttir and T.O.S. have all contributed to the second album due later this year too, alongside O'Malley and Anderson.

Composer Anthony Pateras also features on Life Metal, contributing pipe organ to a piece titled 'Troubled Air'. Visual artist Samantha Keely Smith is responsible for the album's cover art, which you can see below. The art, a press release explains, combines "ideas of 19th century romanticism and late 20th abstract expressionism (mysticism) with Sunn O)))'s approach to metal (via reference points of Arbo, Turner, Delville, Richter, Turrel, Wou-Ki)."

The band will tour Europe through March ahead of the release of Life Metal via Southern Lord in April. You can find a list of tour dates here. Dates in London and other cities are also in the works.

 

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Edited by archiced
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34 minutes ago, Bronchitis said:

So it sounds exactly like their other records. Passing on the vinyl version for sure. I really wish they would do more stuff like Alice.

I love them dearly, and I'll never miss a live show as long as they come near me. But I too wish they'd begin experimenting again. Black One, Monoliths... they're obviously super capable of putting out really dark, interesting stuff.

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12 minutes ago, defectiveepitaph said:

I love them dearly, and I'll never miss a live show as long as they come near me. But I too wish they'd begin experimenting again. Black One, Monoliths... they're obviously super capable of putting out really dark, interesting stuff.

Seeing them 6-7 years ago in a tiny basement under a venue in Portland was one of my favorite concert experiences. I would see them again for sure. 

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On 2/4/2019 at 1:59 PM, Bronchitis said:

Pretty stokes to hear how this comes out. I already have too many Sunn albums to justify buying this one unless it’s absolutely incredible, so I’ll just stream it when it drops.

 

edit: meant to say stoked


This is about where I'm at, I'm sure the album will be solid but I can't imagine it'll be something I'll need to own. I rarely spin the several I have now with the Boris collab getting the most listens

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3 hours ago, GrapplesInStereo said:

Anybody know how to get a presale code for the tour they are doing in the spring? I really want to catch them at the caverns in TN, and I'm worried I'm going to miss out on a reserved seat if I don't snag tickets during the presale.

The ticket site said something about it being a "venue presale" so I'd imagine it's something to do with The Caverns, and not Sunn, specifically. I've never been there though, and didn't realize there was assigned seating, so if you come across a presale code, I'd appreciate a heads up.

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4 hours ago, AsleepOnRocks said:

The ticket site said something about it being a "venue presale" so I'd imagine it's something to do with The Caverns, and not Sunn, specifically. I've never been there though, and didn't realize there was assigned seating, so if you come across a presale code, I'd appreciate a heads up.

My bad. Shouldn't have used the term "reserved seating". It's not really assigned seats per se. They block off the first 15 rows for people who buy a hotel/ticket combo through the venue. They also provide a bus to and from the venue for people who buy packages with hotel stays included. From what I've heard from friends who have gone to this venue before, this is the way to do it if you can swing it. I have to get a hotel room anyway, so it's actually not much more than I was already going to have to spend on this trip. 

 

I haven't been able to get a code anywhere. Hope I don't miss out. I think these packages will sell quickly

 

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4 minutes ago, GrapplesInStereo said:

My bad. Shouldn't have used the term "reserved seating". It's not really assigned seats per se. They block off the first 15 rows for people who buy a hotel/ticket combo through the venue. They also provide a bus to and from the venue for people who buy packages with hotel stays included. From what I've heard from friends who have gone to this venue before, this is the way to do it if you can swing it. I have to get a hotel room anyway, so it's actually not much more than I was already going to have to spend on this trip. 

 

I haven't been able to get a code anywhere. Hope I don't miss out. I think these packages will sell quickly

 

Okay. Got ya. I'm only about 75 miles away, and it'll be my fourth time seeing them. I'm not splurging on some sort of package deal. I'll just get there early and grab the best spot I can.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Not sure if you are serious, but Kannon was an RSD first release and had an exclusive color. The Black One repress did as well. And at this point there is at minimum like 3 versions of every SL release (silver anniversary, regular release, and european mailorder) and often many more (looking at you Dopesmoker). When they did that Scream repress a few years ago for RSD I think there were 5 random variants just for RSD. I would bet there will be minimum 5 variants for the Sunn album (RSD, Euro, regular, SL 20th anniversary, and Sunn store exclusive).

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  • 1 month later...
1 hour ago, Vinylhead42069 said:

Did anyone else get a really scratched copy on RSD? About thirty percent of my side D is covered in very deep scratches and really is unplayable. 3 of the 4 sides on my copy had at least a little damage. It’s really unfortunate too since this record sounds amazing. 

 

On a side note, does anyone have experience returning an item to Southern Lord? Their customer service seems fairly solid but I was wondering if anyone had personal experience with them when it comes to returning a defective pressing. 

Mine is in perfect condition :

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