Sunn O))) – Black One

Anyone willing to trade me an LP release of this record? Totally let me know.

Love hate relationships demark an indisoluble conflict of self interests, when some things are likeable but at the same time undesirable, when this happens there are only two options, to deal with the difficulty implied in the ambiguity or else to retire altogether from trying it. That's where Sunn o))) exists. In a difficult relationship with the listener. Whereas these listeners represent the judging minority, not the fanatic majority.

Sunn O))) base it's fame in two basic premises, technology and snobism.
Technological freaks adore their use for multiple exotic amps, pedal effects, preamps, filters and so on while snobs love to simply talk shit about how unique their music or low frequencies are.

The truth lies somewhere else.
Sunn O))) didn't invent or revolted anything. All they have done is a great marketing of well studied logo brand, graphic art designs, Guinea pig experiments with sound engineering and combination with other recognized bands. Beyond that their music in general and this album in particular are superfluous.

Black one is an album that is not new in any regard and it's absolutely overrated.
When comparing this to a drone classic such as Earth 2 - special low frequency version no one can't deny the purity and superiority from such album in comparison to this.

In Black One the drones never truly become more than a lost conundrum of guitar noise, broken riffs and nasty vocals that obliterate in perpetual motion the rather insipidity each track delivers.
I'm comparing this album with Earth's classic debut because on Earth you can follow the ecstatic quality from pure drone with no further combustion, the violence of the low frequency manifesting its dominance and thickness.

Sunn O))) have never achieved anything like this, and in this particular album that is abundantly clear again. This album qualities get lost in the love hate synergy delivered for its receptor. For one expecting the brutal vibration of viscera, black one only deliver that as a mild quality because as the noise and the reverberation mudds the low frequencies the delight from the drone power lose its continuity and thus never truly appreciated.
Added vocals are simply put, regurgitations from boring black metal that add nothing but dull cacophonies to the experience.

I heard some hipster praying on this album something like: "Black one" is made to feel more than anything. Yeah, people into noise makes similar statements, though that doesn't change it is music limited for else the divertment of discerning technologies employed or circumvent the inanity with empty discourse as only a diletant does.

Sunn O))) in general and this album in particular has something that is never likeable, or when it is appealing rapidly lose its charm. That's a a quality that I have heard in many people that criticise the band. There is something that continously breaks and spins out, rather erupts and transform the epic drone submersion ecstasy into constant coitus interruptus kind of experience.
A pleasure that never fully develops and realizes. Press the eject and abort.

Above and beyond their best work. Dark, twisted, and anxious especially for a Drone record. A good entry point into both Drone Metal and Sunn O)))s discography.