Saturday, November 13, 2010

COMEDY OR PROFUNDITY?: A Manifesto From Sunn ((O))))

The critical hyperbole surrounding Sunn ((O)))) would be really amusing if it wasn't so consistently overburdened by the weight of the group's own pretensions and the limits of their playing.  MONOLITH  & DIMENSIONS (2009) is a bludgeoning drone-fest that combines the sludge of the core group with contributions from guests galore.  I even admit to enjoying some of this,  especially the orchestral arrangements throughout. But when Attila Csihar's monologue at the end of "Agartha" comes to the fore,  dripping with profundity,  I can have only one reaction:  laughing uncontrollably.  This may indeed be the comedy track of 2009.  There are actually some beautiful moments here too,  but they are generally provided by the added players,  not the hilariously hooded duo.  In the end,  there is only this bit of cosmic certainty:  Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer where just as heavy,  had much better tunes and much less maximalist/minimalist wanking.

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