Sunn 0)))
Black One
Southern Lord (2005)
This is the sound of being stalked by some unnamed horror that you are too afraid to turn around and see. The suspense builds and wanes and builds more to the harrowing climax leaving you with only the droning aftermath to contemplate that anxiety attack that you may have just experienced. What a deliciously terrifying opening to an album. Sunn … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Dømkirke
Southern Lord (2008)
Dømkirke is a live Sunn 0))) album recorded at Bergen Cathedral of Bergen, Norway as part of the Borealis Festival 2007. The twelfth-century cathedral was a perfect setting for the March 2007 performance that also featured Attlia Csihar on vocals, Steve Moore on pipe organ, and Lasse Marhaug on electronics. The double album was a vinyl-only release with absolutely stunning … Read more
Sunn 0)))
La Reh 012
Southern Lord (2014)
Long and arduous journeys can at times be a right of passage or ritual of progression or even metaphors for life in general, and the idea that this release marks my listening to SunnO))) for a mind-blowing almost 15 years (I bought The Grimm Robe demo from Aaron Turner at the Hydra Head table when day 1 of Hellfest 2000 … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Life Metal
Southern Lord (2019)
Experimental drone alchemists Sunn O))) have defined two decades of extreme music with their slow, dark offerings. Starting in the early ‘00s, the duo comprised of Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson proved to be the most talented disciple of Dylan Carlson’s early sonic investigations with Earth. In those early days the music of Sunn O))) was a cataclysmic experience, highlighted … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Monoliths & Dimensions
Southern Lord (2009)
Okay, I must say that Sunn 0))) lost me with Oracle, particularly after some mild disappointment in Altar. My eventual listening of Domkirke came quite a while after its release, but it did revive my interest in the band. Now, finally delivering a new studio album (it has been quite a while since their last studio album Black One), Sunn … Read more
Sunn 0))) & Boris
Altar
Southern Lord (2006)
Have you ever wondered what happens when two heavenly bodies get too close to each other? Usually in the scientific world, if the bodies are of equal size, density, mass, etc, they tear each other apart. If one body is larger than the other, the smaller can be devastated. In lucky situations, the two bodies will (sort of) equalize and … Read more
Sunn O))) and Scott Walker
Soused
4AD (2014)
The moment I heard Scott Walker would be collaborating for a full album with Sunn O))), I assumed I was dreaming. That was just too good to be actually true. In the past Sunn O))) have had great collaborations with bands such as, Boris, Nurse With Wound and Ulver, all of which really fitted their style. But this goes beyond … Read more
Sunny Day Real Estate
Diary / LP2 (Reissues)
Sub Pop (2009)
When it comes to album reissues, it is actually a much more difficult task to write a fair and unbiased review than you might think, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the reviewer - in this case, me - has heard the original recording; therefore there is a pre-conceived opinion of the material. Secondly, the majority of these types of … Read more
Sunny Day Sets Fire
Stranger Remix EP
I Am Sound (2008)
Choosing a band name is a tricky thing. If you choose one that sounds lame, people will write you off before they've even heard you. In this case, if you choose a name that's very close to a band that's already existed, then the listener has to wonder a few things. The listener wonders if Sunny Day Sets Fire just … Read more
Sunset Rubdown
Dragonslayer
Jagjaguwar (2009)
Spencer Krug may be our generation's Robert Pollard. Both seem to excrete music. Both create surreal visions full of vibrant characters and dense metaphor. Like Pollard's best albums, Dragonslayer sweeps us across a landscape replete with broken lovers and ephemeral romance and lonesome dirges. The connections between characters, images, and ideas are easier to spot than on 2007's more elusive … Read more
Sunshine Satellite
Sunshine Satellite
Snappy Little Numbers (2020)
Ah, an actual tape cassette…in a day and age where portable digital devices are ubiquitous, I find delight whenever an analogue tape pops up – even more so when the sound of the bands fits the medium. Case in point: Sunshine Satellite, a duo that channels its alchemy in sleek and powerfully compact garagey-pop-punk tunes, serenaded by female vocals in … Read more
Superchunk
What a Time to Be Alive
Merge (2018)
The world feels like it’s coming apart at the seams, some new scandal or piece of terrible news hits daily, or sometimes with even more frequency. It takes more effort to simply keep up than it does just to be able to digest the news. The result is mind numbing. Then you look to find respite from these things. There’s … Read more
Supercrush
Lifted b/w Melt Into You (Drift Away)
Grave Mistake (2014)
Surpercrush is the newish Vancouver, British Columbia-based band from Mark Palm, a dude most known for playing in a long ancestry of punk/HC and metal bands and as being the primary songwriter for San Francisco, CA’s bliss-pop snorefest Modern Charms. Hey Mark, Bob Mould called and he wants his Sugar back. No, seriously, this is alright. I mean I fucking … Read more
Superhero Status
Escape The Herd EP
WTF Records (2018)
This EP is voted best album of 2018 by half of the band according to the sticker on the CD. That should tell you something about the band we are dealing with today. So they do have humour, there's no denying that. The big question is: do they deserve their superhero status? And if they do, are they in league … Read more
Supermachiner
Rise of the Great Machine (Reissue)
E-Vinyl (2008)
Supermachiner is the short-lived project of Jacob Bannon of Converge and Ryan Parker where they eventually enlisted the input of fellow Converge member Kurt Ballou as well as Seth Bannon. And before anyone gets excited about the possible likeness to Converge, this outfit is a much different animal that is more in line with Jacob's much more recent solo work … Read more
Supermachiner
Rust
Deathwish Inc. (2009)
Following the vinyl issue of Rise of the Great Machine (their first full-length album), Supermachiner finally offers more music with Rust. This two CD collection combines a remastered version of their first full-length as well as a second CD that collects more material from the group. As exciting on a personal level as this release is, there remain quite a … Read more
Supersuckers
Get The Hell
Acetate Records (2014)
There's very few bands that work as hard to bring the music to the masses as Supersuckers. They're like a sleeper cell. Without warning, they'll come out of hiding in Anytown, U.S.A. and blow shit up. They are a band that everyone needs to see live at least once - and when you do, you'll want to see them every … Read more
Supersystem
A Million Microphones
Touch & Go (2006)
A Million Microphones is undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises of the year. Supersystem, minus the drummer, was formerly known as El Guapo. Despite releasing records on Dischord, El Guapo never managed to make an impression on me. So when they changed their name to Supersystem and signed to Touch And Go, I remained vaguely indifferent. "Not the Concept", the … Read more
