Sunn O)))
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, CA
January 23rd, 2023

Photos by Jared Stossel
Review by Jared Stossel

I’ve seen a lot of people say that it’s hard to put a Sunn O))) (pronounced “sun”) performance into words; it’s something to be seen rather than read about later. While I agree with the idea that Sunn O))) is an act that should be seen in person, I’ve found it incredibly satisfying to write about an act like this one. As a music writer, you’re often given the same thing every show: the artist comes on stage, performs, and leaves the stage. Sometimes, there will be a theatrical element to it. Often, there are words you can sing along to or a melody you can hum. But Sunn O))) is a music writer’s paradise simply because it is so utterly different from anything out there. There will never be a show I’ll have witnessed like the one I got to see on a cold Monday night in San Francisco. To echo a sentiment I proclaimed in a recent show review, “weird is good.”

Sunn O))) is a duo comprised of guitarists Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson. Members have come and gone in the past, but these two remain the project's core. I could sit here and categorize them as “doom metal”, “experimental metal”, or even “noise rock”, but that wouldn’t do it justice. Their music is atmospheric, the two players surrounded by a wall of guitar and bass amplifiers could rival those of metal’s biggest stadium acts. It is the loudest show I’ve ever experienced, even with earplugs; this is coming from someone who forgot earplugs when photographing Judas Priest in 2018 and has dealt with a mild form of tinnitus as a result of my irresponsibility. I shudder to think what might have happened had I forgotten to put them in at this show.

The duo was the only act to take the stage that evening, playing for around an hour. The show was slated to begin at 9:00 PM but ended up kicking off around 9:20. For those twenty minutes, the crew proceeded to fill the venue with the densest and thickest layer of fog I’ve ever encountered at a show. By the time the lights went down and I felt the first note hit my body and reverberate throughout my chest, I couldn’t see anything in front of me except for white light. As the notes grew more powerful, the fog began to dissipate, my vision only making out the headstock of the guitars responsible for such earth-shattering noise. Within seconds of becoming visible (O’Malley and Anderson donned black cloaks and stand over their respective pedalboards), more fog is blasted into the faces and nasal cavities of the audience.

A few times, I would turn to look at the crowd around me; everyone was standing still, quiet as ever, eyes fixed on the front. It’s rare to see an act genuinely make all patrons shut the fuck up for the duration of their performance. The atmosphere was eerie and meditative; any onlooker could have dubbed the crowd as cult-like in appearance. Everyone was engaged in this one single moment, the dual notes holding everything together. The second the show ended, the spell was broken.

There were song names, but I honestly couldn’t tell you any of them without looking them up. At a certain point, The idea of Sunn O))) is not to create a melody, but rather to create a feeling, a show that is drenched in a dreary atmosphere evocative of what most metal bands could only dream of creating. There is no project in existence like Sunn O))), and I don’t think there will be another one. Sure, there may be copycats, but I think they’ll be missing the point. With my ears ringing and vision readjusting to the outside world, I walked by to my car and drove home. It took me three days to stop thinking about the show. I don’t know if I ever plan to go back to the world that Sunn O))) creates, but I think that everyone should experience one of their shows at least once, particularly if you’re a fan of rock. Their performance last Monday at Great American Music Hall demonstrates why experimental music should continue to flourish and be nurtured. It gets you out of your comfort zone, and sometimes, that’s a good thing.

Sunn O))) Set List
(A) Drone
Jubilex (Burning Witch cover)
Novae
(A) Drone)
Mocking Solemnity
Burning With Motherfuckers
Pyroclasts (F)