SUNN O)))'s latest album, a return to their drone metal roots, is a captivating exploration of nature's impact on the human psyche. The band's use of feedback and dissonance creates a sonic landscape that mirrors the emotional responses one might experience in a forest. The album's title, 'The Band Whom the Trees Loved', draws inspiration from Algernon Blackwood's novella, 'The Man Whom the Trees Loved', where trees are depicted as enigmatic entities with personalities. This connection to nature is further emphasized by the band's recording process, which took place amidst the breathtaking woodlands of Washington state.
The album's opener, 'XXANN', sets the tone with squalling layers of feedback, a signature element of SUNN O)))'s sound. The guitar tone, with its woody quality, mimics the eerie creak of tall pines, creating a sense of place and atmosphere. The mix, spacious and soft, adds to the overall immersive experience, making the listener feel as if they are standing in the room with the band.
'Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?' showcases the band's attention to the upper end of the frequency spectrum, conjuring an icy ambience. This sonic immersion is more akin to Wim Hof's endurance feats than floating in warm amniotic fluid, as the conditions invoked on the record are often far from comforting. The album's stripped-back approach, with Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson working as a duo, allows for a clarity of vision that was previously obscured by high-profile collaborations.
Mid-album tracks 'Butch's Guns' and 'Mindrolling' showcase the band's ability to create hypnotic, stop-start intros that captivate even the most jaded listeners. The album's length and roomy production grant time and space to lose oneself in its enchanting world, with field recordings of rain adding to the subjective nature of the experience.
The album's closer, 'Glory Black', features a surging, triumphant progression that breaks midway with a plaintive piano section. This reprieve is short-lived, as the song quickly plunges back into the ego-dissolving uber-riff, now seemingly doubled in velocity and power. The album's sonic fusion of thunderous power chords and precipitation acts as a reminder of our vulnerability in the face of the natural world, mirroring the untameable forces of extreme weather.
In conclusion, SUNN O)))'s latest album is a captivating exploration of nature's impact on the human psyche, with a sonic landscape that mirrors the emotional responses one might experience in a forest. The band's use of feedback and dissonance, combined with their recording process, creates an immersive experience that is both captivating and thought-provoking. As the novella's protagonist is mysteriously absorbed into his beloved forest, so too are listeners absorbed into SUNN O)))'s dense riffscape, where the experience depends on the listener's perspective and state of mind.
