Search - Sunn O))) :: Flight of the Behemoth

PING PONG.

Lord Chimp | Monkey World | 10/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chances are, you are not looking at the amazon page for _Flight of the Behemoth_ because you accidentally stumbled on to it. You are here because something brought you here, perhaps an article reference, perhaps words from a friend. Either way, the fact that you are even reading this at all tells me that you already have at least a partial affinity for music like this, even if you do not yet realize it. Now I want to show you why you need to have this album.



This album is almost trivially dark and doomy sounding at the surface. Yet as the sound slowly seethes, it becomes emotionally damaging, like a cruel, impotent rage that hungers for revenge. The force of Sunn 0))) is an exquisitely mapped evolution of guitar distortion -- accompanied with a little piano, percussion, and Merzbow - through which a story unfolds of something so horrifying, no one can speak about it. Speaking intelligibly, after all, requires language...and language requires reason. Reason must struggle with comprehending _Flight of the Behemoth_, as it can seemingly only operate on a primitive, intuitive level -- a subrational element suppressed in any civilized man, yet capable of response to the crude brutality of this music. If music-listening's value is about a narrowly defined pleasure or "nice feelings", then _Flight of the Behemoth_ (along with countless other works) must be considered illegitimate. But if aesthetic appreciation is about something more, and the musical experience is capable of being even more enriching beyond traditional concepts and emotions, then this is monumental. Its influences are clear, but it is beyond them.



"Death Becomes You" has the best opening in music history--ensure your stereo is cranked. The initial amplified tone dissolves into the droning sludge of guitar and bass distortion. This continues through "Mocking Solemnity", where layers of feedback churn violently. "0))) Bow 1" rumbles for about 45 seconds before an atonal piano figure, based around basically three notes, enters with sinister inelegance. It continues through waves of distortion and layers of noise manipulation (Merzbow!) that eventually becomes asphyxiating. "0))) Bow 2" starts like a junker chainsaw in a wind tunnel, until the sound is warped beyond recognition into a throbbing symphony of droning and electronics, against which the discordant piano is again set with almost nauseating effect. Out of this, near the end, you get one of the uncanny moments ever in music, with broken percussion chiming in a carnival-like melodic figure that slows down, speeds up, and disappears erratically. This is repeatedly, rapaciously pierced by the brutal static shards of...Merzbow again! As this fades away, it ends eerily with a electric guitars distorted with undulating effects as if they were the waves of a black ocean. "FWTBT" has a sludgy riff, which fades away eventually into a reprise of idiomatic droning Sunn chords, otherwise familiar until the incredibly creepy vocals emerge. They are like the bloody growls of a nightmarish beast. But nothing as pedestrian as a physical monster--rather, the beast within that struggles against reason and seeks to discorporate all humanity. When the album is over, the Behemoth is released.



The production is a marvel of audio engineering -- weirdly, you can listen to this album at very quiet volumes and find a whole new dimension to it. You can't do that with a lot of albums that are heavy. Don't worry though -- it's super-heavy, the way only Sunn 0))) can be. The bass is crushing, as must be expected, but what also seems to get special attention in this album is the flesh-quivering treble, raising the distortion to a spectrum smashing, all encompassing wall of death.



So you need this album.

"

Devastatingly Brilliant

Mono-Grind | Here | 03/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yet another masterpiece album by Sunn 0))). I'll say this first..If you are just getting into Sunn 0))), and have none of their albums but are going to buy this one. I wouldn't, as it seems to be their most "different" album, if that makes sense. If you are new, i would try White 2 first.



This CD starts off so awesome..The first song "Mocking Solemnity", sounds like an Airplane taking off. And for the rest of the 9 mins of the song you are taken on a journey of sludgey riffs, and minor feedback. The song leads straight into "Death Becomes You", which goes for around 13 minutes. And it continues on, in the same fashion as "Mocking Solemnity".



The tracks that are definitely different and experimental, even for Sunn 0))), are the tracks 0))) Bow 1 and 0))) Bow 2. Working with Merzbow, who is just one of the many Japanese Noise Musicians. I've only ever heard one song by him, and that was "1930", which sounded like it was recorded inside a building that was collapsing. Very intense, and harsh. 0))) Bow 2, i think, is better than 0))) Bow 1. It sounds like going up and down in something. It's really trippy, and the start of the song sounds like going on a rollercoaster in a hailstorm. And if listened to up really loud, gives you the feeling of being sea-sick. It's awesome.



But the other reviewer i saw who said that the Merzbow/Sunn 0))) songs do end up sounding more like Merzbow, is right. In some parts you can't hardly tell that Sunn 0))) are playing. But it's still an interesting collaboration.



The last track, "F.W.T.B.T", goes back to more of the typical, ultra-heavy, low-end riffs. It's also a good song and probably my favourite track on here. Actually reminds me of a slower Eyehategod.



People say that Sunn 0))) are a"Tribute Band" to Earth. But that's not true. Yeah, they were influenced by Earth in alot of ways, but Sunn 0))) are doing their own thing. They were also influenced by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and The Melvins, just to name a few.



If you like this type of music, how can you go wrong? This album is definitely their most diverse recording, that i know of, mainly because of the collaboration with Merzbow, but that shouldn't keep you from buying this. It's truly a great album by Sunn 0))). And like i said, if you would like to get into Sunn 0))), and you're wondering which album to pick up first, i'd say go for White 2. And to those fans of Merzbow/Sunn 0)))/the Noise genre..this is highly recommended."

Why such a low score?

ryan | Boston, MA | 09/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't understand how this album is getting 3 1/2 stars. All of Sunn0)))'s albums have pretty much the same idea, lowest level of handling, but the music is so interesting that it sounds like nothing ever put out before. I believe these guys are way different from Earth. There are Earth elements, definately, but a totally different style.



Do yourself a favor, if you came here to check out a little more information about Sunn0))), ignore the negative reviews and buy this, or White2 for starters. Listen to them on a nice set of speakers, lay back and settle yourself. You'll find yourself in a completely different world. Sunn 0))) brings you there."