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Dec 03, 2015 Web Exclusive By Alee Karim

It'll be a damn shame if Kannon gets regarded as one of Sunn O)))'s minor works simply for taking up less vinyl real estate and possessing fewer aesthetic points of interest than its predecessors (burying guest vocalist Malefic alive in a coffin to get a creeped out performance being chief amongst these). So let's be clear: the riff mantras that comprise each of these three "Kannon" are among the most laser-focused and emotionally charged pieces ever to emerge from the camp; there's not an ounce of fat on this record nor were any navels gazed upon in the fabrication of this most experimental of doom metal records. Stripped of choirs, chamber orchestras, (actual) jackhammers, and most of the accouterments that have adorned their music over the years, the focus on the architecture of Stephen O'Malley's and Greg Anderson's guitar and bass work is a revelation. What emerges is something intimate yet grandiose in its implications, articulated only by amplified string, textural synth, and the holler of semi-permanent member Attila Csihar. Part of that articulation is thanks to engineer Randall Dunn, whose crystal-clear production has also evolved after years of recording his cohort's unfathomably loud (and typically murky) guitars. The album builds to its majestic highlight, "Kannon 3," a simple three-note motif with the heft of a wake punctuated by a hopeful ascent into feedback. It's the sound of a band at once distilled to its essence and at the height of its powers. (www.sunn.southernlord.com)

Author rating: 8/10