Sunn O))) stands as one of the most influential experimental drone metal bands, with origins tracing back to Seattle. Their music draws inspiration from pioneering bands like Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. Their earlier project, ‘Thorr’s Hammer,’ sets the foundation for their signature sound.
An interesting choice in their artistic journey appears as their name. According to The Hard Times, their distinctive name’s story encompasses amplifiers, creative debates, and a typographical error that became part of their legacy.
The Naming Process
Stephen O’Malley and his bandmate Greg Anderson faced a complex journey in choosing their name. “We argued about the name forever,” O’Malley once revealed. “Greg wanted to put an umlaut on an upside-down cross or the Prince symbol or something. I suggested ‘Earth’ several times, because that band is awesome.”
The band briefly operated under the name Mars before establishing themselves in Los Angeles. They later adopted the amplifier-inspired name that would become their permanent identity and pay homage to drone metal pioneers, Earth. The Sun O))) moniker originated from the Sunn amplifier brand, whose logo displays a circle next to the ‘sunn’ banner with rightward-flowing waves.
The Accidental Legacy
O’Malley later discovered a crucial detail about their chosen name. “Years later, I was looking at an old tour poster and suddenly realized: I’d made a huge mistake. The Sunn logo only has two parentheses at the end, and here we are with three,” he admitted. The typo became permanent as the cost of correcting it across their merchandise and records proved too prohibitive.
Under the ‘Sun O)))’ name, the band still blends elements of drone metal, doom metal, black metal, dark ambient, and noise rock in new music. Their innovative use of heavily distorted guitars and resonant feedback creates monolithic soundscapes that distinguish them from their peers. Their groundbreaking albums ‘White1’ and ‘Black One’ showcase this unique musical approach.
