Review: Sunn O))) at The Orange Peel

If you happened to be in downtown Asheville on Dec. 3, especially in the proximity of The Orange Peel, there’s a good chance that the rumbling tones of Sunn O)))’s seismic droning sent tremors through your soul.

The Seattle instrumental duo of guitarists Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson appeared on stage in their trademark cloaks, obscured by a thick veil of swirling smoke. Behind the pair was a towering wall of amplifiers, which they utilized to the fullest, unleashing a brutally loud, sustained noise capable of drowning out a rocket launch. It was an oddly beautiful auditory assault.

Although the deafening decibel level would seem excessive for just about any other act, it’s really the only way to feel fully immersed in the sonic gloom of Sunn O))). Overtaken by the physical vibrations of the duo’s minimalist tonal drone frequencies that reverberate through bodily organs of anyone within striking distance, the entire audience appeared to be enveloped in a collective state of hypnosis.

When a man suddenly collapsed at the water station near the bar, one couldn't help but wonder if the sheer force of the music had overtaken him. Without more information, one cannot dismiss the possibility.

From an outsider’s perspective, it might be perplexing that hundreds of people would gather to witness a band trudge through such slow, ear-shattering noise. Why would anyone want to be subjected to an auditory bludgeoning? And yet, the suffocating set was also a strangely spiritual event, as though we endured being buried alive in sound, resulting in an affirming near-death experience. 

If you have the opportunity, see Sunn O))) live. Just be sure to bring the strongest set of ear plugs that you can get your hands on.