Sunn O))) Interview

Sunn O))) recently released their seventh album Monoliths and Dimensions via Southern Lord . About.com had a chat with Greg Anderson about the new album, the influence of Gregorian chants and spirituality on the band’s music and approach and Attila Csihar's (Mayhem) expanded role in the group.

Justin M. Norton: Can you tell me a little bit about the writing process for Monoliths and Dimensions?
Greg Anderson: Steve and I get together in a recording studio and bounce ideas and riffs off of each other. Things developed that way. There were a few things that were brought in ahead of time – each person will bring in a riff or an idea to get started. For the most part, songs unfold in the studio. Oren Ambarchi (Australian guitar player) was part of some of the initial songwriting and Attila Csihar (also Mayhem’s vocalist) was here. A lot of his contributions were added after he heard the initial tracking.

While occasionally dissonant, the new music doesn’t seem as dark or suffocating as Black One. Did you want to include more space and lighter shades on this album?
I don’t know if it was a conscious decision. It’s a result of where our heads are at the moment. When we wrote and recorded Black One we were in a very different head space. Part of it has to do with a willingness to be open to different things and different shades. You could even call it different shades of black (laughs). But that record was pretty dark and deep and intense. This one has some of those qualities, but lets the light in on pieces.

Read the complete Sunn O))) Interview

(photo courtesy Southern Lord Records)