Drone metal

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Drone metal or drone doom [1] [2] is a style of heavy metal that melds the slow tempos and heaviness of doom metal with the long-duration tones of drone music. [3] [4] Drone metal is sometimes associated with post-metal [5] or experimental metal. [6]

Contents

Characteristics

Typically, the electric guitar is performed with a large amount of reverb or audio feedback [3] while vocals may or may not be present. Songs often lack beat or rhythm in the traditional sense and are typically very long. The experience of a drone metal performance has been compared by novelist John Wray in The New York Times to listening to an Indian raga in the middle of an earthquake. [3] Wray also states, "It's hard to imagine any music being heavier or, for that matter, very much slower." [3] A pioneer band of drone metal called Sunn O))) has indicated a kinship with sound sculpture. [3] Jan Tumlir indicates a "sustained infra-sound rumble of sub-bass—so-called brown noise". [4]

History

Precursors

Early guitar-produced drone effects go as far back as the krautrock (for example Cluster II by Cluster, 1972) and early noise rock / industrial music era ( Metal Machine Music by Lou Reed, 1975; Stahlwerksynfonie by Die Krupps, 1981).

1990s

Sunn O))) at The Middle East in 2006 Sunn2.jpg
Sunn O))) at The Middle East in 2006

Drone metal was first established by Earth, [7] a group from Olympia, Washington, formed in 1989 by minimalist musician Dylan Carlson, [2] which has been described as "minimalist post-grunge". [3] Earth took inspiration from the sludge metal of Melvins and the minimalist music of La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Tony Conrad. [2] Stephen O'Malley's group Burning Witch, formed five years later, also in Seattle, continued in this tradition, incorporating unusual vocals and bursts of audio feedback. The group initially recorded for the prominent powerviolence label Slap-a-Ham. O'Malley's subsequent group, Sunn O))), [3] [4] initially formed as a tribute to Earth, is most responsible for the contemporary prominence of the drone metal style. Godflesh is also a stated influence on many groups. Boris, [3] [8] from Tokyo, also developed a style of drone metal, parallel with the Seattle groups, as did Corrupted, from Osaka. [2]

2000s

Nadja (Toronto), Locrian [9] (US), Jesu (UK), Black Boned Angel (Wellington, New Zealand), Khanate (New York City), Ocean (Portland, Maine), Growing [10] (New York City), KTL (Washington/London), Ascend [11] and Eagle Twin (US), [12] Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine (Nottingham, England), Conan (Liverpool, England) and Moss (Southampton, England) are prominent drone metal groups that formed in the early 21st century. [2] Noise musicians, such as Kevin Drumm and Oren Ambarchi, have also worked in the style. [13] Rhys Chatham's Essentialist project is a contribution to drone metal by an elder composer, [6] attempting to "arrive at an a priori essence of heavy metal, reducing it to a basic chord progression". [14]

Connections with other art forms

Stephen O'Malley from Sunn O))) collaborated on an installation with artist Banks Violette, who has likened drone metal to the work of Donald Judd. [3] Tumlir locates a precedent in Robert Rauschenberg. [4] Violette points out, however, that drone metal is "as much a physiological phenomenon as an acoustic one", [3] with an attendant physicality. O'Malley has also mentioned an appreciation for Cormac McCarthy and Richard Serra. [1] Rhys Chatham's Essentialist included projections by Robert Longo. [6] Jim Jarmusch's 2009 film The Limits of Control features music by a number of drone metal groups. [15] Jarmusch said, "I love these kind of visual landscapes they make, and they really inspired things for me for my film ..., because when I write I'm listening to things that inspire me in the direction of whatever world I'm imagining. Boris and Sunn O))) and Earth were really instrumental in me just finding a place in my head." [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres. Both the music and the lyrics are intended to evoke a sense of despair, dread, and impending doom. The genre is strongly influenced by the early work of Black Sabbath, who formed a prototype for doom metal. During the first half of the 1980s, a number of bands such as Witchfinder General and Pagan Altar from England, American bands Pentagram, Saint Vitus, the Obsessed, Trouble, and Cirith Ungol, and Swedish band Candlemass defined doom metal as a distinct genre. Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble and Candlemass have been referred to as "the Big Four of Doom Metal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunn O)))</span> American drone metal band

Sunn O))) is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington. The band is known for their distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, drone, black metal, dark ambient, and noise rock, as well as for their extremely loud live performances.

Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson. It initially specialized in experimental metal: particularly doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal. The label later expanded its line-up to include artists from black metal, hardcore punk and crust punk bands.

Burning Witch was an American doom metal band from Seattle, Washington, active between 1995 and 1998. Aside from EPs and split releases, the band released a compilation album called Crippled Lucifer, which had songs of their early EPs.

Stephen O'Malley is an American guitarist, producer, composer, and visual artist from Seattle, Washington, who has conceptualized and participated in numerous drone metal, doom metal, and experimental music bands, most notably Sunn O))).

Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine is an English drone doom supergroup, formed in 2001 with musicians from other metal bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boris (band)</span> Japanese band

Boris is a Japanese band formed in 1992 in Tokyo and composed of drummer Atsuo, guitarist/bassist Takeshi, and guitarist/keyboardist Wata. All three members contribute vocals. Their work has drawn variously on styles such as sludge metal, drone, metal, noise, psychedelia, and minimalism. Boris has released more than 20 studio albums on various labels around the world, as well as a variety of live albums, compilations, EPs, singles, and collaborative albums. They have collaborated with acts such as Sunn O))), Merzbow, Keiji Haino, and guitarist Michio Kurihara.

Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture through experimental composition. In a way similar to the predecessor genres post-rock and post-hardcore, post-metal offsets the darkness and intensity of extreme metal with an emphasis on atmosphere, emotion, and even "revelation", developing an expansive but introspective sound variously imbued with elements of ambient, noise, psychedelic, progressive, and classical music, and often shoegaze and art rock. Songs are typically long, with loose and layered structures that discard the verse–chorus form in favor of crescendos and repeating themes. The sound centres on guitars and drums, while any vocals are usually screamed or growled and resemble an additional instrument.

<i>Pentastar: In the Style of Demons</i> 1996 studio album by Earth

Pentastar: In the Style of Demons is the third full-length studio album by the drone doom band Earth, released in 1996. It has a more rock-oriented sound than their earlier drone doom work, although in a very minimalist style. "Peace in Mississippi" is a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song. The original vinyl release of the album has an alternative take of "Peace in Mississippi".

<i>Dronevil</i> 2005 studio album by Boris

Dronevil is the eighth studio album by the Japanese experimental band Boris. It is a double album: the first LP, Drone, showcases a more ambient sound, while the second LP, Evil, showcases a heavy guitar-oriented doom metal sound. Though the two sides can be heard separately, the original intention is for both to be played simultaneously.

<i>Sun Baked Snow Cave</i> 2005 studio album by Boris with Merzbow

Sun Baked Snow Cave is a collaborative album between Japanese experimental doom band Boris and Japanese noise musician Merzbow. The album consists of a single track that clocks in at over an hour in length. The album artwork was done by Sunn O))) member and regular Hydra Head designer Stephen O'Malley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Anderson (guitarist)</span> American musician (born 1970)

Greg Anderson is an American musician, a co-founder of Southern Lord Records.

<i>Pink</i> (Boris album) 2005 studio album by Boris

Pink is the tenth album by Japanese experimental music band Boris. It was originally released in 2005 through Diwphalanx Records in Japan and subsequently reissued in 2006 by American label Southern Lord Records.

<i>Oracle</i> (EP) 2007 EP by Sunn O)))

Oracle is an EP by American drone metal band Sunn O))). The track "Orakalum" was recorded as part of a collaboration between the band and sculptor/installation artist Banks Violette for an exhibit at London's Maureen Paley gallery. The exhibit took place in two rooms: one with a black stage where the band recorded "Orakulum" with Attila Csihar locked inside a white coffin, and one with a white replica of the band's stage set up cast out of salt and resin with a destroyed black coffin. The audience was locked outside for the performance and let inside after the band left "to generate a feeling of absence, loss and a phantom of what was."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Tucker (musician)</span> Musical artist

Alexander Tucker is an English musician from Kent who writes, records and performs alone and in collaboration with a varied array of artists. One critic writes that "Tucker sounds like he’s following a tradition that has long been neglected, focusing not on ageless songs and ideas but on ageless feelings captured through his droning miasma of acoustic guitar and mandolin." His first musical position was singing in hardcore band Suction in the early 1990s, who according to Tucker "played noisy adolescent punk with leanings towards Swans and Fugazi." His next job was as vocalist of post-rock hardcore 5-piece Unhome who released one album Short History of Houses (Unlabel) and a split single with Papa M. Unhome split in late 1999 and Tucker went on to tour the UK with Detroit space-rockers Fuxa, playing guitar synthesizers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarch (band)</span>

Monarch was a French doom metal band from Bayonne, formed in 2002.

<i>Soused</i> (album) 2014 album by Scott Walker and Sunn O)))

Soused is a collaborative album by singer Scott Walker and American drone metal band Sunn O))). Announced in early 2014 by 4AD, the album was produced by Walker and Peter Walsh with the help of Mark Warman and released on October 21, 2014. It is the last album Walker released during his lifetime, barring soundtrack work. 4AD released a music video for the song "Brando", directed by French filmmaker Gisèle Vienne.

<i>Life Metal</i> 2019 album by Sunn O)))

Life Metal is the eighth studio album by American drone metal band Sunn O))). Through Southern Lord Records, the album received a limited release for Record Store Day on April 13, 2019, and a wide release two weeks later on April 26. Life Metal was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini entirely using analog tape. The title "life metal" is an inside joke among band members and collaborators that is meant to humorously contrast the genre death metal, and conceptually contrast anything that is "not doom-and-gloom". Sunn O))) chose this as the album's title because of both the music's shift in tone and the mindset of the band members at the time of writing. In addition to Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley, the album features collaborators Tos Nieuwenhuizen, Tim Midyett, Hildur Guðnadóttir, and Anthony Pateras.

<i>Pyroclasts</i> (album) 2019 instrumental album by Sunn O)))

Pyroclasts is the ninth studio album by American drone metal band Sunn O))). The album was released through Southern Lord Records on October 25, 2019. Pyroclasts was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini entirely using analog tape. In addition to Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley, the album features collaborators Tos Nieuwenhuizen, Tim Midyett and Hildur Guðnadóttir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunn O))) discography</span> Band discography

The discography of Sunn O))), an American drone metal band, consists of nine studio albums, three collaborative albums, six EPs, four demos, one remix album, eight official live albums, one box set compilation, two stand-alone singles and three compilation contributions.

References

  1. 1 2 Brandon Stosuy, "Heavy Metal: It's Alive and Flourishing", Slate, August 19, 2005. Access date: August 22, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Pattison, Louis (February 17, 2015). "Heavy, Heavier, Heaviest: A Beginner's Guide To Doom-Drone". Boiler Room . Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 John Wray, "Heady Metal", New York Times, May 28, 2006. Access date: August 18, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Jan Tumlir, "Primal dirge", Artforum, April 2006. Access date: August 22, 2008.
  5. ↑ Jon Caramanica, "The Alchemy of Art World Heavy Metal". International Herald Tribune, September 20, 2005. Access date: August 25, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 Steve Smith, "Where Classic Avant-Garde Gets a Hint of Heavy Metal", New York Times, September 13, 2006. Access date: August 28, 2008.
  7. ↑ Jason Jackowiak, Splendid, September 14, 2005. "Splendid Magazine reviews Earth: Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method". Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008. Access date: August 23, 2008.
  8. ↑ Spall, Oliver (December 10, 2007). "Sunn O))) and Boris present Altar". Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2008.
  9. ↑ Stosuy, Brandon (July 31, 2015). "Locrian's Ode to Extinction". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  10. ↑ James Parker, The Boston Phoenix, June 15, 2006. "The Phoenix > Music Features > Heavy-metal chill out". Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2008. Access date: August 22, 2008
  11. ↑ Ample Fire Within review, "Soundcheck", The Wire, July 2008, p. 45.
  12. ↑ Kim Kelly, "Choice Cuts", Terrorizer #189, October 2009, p. 22.
  13. ↑ Joe Panzner, Sheer Hellish Miasma review, Stylus, September 1, 2003. "Kevin Drumm - Sheer Hellish Miasma - Review - Stylus Magazine". Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008. Access date: August 23, 2008.
  14. ↑ ,:.ELU OF THE NINE- Maurerische Trauermusik coming 2010.:
  15. ↑ Breihan, Tom (March 11, 2009). "Boris, sunn O))), Earth Soundtrack Jim Jarmusch's The Limits of Control". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  16. ↑ Licht, Alan (November 2009). "Invisible Jukebox - Jim Jarmusch". The Wire. No. 309. p. 23. ISSN   0952-0686. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015.

Bibliography

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