Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions

This is the pinnacle of Sunn O))). I cannot see how they could ever top this album. It is their most imaginative, well composed, and multi-faceted work to date. The album is an ambitious amalgam of Sunn's guitar drone with chamber ensembles, choirs, and an array of guest musicians.

Each Sunn album has had a fair share of guest musicians. However, Monoliths & Dimensions is the first to utilize each musician's contribution and flawlessly infuse them to create a greater realization of each piece of music. Oren Ambarchi and Attila Csihar have been consistent members in recent years and are also credited as "key players" on the album. Csihar's contributions are stronger and more coherent than on past albums in my opinion. The lyrics are closer to traditional vocals perhaps than the chants on past albums, but still contain an atmospheric delivery. Dylan Carlson of Earth makes an appearance on the track Big Church. He even receives credit for inspiring the choir arrangement of the track. One of the most surprising appearances is by jazz trombonist Julian Priester, an alumni of Sun Ra's Arkestra, who contributes a beautiful and human sounding melody which finalizes the last moments of the album. The most noticeable contribution however, is by Eyvind Kang and his direction of the chamber ensemble players. These arrangements add the most depth to the album and coax the music into something unique.

At times, Sunn have been negatively portrayed as a band built by hype. I can't say that I am completely in love with some of their earliest releases, but they have been progressing into more creative and ambitious ventures within the last few years. As I said at the beginning, this is most likely going to be the pinnacle of the group. This is by far the most imaginative music that Sunn has released.

Even with new found diversity, the slogan still holds true... "Maximum Volume Yields Maximum Results".