·         0:00-0:24: high pitched choir vocals, characterized by volume swells

·         0:24-1:09: slow, droned, reverberated and distorted guitar riffs

·         1:09-2:06: choir vocals return, intermittently interrupted by distorted riffs

·         2:06-2:42: low, deep vocals mixed with chanting akin to that sung by Orthodox Christian priests

·         2:42-3:47: gong like bell rings, lumbering guitar returns

·         3:47-5:02: high pitched choir vocals return, spacey guitar notes played accompanying the droned riffs

·         5:02-6:01: deep, reverberating vocals replace the choir, accompanied by the almost ritual chanting, finishing with ear piercing feedback.

·         6:01-7:06 : another cycle of growling guitar drones

·         7:06- 9:42 : the high pitched choir vocals return again and smoothly transition into the low vocals and chants [8:32] and finish with a squeal of feedback

Description

Ominous. Ethereal. Heavy. The mix of these distinct components culminate into the song Big Church [[megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért]] by the band Sunn O))). The band’s extreme style is clearly apparent in the song Big Church, which begins with an almost heavenly chorus of an angelic choir that is heavily contrasted by the harsh, deep, rumbling of the guitar. The whole atmosphere is slowed down, heavy, like the flow of molasses. The intermittent bursts of the choir are coupled with the droning distortion that seeps out of the guitar amps. Suddenly, the choir is interrupted by the reverberating chanting of the main vocalist. The mellow introduction is suddenly snubbed out of existence by the dark and sinister guitar riffs. The guitar is slowed down and heavily distorted, creating with it a dark and gloomy atmosphere. The mix of the high pitched choir paired with deep and resonant growling and chanting by the vocalist counteract and complement each other simultaneously. The choir and the somewhat church-like male chanting seem to be vaguely reminiscent of a typical Sunday mass in an Orthodox church, possibly a subtle religious allusion to the ‘Big Church’. The guitars in the song are tuned down and are used in conjunction with a wide variety of effects, mainly reverb and distortion. Although there is repetition of the riffs, much of the song can be characterized as ‘noise’, due to the apparent lack of rhythm. The addition of the almost random screeching feedback that appears in bursts and which concludes the song furthers the notion of the song being strictly noise. Furthermore, the instrumentals seem to drone which give the song an ironically ambient vibe for such a menacing and heavy song. The vocal timbre of the song is characterized by the two separate entities. First, the choirs’ timbre is high pitched and melodic, which is deeply contrasted by the low-pitched, reverberating and raspy growling timbre of the main vocalist, Steve O’Malley. The lack of drums takes with it the glue of rhythm that can hold together a song, but in this instance the almost random droning guitar seems to be more appropriate in its own context.

Contextualization

Sunn O))) is largely credited as being a main player in the drone metal genre. Generally, this band plays in smaller venues and is credited to have fully immersive shows with the members of the bands typically dressed in dark monk’s robes while having fog fill up the venue. Overall, the Sunn O))) concerts tend to have a very atmospheric vibe that does not cater to everyone’s tastes but surpasses the expectations of those who enjoy it. Sadly, the limited interest in Sunn O)))’s extreme music has put them at loggerheads with the rest of the metal community which turns a blind eye towards Sunn O)))’s peculiar style. This friction between Sunn O))) and the more palatable metal scenes has caused them to push the boundaries of extreme metal, an act of rebellion that gives inspiration to an unlikely movement: feminism. Sunn O))) and feminism are surprisingly similar even though they operate in different media. As feminist Aliza Shvarts writes in her article entitled Troubled Air: the Drone and Doom of Reproduction in Sunn O)))’s Metal Maietic, “What drags and drones in [Sunn O)))]  is not outside the purview of a queer and feminist interest; indeed, metal's attempts to police its borders bespeak the common ground we share.”[1] It is clear that Sunn O))), with its outlandish and unusual metal style, mirrors the struggle of feminist and queer advocates who are attempting to push the boundaries as well, only in the sociopolitical context rather than a musical one.

[1] Shvarts, Aliza. "Troubled Air: The Drone and Doom of Reproduction in SunnO)))'s Metal Maieutic." Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory 24.2-3 (2014): 203-19. Web. 12 Feb. 2017

Critical Engagement

The song Big Church, as with most of Sunn O)))’s work, can affect its listeners with both its latent and manifest content. In the strictly musical sense, first time listeners and diehard fans of Sunn O))) regularly comment on the bands ability to create music that can be equally calming and spine-chilling. Big Church is no exception, the sinister vocals and slowed down instrumentals can easily be compared to some horror movie scores. Meanwhile, the lack of rhythm and order can leave the listener with a sense of dissociation, with their minds entranced by the flow of the music. Delving deeper into the effects of Sunn O)))’s music, one can see how there is more to the songs than just the music. Even Steve O’Malley, the founder of Sunn O))), describes a division of fans who think, “I'm going to be at the very front, in front of these amps for 75 minutes, and then when it's done I'll feel liberated, or I'll feel like I've beaten the band or whatever, no matter how tortuous it is.”[1] This idea could be exasperated to suggest that Sunn O)))’s music and songs like ‘Big Church’ could empower the listener to subconsciously take the mental torture of oppression, whether that oppression be capitalism, misogyny, homophobia or racism and to endure and fight against it, eventually overcoming the assault and finally being liberated.  This concept of liberation seems to be a general motif beneath the surface of Sunn O)))’s discography, an idea of freedom that expresses itself not in words but in music. As Sunn O))) co-founder Greg Anderson proclaims, “We wanted absolute freedom, freedom to improvise, freedom to try stuff out, freedom not to worry about being entertaining.”[2] Their self-proclaimed musical freedom translates into Big Church, where the random cacophony of sound and ambient mixture of superfluous choir, along with growling chants and distorted guitars elucidates the listener’s inner thoughts and pushes them to strive to achieve the level of freedom present in the sound and structure of the song.

[1] Wray, John. "Heady Metal." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 May 2006. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.

[2] Wray, John. "Heady Metal." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 May 2006. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.