Sunn O))) announced their new album Life Metal in February and proceeded to drop exactly zero singles from the effort since then. Life Metal was released on vinyl on Record Store Day, April 13, with an official release available worldwide due April 19.
The album is available to be streamed in full through NPR right now. I've only gotten through it once this morning, but Life Metal seems to feel sonically hopeful and optimistic, and much more adventurous than Kannon. Life Metal also feels like a live album, which seems to be thanks to the recording magic of Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago.
Life Metal's lineup includes guitarists Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson, Hildur Guðnadóttir on vocals, electric cello and haldorophone, Tim Midyett on bass and guitars, and composer Anthony Pateras on pipe organ. The album notably omits Mayhem vocalist Attila Csihar, who has appeared on White2, Oracle, Monoliths & Dimensions, and Kannon, though was never an official member.
Sunn O))) will release a second album titled Pyroclasts this autumn. Nothing is known about that one yet.
