Sunn O))) played Town Hall

Drone metal icons Sunn O))) played Town Hall on Sunday night for what had to be the loudest concert to ever hit the venue.

A Sunn O))) concert isn't so much show as it as an endurance test of epic proportions. An intense, seismic experience, it is equally an ambient done performance as it is a metal show, the heaviness making it swing further to the later side of the pendulum, however this isn't headbanging, mosh pit music. This is something that is perfectly suited for the seated nature of a venue like Town Hall, the rolling, sustained power chords billowing like the eruption of a nuclear blast played in slow motion. Standing in front of a massive walls of amplifiers, the duo of Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson donned their signature black, hooded cloaks and slowly oozed their brand of excruciating doom played at hair-raising volumes. Basked in clouds of fog, the ominous and mysterious appearance of the two guitarists added to the performance, blending medieval elements with components of modern minimalism for an overwhelming, yet transfixing night that lasted for nearly two hours, their raging, towering tones rarely breaking, the profound notes holding in the air for what seemed like ages. To watch this is a mesmerizing feeling, the power of the volume washing over you in such overdrive, your mind almost can't focus on anything else and soon you succumb to the spell. Occasionally one would raise their guitar above their head which would elicit cheers from the crowd and at times someone in the crowd would just extend their arms into the air to further feel the vibrations from the blasts coming through the amps. A true experience of really being able to feel the music so much to the point where I thought my organs might be rumbling. Like standing next to a jet engine while spontaneous bursts of jagged guitar would resemble boulders falling through a canyon or a glacier breaking apart and tumbling into the ocean. As much as the night was an experience for those in attendance sitting through the onslaught of roaring guitar, the performance itself was also an impressive feat of strength, the restraint of adding rhythms or any sort of structure made you wonder just how the two were keeping things moving forward. Even at its most extreme, the night still had levels of comfort as well. Much in the way the grooves and vibrations of a train ride can lull one to sleep, the repetition and endless nature of this music could also lead you into a trance, putting you in a state of mind that pushed you towards total surrender to what was happening on stage. Giving in to extremes of Sunn O))) isn't easy, the music demands a certain kind of patience as well as a curiosity. Still, while it may seem punishing to some, it can also serve as a method of disassociation, the command of the music rendering you unable to focus on anything other than what was happening in the moment. As the night came to a final, rapturous close, they laid down their guitars like soldiers laying down their swords, their drone attack finally lifting as they raised their arms in the air like a sign of victory. As the sound finally came to an end, someone yelled out "we are healed!" and while it garnered some laughs, it hit like a reset, a hard refresh to allow us to come down, slightly rearranged from the ear-splitting volume, slightly transformed and definitely for the better.