Sunn 0))) - The Libations of Samhain

Sunn 0)))'s music has been described as "power ambient" or "ambient metal," and while both are apt, they can't fully contain the visceral feeling that the music evokes at loud volume. Indeed, White1's sleeve notes contain the axiom "Maximum volume yields maximum results." And while there might be a few enthusiasts with the stereo system to fully exploit this, the only real chance to experience this music as it is intended is in a live setting, hearing the band with the entire body, not just the ears. Does the live Sunn 0))) experience translate to album? On the sister release Live White, it does. That recording has no distortion and is well-mixed. Libations of Samhain, however, suffers from a lack of fidelity, sounding better than the average bootleg, but not professional grade. And that's a shame, because the performance is exceptional, evoking a massive, churning beast, like the Toxic Avenger amped up on both Dilaudid and Jagermeister, lumbering through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Sunn 0))) regulars Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley are joined here by Jessamine's Rex Ritter on "ProtoHarmonics," Dawn Smithson on "Ampeg" (bass guitar), and Mayhem's Attila Csihar on vocals. Ritter and Smithson's contributions are almost lost in the sludgy six-string riffing of O'Malley and Anderson, but Csihar's "vokills" add a layer of atmospheric menace to the gestalt, with his alternately wailing and growling whispers. Although it is one long, 40-minute track, Libations of Samhain seems to contain a number of themes that have appeared on other album tracks, making this a live "best-of," in a way. As such, it is a decent introduction to the band, but suffers in comparison to Live White and the studio albums because of its sub-par fidelity.