''Pyroclasts'' is the ninth studio album by drone metal band

Sunn O))) Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American experimental metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington. The band is known for their distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, drone, bla ...

. The album was released through Southern Lord Records on October 25, 2019. ''Pyroclasts'' was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini ( Nirvana, Neurosis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor) entirely using analog tape. In addition to Greg Anderson and

Stephen O'Malley Stephen O'Malley (sometimes referred to as SOMA; born July 15, 1974) is an American guitarist, producer, composer, and visual artist from Seattle, Washington, who has conceptualized and participated in numerous drone doom, death/doom, and exper ...

, the album features collaborators Tos Nieuwenhuizen, Tim Midyett and Hildur Guðnadóttir. ''Pyroclasts'' was written and recorded alongside what has been described as a "sister album" or a "fraternal twin" album titled ''

Life Metal ''Life Metal'' is the eighth studio album by drone metal band Sunn O))). Through Southern Lord Records, the album received a limited release for Record Store Day on April 13, 2019, and a wide release two weeks later on April 26. ''Life Metal'' w ...

'' that was released six months earlier on April 26, 2019. Sunn O))) plus additional collaborators live recorded a new 11-minute improvised drone session at the start or end of each day during the recording of ''Life Metal''. ''Pyroclasts'' is a collection of four of those tracks. The title refers to volcanic airborne

pyroclastic rock Pyroclastic rocks (derived from the el, πῦρ, links=no, meaning fire; and , meaning broken) are clastic rocks composed of rock fragments produced and ejected by explosive volcanic eruptions. The individual rock fragments are known as pyrocl ...

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Pyroclasts'' received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, ''Pyroclasts'' received an average score of 74, based on ten reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." In the review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote that "The forward evolution of ''Life Metal'' has been balanced and extended into a mercurial spirit through formless, receptive interaction on ''Pyroclasts''." Jason Anderson of ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'' praised the album, writing that "The results may comprise the most finely distilled example of Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson's deconstruction of heavy metal riffage, with each of these tracks demonstrating the infinite varieties of fuzz and rumble that exist within a single mighty note." '' Classic Rock'' gave the album a 3/10 score, writing, "Four 11-minute 'improvised modal drones' recorded by Steve Albini during the ''Life Metal'' sessions for which we're supposed to be grateful. This is why punk happened. Get a grip."

Track listing

Personnel

''Pyroclasts'' personnel adapted from LP liner notes. Sunn O))) * Greg Anderson – electric guitar *

– electric guitar, electric bass guitar Additional musicians * Hildur Guðnadóttir –

electric cello The electric cello is a type of cello that relies on electronic amplification (rather than acoustic resonance) to produce sound. An acoustic cello can be fitted with a bridge or body mounted contact pickup providing an electric signal, or a built-i ...

, haldorophone * Tim Midyett – electric baritone guitar * Tos Nieuwenhuizen – Moog Rogue synthesizer Production * Steve Albini – recording, mixing (at Electrical Audio in July 2018) * Greg Anderson – production * Matt Colton – mastering (at Metropolis, London in July 2019) * Stephen O'Malley – production Artwork and design * Samantha Keely Smith – paintings

References

External links

Pyroclasts
on Bandcamp {{Authority control 2019 albums Sunn O))) albums Southern Lord Records albums