Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn amplifier brand, the logo of which includes a circle next to the "SUNN" banner with waves heading off to the right. In interviews, Stephen O'Malley stated that the band's moniker was also chosen as a play on the name Earth, a band widely regarded as pioneers of drone metal throughout the 1990s. Before the band members moved to Los Angeles, they briefly used the moniker Mars. The band's style is characterized by slow tempos, distorted guitars, lack of rhythm and melody, and alternative tunings. The guitars are notable for their low register, frequently utilizing tunings as low as dropped A. Additionally, the band is known for using resonant feedback to create monolithic soundscapes and eerie atmospheres. Percussion is almost never incorporated, with a lack of any discernible beat. When performing live, the band wears robes, fills the air with fog, and plays at a high volume. The band releases the majority of its music through the label it founded in 1998, Southern Lord Records. However, the band initially released ØØ Void on multiple labels, including Rise Above Records, Hydra Head Records, and Dirter Productions. Additionally, the original pressing of The Grimmrobe Demos was released by Hydra Head Records. It was later issued as a doublepicture record set by Outlaw Recordings and finally reissued by Southern Lord in 2004. Sunn O))) experiments with a variety of styles and sounds, progressing beyond the primarily guitar and bass style of The Grimmrobe Demos and ØØ Void. On White1 and White2, Sunn O))) noticeably expanded on conceptualization by inviting several guests, resulting in everything from quiet meditative ambient sounds to a bizarre bass experiment track )) material, yet still marking a significant return to their traditional sound. Sunn O))) are widely regarded as leaders in the genre, including by The New York Times Magazine of May 28, 2006, when the band was written up in an article called "Heady Metal" by John Wray. The band was praised in an issue of Wonka Vision, an independent music magazine, as one of the greatest modern metal acts. Sunn O))) also appeared in the August 2007 issue of Q magazine, with its album White1 being named the 18th-loudest album of all time, just above AC/DCs Back in Black and below Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced? In 2008, Sunn O))) released a live album titled Dømkirke and also announced a mini-tour consisting of four concerts to commemorate the group's 10th anniversary, which coincided with the release of The Grimmrobe Demos. The band's seventh studio album, Monoliths & Dimensions, was released on May 18, 2009, and was acclaimed by both press and public alike. On December 17, 2009, the song "Hunting & Gathering " from the CD Monoliths & Dimensions was named the Heaviest Song of All-Time by Jason Ellis on The Jason Ellis Show on Sirius/XM. Greg Anderson then appeared on The Jason Ellis Show on January 12, 2010. For live performances, Hungarian-born Attila Csihar has performed as the primary vocalist since 2003. 2015 Sunn O))) released a collaboration album with Ulver titled Terrestrials in February 2014: in October 2014, the band released the albumSoused, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Scott Walker. In November 2015, Sunn O))) presented a four-day program at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands, including Annette Peacock, Magma, Julia Holter and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and Sunn O))) itself. The band worked with producer Steve Albini on two albums, Life Metal and Pyroclasts.
