Monoliths & Dimensions
by Sunn O)))
User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 90 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 90
  3. Negative: 24 out of 90

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  1. postmodernpanda
    Oct 1, 2010
    10
    every aspect of this album is brilliant. I'm usually not a huge drone fan but the massive amount of elements and huge atmosphere won me over. Insanely good.
  2. EricC.
    Jun 28, 2009
    10
    Really is deserving of a 10. The fact that Sunn have created an album this beautiful is on its own astonishing, considering the overwhelming darkness of their previous releases. Not that this is an Earth-like reinvention in atmosphere. Opening track "Agartha" is especially unsettling. But as a whole, there is more to explore here than just darkness and depressive drones. This is an album Really is deserving of a 10. The fact that Sunn have created an album this beautiful is on its own astonishing, considering the overwhelming darkness of their previous releases. Not that this is an Earth-like reinvention in atmosphere. Opening track "Agartha" is especially unsettling. But as a whole, there is more to explore here than just darkness and depressive drones. This is an album to lose yourself in, an epic symphony that is feeling more and more like the pinnacle of drone and avant metal. It is easily the best album I've heard this year, and it's been a great year for metal. Maybe it won't hit most people as hard as it hit me, but it should reach more listeners than Sunn's traditional followers. Albums like this don't come along very often, and you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't atleast listen to it once.… Expand
  3. LanceR
    Jul 18, 2009
    10
    Rudiger and Axel, you are both casualties of misinterpretation. I also doubt that either of you listened to the album properly. I will explain things to you, smugly, to counter your fascinatingly bitter conclusions. This music has nothing to do with virtuosity, with melody, with rhythm, and, believe it or not, with artistic pretension, though I have yet to confirm that latter statement Rudiger and Axel, you are both casualties of misinterpretation. I also doubt that either of you listened to the album properly. I will explain things to you, smugly, to counter your fascinatingly bitter conclusions. This music has nothing to do with virtuosity, with melody, with rhythm, and, believe it or not, with artistic pretension, though I have yet to confirm that latter statement with Stephen O'Mally. Either way, Sunn have made it clear: their music needs to be played LOUD, and that doesn't mean through your laptop speakers. You need to blast that shit, on big speakers, properly. And this takes courage, because their "music" is actually trying to achieve a desired effect through timbre and vibration. It's music serving as a physical force, not an emotional or intellectual one. And by physical, I mean that you should FEEL the sound pressing against your body. But granted, you do need a pair of balls to experience Monoliths as intended. Your ears will be punished, but the reward lies in the experience of staring directly into the Sunn, even if it blinds you. Do this, THEN rate the album. If you still stand by your statements, without pride as a motivator, I too will stand corrected.… Expand
  4. Matt
    Aug 13, 2009
    9
    The people who dismiss this record as a "joke" are probably the same people who dont "get" Pollock or Rothko while at art museums because it isnt easily decipherable or full of colorful cherubs. I completely understand this type of music isnt for everyone, but to expect that it SHOULD cater to you is where you've gone astray. If you didnt like drone metal before, why is it a shock The people who dismiss this record as a "joke" are probably the same people who dont "get" Pollock or Rothko while at art museums because it isnt easily decipherable or full of colorful cherubs. I completely understand this type of music isnt for everyone, but to expect that it SHOULD cater to you is where you've gone astray. If you didnt like drone metal before, why is it a shock that you dont now? Sunn is not a band I listen to often, nor do I think I would really want to. But their works are incredibly powerful when in the proper setting and frame of mind (drugs are not necessary..this IS the drug). And to echo the others here, you need to listen to it at maximum volume on a VERY GOOD stereo system. My appreciation for these guys went up ten-fold when I caught their live show. In that setting, the sound truly does shake your inner soul and leave you falling backwards into a infinite black abyss. The ironic thing is, Monoliths and Dimensions is easily their most accessible work to date, especially Alice which is one of the most darkly beautiful tracks I've heard this year.… Expand
  5. Clint650
    Mar 17, 2014
    2
    my opinion, a very good listen when you can completely devote the time to do nothing else. I am only going to give 2 stars just because I prefer to experience a record like this live. Playing this in the home, on headphones, in the car, etc. is going to do absolutely nothing for me.
  6. RickieD
    Jul 3, 2012
    10
    I'm genuinely baffled by the people who say there's no progression in the songs. 'Alice' starts off with a creeping, slow guitar riff and ends with a wailing horn... How are they the same thing? This is music that requires focus, attention, and an appreciation of where it's come from and what it's trying to do. That can take years to accomplish. I first came to Sunn O))) ten years ago andI'm genuinely baffled by the people who say there's no progression in the songs. 'Alice' starts off with a creeping, slow guitar riff and ends with a wailing horn... How are they the same thing? This is music that requires focus, attention, and an appreciation of where it's come from and what it's trying to do. That can take years to accomplish. I first came to Sunn O))) ten years ago and couldn't stand them. Now I've gone back, having seen them live and buying a sound system that can almost manage the low-end layers, and it all makes sense. It's not pretentious, it's not "just art" (whatever the hell that means), it's a form of music that asks more of its audience than other styles, and creates atmospheres that most other bands would struggle to begin to understand.

    And if you think you could make money by sticking a mic by a washing machine and distorting the effects for 30 minutes, just **** do it and get some money so that you'll hopefully feel less of a need to act like a moron. You're like the children who stand before a Picasso and say it's "just splatters of paint". If you don't get it, you don't get it, but don't broadcast your ignorance like it's an achievement.    … Expand
  7. Alaira
    Oct 1, 2011
    1
    Clearly 35% of the users reviewing here don't see the trolling involved here.

    But here, an honest review: The album has very little variation WHATSOEVER. I have listened to drone before, some I like, some I do not. While I may not be the biggest audiophile out there, I definitely do not believe there is any change in sound at all. The vocals..? Let's just not get into that, because    Clearly 35% of the users reviewing here don't see the trolling involved here.

    But here, an honest review:
    The album has very little variation WHATSOEVER. I have listened to drone before, some I like, some I do not. While I may not be the biggest audiophile out there, I definitely do not believe there is any change in sound at all. The vocals..? Let's just not get into that, because they are obvious ****

    I imagine the whole album is a gigantic troll, but then again, there are some incredibly stupid people in this world.

    PS: If you are interested in something happening, go to Alice - 12:00 mark.    … Expand
  8. Mick
    Jan 21, 2010
    1
    This is an absolute dirge. Seems so many music websites are afraid of the big white elephant in the corner of the room (that being Pitchfork) that they'll fall over themselves to endorse anything they like. This is, in short, crap.
  9. AxelF
    Jul 20, 2009
    2
    Obviously not everyone thinks this is the best album ever. No amount of ad hominem vitriol will change that. Clearly other people having an opinion pisses you all off, but these are reviews, not a coronation. Implying that I listened to it wrong isn't accurate, I listened to it twice full through high volume. It's just not good music. I have my opinion. You have your opinion. Obviously not everyone thinks this is the best album ever. No amount of ad hominem vitriol will change that. Clearly other people having an opinion pisses you all off, but these are reviews, not a coronation. Implying that I listened to it wrong isn't accurate, I listened to it twice full through high volume. It's just not good music. I have my opinion. You have your opinion. Other people have other opinions.… Expand
  10. DaveS
    Jul 22, 2009
    0
    "It's music serving as a physical force, not an emotional or intellectual one. And by physical, I mean that you should FEEL the sound pressing against your body." Airplane turbines have a similar effect. Check them out dude. They're really cutting edge.
  11. DerekB
    Aug 6, 2009
    5
    I'll jump in with the first vote that lies directly in the middle. Admittedly, since I have roommates whom I respect, listening to this album at full volume in my apartment was never an option. I even tried to convince them them to pop in the CD on the living room stereo & crank it. Still no, so I opted for headphones. Let me run off on an explanatory tangent for a few lines. We are I'll jump in with the first vote that lies directly in the middle. Admittedly, since I have roommates whom I respect, listening to this album at full volume in my apartment was never an option. I even tried to convince them them to pop in the CD on the living room stereo & crank it. Still no, so I opted for headphones. Let me run off on an explanatory tangent for a few lines. We are all metalheads. We listen to Sabbath, Maiden, Meshuggah & even Dimmu Borgir turned up all the way. While we may be spoiled on speed, we're still dedicated to a future of metal-induced deafness. That being said, I still believe this album is extremely overrated. Visceral thought it may be, it's still a bunch of dudes droning on heavily detuned instruments with no discernible attempt at musicality. Maybe that's the point. But I'm still not convinced. On an artistic level, I have to hand it to them: they have balls, which is why this is interpreted as metal. However, I agree with Lance R. This album is best experienced very loud. Loud and possibly under the influence of lots of LSD. Since I left the blotter with my friend Ricky, I have to evaluate this album in a (somewhat) sober state. I can't see why anyone could assign a droning, largely dissonant collection of noise on the very periphery of the mainstream a 10, unless you're reacting those giving this album a zero. Perhaps it's a sonic evolution for the band, but I can't see myself particularly interested in their previous works. Monoliths & Dimensions is plenty. Conversely, I can't bring myself to rate this album lowly; mostly due to its provocative avant-garde appeal.… Expand
  12. AlexF.
    Jul 10, 2009
    2
    Listening through this album is painful. The pretension on this album borders on parody. There is no demonstrable musical or compositional talent. The majority of the album alternates between a few notes, each held for dramatic emphasis. Lyrics are mumbled and paused excessively, also for dramatic emphasis.
  13. rudigerf
    Jul 16, 2009
    1
    This is without a doubt the single worst thing my ears have ever experienced. I consider myself to be very open minded when it comes to music, even the most pretentious triple concept album wouldn't offend me near as much as this nonsense. It's not art, there's no musicianship, I'm only giving it 1/10 because the ablum art is cool. The only reasons I can find for This is without a doubt the single worst thing my ears have ever experienced. I consider myself to be very open minded when it comes to music, even the most pretentious triple concept album wouldn't offend me near as much as this nonsense. It's not art, there's no musicianship, I'm only giving it 1/10 because the ablum art is cool. The only reasons I can find for liking this album is if... 1. You're one of those loser metal types that think you're so dark and messed up that chanting about satan is cool. 2. You think you need to like the crap fed to you by 'trendy' music critics to be cool. 3. You're a 'trendy' music critic (a**hole).… Collapse
  14. AndrewM
    Aug 15, 2009
    0
    This album has no redeeming musical or artistic quality whatsoever. The album is an unappealing and entirely uncreative amalgam of sparse noises. To second the statement made by someone else, this album "was painful to listen to."
  15. DiggerN
    Aug 20, 2009
    1
    I kept waiting for the Stonehenge lyrics to start. Pompous rubbish. Very Tap indeed.
  16. nick
    Aug 26, 2009
    2
    I kind of get the dark ambiance thing but i don't see what's so special about this album - any reasonable musician could make this if they could be arsed, the thing is there are much more interesting things to do with noise that what Sunn have created. I respect the opinion of those who love it and in fairness I may be missing something, but it doesn't seem like an artistic I kind of get the dark ambiance thing but i don't see what's so special about this album - any reasonable musician could make this if they could be arsed, the thing is there are much more interesting things to do with noise that what Sunn have created. I respect the opinion of those who love it and in fairness I may be missing something, but it doesn't seem like an artistic leap forward or anything particularly revolutionary to me.… Expand
  17. Corey
    Aug 3, 2009
    0
    I consider myself to be very open to new music; I love a lot of 'experimental' stuff and see value even in bands I don't care much for. That being said, I really just don't 'get' this album. It is, honestly, the worst thing I've ever heard, I can't consider it music because music, you see, requires variation in sound, it requires something more than I consider myself to be very open to new music; I love a lot of 'experimental' stuff and see value even in bands I don't care much for. That being said, I really just don't 'get' this album. It is, honestly, the worst thing I've ever heard, I can't consider it music because music, you see, requires variation in sound, it requires something more than a single droning note held for what seems like years without so much as a half-note change. This... this is just unbearably awful.… Expand
  18. alexg
    Aug 6, 2009
    0
    Well, if you gotta be excentric, you ll say this album is good. if you wanna be sincere to yourself, you ll have to admit this is no more than pretentious noise. Critics who scored this high are only faking smart decadency, this is a perfect example of artzie kitsch.
  19. hubcap
    Oct 22, 2009
    5
    People who like this sort of thing will find that this is the sort of thing that they like. Other people will wonder what the fuss is about.
  20. JustinL
    Jul 24, 2009
    0
    Nonsense. This is absolute nonsense. "casualties of misinterpretation".... really. If you all want I can throw a mic next to my dishwasher and you can just throw me $9.99 a cycle to listen (note: I consider extra rinse a bonus track... $11.99). I can't even figure out where people get off calling this pretentious...I wouldn't even give it that much credit. Unlistenable. and to Nonsense. This is absolute nonsense. "casualties of misinterpretation".... really. If you all want I can throw a mic next to my dishwasher and you can just throw me $9.99 a cycle to listen (note: I consider extra rinse a bonus track... $11.99). I can't even figure out where people get off calling this pretentious...I wouldn't even give it that much credit. Unlistenable. and to those who strike back with furious rebuttles about my own misinterpretations and how shallow my musical taste must be... Your wrong. Learn to play an instrument rather then waste your time listening to this critically acclaimed garbage disposal.… Expand
  21. JohnR
    Aug 11, 2009
    3
    While it has some not so horrible moments, the rest of the album is essentially made of noise, sometimes lasting no less than 5 minutes. The main point to sell this thing is to talk about ART. Ok first when speaking about music and tastes, if someone tries to elevate the subject to something intellectually elevated, it's always some kind of maneuver, to elevate himself in his While it has some not so horrible moments, the rest of the album is essentially made of noise, sometimes lasting no less than 5 minutes. The main point to sell this thing is to talk about ART. Ok first when speaking about music and tastes, if someone tries to elevate the subject to something intellectually elevated, it's always some kind of maneuver, to elevate himself in his association to something that wouldn't be understood. This is the major swindle from half of the contemporary art.… Expand
  22. BrianA
    Aug 15, 2009
    3
    Okay, so I've given this album a couple of listens and despite the ridiculously good reviews it has managed to obtain, I just don't get it. I find myself wanting SOMETHING out of it. The songs lack any sort of progression whatsoever, and when they're an average of 10 minutes each, I demand progression! Someone please explain this to me.
  23. Carby225
    Dec 18, 2019
    9
    Absolutely Incredible. As an emotional college student, I assign great value to avant-garde compositions which remind me of our impending doom. The composition is creative, brilliantly executed, and most definitely a wonderful divergence from the music of 00s.
    It makes me feel like the star of my own gothic horror film.
  24. CharlesH
    Jun 10, 2009
    10
    Amazing album. Does exactly what they needed to do to progress musically and dynamically. A masterpiece of its genre.
  25. MarkS
    Jun 21, 2009
    8
    "Aghartha" is the perfect choice to open your 2009 Halloween mix.
  26. OkerN
    Jun 13, 2009
    10
    I don't think most people, reviewers included, realize that they've heard one of, if not The record of the decade, and the reason for that is quite simple indeed: they didn't turn it up loud enough. Give it 10 years. See what they'll be saying then.
  27. bs
    Jul 19, 2009
    9
    I guess the closed-minded are allowed to voice their opinions too. But come on, if you can't get in to a band, you don't unerstand what they're trying to achieve, or they just rub you the wrong way, that makes them pretentious and hipsters? Get a real argument a**holes.
  28. JesseT.
    Aug 6, 2009
    9
    Let me preface this by saying that this is not an album for people who believe that guitars can ONLY be played by plucking and strumming them. Last time I checked, guitars did not come with instruction manuals on how to play them. There is always more than one way to skin a cat. With that being said, this music is about exploring realms of human emotion and musical sound that have not Let me preface this by saying that this is not an album for people who believe that guitars can ONLY be played by plucking and strumming them. Last time I checked, guitars did not come with instruction manuals on how to play them. There is always more than one way to skin a cat. With that being said, this music is about exploring realms of human emotion and musical sound that have not been explored very deep. Of course, some people who believe in music in the classic sense will most like be put off by the free-form and extreme experimentation, but that is what I think is this goup's strong point. Beauty can be found the most unexpected of places. You have to be open and look to find it first though.… Expand
  29. Sean
    Jan 21, 2010
    9
    Why are people complaining about this album? You dont need to have a Ph. D in music theory to understand that this is not a traditional style of music, nor is it an attempt to blow you away with explosive creativity. Yes, the notes seem to 'drone' on for ages. No, Sunn 0))))) is not trying to impress a specific crowd of metal heads who worship satan. This album may not meet the Why are people complaining about this album? You dont need to have a Ph. D in music theory to understand that this is not a traditional style of music, nor is it an attempt to blow you away with explosive creativity. Yes, the notes seem to 'drone' on for ages. No, Sunn 0))))) is not trying to impress a specific crowd of metal heads who worship satan. This album may not meet the criteria for what you consider 'music'. This is art - and art doesn't care if you like it. The artists in this band take their work seriously, and have obviously made an impression on people. Again, you are not required to like art. If you are looking for something a little more palatable - something you can dance to - I recommend the newest release from the Arctic Monkeys. If, on the other hand, you are willing to let someone try another method for stimulating your ears and your mind, give this record another listen.… Expand
  30. SteveR.
    Dec 7, 2009
    9
    It was a great album. The first track is a bit weak, but everything else on the album is amazing.
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best Album of 2009
27
#27 Most Discussed Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. AllMusic
    90
    Monoliths and Dimensions succeeds because it is the sound of a new music formed from the ashen forge of drone, rock, and black metal.
    Read full review
  2. Delusions of Adequacy
    80
    Hopefully those that came to SunnO))) through "Black One" will find much to love here. If they don’t they will be seriously missing out as Monoliths & Dimensions is devastatingly epic.
    Read full review
  3. Drowned In Sound
    100
    For anyone interested in music that works both as art and an intensely new exciting experience--this is easily the best album that has come out this year.
    Read full review
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