The Summary Judgment Review:
Title: White2
Artist: SUNNO)))
Label: Southern Lord
Release Date: 6/29/04

Rating: 3 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Redwolff (8/20/04):
    The Subsonic Warriors of Might have done it again. White2 is without a doubt the most inaccessible SUNNO))) album I have heard to date but is still undeniably their character sound, which to a certain point I do embrace despite myself. This three-track album runs over an hour long and gets a little weirder as each moment passes. The initial track, "HELL-O)))WEEN," is pretty standard for these guys, 14+ minutes of about three chords played slowly and repeatedly, without the aid of any percussion instruments, resulting in a hypnotic thrumming. This is actually quite pleasant as soothing background material.

    However, with the second track, "bassAliens," the soothing sound begins to diminish and the album becomes more of a challenge to listen to. Painful feedback is interspersed with what sounds like objects being thrown at the guitars (or perhaps the guitars being dropped) and other general odd noises for over twenty-three minutes, which eventually gets to be too much. I keep having to skip to the next track after about 18 minutes. The final, and longest, dark song, "DECAY2 [NIHILS' MAW]" is the only track with human vocals - low chanting backed by whispering that creates an eerie atmosphere. This track is still a bit demanding but magnitudes greater in listenability than the one before it.

    If you have never heard SUNNO))) I would not suggest beginning with this album unless you restrict yourself to the first track alone. More experienced listeners and rabid fans of SUNNO))) and experimental doom in general should definitely pick this up. I am going to have to give it three skulls (because I cannot give it three and a half, the minimum it deserves) due to the difficult second track. Without it, at the moment, the album would be a solid four, with the disclaimer that SUNNO))) is admittedly not for everyone, and the band obviously knows it; at one point, the PR sheets state that the band's sound can both cure and cause headaches.
    3 out of 5

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