Pentemple + Ascend out now

Southern Lord today released both the Pentemple and Ascend discs with the Pentemple coming out earlier than the June date I had first read about. Very curious to hear both, especially the Pentemple but i'm super intrigued to hear Bubba Dupree's contributions on the Ascend (VOID were fucking gods!). No word about a vinyl release for either. (EDIT: via forum chatter made by the cover artist, there will be a forthcoming vinyl version of the Pentemple.)

Here's all the info about both (not included is a package deal for the Ascend that comes with a shirt) and as always, you can buy them now at Southern Lord.

ASCEND is a new collaborative musical project between Gentry Densley (Iceburn, Eagle Twin) and Greg Anderson (sunn 0))), Goatsnake, Engine Kid).

Both have been making music that has crossed paths several times in the last 19 years.(!!!) The most notable being during the 90s when Andersons’ band Engine Kid toured with and shared a split album with Densleys’ band Iceburn. During that time both were heavily experimenting with the fusion of jazz (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, John Coltrane) and the dark behemoth tones of influences such as The Melvins, Gore, Slint, and the Caspar Brötzmann Massaker.

ASCEND re-visits some of the tones, and moods of their past works as well as traveling into uncharted territory all done with the utmost focus on heaviness and power.

Special guest appearances on this album by Andy Patterson (drums), Steve Moore (aka Stebmo, also in Earth and often times : sunn 0))) ) trombone, organ and wurlitzer, Bubba Dupree (Void) guitar AND none other than Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) put down some incredible lead work! The packaging and layout was created by Stephen O' Malley with a homage to our favorite jazz records of the past from labels like ECM and Impulse! (Multi-panel digi-pac w/ booklet inserted.)

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In May of 2007 thee mighty SUNN 0))) embarked on a Pacific Rim tour that included performances in Australia and Japan. The lineup for this tour included the core sunn 0))) duo: Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley plus T.O.S. (Moog), Oren Ambarchi (analog effects and supplemental guitar) and vokillist Attila Csihar. Upon arrival in Melbourne, Australia, sunn 0))) invited one of their favorite black metal artists: Striborg over from Tasmania (!!!) to collaborate with them during their show. This unholy meeting went over very well and the inaugural ritual was a warm up gig at the Toft in Town club one evening before the larger gig at the Hi-Fi Bar (w/ brethren: Boris).

The results of this collaboration was a completely improvisational, vicious audio and visual assault on the sold out, standing room only audience! Striborg really blew all of us way with not only his wicked vocal invocations but also his incredibly skillful drumming! This was among the first time that sunn 0))) had worked with live drums and the outcome was completely unprecedented. The whole event was recorded live to 24-track/multi-track. Afterwards Oren Ambarchi edited, sequenced and overhauled the EQ to make it as brutal as possible. This blackened low-end psychedelic war is not for the faint of heart!

This cd release is strictly limited to 3,000 machine numbered copies.

[chrisALPINO]