Scott Walker, legendary singer songwriter, composer, and record producer, has teamed up with Hell’s own ambient house band, Sunn O))) to release the collaborative album Soused. Walker has evolved rather unconventionally over his career, from orchestral pop ballads with The Walker Brothers through the baroque pop and singer songwriter stylings in his solo career to abstract experimentalism by way of his most recent albums; Tilt, The Drift, and Bish Bosch. That’s why his teaming up with uber-ambient/experimental/drone/metal/loud-as-fuckers, Sunn O))) is perfect (the band had previously approached him to sing on a track for their 2009 album, Monoliths & Dimensions).
This week’s SINGLE OF THE WEEK is the first release off of that album, Brando. It is a sprawling, near 9 minutes of fist-clenching tension. It’s brilliant. Beginning quite hauntingly, and beautifully, with Walker’s characteristic baritone and some dainty, if odd, musical backing it is soon washed away with waves of droning, soul shaking guitar and effects. The song continues to evolve and change things up through its runtime, but also maintains this incredible, atmosphere of fear as actual whips audibly crack trough the physical tension this track creates. Then there are moments were the strange beauty returns to alleviate you, before dragging you back to Hell.
It’s an awesome track, from an awesome album that goes to show that the misfire of Metallica and Lou Reed’s Lulu was just that, a misfire. Here’s to more legends of experimental music mixing things up with modern metal masters. Ooh, and before you watch the video for Brando, below, I will let you know that is creepy as fuck and equal as tense as the track itself. What an appropriate SINGLE OF THE WEEK for Halloween week. Enjoy!
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