Drone legends Sunn O))) brought their new concept, Shoshin Duo, to Athens for an ear-shattering night. Appropriately, earplugs were handed out to everyone upon entering the venue. Still, the sound remained thunderously loud and magnificent.
The stage was stark, holding only towering stacks of amplifiers that seemed to reach the heavens. A thick fog filled the room, growing denser as time passed. Then, two hooded figures emerged and began the ritual.
Shoshin (初心) Duo pares Sunn O))) down to its founding members, Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson. Shoshin is a Buddhist concept meaning 'beginner’s mind'; a state of openness and curiosity, free from preconceptions and fueled by innate enthusiasm.
Over their long and transformative career, the band has explored countless phases. Their return to basics with this series of shows was a welcome one, especially for younger heavy-music audiences who have the chance to experience the original idea behind Sunn O)))’s raw, minimalist, and experimental mindset; something truly radical and distinct by any standard.
The heaviness came in volume and in feeling. Beyond the overwhelming decibels that pierced the eardrums, vibrations coursed through the body, while a foreboding atmosphere played tricks on mind and heart alike. People fainted, yet the majority stood transfixed, surrendering to the thick, immersive sound. The show unfolded as a profoundly mind-bending experience.
With a ritualistic descent into drone and doom, they moved from the dense opening invocation of Crank Everett to the crushing weight of Eternity’s Pillars, a track from their new material on Sub Pop. They continued with Butch’s Guns, preceded by a brief, reverent pause, and Point & Shoot, which conjured vivid imagery for an audience already lost in transcendence. The finale, CandleGoat from Black One, was deafening, devastating, and utterly impressive.
With their ritualistic imagery and slow-burning sonic destruction, Sunn O))) remain an experience not for the faint of heart.
Event Date: October 19th, 2025
Live photos by Destroy//Exist
ZR