Sunn

All Music Guide:

The self-described "power ambient" duo Sunn 0))) (pronounced "Sun") were formed in the mid-'90s by guitarists Stephen O'Malley (Khanate, Burning Witch) and Greg Anderson (Goatsnake, Thorr's Hammer). Known for its drone-heavy blend of black metal, dark ambient, and low-tuned noise rock, the band took inspiration from the early works of the Melvins and Earth, the latter of whom inspired some of the group's song titles -- Sunn 0))) began as an Earth tribute band in Los Angeles and originally played music under the related name of Mars. Sunn 0)))'s basic approach (droning guitars, feedback, distorted bass, and other sound effects) was laid down on their first two releases, The Grimmrobe Demos (recorded in 1998 but not released until 2000) and 00 Void (recorded and released in 2000), both of which were the first two releases on the Hydra Head Records subsidiary Double H Noise Industries.

In 1998 O'Malley and Anderson founded the experimental doom metal label Southern Lord, which would go on to release albums by Sunn 0))), Earth, Goatsnake, and Khanate, as well as offerings from up-and-coming black metal acts like Wolves in the Throne Room and Striborg. Sunn 0)))'s third album (and first for Southern Lord), Flight of the Behemoth, arrived in 2002 and found the group incorporating a bit of percussion (and even a smattering of vocals) into the mix, a creative path they continued to take on 2003's White1 and 2004's White2. Black One arrived one year later, sporting a sound that recalled the band's early work shot through with a heavy dose of electronics, while 2006's Altar found the duo collaborating with Japanese doom outfit Boris. The live double album Dømkirke followed in 2008, and the expansive Monoliths and Dimensions (which featured, among other things, a Viennese woman's choir and French horns) appeared in 2009.

Wikipedia:

Sunn amplifiers are a brand of musical instrument amplifiers.

History

In early 1963, the Kingsmen, a band based in the U.S. state of Oregon, became known for the song "Louie, Louie". After its hit single, the band soon embarked on a 50-state national tour. Because the band was used to playing small hops and school dances, many of the members found themselves ill-equipped with the amplifiers that they were currently using. Bassist Norm Sundholm discovered that his bass amp was not nearly powerful enough to play larger concert halls. Sundholm enlisted the help of his brother Conrad to help solve his problem. By 1964, the Sundholm brothers had designed a high-powered concert bass amplifier. By 1965, the demand for Sundholm's amplifiers had increased to the point where the family garage could no longer be used as the manufacturing facility. Thus, the Sunn Musical Equipment Company was founded.

Artists that used or continue to use Sunn amplifiers include Velvet Underground, The Who, The Moody Blues, Red Fang, Cream, Mountain, Marshall Grant (The Tennessee Three), The Stooges, Sleep, Steppenwolf, Kiss, Rush, the Melvins, The Obsessed, Queen, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Burning Witch, Goatsnake, Earth, Nirvana. Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Pissed Jeans, Mission of Burma, Melt-Banana, Between the Buried and Me, Annihilation Time and Sunn O))), which named itself after the company (to the point of including a typographic representation of the logo).

Sunn was ultimately acquired by Fender, which discontinued production in 2002. Sunn was based in Tualatin, Oregon.