So This Happened This Week
Alright, so I decided to dive deep into Steve O’Malley’s musical universe this week. I mean, the guy’s been around forever, right? Tons of projects flying under the radar probably. Figured it was time to track down the absolute best stuff he’s ever put out.
It started simple enough. Typed his name into a music site search bar. Just “Steve O’Malley bands“. Hit enter. Boom. A whole laundry list popped up. Expected Sunn O))), obviously – that’s the giant drone mountain everyone sees. But man, the list just kept going. Brain kinda went “spaghetti mode” for a sec.
My First Big Mistake: I went clicking on names I recognized first. Bad move. Wasted like, an hour just skimming surface stuff on bands I already knew bits about. Like checking out the same old tourist spots. Nothing new clicking.
Got smart(er). Changed tactic. Started hunting down forums and lists dedicated to the heavier, weirder corners of music. Asked around. “Yo, besides the big drone stuff, where does O’Malley get seriously interesting?” That’s when the gems started trickling in.
Found myself falling down this rabbit hole:
- Khanate: Good grief. This isn’t just heavy, it’s nerve-shredding. Like listening to pure tension made sound. Totally different beast. Album popped up, pressed play… didn’t breathe for about five minutes. Intense.
- Gravetemple: Okay, this one took some digging. Found a mention buried deep in some obscure review blog. It’s him jamming with other legends. Hits you like a thick, dusty fog. Completely consuming sound. Spent an evening just letting this one wash over me.
- Æthenor: This was a weird twist. More… atmospheric? Jazz-influenced? Totally unexpected. Felt like exploring a dark, abandoned building through sound. Kept me guessing the whole time.
The real challenge was figuring out when this guy sleeps. Found a collaborator interview somewhere. They basically said the dude lives and breathes sound creation. Constantly experimenting, pushing boundaries. Explains the sheer volume of work.
The Lightbulb Moment: Sitting there listening to this wild range – from the crushing minimalism of Khanate to the spacey weirdness of Æthenor – it hit me. His “greatest” projects aren’t necessarily the biggest or loudest (though Sunn O))) is still a monster). It’s the ones where he takes massive artistic risks. Where the sound feels dangerous, or unstable, or like it might just drift off into space. That raw exploration vibe.
Took me four coffees and probably annoyed the neighbours with some seriously bizarre noises pouring out my speakers, but finally got it sorted. Made a personal top tier playlist mixing tracks from these deep cuts. Feels like I uncovered a whole hidden layer of his genius. Pretty wild journey, honestly. Satisfying as heck to finally grasp the scope of what he’s actually built.
