Drone Metal

Drone metal strips metal down to sustained, massively amplified chords that hang and decay for minutes at a time, often with little or no beat, rhythm, or conventional structure. Washington’s Earth pioneered it by fusing Black Sabbath heaviness with minimalist repetition, and Sunn O))) made it a phenomenon with punishing volume and ritualistic, robed performances. It is as much about physical vibration and texture as melody, closely tied to doom and dark ambient. Songs are long, glacial, and immersive.