Critics give Pyroclasts a B-Side Breakdown of 73 (C), from 10 reviews at outlets we track. Scores run 30 to 85.
The verdict on Pyroclasts
Most critics liked it: 7 of 10 liked it.
- Highest 85 Consequence
- Outlier 30 Louder, 30 points below the next-lowest score
- By the numbers The lowest score of Sunn O)))'s 5 albums with a Breakdown.
| The gist | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consequence via Wikipediaby Michael Pementel | B | 85 | 2019 | “Sunn O))) release their second album of the year, with the latest serving as a companion of sorts to the first. Read a review of Pyroclasts.” |
| Under the Radar via Wikipediaby Scott D. Elingburg | 8/10 | 80 | ||
| Uncut via Wikipediaby Jason Anderson | 8/10 | 80 | 2019 | |
| PopMatters via Wikipediaby Spyros Stasis | 8/10 | 80 | 2019 | “Despite its seemingly static form, the drone domain is an amorphous entity ready to be molded at the beholder's hands. Throughout their career, Sunn O))) have” |
| musicOMH via Wikipediaby Sam Shepherd | 4/5 | 80 | 2019 | “If the purpose here is to explore the notion of the sound of single notes evolving, changing shape and transcending, then here lies the sound of shifting tectonic plates” |
| Pitchfork via Wikipediaby Daniel Martin-McCormick | 8.0/10 | 80 | 2019 | “Recorded in the same sessions as April’s excellent Life Metal, the drone metal band’s new album is a rich, fundamentally life-affirming experience.” |
| The Line of Best Fit via Wikipediaby Evan Lilly | 8/10 | 80 | 2019 | “US drone pioneers continue to push the envelope” |
| AllMusic via Wikipediaby Thom Jurek | 3.5/5 | 70 | 2019 | |
| Mojo via Wikipedia | 3/5 | 60 | 2019 | |
| Louder via Wikipedia | 3/10 | 30 | 2019 |
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Pyroclasts in Sunn O)))'s catalog
How these critics usually treat Sunn O)))
- Pitchfork Kinder than usual8 points above the other critics here. Usually 3 points below on Sunn O)))'s other albums (4).
- AllMusic About usual for them3 points below the other critics here. Usually level with the others on Sunn O)))'s other albums (4).
More from Sunn O)))
More Metal & Punk from around 2019
Would you spin it again?
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How the Breakdown works
Every outlet’s score is converted to 0–100 (2/5 is 40, 5.9/10 is 59, a B+ is 88) and averaged. Grades follow the B-Side scale: A is 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, F below 60. Approval is the share of critics who scored it 75 or higher; the Breakdown shows green at 75 and up, red below. Divisiveness asks a different question: not how many critics liked it, but how close their scores are to each other. Five critics who all give it 50 are Unanimous, even though none of them liked it. The labels run Unanimous, Broad agreement, Some debate, Divided, and Contentious. Replay rate comes from listeners, not critics: yes counts fully, a few tracks counts half, no counts zero. The gist quotes each outlet’s own summary of its review. Published is the date on the review itself, read from the outlet’s page, so you can see whether an album’s reputation came at release or years later. Scores marked est. come from reviews that publish no number. Scores marked via Wikipedia are archive ratings, mostly for older albums, taken from the “Professional ratings” box on the album’s Wikipedia page (published openly through Wikidata); each links to the original review when we can find it online, and to that Wikipedia entry when we can’t. When an outlet reviewed an album twice, years apart (often for a reissue), both scores count, each labeled with its year.
A-Side marks the critics’ top tier. An album earns it automatically, from its numbers alone: a Breakdown of 90 or higher, from at least 5 reviews, with at least 75% approval. Nobody hands it out and nobody can buy it; if new reviews pull an album below the line, it loses the badge.
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