Sumac (stylized as SUMAC) is an American/Canadian

post-metal Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal music, heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis (band), Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture (music), te ...

supergroup that formed in 2014. It features the

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

-based Nick Yacyshyn (

Baptists Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

-based Brian Cook ( Russian Circles, Botch, ex- These Arms Are Snakes) and

Vashon, Washington Vashon () is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon–Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. Before the construc ...

-based Aaron Turner ( Mamiffer, Old Man Gloom, ex-

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

). Sumac released its debut album '' The Deal'' through Profound Lore Records in 2015.

History

Musician Aaron Turner started working on new material that would eventually become Sumac with the intention of writing some of the heaviest music he had ever created. After creating the skeletons of a handful of songs, he turned to

Kurt Ballou Kurt Ballou (born February 1, 1974) is an American musician and record producer based in Massachusetts, best known as the guitarist for metalcore band Converge and for his recording and production work at his own GodCity Studio. Early and pe ...

of Converge and asked if he knew of a drummer that would fit well with the music he wrote. Ballou, who worked with the Canadian crust-punk band Baptists in April 2014 to record their second studio album ''Bloodmines'', recommended Baptists drummer Nick Yacyshyn. Turner and Yacyshyn jammed together and clicked, and Yacyshyn commented that the music they were working on was, "a pretty dense, heavy experience and kind of out there, I'd say. I've never been in a band that sounds like this." Even though both members were a part of other projects at the time, Turner announced that Sumac would attempt to be a full-time band that would continue to write, record and tour, instead of being just a side band. After only playing together twice prior, Sumac performed their first show on stage in December 2014 opening for

Deafheaven Deafheaven is an American black metal band formed in 2010. Originally based in San Francisco, the group began as a two-piece with singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy (musician), Kerry McCoy, who recorded and self-released Demo (Deafh ...

. Sumac released its six-song debut album titled ''The Deal'' on February 17, 2015 through Profound Lore Records with Turner's own SIGE Records handling the vinyl pressing. Turner invited Brian Cook to be a session bassist for ''The Deal'' and "an auxiliary/intermittent member for live performances when possible," although he quickly became a full member of the band. The album was recorded by Mell Dettmer (

Sunn O))) Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, ...

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) in Seattle, Washington and mastered by Ballou in Salem, Massachusetts. To promote the album, Sumac released the tracks "Thorn in the Lion's Paw" and "Blight's End Angel" for online streaming prior to its release. The band embarked on a short North American tour in support of ''The Deal'' in March 2015. In February 2016, one year after the band released its debut album, Sumac announced they had signed to Thrill Jockey for the release of their second studio album. The new album, titled ''What One Becomes'', was released on June 10, 2016 and is said to examine Turner's "internal and personal struggles with anxiety." On December 9, 2016 the band released 4-track EP titled ''Before You I Appear'' which featured remixes of songs from ''What One Becomes'' by such artists as Samuel Kerridge, Bleed Turquoise, Endon and Kevin Drumm. In November 2017, Sumac announced the release of a collaborative album with Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keiji Haino titled '' American Dollar Bill – Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous to Look at Face On''. The album was recorded in summer 2017 in Tokyo’s Goksound recording studio as "a series of unrehearsed, completely non-premeditated sessions" and was released on February 23, 2018. A live album recorded at Brian Turner’s WFMU radio show was released on February 2, 2018 through SIGE Records as cassette edition limited to 200 copies. In June 2018 the band announced their third album '' Love in Shadow'' to be released on September 21, 2018 through Thrill Jockey. Sumac released its second collaboration with Keiji Haino titled ''Even for Just the Briefest Moment Keep Charging This "Expiation" Plug in to Making It Slightly Better'' through Trost Records. The CD version was released in June 2019 and the vinyl edition in July 2019. In 2025, Sumac released a collaborative album with musician Moor Mother, titled '' The Film''.

Personnel

* Aaron Turner – guitars, vocals * Nick Yacyshyn – drums (

) * Brian Cook – bass Live members * Joe Preston – bass (on select shows when Cook is touring with Russian Circles) * Don McGreevy

Discography

* '' The Deal'' (2015, Profound Lore) * '' What One Becomes'' (2016, Thrill Jockey) * '' Love in Shadow'' (2018, Thrill Jockey) * '' May You Be Held'' (2020, Thrill Jockey) * '' The Healer'' (2024, Thrill Jockey)

With Keiji Haino

* '' American Dollar Bill – Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous to Look at Face On'' (2018, Thrill Jockey) * ''Even for Just the Briefest Moment Keep Charging This "Expiation" Plug in to Making It Slightly Better'' (2019, Trost) * '' Into This Juvenile Apocalypse Our Golden Blood to Pour Let Us Never'' (2022, Thrill Jockey)

With Moor Mother

* '' The Film'' (2025, Thrill Jockey)

Live albums

* ''WFMU'' Live cassette (2018, SIGE) * ''St Vitus 09/07/2018'' (2020, SIGE)

Remixes

* ''Before You I Appear'' EP (2016, Thrill Jockey) * ''The Keeper's Tongue'' EP (2024, Thrill Jockey)

Singles

* " Two Beasts" (2020, Sub Pop)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups from Vancouver 2014 establishments in British Columbia Musical groups established in 2014 Rock music duos Musical groups from Washington (state) 2014 establishments in Washington (state) Profound Lore Records artists Sub Pop artists Thrill Jockey artists