Baroness

The Red Album

Relapse




When I first heard Baroness, I’ll admit that I wasn’t into the metal stuff as much as I was a few years beforehand—however, I’ll always have a soft-spot in my heart for well-done thrash metal. And when I came across the first two Baroness EPs (First and Second, both released on Hyperrealist in 2003 and 2005 respectively), I was taken aback by the group due to their stripped-down and raw sound that was rather captivating in regards to the direction that metal has been head-ing (all puns intended) in the past few years thanks to bands like ISIS, Pelican, Jesu and numerous others. But opposed to the thick, full, progressive sound of the newest wave of metal powerhouses, Baroness strode close in demeanor but still managed to be riff-and-lead heavy while maintaining a balance of tone and sludge for a uniform sound. This might be what got them the nod from Relapse, but whatever the cause, the legendary metal label most recently offered up the band’s latest, The Red Album, and surprisingly, it steps away from the rawer mix for yet something else the band can call their own, a grizzly but clean tone of metal that will definitely push the envelope. From the outset of the record, it is evident that the band is charting new waters, as the opening track, “Rays On Pinion,” starts on somewhat of an atmospheric note before blazing into a delay/reverb/ride cymbal drenched introduction to the album’s most epic track—one that will have listeners wondering where the crunch is. But before long, the band picks up steam and rolls headfirst into some pitch-bend heavy, southern-tinged riffing to give the record a taste of what’s to come. The vocals thunder in, shouting “Save your soul!” in textbook Von Till-styled, gravelly growl—however, the guitar tone sounds surprisingly clean for a metal-record-opening track. It’s bittersweet, as dueling guitars quickly follow in some truly Maiden-esque fashion, giving Baroness’ new sound an identity all its own; not pretentious but still forceful and well done. Track two, “The Birthing,” barrels in without warning with loud pummeling riffs and drums, finding the band at it’s most rooted, and it sounds profound. Chainsaw guitar riffs weigh nicely against a well-mixed blend of rhythm and vocals, only to make way for more dueling leads that are technical and progressive, but not in a prog-rock way. “Wanderlust” also displays this trait almost deliberately, as a spaced out guitar driven intro makes way for yet more dueling, labyrinthine guitar work. The track itself might be best suited for what the layman might refer to as a “single,” as it brushes close with the vibe that neu-metal gods Mastodon have been channeling for the past couple records. Regardless, that’s about as close as the comparison will get, as Baroness isn’t feeding off one band more than they feed off their intra-band energy. The record also shows a left-brain to its right, as a couple experimental tracks grace the plastic here—namely the acoustic psychedelics of “Cockroach En Fleur” and “Teeth of the Cogwheel,” which finds the band on a superbly heavy, instrumental space-rock jam, complete with masturbatory free-form guitar soloing and primal drumming. It’s this diversity that Baroness can call their own, as this is a “metal” record, but keeps each track separate and original, creating an exciting new work that the genre needs more than the band needs the genre. It’s far to early to speculate, but it’s a great sense of wonder to see what these new-schoolers will put together in the future. If they stay on their same route, history repeating itself is not in the cards for Baroness, and whatever they do next will more than likely justify its means. The Red Album is at the least deserving and needs to be heard. Highly Recommended.


Relapse Records
Baroness