SECOND

"Second" is as the name suggests the second release by US sludge metal act Baroness. "Second" is like the first release by the band "First (2003)" a 3 track EP released by the Hyperrealist label.

When describing the music on the EP it´s hard not to mention two specific sludge metal acts. Imagine what would happen if early Mastodon (aggressive sludge metal) was injected with a fix of Isis (heavy, atmospheric and experimental post/sludge metal). I´ll tell you what! It would probably sound like the music on this EP. All three tracks are intriguing and the musicianship are excellent so in addition to being a worthwhile purchase in terms of quantity (the EP features a 20:20 minutes long playing time) it´s certainly also a worthwhile purchase in terms of quality.

The sound production is professional, raw and powerful. It´s a suiting sound for the music. So "Second" is in many ways a great second release by Baroness and definitely a step up from the otherwise promising "First (2003)". They had yet to develop a more original sound at this point and the nods toward the two above mentioned acts are a bit too obvious at times, but a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is still fully deserved.