BLUE RECORD

These days, the prog tag is something easy to come by. Since prog isn't a dirty word anymore and seems to stir some positive feedback from the audiences again, clever marketers at record labels throw the term at just any album they wish to promote. If it has an occasional song over 5 minutes or if the band can handle their equipment reasonably then, there you go folks. It's prog!

And so fares Baroness. If this album had come out 15 years ago it would have been labelled stoner or alternative metal or sludge metal or whatever was the buzzword back then. Now prog is cool again, so they throw in the prog tag for good measure. Well, we can only applaud prog has lost most of its negative connotations but it makes you wonder how much more we wish to water down the term? Till it doesn't mean anything anymore?

Don't misunderstand me. I don't care much what musical form prog should take, nor does it bother me much whatever categorization a band is condemned to operate in. I would even listen to rap if you ask me friendly. But genre classification, no matter inadequate it is, can still be useful to describe what kind of music you may more or less expect.

And what I expect from prog is outstanding, adventurous, dynamic and textured music with a strong personality. The Blue Record has none of that and as such it doesn't come close to anything I appreciate at all. It is unremarkable, heavy riffs based sludge metal that is volume-butchered to death. This won't add anything to your collection of Neurosis and Melvins albums. Which you should have of course :-)