BARONESS

1. "Embers" (1:01) very interesting and unique album opener! Acoustic guitars with choral vocals--sounding more like The Band or CSN&Y than I expected. (4.5/5)

2. "Last Word" (6:18) chugging metal with psychedelic engineering treatments. Reminds me of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD except on higher octane. You can tell that this is a well-oiled, well-gelled quartet. (I guess all those live performance dates really paid off!) Very interesting sound engineering choices--like with the drums and lead guitar. Less is more and yet the flange is ever-present, sneaking around in the background. Love it! Definitely feels like a blast from the past! Kudos to the team and their engineer/producer to go with these sound engineering choices. A top three song for me. (9/10)

3. "Beneath the Rose" (5:35) this one feels like a kind of TED NUGENT variation on Bono's performance in U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky"--at least for the verses. In the choruses the sound moves into a kind of cross between early URIAH HEEP and METALLICA's "Enter the Sandman." Nice vision and execution! The doubled-up guitar solo feels like a cross between THIN LIZZY and LYNYRD SKYNYRD. The final chorus spills over into Brit-territory--like The Clash or Judas Priest. (8.875/10)

4. "Choir" (4:06) bleeding over from the previous song, the guitars chug along as the continuous-play rolling bass note and straight-time drum race along. The vocals sound like some kind of channel of IGGY POP. I like the more nuanced, intermittent and atmospheric echo-guitar notes in the between-spaces. A very theatric, well-constructed and - executed song. Must be a crowd-pleaser in concert. (8.875/10)

5. "The Dirge" (1:19) another odd snippet that sounds as if it is more likely to come from Americana than metal. (4.3333/5)

6. "Anodyne" (3:20) To a person who's music ears were formed in the 1970s this sound palette sounds so right: none of the processing or compressing that is so common among post-1982 (enter the Computer/ Digital Age) bands and albums. Though this smooth hard rock song is smooth, it must be trying to rely more on its lyrics than previous songs cuz the music is less interesting--with less variation and development than I was expecting. (8.66667/10)

7. "Shine" (6:32) unfortunately, this rather straightforward "heavy metal" song sounds rather dull and elementary. Even the choruses and instrumental passages feel robotic and a bit "dialed-in." (8.5/10)

8. "Magnolia" (7:49) though I've been feeling this VANETA-vibe off and on throughout the course of this album, the opening 2:15 of this one carries a full-fledged imprint of that band. The song goes from waiting-at-the-curb to kick-it- into-gear at the 2:15 mark with some awesome multi-voice harmonic metal vocals over some pretty standard BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-like music. (Even the guitar solo in the sixth minute sounds 1970s). (Did they just say "flaming arrows"?!!) Still: it's a pretty damned-good song. (13.125/15)

9. "Under the Wheel" (6:11) I love the smooth-vocaled opening of this: so much potential energy present here just waiting to be released. And then they do! At 2:58 John Baizley unleashes a wicked-awesome vocal flight path (backed by some important seconds from Gina Gleason). Unfortunately, the song doesn't morph or develop much after that until the awesome spacey-fade. Still here we have another of my top three songs. (9/10)

10. "Bloom" (4:01) a gentle acoustic-guitar based song over which John and Gina sing the lead together, simultaneously, in harmony. Beautiful, smooth, laid-back harmonies. Nicely done. Great vocal performances. My final top three song. (8.875/10)

Total Time 46:12

I'm not sure how this band got categorized "Expeirmental/Post Metal" on ProgArchives cuz this all sounds quite rudimentary and retrogressive; perhaps their previous albums (with which I am unfamiliar) crossed into more experimental "post metal" territory.

Again, I want to commend the band on their choice to "real time"-record and render each song separately and uniquely. Exceptional cojones and will. (It really is so refreshing to hear new music that sounds like the old analog, pre- computer-manipulated music of my youth.)

B+/four stars; an excellent trip down a path that few 21st Century rockers are taking us down. Check it out for yourselves: highly recommended!

By far my favorite Baroness album ever. Baroness hit the bullseye of the sweet spot so many bands search forever for. Stone cold grower. The more you listen...the more you like it. Stone rocks. Don't do a drive-by...stay for dessert and a nightcap.

Best tracks are the singles Last Word - very catchy and with a great guitar solo - and Beneath the rose, also Magnolia and Under the Wheel. These last two have great build up segments that lead to very heavy section which are very satisfying to listen to. Beneath the rose is followed by Choir and The Dirge which features some more experimental vocals and weirdness which is fantastic.

There's also a lot of guitars that try to create some great ambience and textures, which is characteristic of them, but always very pleasant.

It's their best album and a great progressive metal release 5/5.

So, with Baroness's recent ups-and-downs in mind, I approached this album somewhat cautiously. The singles were okay on the whole. Some were certainly better than others, but this is a long record, so I tried to keep an open mind.

The music itself is varied in its quality. The addition of guitarist/backup vocalist Gina Gleason works very well. Her backing vocals add a rich, new character to the music, and she and lead vocalist John Baizley sound great together.

"Seasons" is an engaging composition featuring some of Baroness's most ambitious writing yet, and "Tourniquet" has a strong melody and big chorus that carry it. "Cold-Blooded Angels" is one of the more ambitious songs on the album. It starts off fairly quiet, and there are some neat synthesizers thrown in around the two-minute mark. Baroness's experiments with keyboards have been few and far between, but I've liked them; I've long wished they'd do a fuller integration.

"Can Oscura" is my favorite song on the album. It's a wonky two-minute instrumental based around a weird, repetitious rhythm that has a strong krautrock inflection, albeit more metallic. It's topped with strange, warbling synths that work perfectly. "Borderlines" is also one of the stronger cuts, and the last minute has some neat instrumental experimentation. "Pale Sun" is an effective closer; it's one of the quieter songs on the album and ends Gold & Grey on a creepy, haunting note.

However, upon first listening to Gold & Grey, what immediately stood out is that this record sounds absolutely terrible. I'm not addressing the compositions?I'm talking about the mastering of this album. The actual sound of this album is complete and total [&*!#]. It is distractingly bad. The music clips terribly, and everything sounds compressed and washed-out. The guitars have a staticky buzz to them, and the drums come off as mushy in the moments where they're supposed to be most intense. I don't know what in the world they were thinking, but this is some of the worst sound production I have ever heard, especially on such a major release.

Despite there being quite a few decent-to-good songs on this album, there are also quite a few unimpressive and unnecessary ones. "Front Toward Enemy"  and "Broken Halo" both sound like generic, radio-friendly hard rock, full of bland riffs and unimaginative melodies. "Throw Me an Anchor" is so terribly mastered, I can barely make anything out other than the bass line. Everything else is too dry and buzzy to discern. The chorus is big and schlocky and ultimately fails to land.

"I'd Do Anything" and "Emmet: Radiating Light" are acoustic pieces. The former attempts to be gentle and intimate, while the latter aims to be creepy and foreboding. Both fall flat: the music is tedious, and the lyrics are trite.

This album is also full of interludes that add nothing. As an hour-long album, I can understand tossing in a couple rests to break things up and give the listener a breather. However, of the 17 songs on this album, five or six are interludes (depending on how you want to categorize "Can Oscura").  "Sevens" is a neat bit of synthy experimentation, but the others range from unnecessary to bad.

Gold & Grey is a bit of a split decision from me, purely focusing on the music. It has a lot of Yellow & Green-style balladry, sprawl, and radio rock; but it also contains Baroness's weirdest and most out-there music yet. I (overall) loved their integration of synthesizers, and their occasional integration of krautrock influences worked better than I would have imagined. I'd love to hear a consistently-krautrock-influenced sludge metal album. However, the mastering is so terrible that it detracts a lot from my enjoyment of this album. At moments, it was bad enough to remind me the worst hyper-kvlt, recorded-in-a-basement black metal I've ever heard.

Much like after Yellow & Green, I'm not sure what to expect from Baroness in the future. They seem unsure of where to go themselves, as evinced by the vacillations in songwriting style and quality. I could easily see them going either the pop-hard-rock direction or down the more experimental route. I just hope that they have better mastering on their next release. The audio quality probably knocked a lot off my final score.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/06/30/album-review-baroness-gold-grey/

It begins with Baroness featuring two songs, one of them a medium length song called "Teiresias" (over 6 minutes), which proves that the band was trying to find a niche with Mastodon fans. It's a heavy song, much heavier than the albums that would follow, with a lot more yelling/singing than what the average Baroness listener might be used to. It is also quite progressive and one that will appeal to the progressive metal listener. The 2nd track, though, is the real epic masterwork from the band and the one worth the price of admission. "Cavite" is a 12 minute monster which, except for the heavier vocals, points the direction that the band was to take for both the "Red" and "Blue" albums to follow. It is very dynamic and progressive, changing heaviness, meter, and style throughout, yet remaining heavy and also stepping out of the sludgier aspects of metal. This is one that will appeal to Isis fans.

The 2nd part of the album belongs to the more unfamiliar band "Unpersons". They have four tracks, 3 of which are around 3 minutes and the last one which stretches past 6 minutes. Their music is definitely more unhinged, with wild and wacky vocals, yet keeping a changing sludgy atmosphere, yet not really bogging things down much. It's the right amount of their insanity as much more might get to be a bit too much. However, with about the same amount of time total as the 2 Baroness tracks, it's the right amount. Most proggers might find this part of the album a bit too wild for their taste, but progressive metal lovers will also enjoy this, even with the insane sounding vocals. The last track has the trickiest aspects with meters and riffs going off everywhere, and it is fortunately their longest, which, on the 2nd half, goes off into some more experimental, noise rock territory.

Typically, I usually skip the Unpersons tracks, but when I'm in the right mood, they are quite enjoyable anyway, but their not as good as the Baroness tracks. Their tracks are a solid 4 star attempt, where Unperson's tracks tend to hand around the 3 star range with the last one of the bunch the best of them. This is a great EP/Split album for progressive metal heads, especially those that love their heaviness thick, sludgy and dirty. However, this will appeal to fans more than anyone. '

Given that the band had members with punk roots in the punk / metal band Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks, it's no surprise that these early offerings from BARONESS are more aggressive and caustic than the more polished albums that follow. FIRST (and "Second") are the only releases to feature the early lineup of John Baizley (vocals, guitar), Allen Blickle (drums), Tim Loose (guitar) and Summer Welch (bass.) Baizley is known not only for his caustic vocal style and jangly guitar antics but also has been the visual artist for the band's cover art which began with this first release.

FIRST only contains three tracks that are just shy of 17 minutes but pack a serious punch with highly aggressive and raging sludge metal that already begin to display some of the band's progressive tendencies that follow in the footsteps of other Georgian sludge metal acts like the superstar band Mastodon. It's interesting to hear how the band evolves step-by-step from these early origins. While "Second" was already showing signs of a more polished approach, FIRST displays the band at its rawest and primeval angst with the punk infused guitar bombast on full decibelage dripping with rage. This EP was produced by Phillip Cope of Kylesa and although not as intricately designed as the band's full-length albums is nonetheless an entertaining listen that is well performed. Recommended for those who love the filthy raw origins of sludge metal.

3.5 rounded down

SECOND exhibits a more sophisticated sound that while not jettisoning the extreme core influences that emerged from the members' punk roots that offer caustic sludge metal delivers on overdrive, the band's progressive tendencies that peeked through the din on the debut are more developed on this one and in many ways BARONESS sounds most like Mastodon on this one as the 2000s found an entire Georgia scene that incorporated core and punk influences into sludge metal along with progressive and psychedelic elements.

While "First" was on high octane all the time, SECOND allows for some slower echoey guitar sequences that allow some interesting instrumental interplay especially on "Son Of Sun" which displays some of the band's notorious flirtations with progressive rock that would become its signature sound and as a result makes a much more interesting musical experience than on "First" although that one was a wickedly wild unadulterated slab of primeval raw sludge metal.

One can think of these early EP years as the first phase of BARONESS which includes the following split with Unpersons titled "A Grey Sigh In A Flower Husk" before the lineup change that would debut on the band's first full-length "Red Album." In addition to the sludge metal antics of Mastodon on SECOND, there are clear references to post-metal bands like Isis as well the expected Kylesa connection. Overall i prefer this much more sophisticated SECOND offering to the first because not only does it deliver a filthy raw slab of caustic sludge metal but also exceeds its one-dimensional nature by offering respites into more progressive and psychedelic meanderings.

These two EPs were released as a combo pack in 2008 after the band had achieved popularity on this compilation simply titled FIRST & SECOND that includes all six tracks from the two EPs without any bonus tracks or extras. This release pretty much covers the first phase of BARONESS' original lineup that consisted of ohn Baizley (vocals, guitar), Allen Blickle (drums), Tim Loose (guitar) and Summer Welch (bass) except the two tracks on the split 'A Grey Sigh In A Flower Husk.'

This is pretty much for anyone who wants to explore the early origins of BARONESS and how they evolved from a fiery aggressive and raging sludge machine into the more polished progressive experimental sludge metal act that would take the world by storm. Personally i like the SECOND EP better for my tastes but this is a nice example of what excellent sludge metal with experimental touches is all about.

Stylistically the music on the album is progressive sludge/heavy metal featuring both clean, raw, and shouting vocals. Mostly lead vocalist/guitarist John Dyer Baizley shouts in key. There are a lot of southern, blues, and roots elements in the music, which is very guitar driven, and the two guitarists generally compliment each other well and there is some pretty intricate guitar work throughout the album. The rhythm section is also quite impressive and especially drummer Allen Blickle has quite the adventurous playing style. It's dynamic music which can be both slow building and mellow, but also more hard edged and aggressive.

"Red Album" features a powerful, organic, and very well sounding production, which brings out the best in the material. Said material is quite creative and it's often hard to know where a song is going to end as the tracks don't always follow regular vers/chorus structures. It's quite progressive in that way, and Baroness deserve all the praise in the world for their innovative songwriting approach. When that is said, the vocal melodies are seldom that memorable, and the vocals sometimes feel like an afterthought. It's also remarkable when thinking of how adventurous and interesting the material generally is, how few actual "songs" there are on the album. It's a lot of creative ideas and skillful playing, but very little sticks when the album is over.

So "Red Album" leaves me a little biased as unconventional and adventurous songwriting usually makes my blood boil (and to a certain degree also does here), but there still has to be some catchy moments featured, that you remember after the album has finished playing, and there simply aren't enough of those on this album. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

Seventeen tracks may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that only one track exceeds the 6 minute mark, and there are a handful of tracks that are quite short. The album starts out with the excellent "Front Towards Enemy" with some heavy sounds and lots of guitar work that will get your heart racing. However, Baroness fans will notice that the music is still more accessible than the first 2 albums, at least in the beginging. That's the bad news, but the good news is, the music has some rough, unrefined edges, so it doesn't seem so smooth and ironed out as the last two albums. Also, as the album continues, the music gets more unique and experiemental, so keep with it and it will get better. I do miss the days, strangely enough, when John's vocals were more of a melodic growl, I used to love the passion behind those vocals. There is also much less instrumental interplay like there was on the first two albums, and that is really missed. However, there are still times when a surprising amount of passion does show through

Yet, there are still some great tracks here. The aforementioned "Front Towards Enemy" utilizes the bands newer sound quite well. Also, on some of the shorter tracks like "Seasons", you hear the band experimenting with keyboards and guitar, which makes for some nice variety that you don't expect. Also, "Tourniquet" has a lot of heartfelt passion on it, starting off surprisingly soft, but yet unique and a bit off kilter. As the track continues, it builds in intensity, but not in the ways you would expect. This is definitely a direction that is new for the band, and it has a unique progressive feel to it. Excellent track. This is a great example of why the band is considered Post Metal and Experimental. This experimental attitude shows through in "Anchor's Lament" with some deep harmonies, piano, string effects and such. The song acts as a prelude to "Throw Me an Anchor", which has a more thickly layered feel to it, heavy like some of the previous work, but the layers contain not just guitars, but a miasma of other sounds that build a nice and tense feeling to the track. The there is the surprise of "I'd Do Anything" which sounds like a ballad, but there is a lot of feedback and interesting effects that go far beyond the typical.

When you think you have heard it all, along comes "Emmett-Radiating Light". Talk about unconventional. This features softly plucked guitars and a really odd harmony in the vocals. A tenseness is felt in a swelling drone in the background and the echoing aspects of the synths and the brightness of bells against the morose vocals, you would almost swear you were listening to "Ulver's" album "Blood Inside". Also, the contrasting of John's and Gina's vocals on "Cold-Blooded Angels" is something else unexpected, especially when the music develops into something that resembles the passion from the earlier albums. There is even a short foray into micro-tones with "Crooked Mile", but I'm not sure if that was intentional or if they were just warping the sound. "Borderlines" is another highlight of the album, heavy, yet this is the band acquiring it's own sound and style, a bit unstable and teetering on the edge of insanity. I love it!

It is good to hear that Baroness has moved away from the more commercial sound that was on "Yellow & Green" and this album finds them experimenting a lot more. While it still isn't as excellent as "The Red Album", is still has a lot of strength in the band's willingness to explore new avenues. Once again, I have some hope for this band and I can detect the ability for them to continue to strengthen their sound. There is a possibility that they can have another 5 star album, but I can also tell that when it does happen, it will be completely different from "The Red Album" and will be it's own glorious work. As far as this album, it is a step back into the right direction, even though it might be a completely different path than it started out to be for the band. There is, however, some weaknesses in the album, as if there is a lack of confidence in the music (as in "Broken Halo") or if they are just getting familiar with what their new boundaries are. It's not perfect, but it is an indication of great things to come. There is a bit of unevenness on the album, and it probably would have flowed a lot smoother if the intermediate tracks could have somehow tied into the main tracks better, but these are things that many listeners might not notice. Overall, this album makes me happy to hear this talented band expand its horizons again. I can say that I am looking forward to seeing where they go next again, because for a while there, I was starting to lose interest. This album brings it all back again. Though it's not the best of the year, it is probably the most excited I have been hearing from band that I had lost hope in. Welcome back, Baroness! Yes I miss the old Baroness, but I love the new Baroness.