Warthur Baroness play a dirty, sludgy style of metal which draws heavily on 1970s influences but at the same time refuses to brush aside modern advances and technology, with some at points really very effective sythesiser use setting Blue Record apart from its peers. With rough, bellowing vocals channeling the "Bullhead" figure referenced in the bookending tracks, some really fine guitar work, and a greater diversity of styles on offer than your typical stoner throwback band, Baroness seem intent on driving their chosen musical style into the future. On the basis of Blue Record, they might even have the chops to accomplish that.

Kingcrimsonprog Baroness are a metal band from Virginia USA who mix sludge, stoner and prog influences to create an interesting sounding brand of metal with a lot of twists and turns.

Their music is often compared with bands like Mastodon, Kylessa, High On Fire and even bands Isis and Neurosis. They do share varying degrees of similarities or else they have toured with these bands but largely have their own style. If you are a fan of any of those bands or just that general area of the genre, then check out Baroness it is very likely the type music that you’d enjoy.

Blue Record is their second full length studio album, which was released in 2009 and saw the band expand on the sound that they started with 2007′s Red Album, moving further away from easy Mastodon comparisons and forging their own feel. Blue Record features a stronger emphasis on acoustic sections, as well as songs which explore more riffs and beats in shorter time spans, resulting in a more dense sound overall.

Due to the fact that the music is a little denser and more challenging than on their debut, the album is somewhat of a grower and may not take you aback as instantly as its predecessor did but the overriding quality and additional weight should win you over in a couple of listens. Blue Record is the type of album where you find new little bits to enjoy on each new listen and that rewards you for your patience.

Highlights include the brilliant semi-acoustic `Steel That Sleeps The Eye,’ as well as `The Sweetest Curse’ and finally `A Horse Called Golgotha,’ which has one of the most bittersweet opening riffs ever written as well as superb drumming and powerful choruses.

The album is produced very well indeed, conveying the multifaceted sound perfectly but maintaining a garage style energy throughout and perfectly supporting the rock solid songwriting. Overall; Blue Record is just a straight up excellent record and each individual song is good in its own right, although once again just missing some indefinable special something that would elevate it to classic status. If you enjoy this type of music Baroness are definitely a proposition worth checking out, and no Baroness fan should be without Blue Record!

UMUR "Blue Record" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US sludge metal act Baroness. The album was released through Relapse Records in October 2009. The regular version of the album features 12 tracks while the Deluxe Edition features a bonus CD with 5 tracks recorded live at the Roadburn Festival in 2009. Just like every other release by Baroness, "Blue Record" is also graced with a cover artwork created by guitarist/vocalist John Baizley who in addition to being a musician is also a very skilled visual artist.

The music on the album is a quite adventurous mix of progressive sludge metal, 70s hard rock/metal and rock´n´roll (there´s even a folky acoustic track called "Steel That Sleeps the Eye" on the album). The musical style is pretty hard to describe with words and I´m afraid my above description might confuse more than it helps. This is simply one of those albums you´ll have to give a listen yourself (and believe me it´s worth it) to determine which labels you would apply to it. This is one of those cases that gives reviewers headaches and countless hours of problems with writing a review and I´m sure that´s how Baroness prefer it. No boundaries and one adventurous journey through a 44:25 minutes long album full of surprises. It´s not like the music sticks out in every direction though. The album is highly consistent both quality wise and in terms of style (which kind of contradicts my above statement about the surprises, but I said this was a difficult album to describe right!). So let´s see, the music features heavy mid-paced sludgy riffing, lots of melodic guitar work (I´m reminded of Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash at times), various raw/clean vocal styles and a pretty raw and filthy production. It´s not a lo-fi underproduced affair though, the sound is deliberately made to sound this way. It took a while to learn to appreciate but ultimately it´s a pretty strong sound production.

The musicianship are on a high level on all positions. These guys are very well playing but it´s the playfullness of the whole affair that takes the prize. Upon conclusion "Blue Record" is a great sophomore album. Baroness have been through a radical tranformation and development since their early releases, which "Blue Record" doesn´t sound much like. A 4 star (80%) rating is more than deserved for a very original and adventurous sounding album by a band that refuse to be put into a box.

topofsm Baroness released their Blue Record in 2009 to much critical acclaim. Though they spent their previous work including their debut album and their EPs wandering around in the growing scene of mainstream sludge metal, causing them to be often labeled as an inferior form of Mastodon. In this album they seem to evade that categorization a bit more, though they still need may need additional experience to be taken seriously as a band capable of creating masterwork.

That's not to say that the band has poor musicianship or compositional abilities. It's just that there's very little in the way of impressive musical ideas, technical or otherwise. The guitar is pretty standard for metal, the drums are simple enough that they could fit into a standard rock album, and the vocals aren't anything special.

The album's only strength seems to be the songwriting style, which is somewhat complex, using a variety of riffs in each song as opposed to repetition and standard song structure. That being said, the riffs themselves are still fairly standard and the rhythms are basic. There's still a bit of atmosphere that adds to the progressive nature of Blue Record, though not enough to accurately call it an atmospheric metal work.

Standout tracks would be "A Horse Called Golgotha" which is a fast paced song with driving tempo and moving drums, with probably the catchiest chorus. The 'filler' type tracks are nice as well, but hardly necessary on the album, a couple could easily be taken out. "The Gnashing" is also fairly good, starting out as a lazy bluesy guitar strum, eventually building into a solid rocker. However, for the most part, the songs on Blue Record are pretty unmemorable.

All in all, a better effort could have been put into this work. As leaders in the current sludge scene one would suspect that they have more up their sleeve than this.

Negoba Modern Champions of Guitar Fueled Rock

Some bands and albums transcend genre and taste simply because their energy is so good. Baroness is a band that is easy to love. Their common guy, hard working fire is evident all over their work. Lead vocalist / guitarist John Baizley has one of the ugliest mugs in music right now, but he is a multi-talented force whose best work may be his visual artistry. (He has designed album covers for multiple artists, including the phenomenal earth-goddess painting on this, his own band's BLUE RECORD.) Baroness is a band that touches many genres without settling into any one completely. They're not quite prog, they're heavier than straight rock, they're too intelligent for pure stoner metal. One thing is certain. Few, if any, bands out right now are as rock and roll as these guys. Their sound is simultaneously raw and carefully constructed. Their chemistry is great. In fact, the interplay between Baizley and second guitarist Brian Blickle is the foundation of the band's sound. Twin guitars, weaving in and out, trading lead and support, harmony solos, double grooves, they have it all. As a guitar lover, BLUE RECORD is simply a delight.

I was first exposed to Baroness as an unknown (to me) supporting act for Opeth during the former's tour for their RED RECORD. Though the sound was bad (as it is for all openers at the venue I was at), I knew that something really interesting was happening with this band. I sampled a few songs and liked them, but it wasn't until I started looking into this newer album that I was really hooked. The teaser single "Swollen and Halo" was an improvement on the sound I'd heard before, but it is really the entire album experience that grabs me. The band has clearly spent some careful time thinking about the transitions and pacing of the album. There are some textural short pieces ("Steel that Sleeps the Eye," "Ogeechee Hymnal") that are based on melodic themes from neighboring songs. The album is bookended by "Bullhead's Psalm" and "Bullhead's Lament" which are quieter pieces featuring harmony guitar leads. And in between are some octane-filled rockers that are perfect for jamming on the road, working out, and work just as well on headphones as they do on a car stereo ("Horse Called Golgotha," "Jake Leg".)

Singing in metal these days (maybe always) can be an acquired taste. Baroness is no different in this regard. I would describe Baizley's vocals as shouting on pitch. There is a clear melodic contour the vocals, but truly sung voice is heard only once. Even two years ago when I saw the band live, this was difficult for me to get past. Now that I've learned to put up with vocals from bands like Death, Maudlin of the Well, and various post-metal outfits, Baroness' seem relatively tame. Still, guitar is the star of the show here, with some nice drumming in support. All the instruments have a live feel, a natural sound that one can imagine being able to produce in the garage (possibly with a stomp box or two.)

Some critics claim that this relatively straightforward stoner metal. Several years ago, I was an avid Queens of the Stone Age fan. So I pulled a few of those discs out to compare. While QotSA has some outstanding songwriting (and more listener-friendly vocals) the level of complexity is like night and day. Baroness clearly exists within the same realm of music, but there are so many more riffs, more layers, greater complexity. There is no doubt that the band follows some prog ideals, most importantly being the idea of intentional composition. I notice no improvised leads (or in fact wankery of any sort) on the record at all. The melodic lines are clearly worked out, the interplay composed. This is not a Metallica-style riff with blues based soloing over the top. These are songs, carefully put together from the first note of the album to the last.

The closest prog album I own to this is Mastodon's CRACK THE SKYE. While Mastodon's vocals and composition are both a notch higher in quality, and the record is clearly "proggier," Baroness wins in terms of pure energy. This is saying a lot, because CRACK THE SKYE was one of the most rocking records of the year 2009. Each has their own strengths, each a deserved place in any metal lover's library. 4/5 stars.