BARONESS — Blue Record (review)

BARONESS — Blue Record album cover Album · 2009 · Sludge Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
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!
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Maleficium - Part 1 Death Metal
PANZERCHRIST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Strategic Offensive Metalcore
STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Power Train Power Metal
MAJESTICA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Plague of Rats Power Metal
BRAINSTORM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bone Collector Power Metal
GRAVE DIGGER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Sunmancer - Realms of Dilemma (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 4 days ago
Sunmancer - Lower Cavalier (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 4 days ago
Sunmancer - Doom Temple (Official Music Video)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 4 days ago
Sunmancer - Chasm Darkly (Official Music Video)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 4 days ago
Sunmancer - Revolver (Official Music Video)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 4 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed