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When Baroness released “Red Album” in 2007, it was met with almost unanimous critical praise. It introduced the Savannah, Ga. based metal band to a hoard of new fans, many of whom were completely removed from the metal scene. It was an enjoyable record, though it tended to wander off into instrumental passages too often when their strength lied in the tighter songs.
For the “Blue Record,” Baroness avoids this problem by writing a greater number of shorter, more clearly defined songs. Tracks such as “Blackpowder Orchid” — reminiscent of Black Sabbath’s “Laguna Sunrise” in its blending of acoustic guitar and electric elements — last just long enough to provide a moment’s reprieve before the band returns in full. While there is still greater time spent on instrumental sections than on those with vocal arrangements, it never sounds like the band is jamming, something that occasionally occurred on the “Red Album.” This is a plus because jamming is the bane of all listeners not interested in listening to a band wank for minutes at a time.
The production has also improved. “Red Album” had a great, clean tone, but variety was lacking, “Blue Record” is anything but. On “The Sweetest Curse,” the band seems to be channeling progressive metallers Mastodon, before the distorted tones and growls fall away for the clean production and melodic vocals the band is known for. Production experiments take place throughout the record; during the verse of “A Horse Called Golgotha,” an acoustic guitar can be heard speedily picking along with the electric guitar, in counterpoint to the symbol rhythm.
The cover art, penned by singer/guitarist John Baizley, is also worth mentioning. Baizley, whose work has been featured on the albums of artists as diverse as Pig Destroyer and Flight of the Concords, has created a truly beautiful work to grace the front of the album. Any published photo will not do it justice. It is almost worth paying the exorbitant prices for vinyl to view the art at a respectable size.
This “Blue Record” is rock and roll, the way it may have turned out if money, drugs and label pressure hadn’t transformed it into the lumbering corpse it is today. Baroness plays with such power, sincerity, and willingness to experiment that, just for a moment after hearing, one can once again garner respect for the genre. If you have any interest in rock music, check out the “Blue Album” immediately.
Grade: A
