Baroness - The Red Album
“The Red album” is a record that is of the age it was created but yet seems ageless. Combining both metal influences (Mastodon, Isis, Opeth, Floor) and non metal (Fugazi, Yes, Tool, Pink Floyd) influences to give birth to a sound that is so individual its hard to describe. The foundation of this sound is Stoner tinged progressive metal that is both extremely technical yet flows organically. More than in most metal releases, the vocals play second fiddle to the guitars. The leads and riffs twist and turn down many musical passageways and wormholes yet each songs highly unique and memorable melodies remains as a central cornerstone anchoring the experimentation and innovation that happens in each song.
Baroness could certainly teach the Symphony X’s and other widdle-fest lovers out there how to do progressive metal properly. This musical technicality with a deep emotional resonance and an a ambience that harks back to the early 70’s glory days of prog rock itself. The production is warm and earthy and gives the music a splendidly human feel to it. There are notable psychedelic touches to it with the cosmic “Wailing Wintry Wind” being a notable example with its calm and chilled out Pink Floydian intro segueing into a post rock influenced stoner rock epic that although having a fairly relaxed tone has just the right amount of drama and tension.
There are some Appalachian folk elements with “Cockroach en Fleur” country acoustic instrumental being a prime example. Baroness are one of many acts to be hailed as “the new Mastodon” but they are perhaps the only of one those acts who could not only equal such a tag but might go on to beat Mastodon themselves in the Progressive metal stakes.