Baroness - Purple

Baroness
Purple
2015
Baroness - Purple

When you listen to a metal record it is very easy to get bogged down with the aggression, the speed and heaviness of it all. The real meat of the songs and the sounds can get lost because of some preconceived notions of what you are about to listen to. Baroness with this latest album, their first in four years, break those barriers down. The music is all at once impressively loud and incredibly melodic. Baroness is not loud just to be loud, their a loud with a purpose a message they are trying to get across. The album is perfectly concise at just over 43 minutes with plenty of hooks ready to be screamed back at them throughout. The power of the album comes less from turning it up to eleven and more from putting together a piece that works for both die hard fans and those just coming to Baroness for the very first time. They also are not pulling any punches discussing the aftermath of a horrific bus accident the band suffered while on tour in England. This album is about coping with that trauma and the damage that one experiences on the other side.

With all the instrumentation that is going on you really need a tight production so things don't get lost in the mix. Unfortunately that is not the case with this record. The singers vocals are often buried under tons of guitar distortion, and when a really great guitar line comes the heavy bass just seems to gobble it up. The one thing you hear clean throughout is the drums. The one thing that cannot be taken away from this record is it's very organic feeling. You can hear right from the start that this music is coming from someones soul and not just a desire to play fast and loud. This album will not get the respect it deserves and it is really to bad. Don't miss Purple because you may just find your new favorite band.

8.1 out of 10