ALBUM REVIEW: Gold & Grey – Baroness
BARONESS are one of the most consistent bands that modern metal has at its disposal. Having pumped out record after record at an enviously high standard for well over a decade now, the Georgia rockers are poised to return and polish the bar they’ve already set way above head height. Continuing the band’s long affiliation with colour themed album titles, Gold & Grey becomes the latest instalment in a long line of poly chromatic releases, promising the kind of sweeping riffs and cathartic melody that the band notoriously write so well.
With a run time of an hour, Gold & Grey allows plenty of opportunity for us to indulge upon the dense composition, and as opener Front Towards Enemy prepares our palette, we can rest easy knowing that the BARONESS we know and love is back, in good kilter. It provides a bouncing start to the album, setting a lively pace and holding it right through to I’m Already Gone, a soulful track that aches with the feel of an expulsive balled. Vocally, it feels like a WHITE LIES track – or at least some similarly emotive indie band – while the mesmerising guitar passages cut straight through to the soul.
As we plough Seasons, Sevens, and Tourniquet in quick succession, we hear more dreamlike waves of instrumentation, built carefully from neat cymbal work and elegant guitar. The album doesn’t feel overly ambitious, yet the pristine finish gives a professional and proficient impression. BARONESS have never done anything by halves, and the fact that they maintain such a high level of detail across 17 tracks speaks for itself. Throw Me An Anchor and it’s prelude Anchor’s Lament don’t rewrite the rulebook, instead they grip the tried and tested BARONESS sound with both hands and run with it. Perhaps they could be a little more progressive, but they appear firm believers of the age old philosophy – if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
Cue swaying lighters, as delectable piano soars through the beginning of I’d Do Anything, before those soulful vocals float back into the mix and encase the track in a blanket of poignancy. “I’d do anything to feel like I’m alive again,” becomes the main lyrical hook – one that grips the listener by the throat with its impactful nature. Emmett – Radiating Light and Cold-Blooded Angels continue the surge of sentiment, taking an acoustic approach before the latter builds into a spiral of typical BARONESS wizardry. On the contrary, Crooked Mile picks the pace back up, as chugging riffs backdrop flamboyant drums and yet more soulful vocals. Culminating in a mesmerising blend of synth and nomadic solos, it breathes sturdy life back into the album and boasts some of the record’s strongest playing.
Can Oscura is a 2-minute instrumental interlude that bridges the gap into Borderlines, a robust excerpt that encapsulates the best of Gold & Grey in a single track. Jazzy basslines, towering riffs and stadium-sized choruses compete for space and together complete a masterclass. Another interlude merges into the closing track Pale Sun, a bass driven number that flows comfortably towards the final notes of the album. Success is hard to find, but it is even more difficult to maintain. That is the task that BARONESS have accomplished here, having written an album that not only stands proud of its own accord, but also fits seamlessly into the bigger picture. Let’s hope they are making music for a long time to come, because the ideas have far from dried up; Gold & Grey is more than a testament to that.
Rating: 8/10
Gold & Grey is out now via Abraxan Hymns.
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