2023-09-15 07:00:34
(c) Ebru Yildiz
What happens when you throw expectations out the window? Baroness Either way, they think very little of repeating themselves. Each album is different from its predecessor, the musical journey since the beginning has been and is spectacular. For their latest caper, the line-up remained stable for the first time, and they also recorded and produced themselves – just the four of them in a house in the mountains for a month. The plates named following colors are also over, but it can be done „Stone“ actually, to stand like a rock?
Two purely acoustic, thematically linked songs – conceptual art is not neglected in Baroness – frame the album, with guitarist Gina Gleason, who otherwise contributes the second vocal, even taking the lead in “Bloom”. The mystical basic atmosphere, coupled with campfire reduction, is out of the ordinary. At the latest with the powerful drum volleys of “Last Word” everything is vanity once more. Virtuoso drums, pressing bass line, strong guitars and John Baizley at his best – it can sometimes be that simple. Musically, more than ever, they indulge in proggy sounds, more metallic than ever, interspersed with psychedelic ideas. Gleason’s solo lets every fretboard smoke and crowns this little epic.
This is how a triumphant march begins in installments, because it takes a long time until the sum of the individual parts comes together. “Magnolia” shows the way, lingering for two minutes in folky natural romance. An imaginary switch is thrown, the Baroness’s bulwark builds up, the arrangement undulates. Several small molts, classic prog breaks and warm-hearted sound loops search for the highest of feelings. A “Beneath The Rose” hints at classic sludge riffs, only to reinterpret that crunch, explore new shores, open the door to the beauty of the moment. The short, crisp “Anodyne” surprises with stoner riffing and longing, before “Shine” immediately opens the door to eternal madness. At the latest when clear guitars become the driving force of the second half, everything is in vain.
A lot of patience becomes a valuable virtue when this miracle bag finally blossoms. Baroness has never sounded so classically proggy, even though the ideas involved are anything but new. The close interlinking of the individual tracks works, and it also helped audibly to proceed on your own, with the exception of the mix. Not only does creativity get its deserved free rein here, the production sounds better than ever and finally moves away from the strenuous overcontrol of its predecessors. In addition, the line-up seems more solid than ever and coordinated with one another. Strong musicians, strong songwriters, strong concept: “Stone” is the next gigantic high-flyer from Baroness.
Rating: 9/10
Available from: September 15, 2023
Available via: Abraxan Hymns / ADA (Warner Music)
Website: yourbaroness.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourBaroness
Slider-Pic (c) Ebru Yildiz
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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#Baroness #Stone