Crossroads Of Infinity
When it gets to mid-December and a band releases an album which single-handily stirs Editors up and down the country into panic when it comes to those all important end of year lists (we all take them VERY seriously you’ll be pleased to hear) then you know you’re on to something special. The anticipation for this Baroness record has been rising like the kraken recently, almost to a point where slight concerns arose in the corner of your mind as to whether they’d actually be able to live up to the hype. Well, needless to say, those slight concerns will be dropped in to the abyss as soon as you give Purple a play.
This is an album which was written and recorded in the aftermath of emotions surrounding the almost fatal tour bus crash whilst in the UK in 2012. As a band it understandably took some time to get over this frightening near-death experience, but with the support of the whole Heavy music community, Baroness rose up and have ended up producing a career defining record. Considering the fact that Baizley himself has spoken quite openly about the dark period getting over the bus crash incident but as an album it doesn’t wallow in this, instead feeling like a powerful statement from a band granted a second chance.
Previous Baroness records have all been great, Yellow & Green for example catapulted them into the consciousness of so many new people, but with Purple there is such a heightened intelligence, power and brilliance in their song writing it could be set to launch them even further. You’ll be quick to draw comparisons to Mastodon with this new record, but it’s no exaggeration to suggest that Baroness are actually bettering Mastodon, in some parts, in their new approach of writing shorter, punchier songs a la The Hunter or Once More ‘Round The Sun.
It’s been difficult over the years to box Baroness in to a certain subgenre (which in our books, is a good thing), and that’s been made even harder with Purple. We’ve got the Sludge and Doom-y heaviness in droves, but it expands so much further than that. The Proggy elements come to the fore a lot on Purple but never to the detriment of the underlying heaviness. Both Morningstar and Shock Me pound your senses almost immediately, leaving you fully invested in to what else is coming up on the album. Most records have a slight lull, but this never happens with Purple. You’ll be six tracks in, bouncing your head to Chlorine & Wine and you’ll get this enormous sense that you just don’t want this listening experience to end. Technically sound throughout, it is important to appreciate the fact that they’ve produced this record with two new members in the band. John Baizley of course continues to lead the way, with his performance alone being particularly special as his vocals stretch impressively on top of some of the best riffs he has ever written. Sebastian Thomson, from Post-Rock outfit Trans Am, has picked up duties on the drums, already well and truly stamping his authority throughout.
Overall then, to the delight of so many, Baroness have followed on from Yellow & Green with an album which could very well define the rest of their career. As people, and as a band, they’ve stared death in the face and come back with an album full of tracks which are not only technically brilliant, but catchy as fuck as well. Well played Baroness, you’re definitely one of our albums of the year.