In 2012, a nearly fatal bus accident left Baroness’s future seemingly in shambles. The band has since fully recovered, although not without replacing their bassist and drummer, and for the first time since the accident are releasing a new album, “Purple.”
The album’s gorgeous artwork points towards what this LP is about. The nymphs’ torture signals the band won’t ever forget their painful past, but the centerpiece flower reveals a cautious optimism and a new appreciation for life. “Purple” perfectly captures this with its music; unfortunately, the production hinders the entire experience.
Baroness has written a heavy yet accessible album, perfect for metalheads and general rock fans alike. They clearly wear their Mastodon influences on their sleeves, overlaying thick and sludgy riffs for a massive wall of sound while balancing it out with the softer post-metal mentality of Isis. These quieter moments, alongside frontman John Baizley’s gruff yet clean vocal delivery, inject each track with more than enough melody for fans of alternative rock to sink their teeth into. Tracks like “Try to Disappear” and “Desperation Burns” move back and forth between massive riffs, heavy bridges and hook-filled choruses with ease. Every track features one of these massive choruses, but Baroness’s intensity never shies away from the torments of the accident. This is the brilliance of “Purple”— it juggles all of these emotions without ever losing its energy or fun factor.
This sound wouldn’t benefit from a slick Foo Fighters production, as its sludge metal influences rely on an overwhelmingly fuzzy sound, blending instruments together into a massive whirlwind of groove. Baroness opted for compression to replicate this sound, but instead it sounds like it was pulled straight out of the Loudness Wars. No instruments escape the ensuing clipping. Drummer Sebastian Thomson’s stellar performance especially suffers, as each pound on the skins is lost in the sea of compression. Shoegaze groups like the fuzzy Pity Sex sound better than this record.
This production often completely undermines Baroness’s songwriting. Take album highlight “Chlorine & Wine,” which spends several minutes slowly building up in intensity and volume. As it continues introducing riffs, they are buried in static, while ear-piercingly loud guitar leads haphazardly jump out and sear the listener’s ears. Instead of the intended build-up with a solid sense of dynamics, the song awkwardly shifts around in volume.
“Purple” is ultimately too well-written for this to ruin the entire experience, however. In the band’s best moments, like the hypnotic, groovy bridge in “The Iron Bell,” the production gives way to some serious jams as every bandmate plays his heart out. Although production doesn’t define an album’s quality, it needs to be harmonious with the music to fully realize the band’s potential. Otherwise, one risks ending up with a “Purple” -- brilliant, but messy.
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