Review Summary: Back from the dead, Baroness craft their most consistent group of songs yet, combining stoner riffs with sing-along choruses for a new and inventive shade to add to their metal palette.
Purple: the color of mystery. Purple can symbolize royalty, it can symbolize wealth. It can mean extravagance. But purple can also refer to power. Combining the aggressiveness of red, as well as the calm and relaxing aspects of blue, purple can lead to an explosive and enticing blend of feelings. Such is the case on Baroness’ latest release.
Baroness might not have even had the chance to make this record. When their bus crashed in 2012, severely injuring several members, and causing half the band to permanently quit, it seemed like the end of a run for a group just starting to gain some momentum and make their mark. Many people believed there was no chance Baroness could return from such a tragedy. These people were mistaken. Back from the dead, Baroness have crafted their most consistent group of songs yet, combining stoner riffs with sing-along choruses for a new and inventive shade to add to their metal palette.
Out of the gate, the band come thundering in with heavy hitters. The opening one-two punch of
Morningrise and
Shock Me deliver monstrous riffs, with refrains that will pack arenas and have the audience chanting along time and time again. On these tracks, John Baizley’s vocals are infectious. He has learned to corral his voice to include tuneful emotion in addition to the gruff and heavy demeanor he already possesses. On tracks such as
Kerosene and
Desperation Burns, his voice is charismatic, and he belts his line delivery in a way that sounds extremely rejuvenated. The drums pound along with these songs, while the guitars crunch and chug throughout, ready to erupt at a moment’s notice.
The vocals are the biggest part on one of the album’s highlights,
Try to Disappear. This track is similar to
Take My Bones Away off Baroness’ previous record,
Yellow and Green, in that Baizley simply takes over the song from the very beginning. He croons over the strumming guitars and melodic keyboards in the verse, and then explodes suddenly to an alert chorus, including enough melody and power that it instantly gets stuck in the listener’s head. The way in which the lyrics are sung, they sound almost cheerful. However, lines such as
“As my lungs inflate, you helped me suffocate” are haunting enough to invoke discomfort and and thought into the listener’s mind, allowing them to question what Baizley is actually referring to.
While not as experimental as their previous release, Baroness still try out new things, rather than stick to a standard formula on each song. Two of the better songs on
Purple stray from the norm, in fact. Album-closer (technically)
If I Have To Wake Up pours out its emotion with each note. Starting out in a somber and ominous way, Baizley abruptly soars through the haze of synthesizers and guitars. The song carries a jazzy feel through its verses, with the drums playing a choppy (in a good way) rhythm to propel the song to more climactic moments. The vocals are empowering, and the ingenious use of a glockenspiel adds just the slightest touch to make the power-ballad one of the album highlights. On the other side, lead single and centerpiece of the album,
Chlorine and Wine, oozes with pain and sorrow. The lyrics depict the band members lying in hospital beds following their accident, with their minds scarred, begging for any taste of relief. Baizley throws everything he has into the song with his vocals, while he and Peter Adams’ guitar licks run freely throughout the track, ranging from soft and melodic interludes to exhilarating riffs. The song builds momentum throughout, and erupts in the final two minutes, with each band member chanting at the top of their lungs, crying out for someone to help them. It's a heartbreaking song, and one that would not be so inspiring if its subject matter wasn't so graphic. Baroness prove they have something special with this song, and aren't just a run of the mill stoner band.
The songs on
Purple feel purposeful, and are full of new found energy and passion from the band. On this album, Baroness don't know the meaning of the word “filler”, as every song is well constructed and memorable. Just about all of them could be added into their live set. Combining the aggressiveness of their riffs and drumming with the power and melody in the choruses, Baroness construct a well-balanced “purple” record, full of charm, poise, and relief. Purple is a color of fresh bruises, but on this album Baroness show their bruises beginning to heal, giving way to life and enthusiasm for their journey away from their trauma.
Recommended Songs
Try to Disappear
Chlorine and Wine
If I Have To Wake Up
Shock Me
