- Country: United States
- Style: Sludge metal / Progressive metal
- Label: Abraxan Hymns
- Release date: 18 December 2015
It would have been forgivable if Baroness had come back cautious. The 2012 bus crash nearly ended the band, the rhythm section changed completely, and Purple arrived on their own new label, Abraxan Hymns, with a lot riding on it. Instead the opening riff of “Morningstar” comes in like a door kicked off its hinges.
New drummer Sebastian Thomson and bassist Nick Jost are the secret weapon. Thomson plays with a restless, almost jazz-trained push, and Jost gives the low end a bounce the band never quite had before. On “Shock Me” and “Desperation Burns” that combination turns John Baizley’s big, open-throated melodies into the catchiest songs Baroness have written.
Dave Fridmann recorded the album at Tarbox Road Studios, and his production is loud, saturated and occasionally right on the edge of distortion. It suits the mood. “Chlorine & Wine” builds slowly, almost hymn-like, before its huge final swell, and “If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)” is as close to a ballad as they get without going soft.
Ten tracks, closing with a tiny coda in “Crossroads of Infinity”. It is lean, direct and full of hurt that never turns into self-pity. Easily one of the year’s best.
Best tracks:
Morningstar
Shock Me
Chlorine & Wine
Desperation Burns
If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)
Author’s rating: 9.1/10
