Baroness have been one of music's best kept secrets. With the release of their first record, an EP titled First last year, some ears began to perk up and some eyes were opened. Now, with their sophomore effort, Second, everybody who is anybody has taken notice to this Georgia band who are looking to take the metal scene by storm.
Right away with this record, they start you off with one of the best songs of the year by any band, 'Red Sky.' The shortest of the three songs on this record, clocking in around five and a half minutes, it grabs you by the balls from the very beginning with a guitar line you're sure to have stuck in your head for days before a thunderous growl is released over staccato guitars and drums. The song's chorus is tantamount to a volcano being released over a city the size of New York. The second verse has the music clear out a bit for the vocals, which are a very high point of this band, especially since they are used so sparsely throughout the record. When the band breaks from the verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure, they stray way out of reach. Guitars wailing, drums pounding away, until they let up right before your heart bursts. You see a lot of bands try and incorporate very contrasting dynamics these days and Baroness is no exception, except for the fact that they do it so well. All this and it's only the first song!
The following two songs, while not of the calibur of the first, are fine songs in their own right. 'Son of Sun' is a meandering piece is constantly starting and stopping in the beginning to make room for drum fills as the drums grow larger and larger. The music reaches an apex before falling into the first awkward transition of the record. It works ok, but there are a couple strange transitions that feel a bit rushed. The band is barely out of infancy so I suspect things like this will work itself out in time. When the vocals are released, the song is so wide open, it feels like it'll swallow you whole until the guitars and drums fall apart into nothingness. It then has it's second weird transition into a part that just seems to be pushed into the song. From here on, it feels like a completely different song and some of the parts fit well and others don't. Again, with time, writing will become more comfortable I'm sure and these awkward transitions will be ironed out.
'Vision' is the longest song at over seven and a half minutes. It's a rather large build up with some psychedelic feeling parts and some low tuned crushing parts. Vocals are hardly used but their addition is very welcome. The songs feels wide open all the way until when everything gets quiet and the two guitars are harmonizing and you feel it constricting more and more until the record ends, leaving you wanting more.
Baroness are certainly a band on the move. Stories of their live show are always filled with a feeling of complete fulfillment on the part of the attendee. If these first two records are any indication to what a full length might be, expect nothing but great things.
