There isn't exactly a plethora of
metal bands in the early 21st century that are eager to mix
indie rock sounds into their
noise, which makes the Savannah, GA-based quartet
Baroness stand out from the overcrowded metallic pack. On their first-ever full-length release (and first for the
Relapse label), 2007's
The Red Album, the riffs are quite reminiscent of guitar-driven, post-
hardcore bands out of the mid-'90s (a style which would later serve as the basis for
emo bands several years later), while singer/guitarist
John Baizley only knows one way to vocalize: holler, holler, holler. Think a more metallic
Fugazi or
Sunny Day Real Estate, and you're not far off from the brand of
rock & roll that
Baroness specializes in, as evidenced by such standouts as
"The Birthing" and
"Wanderlust." The Red Album shows that
Baroness is one of a select number of acts that manage to be both mathematical and melodic at the same time. ~ Greg Prato