Album Review: Baroness - Gold & Grey

I would like to think all that matters when it comes to music is the music itself, that we can look beyond the individual performances, and the recordings, to hear the core of the song. That's what we should be judging, not everything else. Of course, that's not how things work in the real world. When we listen to records, we have to consider everything about what we're hearing, because sometimes we're not allowed access to the core of the songs. Sometimes, we are locked out by a band that, either by choice or by lack of talent, puts up a wall between their music and the audience.

That's what happened with the previous Baroness album. "Purple" was a record I thought was fantastic when I first heard it. The arrival was late in the year, and I didn't have much time to digest it, but it was so strong I gave it a slot on my top ten list that year. What I couldn't have known is that the issue I had at the time with the record would become overwhelming. Since writing that list, I have not listened to "Purple" a single time, nor have I wanted to. Despite the record being excellent, the listening experience is so dreadful I have no desire to revisit it.

That record was even worse than "Death Magnetic" as the embodiment of The Loudness War. Baroness pushed everything so far past its limits the entire record was awash in audible distortion, the guitars and vocals shrill and buzzing as the limits of technology cut off a significant portion of the sound waves. It literally hurts to listen to that music for more than a few minutes at a time, and it was fully intentional. I can't imagine the band, the producer, the mixer, and the label all suffering the same kind of hearing loss that would allow them to not hear what I did. They put out a record that intentionally sounded like garbage, which led to serious questions about how they would move forward.

The answer is that they haven't. The first thing notable about "Gold & Grey" is that the sound is just as bad as purple, audibly distorted at every turn. The guitars can barely be made out above the clipping, which makes them the least heavy guitars I've ever heard in my life. All the work the band put into these songs is for naught, as the details might as well not exist. You get a vocal singing over noise, or a lead guitar so far out in front there's nothing else to the mix. Balance is completely absent, and it gets old before the first song is over, let alone the entire hour long run time.

"I'm Already Gone" is supposed to be a softer song with a spacey atmosphere, but the mix muffles what could be a really good track by not giving the instruments any room to breathe. The guitar figures in the background could be adding texture, but they are swallowed by the wash of distortion. Music that is supposed to be deep is reduced to surface-level. It's a waste, and a shame. Like "Purple", there is good and interesting music on this record, but I can't hear it. Or at least I can't hear it without feeling like I have a migraine coming on.

The music here is a nice blend that retains the sludge Baroness started out in, but has melodic and progressive elements that expand in directions both unique and captivating. With bellowing vocals and powerful arrangements, Baroness is far more interesting a band, to me, than Mastodon are. They both tread in the same style of dirty yet accessible rock/metal, but Baroness does it with a deeper sense of feeling. This album, along with "Purple", would absolutely win me over to a genre I'm not a fan of. It would, if not for everything I've already said.

"Tourniquet" is absolutely amazing. Building from a dreamy acoustic section (the lone but on the record that sounds good) to a roaring full band epic, it's five minutes of music that does everything it can to prove Baroness' chops. It's the complete opposite of "Throw Me An Anchor", which is short and damn catchy, but both can sit side-by-side on the record and work together. Baroness is writing the best music of their career.

Which is why I could say something more positive here. I want to tell you this album is a must-hear, but I would be lying if I did. Not because the album doesn't deserve praise, but because I don't want to hear it again, even though I think it's great. I'm not exaggerating when I say halfway through the record, I felt like I was getting a migraine. It became actually painful to endure the rest in one sitting, which is perhaps the most damning thing I've ever said about an album.

I pretty much said the same thing when "Purple" came out, but I feel like I have no other choice now. Baroness is really good, and they're riding a winning streak, but unless there is an improvement in how they produce their records, this is probably the last time I'm going to give them a chance. Good or not, no music is worth feeling pain to listen to.

So there's what you need to know about "Gold & Grey". It's a great record that I can't listen to. Maybe my ears are too sensitive. Maybe you won't notice the problems I do. If so, good for you. You get to enjoy some good music. I'm not going to lie and say I'll be among you.