Baroness is an American
heavy metal band from
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
that has been active since 2003.
Its early members grew up together in
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...
. The band has undergone numerous lineup changes, with frontman
John Baizley serving as the sole constant throughout. Baizley creates the artwork for all of the group's albums and has done artwork for other bands.
History
Formative years (2003–2007)
Baroness formed in the summer of 2003 in
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
.
The original lineup consisted of guitarist and vocalist John Baizley, guitarist Tim Loose, bassist Summer Welch, and drummer Allen Blickle. Previously, John, Summer, Allen, and future-member Pete Adams had played together in a
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band called Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks. Much of the early Baroness material was written by John and Pete at a music store and later a small apartment in Savannah. "Tower Falls" was the first Baroness song written. Baroness'
demo was recorded in September 2003 by
Steve West of
Marble Valley and self-released by the band that same year. They began touring in the fall and gained the attention of independent record label Hyperrealist Records.
The group's debut
extended play
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
was recorded in November at The Jam Room Studio in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
with Phillip Cope of
Kylesa
Kylesa is an American sludge metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgia. Their music incorporates experimentalism with heavy riffs, Down-tuned guitar, drop-tuned guitars and elements of psychedelic rock. The group was established in 2001 by ...
, who produced Baroness' early recording sessions. The EP, titled ''
First
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
'', was released by Hyperrealist on August 3, 2004. The band recorded a follow-up EP, ''
Second
The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
'', which was released by Hyperrealist on September 5, 2005. That same year, Tim Loose was replaced on guitar by Brian Blickle (brother of drummer Allen Blickle). After touring
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
with the new lineup, Baroness reunited with Tim in the studio to record two final songs that would appear on a
split album
A split album (or split) is a music album that includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There are also singles and EPs of the same variety, which are often called "split singles" and "split EPs" respectively. Split albums differ from "v ...
with fellow Savannah-based band
Unpersons.
The album, ''
A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk
''A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk'' is a split album by American heavy metal bands Baroness and Unpersons. The album artwork, which was done by Baroness frontman John Baizley, was named MTV "album cover of the week" upon the record's release.
B ...
'', was released by At a Loss Recordings on June 26, 2007.
Relapse Records and ''Red Album'' (2007–2009)
Baroness started recording their first studio album at The Jam Room with Phillip Cope in March 2007. It was announced shortly after that the group had signed with
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an American independent record label based in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990. The label features many grindcore, death metal, metalcore and sludge metal artists.
History
The ...
. The band's first release on the label was a split
7" record with
High on Fire
High on Fire is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, also plays guitar for Sleep. High on Fire won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance with thei ...
and
Coliseum, to which Baroness contributed the song "O'Appalachia" from their upcoming album. Their debut full-length, ''
Red Album'', was released by Relapse on September 4, 2007. Hyperrealist also released a limited one-off pressing of the record on dark red vinyl with etched borders, of which there are 1000 copies. ''Red Album'' was met with positive reception, with
Heavy metal magazine ''
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
'' naming it the top album of the year.
On December 1, 2007, Baroness performed at New York City's
Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in Manhattan's Bowery neighborhood.
The venue has enjoyed a fabled reputation among musicians as well as audiences. In 2013, industry insiders polled by ''Roll ...
. The band's first
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
(for the song "Wanderlust") debuted on December 6 on ''
Headbangers Ball
''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consists of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obsc ...
''. Throughout the late 2000s, Baroness toured and shared the stage with many bands, including
Converge
Converge may refer to:
* Converge (band), American hardcore punk band
* Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body
* Limit (mathematics)
In mathematics, a limit is the value that a function (or sequence) app ...
,
The Red Chord, High on Fire,
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. The band incorporates folk music, folk, blues, classical music, classical, and jazz elements into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from deat ...
,
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. It consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), and Za ...
, Coliseum,
Mastodon
A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...
,
Minsk
Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
and
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...
. On September 20, 2008, the band announced that Brian Blickle had been replaced with guitarist and vocalist Pete Adams, who by that point was a member of
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...
. On October 5, 2008, Hyperrealist released ''First & Second'', a compilation album of remixed and remastered versions of the songs from the first two Baroness EPs.
''Blue Record'' (2009–2011)

On April 23, 2009, Baroness performed at the
Roadburn Festival
The Roadburn Festival is an annual music festival held each April in Tilburg, Netherlands. It was founded by Walter Hoeijmakers and Jurgen van den Brand in 1999, who ran a stoner rock blog of the same name.
The festival has been held at Tilburg ...
in
Tilburg
Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. In May, they entered The Track Studio in
Plano, Texas
Plano ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "flat surface" /'plano/) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, where it is the largest city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County. A small portion of Plano is located in Denton County, Texas, Denton Count ...
, to record their second full-length album. Produced by
John Congleton
John Congleton is a grammy winning American record producer, engineer, mixer, writer and musician.
In addition to his production work, Congleton has fronted the alternative rock band The Paper Chase, and writes music for a newer project entitl ...
, ''
Blue Record'' was released via Relapse on October 13, 2009. Material from their Roadburn performance was included as a bonus disc on the deluxe edition of the album, while the Japanese release features a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of the
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in Manhattan Beach, California, in 1977, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson (musician), Bill Stevenson as a power pop/surf music, surf punk band. I ...
song "Bikeage". ''Blue Record'' debuted at number 1 on the
''Billboard'' Heatseekers chart and reached 117 on the
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
. It was named ''
Decibel Magazine
''Decibel'' is a monthly heavy metal magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media since September 2004. It is currently the only monthly metal music magazine published in North America. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Revi ...
'' top record of the year,
and would later be named the 20th "Greatest Metal Album in History" by ''
LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...
''. Roughly six months after ''Blue Record'' was released, Baroness signed an agreement to be represented by
Q Prime Management.
In February and March 2010, Baroness played at the Australian
Soundwave Festival alongside bands such as Clutch,
Isis
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
,
Meshuggah
Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drumm ...
,
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...
and
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
.
They toured Japan that March with Isis, supported Mastodon on their 2010 US headlining tour, and supported
Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
later that same year. John Baizley filled in for Mastodon guitarist
Bill Kelliher
William Breen Kelliher (born March 23, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Mastodon (band), Mastodon, and being the only band member who doesn't share the lead vocal duty (exc ...
on certain dates when he was unavailable. Baroness also performed at the
Coachella
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
and
Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment.
Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...
festivals and was selected along with
Lamb of God
Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
as a support act for
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
on their late-2010 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Through Relapse, Baroness released its first
single, "A Horse Called Golgotha," on August 31. The 7" record includes their cover of the Descendents song "Bikeage" as a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
. By 2011, John Baizley had relocated from Savannah, Georgia to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
.
''Yellow & Green'' and bus crash (2011–2013)
Baroness took a break from touring in 2011 to work on new material. The band launched a new website on May 23
and performed at Virginia's Best Friends Day festival in late August. Shortly after the festival, founding bassist Summer Welch left Baroness.
They entered the studio as a three-piece and recorded their next album in November and December 2011. John Congleton again produced the record, while John Baizley performed the bass parts in addition to his usual guitar and vocal duties. In January 2012, former Unpersons bassist Matt Maggioni began working with Baroness as the band prepared for their next touring cycle. The new album's lead single, "
Take My Bones Away," was released in May along with an album teaser. A second single, "
March to the Sea," followed one month later. The double album ''
Yellow & Green'' was released through Relapse on July 17, 2012. The album charted at 30 on the Billboard 200, the highest debut in Relapse Records' history, and it was named the top metal album of the year by both ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' and ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles
* Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
.''
Just days before its release, the band performed songs from ''Yellow & Green'' live in
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC sound studios, of which five are in regular use, in Delaware Road, Maida Vale, west London.
It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, ...
for
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's Rock Show with
Daniel P. Carter.
While touring Europe on August 15, 2012, nine passengers were injured when the German-registered bus in which the band was traveling fell from a
viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...
near
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
, England. Emergency services were called to Brassknocker Hill in
Monkton Combe
Monkton Combe is a village and civil parish in north Somerset, England, south of Bath. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Tucking Mill, had a population of 554 in 2013. It was formerly known as Combe, owing to its geography, while it wa ...
after the coach fell 30 ft (9m).
Avon Fire and Rescue Service said the incident happened at 11:30
BST; because of heavy rain and reduced visibility, it was not possible for an
air ambulance
Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation an ...
to land. Emergency services said two people were transported to
Frenchay Hospital in Bristol while seven others went to the
Royal United Hospital in Bath. As a result of the crash, frontman John Baizley suffered a broken arm and leg on his left side, while Allen Blickle and Matt Maggioni each suffered fractured vertebrae. Pete Adams was treated and released from the hospital the day after the accident. Baroness canceled their remaining tour dates while the other members spent months recovering from their injuries.
Recovery and line-up changes (2013–2015)
Not long after the accident, it became apparent that Matt Maggioni and Allen Blickle would not remain with Baroness.
By early 2013, they were replaced by
Trans Am drummer
Sebastian Thomson and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
bassist Nick Jost.
Sebastian's first rehearsal with Baroness took place on January 20, while Nick's occurred on March 24. In January 2013, John Baizley joined
Converge
Converge may refer to:
* Converge (band), American hardcore punk band
* Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body
* Limit (mathematics)
In mathematics, a limit is the value that a function (or sequence) app ...
onstage in Philadelphia to perform their song "Coral Blue." The next day, John and Pete Adams opened for
Neurosis
Neurosis (: neuroses) is a term mainly used today by followers of Freudian thinking to describe mental disorders caused by past anxiety, often that has been repressed. In recent history, the term has been used to refer to anxiety-related con ...
as a stripped-down version of Baroness, playing "Foolsong" from ''Yellow & Green''. John performed an acoustic set and artwork exhibition from March 14 to 16 at SXSW in Austin, Texas. In addition, Baroness made plans to perform at festivals such as Chaos in Tejas, Free Press Summer Festival, and Heavy MTL in Montreal, Quebec.
On March 25, 2013, a statement on Baroness' website officially announced that Matt Maggioni and Allen Blickle had left the group. This made John Baizley the sole remaining original member.
A week later, the first leg of Baroness' 2013 US Headlining Tour was announced, as was the addition of Sebastian Thomson and Nick Jost to the band.
The new lineup began a US tour in May and started a started a European tour in September. ''
Live at Maida Vale'', an EP consisting of audio from Baroness’ 2012 performance at Maida Vale Studios, became the group's final release through Relapse in July 2013.
After nearly a year on the road, Baroness began writing a new album in early 2014. They also performed at that year's Soundwave Festival in
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung/ or ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia, after Sydney. The city's name generally refers to a metropolitan area also known ...
.
Abraxan Hymns and ''Purple'' (2015–2017)
Baroness' fourth album, ''
Purple
Purple is a color similar in appearance to violet light. In the RYB color model historically used in the arts, purple is a secondary color created by combining red and blue pigments. In the CMYK color model used in modern printing, purple is ...
'', was recorded in 2015 with producer
Dave Fridmann
David Lawrence Fridmann is an American record producer and musician.
Career
From 1990 onwards he co-produced most releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips. Other bands he has worked with include Weezer, Saxon Shore (band), Saxon Shore, Neon ...
at Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York. On August 28, 2015, Towards the end of a two-week European tour, "Chlorine & Wine" was released as the album's first single. The band also announced that ''Purple'' would be released on their own newly formed record label, Abraxan Hymns. On September 24, Baroness released the official music video for "Chlorine & Wine" and announced a North American small venue tour for the fall. On November 15, the band released the single "
Shock Me", which debuted on BBC Radio 1's Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter. The song reached number 28 on the U.S.
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...
chart and was later nominated for the
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
at the
59th Annual Grammy Awards
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year ...
.
''Purple'' was released through Abraxan Hymns on December 18, 2015. The album was included at number 23 on ''Rock Sound''s Top 50 Releases of 2015 list and at number 7 on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
s Best Metal Albums of 2015 list. It also peaked at number 2 on the
Hard Rock Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
chart and topped the
Independent Albums
The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' mag ...
chart.
Two more singles were released on December 12, 2017, and both feature alternate recordings as B-sides. "Try to Disappear" includes a live version of the song from a 2016 performance at Los Angeles's
Fonda Theatre
The Fonda Theatre (formerly Music Box Theatre, Guild Theatre, Fox Theatre, and Pix Theatre) is a concert venue located on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, Spanish Colonial Rev ...
, while "Morningstar" features a demo version of the track. All four singles from ''Purple'' were released as 12"
picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone record, gramophone (phonograph) records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or colored vinyl. Collectors traditionally reserve the term picture disc for records with graphics ...
s with illustrations by artist Marald Van Haasteren.
''Gold & Grey'' (2017–2020)
On April 21, 2017, Baroness performed for the second time at the Roadburn Festival, for which John Baizley was the curator. On April 26, in an interview in
Teamrock
''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
, Baizley said that they had begun writing material for their fifth studio album, stating: "We've started writing a few tunes that we're working on. The really cool thing now is that Sebastian and Nick have been in the band long enough that they understand what we do." On June 1, 2017, it was announced that Pete Adams had left the band to stay closer to home and focus on
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...
. His final concert with Baroness was the group's Roadburn Festival performance six weeks prior. Pete was replaced by guitarist and vocalist Gina Gleason, who had been rehearsing with the band since May.
In 2018, Baroness recorded their fifth album, ''
Gold & Grey'', with producer Dave Fridmann. On March 9, 2019, the band began teasing the new record. Three days later, they released the album art on their social media accounts, saying, "This painting was born from a deeply personal reflection on the past 12 years of this band's history, and will stand as the 6th and final piece in our chromatically-themed records." The tracks "Borderlines," "Seasons," and "Throw Me an Anchor" were all released as digital singles, and "Front Toward Enemy" debuted as part of
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
's ''Metal Swim 2'' compilation. Shortly after playing a
K! Pit show, the band released ''Gold & Grey'' via Abraxan Hymns on June 14, 2019. The album was received very well, achieving a score of 91 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
with 14 reviews.
It peaked at 5 on the ''Billboard''
Top Album Sales
The Top Album Sales is a music chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine listing each week's top-selling albums in the United States. The chart has been published since December 13, 2014, although the magazine also retrospectively recognize ...
chart, 2 on the
Hard Rock Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
chart, 2 on the
Vinyl Albums chart, and it topped the
Independent Albums
The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' mag ...
chart.
Your Baroness Tour and ''Stone'' (2020–present)
In a September 2020 interview with ''
MetalSucks
MetalSucks is an American heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock ...
'', Baizley noted that Baroness had written approximately 30 new songs for their sixth studio album. He said, "We started doing Zoom meetings every Monday night, and mostly that's because we've been writing since March or April. We're talking about new stuff we're doing, which is all file sharing, all trading elements of songs, and
e'rehoping when we get together that they congeal." By November, Baroness had begun recording their sixth studio album at a rented vacation home in
Barryville, New York. On November 27, 2020, the band released the EP ''
Live at Maida Vale – Vol. II'' through their label. The release includes songs from ''Gold & Grey'' which were recorded live in Maida Vale Studios the previous year. Originally an exclusive vinyl release for
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...
, it was later made available digitally.
In 2021, the band began the "Your Baroness" tour in North America. It was a by-request show, with fans voting on which songs they wanted to be performed. The tour continued into 2022, where they played shows in Europe and North America with bands such as
Kvelertak
is a Norwegian Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Stavanger, formed in 2007. The group comprises vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen, guitarists Vidar Landa and Maciek Ofstad, bassist Marvin Nygaard and drummer Håvard Takle Ohr. Founding member and ...
, Mastodon,
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin ...
, and Lamb of God. On March 11, 2022, former Baroness guitarist Brian Blickle joined the band on stage to play "Isak" at the Golden Pony in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In June 2023, the band officially announced their self-produced sixth album, ''
Stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
''. They shared the album's lead single, "Last Word", and announced a North American tour with support acts including
Sheer Mag,
Jesus Piece,
Portrayal of Guilt and
Primitive Man. On July 14, the band unveiled the single "Beneath the Rose" and its corresponding music video. On August 18, the band released the third single "Shine". On September 15, 2023, ''Stone'' was released via Abraxan Hymns to positive reviews. The deluxe and Japanese editions of the album include bonus live tracks recorded during the "Your Baroness" tour. To promote the album, Baroness embarked on another North American tour following its release.
Musical style
Baroness play a mix of heavy metal styles, including
sludge
Sludge (possibly , or some dialect related to slush) is a semi-solid slurry that can be produced from a range of industrial processes, from water treatment, wastewater treatment or on-site sanitation systems. It can be produced as a settled sus ...
,
progressive,
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...
, and
post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal music, heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis (band), Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture (music), te ...
.
''Pitchfork'' has described the band's sound as "
rock music
Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...
that folds in... more metal leanings, along with something more delicate and spare." ''Invisible Oranges'' called Baroness "a band of extremes" and said, "within a single record—sometimes a single song—they lash out in pummeling guitars and
punk-rock screams, then drop into finger-picked acoustic guitar reminiscent of
bluegrass and
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
. Their music fuses the meticulousness of prog-metal with the warm, lazy embrace of
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
."
Members
Current members
*
John Baizley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion ; bass
*
Sebastian Thomson – drums
* Nick Jost – bass, keyboards, additional backing vocals
* Gina Gleason – lead guitar, backing vocals
Former members
* Allen Blickle – drums ; keyboards
* Summer Welch – bass, backing vocals
* Tim Loose – lead guitar
* Brian Blickle – lead guitar
* Pete Adams – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Matt Maggioni – bass
Timeline
Discography
;Studio albums
*''
Red Album'' (2007)
*''
Blue Record'' (2009)
*''
Yellow & Green'' (2012)
*''
Purple
Purple is a color similar in appearance to violet light. In the RYB color model historically used in the arts, purple is a secondary color created by combining red and blue pigments. In the CMYK color model used in modern printing, purple is ...
'' (2015)
*''
Gold & Grey'' (2019)
*''
Stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
'' (2023)
Accolades
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, -
,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, , "
Shock Me" , ,
Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
, ,
Heavy Music Awards
, -
, 2020 , , ''
Gold & Grey'' , , Best Album Artwork , ,
, -
, 2024 , , ''
Stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
'' , , Best Album Artwork , ,
''Kerrang!'' Awards''
, -
, 2016 , , ''
Purple
Purple is a color similar in appearance to violet light. In the RYB color model historically used in the arts, purple is a secondary color created by combining red and blue pigments. In the CMYK color model used in modern printing, purple is ...
'' , , Best Album , ,
''Loudwire'' Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="4" , 2012 , , ''
Yellow & Green'' , , Rock Album of the Year , ,
, -
, Baroness , , Rock Band of the Year , ,
, -
, "
March to the Sea" , , Rock Song of the Year , ,
, -
,
John Baizley , , Rock Titan of the Year , ,
, -
, 2016 , , ''
Purple
Purple is a color similar in appearance to violet light. In the RYB color model historically used in the arts, purple is a secondary color created by combining red and blue pigments. In the CMYK color model used in modern printing, purple is ...
'' , , Best Rock Album , ,
''Metal Hammer'' Golden Gods Awards
, -
, 2008 , , ''
Red Album'' , , Incoming! Best Band , ,
''Metal Storm'' Awards
, -
, 2009 , , ''
Blue Record'' , , Best Sludge / Stoner Metal Album , ,
, -
, 2012 , , ''
Yellow & Green'' , , Best Sludge / Stoner Metal Album , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2015 , , rowspan="2" , ''
Purple
Purple is a color similar in appearance to violet light. In the RYB color model historically used in the arts, purple is a secondary color created by combining red and blue pigments. In the CMYK color model used in modern printing, purple is ...
'' , , Best Sludge / Stoner Metal Album
, ,
, -
, Best Album Artwork
, ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2019 , , rowspan="2" , ''
Gold & Grey'' , , Best Stoner Metal Album
, ,
, -
, Best Album Artwork
, ,
, -
, 2023 , , ''
Stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
'' , , Best Album Artwork
, ,
Year end lists
*''
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
'' named ''Red Album'' the top metal album of 2007
*''
Decibel
The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a Power, root-power, and field quantities, power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whos ...
'' named ''Blue Record'' the top album of 2009
*''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' and ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles
* Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' named ''Yellow & Green'' the top metal album of 2012
References
External links
Official website*
*
at
Relapse
In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or r ...
(archived)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baroness
2003 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
American alternative metal musical groups
American progressive metal musical groups
American sludge metal musical groups
American stoner rock musical groups
Heavy metal musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state)
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Savannah, Georgia
Musical quartets from Georgia (U.S. state)
Relapse Records artists