Author: JJ King
On June 14, 2019 the band Baroness released their album Gold & Grey which is a must listen for Progressive Rock fans!
Coming off of their 2015 release "Purple", Baroness continues to deliver with this latest album, bringing a unique blend of old school Rock & Roll and Progressive Rock (in line with bands such as Mastodon). Gold & Grey brought about the first Baroness album with guitarist/backing vocalist Gina Gleason, who certainly added some extra flavor to the band not only with her playing, but with her beautifully haunting backing vocals.
You'll hear Gina off and on throughout the entire album, but her presence is especially prevalent in the song "Tourniquet", which is without a doubt one of the top tracks on this release. This song has no shortage of passion and emotion thrown into it, which is immediately evident in the intro comprised of acoustic guitar and dual vocals between frontman John Baizley and Gina Gleason. It is with a combination of the lyrics and the expert way in which they delivered them, that makes the intro (and the song altogether) such a powerhouse on the album. After they grab your attention with the intro, they keep you drawn in when the entire band kicks in, gradually building and building, teasing you with tastes of different guitar licks and instrumental sections. All the way through the song, even through their polyrhythmic ending, they keep you wondering what is coming next, until there is no more, and you're wishing there were.
As a drummer, my favorite track off the album may actually be the song "Seasons". The drumming all throughout "Gold & Grey" is fantastic, but because of the music video for this song and actually being able to watch the incredible way in which drummer Sebastian Thomas plays, is what really makes this one special for me. Even beyond the drums though, this is a fantastic song throughout, really showing off each member's talent, from the Mastodon-esque guitar leads, to the power house vocals that John demonstrates, all the way to the subtle yet uniquely intriguing bass lines of Nick Jost. Also, this is probably the most upbeat and rocking song of the album, making it easy for a rocker/metalhead such as myself to be immediately drawn to it.
While "Tourniquet" and "Seasons" may be the favorites, Baroness also included several other bangers on this album including (but not limited to) "I'm Already Gone", "Borderlines", and (the opening track) "Front Toward Enemy". Although, the only way to find out for sure is to go pick up the album yourself which is available on their website http://yourbaroness.com, or you can catch them on their "Gold & Grey" Tour which kicks off July 16 at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY and pick it up in person! Also, make sure you check out the music video for their song "Seasons" below!
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