Red Album (Baroness album)
| Red Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 4, 2007[1] | |||
| Recorded | March 18 – May 2, 2007 | |||
| Studio | Jam Room Studio Columbia, South Carolina | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:31[a] | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Phillip Cope (of Kylesa) | |||
| Baroness chronology | ||||
| ||||
Red Album is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Baroness. It was released in 2007 by Relapse Records.
Background
[edit]Red Album was recorded from March 18 to May 2, 2007 at the Jam Room Studio in Columbia, South Carolina.[2] Like Baroness' earlier releases, the album was produced by Phillip Cope of Kylesa.[3] It is Baroness' only studio recording to feature guitarist Brian Blickle, who departed the band in 2008.[4]
Release
[edit]In July 2007, Baroness posted the song "The Birthing" on their official Myspace page.[5] "O'Appalachia" was released in August on a limited edition split 7" with High on Fire and Coliseum.[6] A music video for "Wanderlust" debuted on December 6, 2007 on MTV's Headbangers Ball.[7]
On September 4, 2007, Red Album was released by Relapse Records. The album is available on CD, on vinyl, and as a music download. In 2008, Hyperrealist Records released a one-off pressing of Red Album on dark red vinyl with etched borders, which was limited to 1000 copies.[8][9] All subsequent pressings were handled by Relapse Records.
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [10] |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Imperiumi |    [11] |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.4/10)[12] |
| PopMatters | (8/10)[1] |
| Scene Point Blank | [13] |
| Spin | [14] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [15] |
Red Album was well received by music critics. In a review for Pitchfork, Grayson Currin gave the album an 8.4/10 rating, saying, "Baroness offers a fully realized record that is more ambitious, more accomplished, and simply bigger than anything they've done before."[12] In a review for About.com, Chad Bowar called it "an eclectic and epic album." He rated it four stars out of five, and wrote, "[Baroness'] combination of excellent musicianship, creative songwriting and willingness to experiment makes for a compelling and interesting CD."[10]
Adrien Begrand of PopMatters gave Red Album an 8/10. He praised "Rays on Pinion", stating, "As an opening track, it’s phenomenal... Baroness’s music has become much warmer and melodic, yet the band’s visceral power remains fully intact."[1] Scene Point Blank writer Bob gave the album a 7.9/10, and said, "Baroness effectively rewrite their place in the current musical maelstrom with this ten track monster...and set a new personal bar for themselves, as well as a new level of accomplishment." He called Red Album "a real good record and a highlight of the year," as well as "a huge leap forward for Baroness..."[13] AllMusic's Greg Prato gave the album three and a half stars out of five, and said, "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."[2]
Accolades
[edit]Heavy metal magazine Revolver named Red Album the top metal album of 2007.[16][17] In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked it 83rd on their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time."[18]
Commercial performance
[edit]By November 2009, Red Album had moved 20,000 units.[19]
Track listing
[edit]All lyrics are written by John Dyer Baizley; all music is composed by Baroness
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rays on Pinion" | 7:35 |
| 2. | "The Birthing" | 5:03 |
| 3. | "Isak" | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Wailing Wintry Wind" | 5:54 |
| 5. | "Cockroach en Fleur" | 1:50 |
| 6. | "Wanderlust" | 4:29 |
| 7. | "Aleph" | 4:21 |
| 8. | "Teeth of a Cogwheel" | 2:16 |
| 9. | "O'Appalachia" | 2:36 |
| 10. | "Grad" | 5:54 |
| 11. | Untitled (contains 11:01 of silence followed by a hidden track) | 12:11 |
| Total length: | 56:31 | |
Personnel
[edit]
|
|
Notes
[edit]- ^ Runtime includes 11:01 of silence at the beginning of track 11. Without the silence, the album has a runtime of 45:30.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Begrand, Adrien (September 3, 2007). "Baroness: The Red Album". PopMatters. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ a b c Prato, Greg. "Red Album – Baroness". Allmusic. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "BARONESS signs to Relapse Records". metalinjection.net. April 6, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
- ^ "Baroness replaces guitarist". lambgoat.com. September 20, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "Baroness Post New Song Online". metalunderground.com. July 16, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Discography". coliseumsoundsystem.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ "Video Premiere: Baroness Meander with 'Wanderlust'". Headbangersblog.mtv.com. MTV.com. December 6, 2007. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ "Releases". hyperrealist.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "News". hyperrealist.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ a b Bowar, Chad. "Baroness – The Red Album". About.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ Starbuck (2007). "Levyarviot: Baroness - Red Album". Imperiumi. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- ^ a b Currin, Grayson (September 20, 2007). "Baroness: Red Album". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ a b Bob (January 10, 2008). "Review Baroness The Red Album". Scene Point Blank. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Gross, Joe (November 2007). "Virginia is for lovers...of complex twin-ax riff patterns". Spin. 23 (11): 114. ISSN 0886-3032.
- ^ Harris, David (June 8, 2008). "Tiny Mix Tapes Reviews: Baroness - The Red Album". Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ "Baroness biography". Relapse. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ "Revolver's Top 2007 Metal Albums". Sputnik Music. December 31, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Rolling Stone Share Their Choices For 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time'". Theprp.com. June 21, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ David Peisner (November 11, 2009). "Metal in the Garden of Good and Evil". Spin. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
