Wikipedia

Red Album (Baroness album)

Red Album is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Baroness. It was released in 2007 by Relapse Records.

Red Album
Studio album by
Baroness
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2007[1]
RecordedMarch 18 – May 2, 2007
StudioJam Room Studio
Columbia, South Carolina
Genre
Length56:31[a]
Label
ProducerPhillip Cope (of Kylesa)
Baroness chronology
A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk
(2007) 		Red Album
(2007) 		Blue Record
(2009)

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
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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

Red Album track listing
No.TitleLength
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
  1. ^ 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
  1. ^ a b c Begrand, Adrien (September 3, 2007). "Baroness: The Red Album". PopMatters. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Prato, Greg. "Red Album – Baroness". Allmusic. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  3. ^ "BARONESS signs to Relapse Records". metalinjection.net. April 6, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  4. ^ "Baroness replaces guitarist". lambgoat.com. September 20, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  5. ^ "Baroness Post New Song Online". metalunderground.com. July 16, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  6. ^ "Discography". coliseumsoundsystem.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "Releases". hyperrealist.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "News". hyperrealist.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Bowar, Chad. "Baroness – The Red Album". About.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  11. ^ Starbuck (2007). "Levyarviot: Baroness - Red Album". Imperiumi. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  12. ^ a b Currin, Grayson (September 20, 2007). "Baroness: Red Album". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  13. ^ a b Bob (January 10, 2008). "Review Baroness The Red Album". Scene Point Blank. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Gross, Joe (November 2007). "Virginia is for lovers...of complex twin-ax riff patterns". Spin. 23 (11): 114. ISSN 0886-3032.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Baroness biography". Relapse. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  17. ^ "Revolver's Top 2007 Metal Albums". Sputnik Music. December 31, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  18. ^ "Rolling Stone Share Their Choices For 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time'". Theprp.com. June 21, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  19. ^ David Peisner (November 11, 2009). "Metal in the Garden of Good and Evil". Spin. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_Album_(Baroness_album)&oldid=1254099427"