194 dB / BRYAN REED

No. 4: Royally screwed

By Bryan Reed

I feel bad for any number of bands and labels who thought, months ago, that October 13, 2009, would be the best day to release their new record. I feel bad, even for the good records. Among them: Skeletonwitch's Breathe the Fire, a riotously fun blend of black metal, death metal and NWOBHM; Marduk's Wormwood, another solid entry from the Polish black metal titans; reissues from the UK's Bolt Thrower and France's Gojira; the latest psych-rock excursion from ex-Yeah Yeah Yeahs sideman Imaad Wasif; and Grond, the second entry in an alleged trilogy from the mysterious and brutal black metal outfit Nihill.

They all lose. They got screwed. Royally.

Baroness also thought October 13, 2009 would be the best day to release its new album, Blue Record (Relapse) and it's absolutely untouchable.

You remember Baroness, of course, for 2007's Red Album, a startlingly diverse collection that rampages through acoustic blues and backwoods folk, prog, psych rock and sludgy Southern metal. Blue Record is not so much a departure as a continuation and a refinement, as though the whole purpose was for Baroness to render its excellent predecessor obsolete with superior quality on all fronts. The metal parts are heavier, when the riffs gallop it's like the Apocalypse is coming and it's the best thing ever. The melodies are more intricate, more reliant on the instrumentalists' interplay and counterpart than ever before. Guitar harmonies worthy of Iron Maiden flicker like gemstones underfoot. You'll hear moments of everything that's ever been great about heavy rock, metal or otherwise - noise, psychedelic rock, even indie rock. It's all represented, and all seamlessly woven into Baroness' masterpiece.

It's almost reductive to try to describe or critique this record, when saying it's essential should about cover it.

Also in rotation: This time, just Baroness.

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Bryan Reed is from North Carolina and, despite his best efforts, he still hasn't grown out of the racket that irritated his friends and family in high school, and continues to irritate them in the present. Stalker-types should know that they can follow Bryan on Twitter @subparrockstar.