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Baroness
Posted by Rachel Lux on 11-Jan-08 @ 05:32 PM|
HQ: Savannah, GA NOW PLAYING: The Red Album (RELAPSE; relapse.com) THE STORY SO FAR: Those with an eye for album covers might recognize John Baizley's visual presence in extreme music-his artwork has graced the covers of releases by Darkest Hour and Skeletonwitch. Now, prepare for his aural assault-the Southern-fried, progressive crust-metal of Baroness. Formed by Baizley (vocals/guitar) in 2003 along with Summer Welch (bass) and brothers Brian (guitar) and Allen (drums) Blickle, the four-piece recently unleashed The Red Album-a title that evokes classic rock albums as much as its sound. "I basically analyzed what I thought a good record was by listening to great albums from the '70s," says Baizley, explaining the album's genesis. "It needed to have an acoustic song, a drum-based song and eight proper compositions on top of that. We took that blueprint and just wrote what we considered a rock record." WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW 'EM: Not only are Baroness one of the brighter up-and-coming stars in the metal universe, they're also committed road warriors, spreading the word in a "shitty" van and trailer to the tune of 600-plus shows over four years (including a seven-week jaunt through Europe last year, trusting GPS over foreign language road signs). Don't be surprised if they top the 800-show mark before album No. 2. "We feel comfortable touring and it's what we love," says Baizley. "Even though we're signed now, we're still a DIY band at heart. That's just who we are." - Kevin Stewart-Panko YOU LIKE? YOU'LL LIKE: MASTODON / KYLESA / TORCHE |
