BLUE RECORD

This is one of the few occasions where an album, rather than start growing at me with every next hearing, becomes more and more indifferent. Blue Record is not easily compared with albums from the contemporary "big" bands of the post metal movement for one simple reason: it is not permanently slow and creepy and this is among the positives aspects of it.

The album is a strange mixture of 70's rock 'n roll, stoner rock (in the vein of Spiritual Beggars) and post/sludge metal but with a lot more "vibe" and less heaviness than a typical post/sludge album (if there is one). Among the above, there are influences from Metallica (intro/outro, particularly on the twin guitars), UFO (A Horse Called Golgotha, acoustic part), Mastodon (War, Wisdom and Rhyme), and country and folk music in the various acoustic parts that intervene between full songs. Disappointingly, the band has been affected by the modern "nu-metal" sound as well (e.g. Swollen and Halo).

I struggle to find the elements that would categorise Baroness under any prog genre, as their sound is mainly based in rock 'n roll/stoner riffs and simple acoustic melodies. Although the record is solid in terms of musicianship and structure, I feel that there is rarely something original to be found among the - sometimes enjoyable - riff lines or the - carefully executed - melodic parts. In addition, the number of different styles, which usually gives the required variation to an album, feels as it does not work this time as I found myself "confused" after listening to the 12 tracks in a row.

It would be unfair to say that this is a bad album; it does certainly have its moments but I fear that the end result would appeal only to some fans of the stoner/sludge style without many expectations of "progressive" music.