Baroness - Blue Record (2009)

   Baroness represents a genuine spot in the progressive metal scene. It's a band that even though plays quite comprehensive music by an unusual style mix, still didn't turn to a musical masturbation of fripperies, or not falling into the returning problem of many progressive bands by trying to express the simplest things in such a complex way, that everything is losing it's sense.
   There isn't more effective way of sludge killing, than turnig with sludge into a progressive direction, because this way the style is losing it's main features. Still, Baroness was able to manage the whole thing to keep it enjoyable, and even though the themes are frequently changing, the sludge parts didn't lose their effectivenes, but even having important role in the main view. And the most interesting thing is: the main impression (such as the message of the music) is positive. It's not about self-destruction, inner struggles or other morbid things, but about life, and the heaviness of the sound supports the emotional load of the songs instead of demoralizing effects. The root of the concept probably lies somewhere in the '70s, when musical progression, diversity and heaviness came hand in hand. When the musical challenge was to show all-round creativity on the side of being entertaining for wider audience. It's like a modern form of that concept, minus the impression of heavy self-destruction of course. The "Blue Record" is somewhere between artistic ambitions and the expression of simple and essential posivive feelings, free from any disturbing dark clouds. But in case of their show up, the calmer, chilling themes are suspecting a meditative way to find the solution.
   Even though Baroness' music might be compatible with wider audience, it couldn't repeat the overwhelming success of the '70s hard rock/progressive rock bands, because more intelligence is needed for it's reception than how much is available for the masses on the other side.