Baroness formed in the Summer 2003 in Savannah, GA, United States with all members, past and present, hailing from Lexington, VA in the foothills of the mighty Blue Ridge Mountains. Maybe that’s where the band draws inspiration for their music, or maybe their style is inspired by their name, or maybe it's just when these four band-mates come together the end result is always bold and impressive?
With a sound built upon a resolute sense of purpose and shaped by hundreds of explosive live shows, Baroness position themselves at the forefront of heavy music with their first full length and Relapse debut Red Album. Red Album is at once powerful, expressive, confident, and commanding. The record sees the band expand its sonic vision; colossal riffs and haunting vocals roll like thunder across epic songs spanning both the intense and the sublime. As with each Baroness recording, Red Album was recorded at the Jam Room Studio in Columbia, SC w/ producer Phillip Cope and engineers Jay Matheson and Steve Slavich.
In 2009, the Blue Record was released by Relapse Records. With this release, they continued to push the envelope and development as their style progresses. This progression ultimately gave them the Album of the Year award from Decibel Magazine and gave them numerous Best of lists from Pitchfork, Village Voice, Popmatters, Revolver, Rock Sound, and Metal Hammer.
Baroness hadn't toured for the entire year in 2011 to focus on creating a new, both in the sense of music and in the literal meaning, album. Yellow-Green was recorded with producer John Congleton in Hoboken, NJ and Dallas, TX. The new album was released on July 17th, followed by extensive touring.
BARONESS has forged forward with heavy independent touring -almost 250 shows a year - since the band’s inception. They've criss-crossed the U.S. three times, Europe, and the UK twice, and have performed at international music festivals such as SXSW, MacRock, ZXZW in The Netherlands, Australia's Soundwave Festival and more. Baroness has toured with many friends and peers, including Mastodon, MUNICIPAL WASTE, TORCHE, KYLESA, ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY, CURSED, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, and many more.
On May 23, 2011, the band launched their official website.[17] The first content released on the new page gave hints to work on a new album being produced again by John Congleton. On May 14, 2012, the single "Take My Bones Away" from the new album was released over YouTube, along with an album teaser.
Baroness released Yellow & Green on July 17, 2012 through Relapse.[18]
On August 28, 2015 towards the end of a two-week tour in Europe they released the song "Chlorine & Wine" and announced that their new album Purple would be released December 18, 2015 on their own newly formed label Abraxan Hymns.
Purple was recorded with Dave Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York.
On September 24, 2015, Baroness released the official music video for "Chlorine & Wine" and announced a North American small venue tour for the fall of 2015.
On November 15, 2015, the band released the first official single "Shock Me" from the forthcoming album Purple, which debuted on BBC Radio 1's Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter.
Purple's track "Shock Me" was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
Gina Gleason joins Baroness in June of 2018 after Peter Adams departure.
In 2019 and 2023 Baroness released their fifth and sixth albums, "Gold & Grey" and "STONE."
Baroness is:
Sebastian Thomson - drums
Nick Jost – bass
John Baizley – guitars, vocals
Gina Gleason – guitars
Discography
2004 First (Hyperrealist Records)
2005 Second (Hyperrealist Records)
2007 A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk (At a Loss Recordings)
(aka: Third), split CD with Unpersons
2007 Red Album (Relapse Records)
2009 Blue Record (Relapse Records)
2012 Yellow & Green (Relapse Records)
2015 Purple (Abraxan Hymns)
2019 Gold & Grey (Abraxan Hymns)
2023 STONE
War Wisdom and Rhyme
Baroness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On ashes and ovaries
Blame the pagans and saints
They are one
War, wisdom and rhyme
The peach and the rattlesnake
We are grave
We are graves
We will die
Maybe the saw grass did feel
Burnt confederate steel
Spoil't milk on the grave
We were wrong
War, wisdom and rhyme
The catfish and bayonet
We are grave
We are graves
We will die
Grave fire
War, wisdom and rhyme
The lyrics to Baroness's song War Wisdom and Rhyme touch upon themes such as war, death, and the intertwined nature of good and evil. The opening line "Only an angel can feed on ashes and ovaries" can be interpreted as a commentary on the destructive nature of war and how it seemingly only serves to benefit those who are already in a position of power or privilege. The line "Blame the pagans and saints, they are one" suggests that even those who claim to be on opposite sides of a conflict are ultimately united in their pursuit of power or victory.
The chorus "War, wisdom and rhyme, the peach and the rattlesnake" can be interpreted as a juxtaposition of seemingly oppositional forces or ideas. War, often associated with destruction and chaos, is paired with wisdom and rhyme, which can be seen as forces of creativity and order. The peach and the rattlesnake, which can be seen as symbols of sweetness and danger respectively, further reinforce this idea of opposing forces.
The lyrics "We are grave, we are graves, we will die" are a reminder of our mortality and how our individual lives are ultimately fleeting. The following verse "Maybe the saw grass did feel burnt confederate steel, spoil't milk on the grave, we were wrong" can be interpreted as a reference to the aftermath of the American Civil War and the damage that it caused. The line "we were wrong" can be interpreted as a commentary on the futility of war and how it often leads to devastation.
Line by Line Meaning
Only an angel can feed
Only someone pure and untainted can handle the destruction and suffering of war.
On ashes and ovaries
The aftermath of war involves destruction and death of both people and their potential futures.
Blame the pagans and saints
War and violence are a part of humanity and cannot be attributed to any specific group or belief system.
They are one
Despite their apparent differences, both pagans and saints are capable of violence and aggression.
War, wisdom and rhyme
The tools of war, as well as the intelligence and creativity required to engage in it effectively.
The peach and the rattlesnake
The seemingly innocent can be just as dangerous as the obvious threat.
We are grave
We are serious and somber, bearing the weight of the suffering caused by war.
We are graves
We carry with us the memory and legacy of those who have died in war.
We will die
The ultimate consequence of war is death.
Maybe the saw grass did feel
Even the smallest things can be affected by the violence and destruction of war.
Burnt confederate steel
The remnants of war and conflict can last for generations.
Spoil't milk on the grave
The tragedy of war can even affect the most basic aspects of life, such as nourishment.
We were wrong
Humanity's endless cycle of conflict and war is a mistake, a failure of our better natures.
The catfish and bayonet
Even the most unlikely combinations can be deadly in war.
Grave fire
The destruction and violence of war are akin to a funeral pyre.
War, wisdom and rhyme
The tools of war, the knowledge required to engage in it intelligently, and the poetry and creativity on display in both words and actions.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: ALLEN SEAN BLICKLE, JOHN DYER JR. BAIZLEY, PETER TODD ADAMS, SUMMER RAY WELCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thrasher Abbatoir
Just discover out these guys. What a band. I love metal band with unique sound like this.. so 80s/90s vibe
Justin Oram
holy shit this sounds amazing. Well done aussie sound guy. Also, best line-up here
kj breet
This reminds me how horrible it is for allen to have left the band. still I wish him the best in the future. Hell of a drummer though
BreadCasket
like x1,000,000