After the heavy melodicism of 2015’s Purple, falling in love with Gold & Grey was a pretty easy task.

But where Purple was a relatively brief affair, this record stretches out, making itself comfortable in its sonic space with a gravity that is solemn without being inaccessible.

As another reviewer said, Gold & Grey “flirts with being a double album.” Seventeen tracks span across sixty-one minutes, shifting between crunching, palm muted riffs, harmony-laden psych-folk, Queen-like glam rock bliss, and post rock cinematics—often within the same song: the massive “Tourniquet” is maybe the best example, twisting its motifs around eachother to form a masterpiece of a single.

Tracks bleed between one another deftly—seven of the tracks are instrumental segues that weave through the album like a golden (gray?) thread. These tracks range from ambient prettiness, psychedelic weirdness, and

While there’s no shortage of fist-pumping riffage (see: “Front Toward Enemy,” “Throw Me An Anchor,” “Broken Halo“), the Georgia psychadelic/prog-metal* outfit pumps the breaks here and delivers some of their most delicate songs.

The middle of the album slows way down, starting with the broken hearted, “I’d Do Anything,” which strums an acoustic guitar while lead singer/album artist John Baizley repeats, “I’d do anything to feel like I’m alive again—a lyric revisited in “Broken Halo.” “Emmett – Radiating Light” features barely whispered lyrics above hushed acoustic arpeggios. On “Cold-Blooded Angels,” delicate vocals ride a shuffling drum groove until its coda finally explodes with a great burst.

However, this dip in energy only sees a decrease in energy. It’s just as emotionally heavy as the rest of the songs. But, this album is at its best when all of the musical and emotional elements work together. “I’m Already Gone” morphs from grooving prog rock to anthemic choruses. “Seasons” opens with a skittering beat, exploding into a heavy chorus that is varied between repetitions—once with cathartic black metal blast beats, once with a crushing post metal drama. “Borderlines” brings together everything the band does well, playing with an emotional weight that’s just as heavy as its riffs. Closer “Pale Sun” rides a meditative melody through an ambient soundscape laden with thick harmonies, bleeping guitar noise, and moody bass grooves, closing with Baizley’s near-shouted voice singing the chorus unaccompanied.

Like most Baroness records, this one is best listened in a single sitting where the threads that tie the record together are more noticeable. But perhaps the most noticeable swatch of color in this record’s sonic palette is the presence of newcomer Gina Gleason, former Smashing Pumpkins fill in and Cirque Du Soleil cast member whose harmonies on both lead guitar and vocals are highlighted here.

While I’m admittedly not too well versed in Baroness’ wider discography (I’m working on it), Gold & Grey has struck me more immediately than any of the others—maybe even more than Purple. Even the most aggressive songs are super catchy. Even the weirdest sonic experiments are engaging. As far as it stretches into the unknown, it’s still relatively accessible. But it’s inviting surface unfolds into boundless worlds with repeated listens. And it will certainly get those listens.

 

*I never feel right calling Baroness prog metal, since they bear so little resemblance to the often overblown, tuneless music that comes out from that tag. However, due to their odd rhythmic patterns, avant-garde experimentation, and generous cross-genre pollination, I’m not sure anything else fits.