Baroness (band)
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Baroness is an American heavy metal band from
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
, whose original members grew up together in
Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...
.


History


Formative years (2003–2007)

Baroness formed in mid-2003, founded by former members of the
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
/
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
band Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks. Singer John Dyer Baizley creates the artwork for all Baroness albums, and has done artwork for other bands. Much of their early material was written by John Dyer Baizley and Pete Adams at a music store in Savannah and then later in a small apartment. They recorded 14 hours of two guitars, and Baizley later repurposed this material for Baroness's earliest EP. From 2004 to 2007, Baroness recorded and released three EPs, named ''
First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
'', ''
Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
'' and ''
A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk ''A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk'' is a split album by American heavy metal bands Baroness and Unpersons. The artwork was done by Baroness frontman John Baizley. Background The Baroness songs were recorded in December of 2005 and are the last ...
'' (aka Third), with the third one being a split album with Unpersons.


''Red Album'' (2007–2009)

Baroness started recording their first full-length album in March 2007. Phillip Cope from
Kylesa Kylesa is an American heavy metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgia. Their music incorporates experimentalism with heavy riffs, drop-tuned guitars and elements of psychedelic rock. The group was established in 2001 by the former member ...
continued to produce Baroness on this album. The '' Red Album'' was released on September 4, 2007, and met positive reception. Heavy metal magazine ''
Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
'' named it Album of the Year. On December 1, 2007, Baroness performed at New York City's
Bowery Ballroom The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live-music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in the neighborhood of Bowery in Manhattan. The Bowery Ballroom holds something of a cult status among musicians as well as audiences. ''Rolling Stone'' magaz ...
. On September 20, 2008, the band announced via MySpace Brian Blickle would be parting ways with the band, while also introducing a new guitarist named Peter Adams, also of Virginia-based band
Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...
. Throughout 2007–9, Baroness toured and shared the stage with many bands including
Converge Converge may refer to: * Converge (band), American hardcore punk band * Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body * Limit (mathematics) * Converge ICT, internet service provider in the Philippines *CONVERGE CFD s ...
,
The Red Chord The Red Chord is an American metal band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The group comprises vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist/vocalist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks and drummer Jon Rice. The band gained a fanbase with its ...
,
High on Fire High on Fire is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1999. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, also plays guitar for doom metal band Sleep. High on Fire won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Metal Perfo ...
,
Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal/rock band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg. The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every original member; notably Isberg in 1992. Mikael ...
,
Coheed and Cambria Coheed and Cambria are an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The band consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), an ...
,
Coliseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world t ...
,
Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...
,
Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
and
Clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
.


''Blue Record'' (2009–2011)

On May 18, 2009, Baroness entered The Track Studio in
Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Hist ...
, to record their second full-length album, '' Blue Record'', produced by
John Congleton John Congleton is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, engineer, mixer, writer and musician. In addition to his production work, Congleton has fronted the alternative rock band the Paper Chase, and writes music for a newer project e ...
(The Roots,
Explosions in the Sky Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The quartet originally played under the name Breaker Morant, then changed to the current name in 1999. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elabora ...
, Black Mountain,
The Polyphonic Spree The Polyphonic Spree is an American choral rock band from Dallas, Texas that was formed in 2000 by singer/songwriter Tim DeLaughter. The band's pop and rock songs are augmented by a large vocal choir, and instruments such as flute, trumpet, fre ...
). It was released via Relapse Records on October 13, 2009. In February and March 2010 Baroness played in the Australian Soundwave Festival, alongside bands such as
Clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
,
Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
,
Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1985. Originally, the band's name was Metallien. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer To ...
, Janes Addiction and
Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...
, and toured Japan in March 2010 with Isis. Baroness have toured with many other prominent bands, such as supporting Mastodon on their US headlining tour in April–May 2010,
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...
for August–September 2010. In addition, Baroness was selected as one of two support acts (the other being
Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...
) for
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
on their tour of Australia and New Zealand in late 2010. Baroness also performed at
Coachella Coachella may refer to: * Coachella, California * Coachella Canal, in California * Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California * "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey See also

* Coachell ...
and
Bonnaroo The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in M ...
in 2010. '' Blue Record'' would later be named the 20th Greatest Metal Album in History by "
LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...
" in 2013.


''Yellow & Green'' and bus crash near Bath, England (2011–2012)

On May 23, 2011, the band launched their official website. 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. On August 15, 2012, nine passengers were injured (two seriously) when the German-registered coach in which the band were traveling fell from a
viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
near Bath, England. Emergency services were called to Brassknocker Hill in
Monkton Combe Monkton Combe is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in north Somerset, England, south of Bath, Somerset, Bath. The parish, which includes the Hamlet (place), hamlet of Tucking Mill, had a population of 554 in 2013. It was form ...
after the coach fell 30 ft (9m) from the viaduct.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) is the fire and rescue service covering the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire in South West England. The headquarters of the service is co ...
said the incident happened at 11:30BST; due to heavy rain and reduced visibility it was not possible for the
air ambulance Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transportation, aeroplane or helicopter, to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and cri ...
to land. Emergency services said two people were transported to
Frenchay Hospital Frenchay Hospital was a large hospital situated in Frenchay, South Gloucestershire, on the north east outskirts of Bristol, England, which is now closed. In 2014, it contracted to a few brain and head injuries services. It was managed by North Br ...
in Bristol while seven others went to the
Royal United Hospital The Royal United Hospital (RUH) is a major acute-care hospital in the Weston suburb of Bath, England, which lies approximately west of the city centre. The hospital has 565 beds and occupies a site. It is the area's major accident and emergenc ...
(RUH) in Bath. As a result of the crash, frontman John Baizley suffered a broken left arm and broken left leg. Allen Blickle and Matt Maggioni each suffered fractured vertebrae. Peter Adams was treated and released from the hospital on August 16, 2012.


Recovery and line-up changes (2013–2014)

During the subsequent months of recovery, Baroness began scheduling tour dates once more. John Baizley performed an acoustic set and artwork exhibition on March 14, 15, and 16, 2013 at SXSW in Austin, Texas. In addition, Baroness made plans to perform at festivals such as Chaos in Tejas, Free Press Summer Festival, and Heavy MTL in Montreal, Quebec. On March 25, 2013, through a statement posted on Baroness' official website, it was announced that both Allen Blickle (drums) and Matt Maggioni (bass guitar) had left Baroness. On April 1, 2013, the first leg of Baroness' 2013 US Headlining Tour was announced, featuring the debut of bass guitarist Nick Jost, and drummer Sebastian Thomson of
Trans Am Trans Am may refer to: * Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, an automobile model * Trans Am (band), an American post-rock band ** ''Trans Am'' (album), their 1996 debut album *** ''Trans Am'' (1996 song), their eponymous song from the eponymous album, see ...
. On September 27, 2013, they started their European Tour in Tilburg, Netherlands.


''Purple'' (2015–2017)

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 Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, pu ...
'' 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 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter. ''Purple's'' track "Shock Me" was nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
at the 2017 Grammy Awards.


''Gold & Grey'' (2017–2019)

On April 26, 2017, in an interview in
Teamrock ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form a ...
, John Baizley stated that they had begun writing material for their fifth studio album. Baizley stated: "We've started writing a few tunes that we're working on. The really cool thing now is that Sebastian and Nick have been in the band long enough that they understand what we do." On June 1, 2017, it was announced that Peter Adams was amicably leaving the band to focus his energy at home, and not on the road.
Gina Gleason Gina Gleason is an American musician born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the current lead guitarist and background vocalist for Baroness, replacing Pete Adams. As a part of the Cirque du Soleil creation cast, Gleason played lead guitar an ...
was announced as his replacement. On March 9, 2019, the band began teasing the release of a new album, entitled ''
Gold & Grey ''Gold & Grey'' is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Baroness, released on June 14, 2019, on the band's own label, Abraxan Hymns. Background As with previous releases by the band, the album's artwork was designed by front-ma ...
''. Three days later on March 12, they released the album art on their social media accounts stating, "This painting was born from a deeply personal reflection on the past 12 years of this band's history, and will stand as the 6th and final piece in our chromatically-themed records." ''
Gold & Grey ''Gold & Grey'' is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Baroness, released on June 14, 2019, on the band's own label, Abraxan Hymns. Background As with previous releases by the band, the album's artwork was designed by front-ma ...
'' was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews, achieving a score of 91 on
metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
with 14 reviews. Critics praised the album's artistry, the instrumental musicianship, and the use of vocal harmonies as well as stylist breadth that builds upon elements from the band's past works while also incorporating new stylistic elements.


Upcoming sixth studio album (2020–present)

By November 2020, Baroness had been in the studio recording their sixth studio album for an early 2021 release. Frontman and guitarist
John Baizley John Dyer Baizley is an American musician and painter most notable for being the vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Savannah, Georgia heavy metal band Baroness. He has also achieved critical praise for his artworks, some of which have been incorpo ...
has stated that nearly 30 songs were written for the record, telling Metal Sucks in September 2020: "We started doing Zoom meetings every Monday night, and mostly that's because we've been writing since March or April. We're talking about new stuff we're doing, which is all file sharing, all trading elements of songs, and e'rehoping when we get together that they congeal."


Members

Current members *
John Baizley John Dyer Baizley is an American musician and painter most notable for being the vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Savannah, Georgia heavy metal band Baroness. He has also achieved critical praise for his artworks, some of which have been incorpo ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion (2003–present), bass (2012) * Nick Jost – bass, keyboards, additional backing vocals (2013–present) * Sebastian Thomson – drums (2013–present) *
Gina Gleason Gina Gleason is an American musician born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the current lead guitarist and background vocalist for Baroness, replacing Pete Adams. As a part of the Cirque du Soleil creation cast, Gleason played lead guitar an ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals (2017–present) Former members * Allen Blickle – drums (2003–2013) * Summer Welch – bass (2003–2012) * Tim Loose – lead guitar (2003–2005) * Brian Blickle – lead guitar (2006–2008) * Peter Adams – lead guitar, backing vocals (2008–2017) * Matt Maggioni – bass (2012–2013) Timeline


Accolades

Grammy Awards , - ,
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, , "Shock Me" , ,
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
, , , -


Discography

*'' Red Album'' (2007) *'' Blue Record'' (2009) *'' Yellow & Green'' (2012) *''
Purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, pu ...
'' (2015) *''
Gold & Grey ''Gold & Grey'' is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Baroness, released on June 14, 2019, on the band's own label, Abraxan Hymns. Background As with previous releases by the band, the album's artwork was designed by front-ma ...
'' (2019)


References


External links


Official websiteInterview with John BaizleyVinyl Pressing Info and PicturesInterview with The Silver Tongue
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baroness American alternative metal musical groups Heavy metal musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state) American sludge metal musical groups American progressive metal musical groups Musical groups established in 2003 Musical quartets Musical groups from Savannah, Georgia Relapse Records artists