Gold & Grey
by Baroness
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 124 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 88 out of 124
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 124
  3. Negative: 17 out of 124
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. LordYogaroth
    Jun 18, 2019
    3
    I'd like to preface my review by saying I'm an enormous Baroness fan, having seen them in a small rock club shortly after the Red album released. I was immediately hooked. Their energy, experimentation, and rawness was addictive. Since then, I graduated with a degree in music and recording arts and have kept their music close at hand through the process. Baroness's sound has never stuckI'd like to preface my review by saying I'm an enormous Baroness fan, having seen them in a small rock club shortly after the Red album released. I was immediately hooked. Their energy, experimentation, and rawness was addictive. Since then, I graduated with a degree in music and recording arts and have kept their music close at hand through the process. Baroness's sound has never stuck out as 'exceptional' from a sonic standpoint. The emotion and energy is so palpable that I can typically be drawn into the music even if I don't care for the recording quality. I can separate that analytical part of my brain, cease to care about the fact that Baizley's voice might be flat on the first records or the guitar parts are over-compressed and wash out the entire mid range (purple), or the over-use of effects (yellow & green, purple) for instance. I can usually put aside my criticisms, and sit back and bask in the glorious, triumphant music on display. However, with Gold & Grey, at least from my first 3 listens, it is no longer possible for me to do this. When "Borderlines, Seasons, Throw Me an Anchor" were released, I experienced a kind of cognitive dissonance. I was hearing new material with interesting transitions, killer bass and drum parts, impressive vocal parts from Baizley and harmonies from Gina (who's awesome live by the way)...I'm hearing all the great things that are completely masked by the overuse of compression and overall terrible sounding mix. IT'S TOO DISTRACTING. I'm all for adding saturation, reverb, compression, and interesting effects to a mix, but when it all hits you at once it simply leads to ear fatigue and disappointment. This album is the equivalent of reading a great book with the text intentionally blurred. If Ansel Adams took one of his classic large format photos and scanned it with a cheap scanner and then compressed the image even more, it wouldn't give you the sense of awe that Yosemite inspires. It's the same with Gold & Grey. An interesting, wonderfully written record was squashed. I really, really hope they continue in the writing direction but hire a different producer and engineer for their next effort. Their amazing music deserves it. I'm not saying their production value needs to be as high as say Porcupine Tree or Opeth (Blackwater Park, Ghost Reveries) for example, but at least dial back the compression on the mix. Let it breath, give it space for more dynamics and clarity of instrumentation. They are great players and deserve to be heard as such. Seriously, A/B this album with Yellow & Green and the Red Album for example and tell me I'm crazy. I know this is a negative review in a giant pile of positive ones. I'm glad people are enjoying the record. I wish I could.… Expand
  2. frankenf1ne
    Jun 20, 2019
    3
    A catchy album ruined by terrible mixing and poor recording quality. I am particularly mad because I bought this on vinyl and it sounds like the music is coming through laptop speakers. Inexcusable when the music should sound epic and big.
  3. Yourmumsbills
    Jun 14, 2019
    1
    Listened to the whole album last night. Was hoping this record would be an improvenment mix wise from the last record, but sadly it’s a collection of great songs ruined by horrible production again. Even at the highest quality format, the whole record sounds like it’s a really badly compressed mp3 file, the high end is just a wishy washy mess, the only parts of the drum kit you can hearListened to the whole album last night. Was hoping this record would be an improvenment mix wise from the last record, but sadly it’s a collection of great songs ruined by horrible production again. Even at the highest quality format, the whole record sounds like it’s a really badly compressed mp3 file, the high end is just a wishy washy mess, the only parts of the drum kit you can hear are the high hat and snare, the rest of the drums are almost inaudible. And the entire record is just drowned in a muddy mess of distortion. Why have a group of such talented musicians if all that skill is lost in awful production. This album had the potential to be their best yet, but in its current state it’s pretty hard to listen to at all. Just baffled as to why anyone would do this to their own music.… Expand
  4. butterslax
    Jun 16, 2019
    3
    The songs seems to be good but the mix makes this album unlistenable. It's a complete disaster.
  5. Tarant
    Jun 14, 2019
    1
    What's wrong with all this good reviews on this album?
    Absolutely blunt and boring. Nothing new for the metal, nothing new for the hard rock.
    Lyrics about armageddon? Are you serious?
  6. SirFaulty
    Jun 20, 2019
    1
    Not sure how you can call this crap music but two songs into it was enough for me thanks! Hard pass on my end.
  7. Seagulls
    Jun 18, 2019
    1
    Found the album utterly boring, can’t understand some of the rave reviews being dished out here. Won’t be listing to it again.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Album of 2019
47
#47 Most Discussed Album of 2019
59
#59 Most Shared Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. No Ripcord
    Jul 22, 2019
    70
    While their more reflective and even pop-oriented moments keep the double album catchy and worth revisiting, this new avenue also affords a clearer view of Baroness' Achilles' heels, which are a propensity for predictable lyrics and an occasional Foo Fighter sappiness. But those flaws aren't terminal, and for the most part, Baroness takes us on a thunderous langskip ride through angry seas that is as addictive and thrilling as their past output.
    Read full review
  2. Q Magazine
    Jul 2, 2019
    80
    Stellar fifth album is a determined attempt to push back the genre's long-established boundaries, folding in everything from glitchy electronica and lysergic Americana to gnarled pop into their full-frontal noise. [Aug 2019, p.108]
  3. The 405
    Jun 27, 2019
    90
    With Gold & Grey, Baizley and his cohorts have produced a monumental work of art that’s as dark and forbidding as it is bright and triumphant. It perfectly balances light and dark, revels in the creative possibilities of music-making, whilst plumbing emotional depths that might have you worrying a little for Baizley’s state of mind.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »