Despite mainstream television distancing themselves ever further from what’s cool, and a handful of other disappointing “metal” ventures, 2009 surely showed us a good time.

First and foremost, this was a killer year for releases from both veterans and young-bloods alike. Quality albums seemed to be dropping on a weekly basis (including some great re-releases), and the fall release schedule was unlike anything I’d ever seen… chock full of outstanding records from the likes of likes of Baroness, Immortal, Skeletonwitch, Slayer and more. There was barely enough time to keep track of everything, and I’m certain I’ll still be listening with fresh ears well into the new year.

This year also presented us with some amazingly well-crafted documentaries in Flight 666 and Anvil! The Story of Anvil. In addition to being extremely enjoyable, both films have received critical acclaim, and hopefully, helped dispel some of the bias towards metalheads worldwide (we’re not all dip-shit losers after all).

2009 has also given us a variety of cool things to spend our money on, including but not limited to: Mercyful Fate shoes, heavy metal cookbooks, Enslaved vinyl box sets, Precious Metal, and plenty of challenging tracks for the little plastic baby guitars we all own.

From the looks of it, 2010 will continue to ride the wave of awesomeness with new releases from Dillinger, High on Fire, Meshuggah, Nachtmystium, Torche (and more); as well as fantastic tours and another promising documentary for us to enjoy. Here’s to hoping we all continue to deliver. Happy New Year y’all.

Stay Heavy.

Anyways… we made a valiant attempt to get Chris to give us his top 10 picks, but he kept saying something about the Saw 6 soundtrack, so we bumped him down to five. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Mark’s List:

There were so many huge releases in 2009, it was hard to pick a top 10.  The year saw new music from metal’s heaviest hitters (Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Megadeth, Mastodon, Anthrax) as well as comebacks from Alice in Chains and Immortal.  But ultimately, I believe 2009 will be remembered as when the new generation firmly took hold of the metal scene, as demonstrated by the outstanding releases from Skeletonwitch, Scale the Summit and Baroness.

10. Megadeth – Endgame (Roadrunner)
It’s no Rust in Peace Part-2, but with Endgame, Mustaine continues to prove that he can still crank out some great headbangers.
Check Out: This Day We Fight!

9. Slayer – World Painted Blood (American/Sony)
The second album since the return of Lombardo offers a new sound, but the same intensity.  One of the best album jackets/concepts of the year.
Check Out: Snuff

8. Devin Townsend Project – Addicted (Hevy Devy)
In a banner year for Devin, it’s the pop-metal soundtrack to a Anime-dream sequence (most likely depicting flight through a post-apocalyptic Japan).
Check Out: Hyperdrive!

7. Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plauge (Metal Blade)
Never ones to disappoint, Alex Webster and Corpsegrinder deliver the year’s most brutal offering.
Check Out: Carnivorous Swarm

6. Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue (Virgin/EMI)
Seattle’s finest create a comeback record worthy of the memory of Layne.
Check Out: Private Hell

5. Behemoth – Evangelion (Metal Blade/Nuclear Blast)
Negral conjures a maelstrom of demonic chaos that could easily convert anyone into a heretic.
Check Out: Ov Fire and the Void

4. Immortal – All Shall Fall (Nuclear Blast)
The Blizzard Beasts return with an incredible album that captures their focused and raw power.
Check Out: Arctic Swarm

3. Scale the Summit – Carving Desert Canyons (Prosthetic)
An instrumental masterpiece so rich in textures, tones and mood that it gets better with each listen.
Check Out: Dunes

2. Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)
A dominating statement from the Ohio thrash-masters.  An album that defines the term “thrash metal”.
Check Out: Submit to the Suffering

1. Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)
Heavily layered with advanced concepts and dynamic playing.  Baroness once again delivers the album of the year.
Check Out: Jake Leg

Chris’ List:

Is a Top 5 acceptable?

5. Converge – Axe To Fall (Epitaph/Deathwish)
A somewhat fresh album from a familiar band that refuses to turn bad.
Check Out: Dark Horse

4. Cave In – Planets of Old (Hydrahead)
A four-song reunion works fine for me. Especially when the four songs kick tall ass.
Check Out: Retina Sees Rewind

3. Mastodon – Crack the Skye (Warner Bros.)
Bringing progress to Progressive Metal.
Check Out: Divinations

2. Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)
The soundtrack that plays as my brothers and I descend to battle from snowy foothills astride armored polar bears, the perpetual winter sun smoldering unaware on a frozen, indifferent horizon.
Check Out: The Sweetest Curse

1. Propagandhi – Supporting Caste (Smallman)
Fast, angry, complicated. Even more so than before. The band affirms their category-defying musical identity, perhaps at the peak of their powers.
Check Out: Supporting Caste

Justin’s List:

Wow. What a fantastic year for metal. Narrowing this list down was quite a challenge… especially when I knew my top spot was reserved for a non-metal album. GASP! Yes folks… it’s true… my choice for album of the year goes to an indie rock band. But don’t worry… I’m not planning on wearing tight pants or reading Pitchfork anytime soon. In fact, I think I’ll carve “SLAYER” into my arm right now just to prove my self-worth. Eh… nevermind. That shit hurts.

10. Coalesce – Ox (Relapse)
15 years in, Coalesce continue to be one of the freshest sounding bands in the hardcore and metal community.
Check Out: Wild Ox Moan

9. Slayer – World Painted Blood (American/Sony)
Fast and raw… just how you probably like it. I know I do.
Check Out: Psychopathy Red

8. Converge – Axe To Fall (Epitaph/Deathwish)
As dynamic as it is heavy, Converge’s latest offering kicks you in the teeth before tucking you into bed. Awesome.
Check Out: Axe to Fall

7. Scale the Summit – Carving Desert Canyons (Prosthetic)
Remember the kind of music you and your friends were churning out in your early 20s? Yeah… it sucked compared to this.
Check Out: Sargasso Sea

6. Goes Cube – Another Day Has Passed (The End Records)
The Campbell’s Chunky Soup of the metal world… hearty and damn tasty!
Check Out: The Only Daughter

5. Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)
Blue Record is one of those rare “all-emcompassing” albums. Great artwork, great music, great everything.
Check Out: The Sweetest Curse

4. Mastodon – Crack the Skye (Warner Bros.)
Like your beard, Crake the Skye really grows on you. And it totally rules.
Check Out: Oblivion

3. Revocation – Existence is Futile (Relapse)
These guys made me fall in love with shred all over again. When are we going to see the Existence is Futile tab book? (or vinyl for that matter… nudge nudge wink wink Relapse).
Check Out: Dismantle the Dictator

2. Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)
I Can Has Metal?
Check Out: Repulsive Salvation

1. The Life and Times – Tragic Boogie (Arena Rock/Hawthorn Street)
A non-metal album was my top choice of the year? Damn straight. Call me what you will, but me and my cred stand behind this decision. This band and album are absolutely amazing.
Check Out: Tragic Boogie

Honorable Mention:

Cave In – Planets of Old (Hydrahead)
Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue (Virgin/EMI)
Burnt By the Sun – Heart of Darkness (Relapse)
Buried Inside – Spoils of Failure (Relapse)
Propagandhi – Supporting Caste (Smallman)
Immortal – All Shall Fall (Nuclear Blast)
Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plauge (Metal Blade)

Ed’s Review:

I have to admit I was beyond psyched when I heard Baroness was coming to Chicago on Black Wednesday, mainly because (1) it’s the beginning of a four day weekend, (2) Reggie’s is a great rock club, and (3) this band has created, in my opinion, the best hard rock album of 2009. These three reasons combined with a slew of friends that were attending (I think I ran into ten or fifteen people I knew at this show) made for quite a spirited and festive kick off to the Yuletide season indeed.

I arrived early with a friend and managed to catch the entire sets from openers U.S. Christmas and Earthless. We had a bit of a rough time enjoying U.S. Christmas, mainly because the guitarist/vocalist (who bore a striking resemblance to Jesus) had an interesting vocal ailment going on. In fact, we couldn’t really tell if he had a throat problem or if this was his actual voice, which is never a good question to be asking when watching a band play live. Earthless pretty much rocked it, and although their set sounded like one long 45-minute song, I heard everything from Blue Cheer to Ozric Tentacles to Swervedriver within this band’s frenzied style – a very satisfying, pulsing, and ultimately aggressive psychedelic rock experience.

Baroness finally took the stage and tore into a heavy-weighted set that oozed with confidence, almost to the point that at times it sounded simultaneously heavy and mellow, the way you would picture a secret tribal ritual full of bonfire guitar acrobatics and miles of dancing intoxicated beardos. They ripped through most of “Blue Record” with the obvious standout tracks “Jake Leg” and “The Gnashing” being highlights for sure. The chemistry between guitarists John Dyer Baizley and Pete Adams has definitely grown to a telepathic level (which could have contributed to the sense of aforementioned clockwork perfection going on) combined with their dense yet matching tones – creating a wall of sound almost peaceful in it’s collective desire to be unleashed upon the sold out crowd. Gone are the ear-piercing rough & tumble antics and sheer intimidation of the band’s earlier gigs a year or two back, as they now seem to be favoring a much more controlled chaos in an effort to reach complete tonal perfection, as if they are gearing up for something much more monumental – or apocalyptic – than simply moving on to the next city or on to the next club. And whether or not Baroness is trying to signal the beginning of the end of the world in sonic terms, or simply conveying a fresh and very ass-kicking new thread of hard rock music, it’s obvious that this is a band who is at the top of their game right now.

Ed’s Rating:

King says: “A Bullheaded night of ROCK in Chicago, for sure!”

Mark’s Review:

About a year ago Baroness played in Chicago at Reggie’s Rock Room, and after they were surprisingly omitted from the Opeth show a few weeks earlier, I was very eager to see them.  Well, for some reason, financial or female, I ended up not attending and soon regretted my decision because Baroness put on an unbelievable live show.  To me, it was a missed opportunity to see probably the fasted-rising band in metal play a small club just as they break into the “next level”.  Well sometimes a little patience and perseverance pays off, because after the release of probably the best metal album of 2009, Blue Record, the band announced that it would be returning to Reggie’s on the supporting tour!  Adding to my good fortune and timing, the show date was on “Black Wednesday”, a notorious night for bar drinking that makes Thanksgiving even more awkward when you surprise your family with your brand new DUI.  The stars had aligned, and it was well worth the wait.

Unlike Ed, I skipped the two opening acts playing in the main room and treated myself to some $3 Stellas at the adjoining bar.  Unfortunately, I was also treated to a power trio playing CSNY’s Deja Vu in it’s entirety.  A ballsy endeavor for sure, but their accomplishment was cheapened by eliminating any challenges the complex vocal harmonies might pose by playing them on a 12-string guitar.  After wishing that they just get to the “doo-doo, doo-do-DOO” part (the only iconic CSNY refrain I could conjure), I grabbed a Foster’s Oilcan and headed back next door to get a spot for the show.

You know that Baroness is a band that is truly at a crossroads when in front of a packed house of fans, they lug their own gear on stage, set up, then slink off to wait for their intro music to begin.  Opening with The Sweetest Curse and then quickly jumping into Jake Leg, the band was in complete control of the crowd and the moment.  The new material was dialed-in from only a few months of fresh touring and driven by the strained vocals and frenetic guitar noodling of John Baizely and Pete Adams.  There was no stage banter in between songs, only ambient volume swells that seemed to be perfectly timed to mask “on-the-spot” guitar tuning and instrument switching.  All this noise would then build to a crescendo and come together perfectly into the intro notes of the next song of the setlist.  Isak and The Birthing were some highlights from the Red Album, but unfortunately there was no Rays on Pinion, even in the encore.  The whole night was seamless, and it really shows the unique power and versatility of this band.  At the end, Baroness thanked the crowd and the fans for making the show possible.  I would like to thank them for giving me the ultimate do-over.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “Best thing about seeing Baroness the night before Thanksgiving? Afterwards, Grandma cuts the turkey…”

Take a Look:

Mark’s List:

20. Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines (Relapse)
Karl Sanders’ masterpiece is the perfect soundtrack to releasing spirits from a cursed Egyptian tomb.
Check Out: Execration Text

19. Iron Maiden – Brave New World (EMI/ Sony)
Bruce and Adrian are back… well, Jannick is still there, but still, this Maiden album makes us forget the previous four and brings us back to 1986.
Check Out: The Fallen Angel

18. Killswitch Engage – The End of the Heartache (Roadrunner)
Hello Howard Jones, pleased to meet you, your band rules… and so does this album.
Check Out: Rose of Sharyn

17. Strapping Young Lad – Alien (Century Media)
Devin and the boys melt faces on an album that stands up to the legendary City.
Check Out: Zen

16. Skeletonwitch – Beyond the Permafrost (Prosthetic)
Thrash came back in a big way in the 00’s, and these guys lead the way.
Check Out: Upon Wings of Black

15. Opeth – Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner)
The proggiest of the Opeth releases was also one of the best.  Swedish metal meets George Harrison’s Maharishi.
Check Out: The Baying of the Hounds

14. Slayer – Christ Illusion (American)
Another return from some big names, this time it’s Lombardo and Rubin and voila!, Slayer makes their most inspired record in years.
Check Out: Skeleton Christ

13. Gojira – From Mars to Sirius (Prosthetic)
France’s metal titans give us one of the heaviest-sounding onslaughts in recent memory.  An open array of serenity and punishment.
Check Out: Flying Whales

12. Meshuggah – Nothing (Nuclear Blast)
The only album meant to be recorded with 8-string guitars. So heavy and hypnotic it’s made for the atmosphere of a different planet.
Check Out: Glints Collide

11. System of a Down – Toxicity (American)
An odd little metal band that turned into a huge, hard rock juggernaut after this combination of focused song writing, great production and heavy manic.
Check Out: Prison Song

10. Mastodon – Remission (Relapse)
Their first full-length release and the introduction for many to Mastodon.  The album that woke up the metal world in 2002.
Check Out: March of the Fire Ants

9. Lamb of God – Ashes of the Wake (Epic)
The album catches Lamb of God and the Adler brothers at their hungriest, right on the cusp of becoming one of the biggest bands in heavy music.
Check Out: The Faded Line

8. Baroness – The Red Album (Relapse)
A genius mixture of metal’s fury and indie-rock’s fuzz dragged through the sludge of the Georgia swamplands. John Baizley becomes a new metal hero.
Check Out: Isak

7. Cynic – Traced in Air (Season of Mist)
We waited for 15 years after Focus, and Paul Masvidal did not disappoint us.  An incredible journey of musicianship, virtuosity and elite song-writing.
Check Out: The Space for This

6. Opeth – Deliverance (Music for Nations)
The title track contains one of the best riffs of all time.  Wreath and Master’s Apprentices provide some bone-chilling moments.
Check Out: Deliverance

5. The Sword – Age of Winters (Kemado)
A hipster delight, but also a headbanging, weed-smoking, stoner-metal classic.  The raw power of every riff conjures the ghost of Iommi (wait, he’s not dead!)
Check Out: Iron Swan

4. QOTSA – Songs for the Deaf (Interscope)
Another popular release that includes perfect song after perfect song.  Dave Grohl leaves his mark, and his curse on future Josh Homme projects.
Check Out: Song for the Dead

3. Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness (Nuclear Blast)
One of the best black metal albums of all time. Abbath creates an avalanche of riffs and mayhem.
Check Out: One By One

2. Opeth – Blackwater Park (Music for Nations)
Many consider this the breakout album for Opeth.  A collection of the band’s finest moments and some of the best metal songs of all time.
Check Out: The Drapery Falls

1. Mastodon – Leviathan (Relapse)
Mastodon’s perfect metal album and one of the best releases ever.  A true classic from the first notes of track 1.
Check Out: every song

Justin’s List:

20. Candiria – 300 Percent Density (Century Media)
Normally, shit this eclectic is reserved for prog snobs… it’s a shame they’re too busy sucking off Dream Theatre to appreciate the real deal.
Check Out: 300 Percent Density

19. Killswitch Engage – The End of Heartache (Roadrunner)
This album raised the bar previously set by Alive or Just Breathing. A feat every other modern metalcore band (including Killswitch themselves) have yet to surpass.
Check Out: Rose of Sharyn

18. Starkweather – Croatoan (Candlelight/Hypertension)
Ready for something completely new and exciting? Check out these old-timers.
Check Out: Slither

17. Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)
As I’ve said before… this is “Metal” personified.
Check Out: Repulsive Salvation

16. Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness (Nuclear Blast)
Black Metal’s finest hour?
Check Out: One By One

15. Slayer – Christ Illusion (American)
Kerry King + Tom Araya + Jeff Hanneman – Paul Bostaph + Dave Lombardo = ‘Nuff Said.
Check Out: Flesh Storm

14. Baroness – The Red Album (Relapse)
Eclectic, yet cohesive. Heavy, yet poetic. Artsy, yet fucking awesome.
Check Out: Wanderlust

13. Type O Negative – Dead Again (SPV)
Absolutely epic songwriting from “The Drab Four”.
Check Out: The Profit of Doom

12. Craft – Fuck the Universe (Carnal/Southern Lord)
Black Metal’s finest hour.
Check Out: Thorn In the Planet’s Side

11. Mastodon – Remission (Relapse)
Riffs beyond your wettest dream. A game changer for sure.
Check Out: Mother Puncher

10. Torche – Meanderthal (Hydra Head/Robotic Empire)
The prefect blend of heavy and poppy. I assume this album is perfect for cruising for metal chicks on a hot summer evening.
Check Out: Healer

9. Cave In – Jupiter (Hydra Head)
The biggest 180 in the history of hardcore. But Cave In are certainly a better band for having taken the risk.
Check Out: Big Riff

8. Opeth – Deliverance (Music for Nations)
One listen to the title track and you’ll know why it’s on this list.
Check Out: Deliverance

7. Isis – Oceanic (Ipecac)
This album single-handidly turned the word “Neurosis” into “Neurisis”. Stock in metalgaze shoots through the roof.
Check Out: The Beginning and the End

6. Jesu – Jesu (Hydra Head)
Justin Broadrick shows the metal community there’s more to life than Godflesh. Much more.
Check Out: Friends are Evil

5. Converge – Jane Doe (Equal Vision/Deathwish)
Converge’s defining record… Jane Doe also happens to be the defining record for 98% of hardcore bands since.
Check Out: Concubine

4. Meshuggah – Nothing (Nuclear Blast)
Is there such a thing as “too heavy”? It turns out the answer is no.
Check Out: Straws Pulled at Random

3. Pelican – Australiasia (Hydra Head)
The perfect mix of skull-crushingly heavy and heart-breakingly emotional. The soundtrack to “flying” dreams.
Check Out: GW

2. Hopesfall – The Satellite Years (Trustkill)
An awesome post-hardcore band doing everything in their power to sound like Hum. Hey… it’s all green to me!
Check Out: A Man Exits

1. Mastodon – Leviathan (Relapse)
The metal equivalent of Dark Side of the Moon. Instant Classic. Period.
Check Out: every song

In an autumn full of anticipated releases from some of metal’s heaviest hitters, it’s Baroness’s second major release that stands out.  When the “Red Album” splashed onto the scene; it was so great, it generated amazing buzz, was named Revolver’s album of the year, and declared Savannah’s Baroness as the new gods of sludge.  That album completely kicked my ass from the first time I heard the opening notes of “Rays on Pinion,” so I along with many others have been waiting two years in anticipation for their next offering.  I’m happy to report that “Blue Record” does not disappoint, in fact, it rules.

“Blue Record” begins with two instant classics: “The Sweetest Curse” and “Jake Leg“.  Both of these songs are sludgy anthems that epitomize that Baroness style by combining John Baizley’s throaty voice, over-buzzed guitars and pounding drums into a dynamic blend all their own.  The harmony guitars abound on the album and the fast, and out-of control runs are displayed once again on songs like “A Horse Called Golgotha“.  The unsung hero of Baroness is definitely drummer Alan Blickle, who’s barreling, single-kick pulse drives life into “O’er Hell and Hide” and lends some swing and balance to “Swollen and Halo“.  Instrumental interludes are back again, but stylistically, there is an intent to reincarnate the themes they introduce into similar melodies that project a new life and a new perspective.  You can hear the results as the chanted vocal melody of “Steel that Sleeps the Eye” returns as a driving rocker in “Swollen and Halo“, or when the stomping waltz of “Ogeechee Hymnal” changes into the dirgey “Bullhead’s Lament“.  Once again the production is top-notch, creating a sound that’s soulful and dirty, yet tight and composed.  And I don’t think I have to praise the artwork, because it continues to prove the worthlessness of .mp3s.  Do yourself a favor and buy this record on vinyl.

The “Red Album” is a tough effort to top, because it’s pretty much perfect, but “Blue Record” comes close.  It’s definitely a logical step in the progression of the band, and it shows that they are here to dominate the metal scene for years to come.  The songs are a bit more streamlined, and a bit toned down, but they have a confidence and a grace underneath the rough exterior.  It’s scary to think what Baroness is capable of artistically, but I’m hoping for a long career, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “Baroness, take my advice, just don’t release a “Black Album,” we’ve seen how that ruins credibility.”

Chris’ Review:

My main question for the new Baroness record was whether it would distinguish Baroness from the easy comparisons and classifications that the Red Album, enjoyable as it is from beginning to end, could not escape. To my great delight, the Blue Record defines Baroness clearly as their own band.

I wouldn’t say any part of the Red Album was disagreeable, but on the whole the album failed to grab me; it usually fades to the background as I’m listening. The Blue Record captivates throughout with a just-right amount of challenging sounds and passages instead of merely delivering one nice sound after another. What I’m getting at is, like most great albums, the Blue Record takes risks; it’s not homogeneous. Not everyone is going to like the acoustic sing-along “Steel That Sleeps The Eye.” The galloping beat of “Oer Hell and Hide” might be too dancey for you. Why the hell is that fuzz guitar solo on “A Horse Called Golgotha” so damn loud? Somehow Baroness makes these oddities enjoyable.

And the more conventional parts are plenty pleasurable as well: a treasure trove of guitar tones playing signature Baroness licks, layered vocals singing and yelling that signature melodic style. Musically I don’t know what you call it, but it sounds like the motivational melodies of the Seven Dwarves sung by Viking marauders.

Look closer at the art nouveau inspired cover art and you see more and more interesting details you might miss on your first glance: broken eggs spilling their embryonic goo, giant sperm wriggling in the sky. Listen to the Blue Record with a similar attention to detail and enjoy the revelations.

Chris’ Rating:

King says: “The Baroness: my favorite G.I. Joe character and (now my) southern metal band.”

Have A Listen:

Baroness – The Sweetest Curse:

Download audio file (The_Sweetest_Curse.mp3)

Describe Baroness’ songwriting style… is there a specific process you adhere to, or is it more organic?

We’ve always tried to allow the songs to come together as naturally as possible. We start with a direction, concept, or theme. We slowly add and develop instrumentation as the song takes shape; and we try to distance ourselves from too much high-falutin analysis until the song is close to being done. We need to get a gut level reaction before anything else. We are reactive players and limited musicians; we’ve been playing music together for so long now words are becoming less necessary, we try to keep the chit-chat to a minimum. Our best songs were written this way: less talk, more rock so-to-speak.

How and when do you approach vocals throughout the songs’ development?

As our band has gotten older, and we’ve spent more time considering composition, we have increasingly tried to accommodate more room for vocals. Since I am playing an instrument and I am not an especially gifted singer, there are strictures we’re faced with in terms of vocals and lyrics. Early in our career, we used vocals as the nasty instrument in our band, to add intensity accents to moments within the song. More recently, I have tried to to find the vocal middle ground between where I was 6-7 years ago and something more flexible and expressive. I am always working with my voice right at the edge of its capabilities.

Where do you pull your musical influences from, and do they inspire Baroness’ non-traditional song-structure?

More recently, my musical inspiration has been drawn most directly form the non-musical arts: literature, fine art, cinema, etc. Without sounding like I’m careening into pretense, we have been trying to sequence and approach our records like cinematic scores. This has more to do with flow and tenor than actual structure. I don’t think our song-structure is all that out there, at least not in my perspective. I both detest and admire remedial pop structure; so I’ve always resisted submitting to those rules. I think our songwriting is more classic in it format, perhaps a format that has been glazed over in recent years.

As a musician and visual artist, do you find any similarities between your approach to creating physical artwork and songwriting?

The visual and sonic arts are really the same at their core. Both are a type of communication, though different mediums. I apply much the same methodology when creating in both formats. Expression of ideas, themes or atmospheres start from the same place. I tend to start generally, and then refine and develop along a natural path until my message is defined. Creation is creation.

The Blue Record seems to incorporate reoccurring themes more so than your previous albums, was this a conscious decision, or just something that came about throughout the songwriting process?

As i mentioned earlier, I like to let themes develop at their own rate in their own way. Sometimes our albums have disparate themes and occasionally they become more focused, as with Blue Record. We aimed at writing something personal, and the most poignant and obvious themes in our lives ended up repeating themselves. As it turns out, we all had some very common experiences happening at similar times, with similar implications.

Describe how you feel the band has progressed stylistically or sonically since The Red Album…

Since Red Album’s release, we have toured extensively and we’ve all remained active listeners and students of music. We have progressed technically. We have grown sonically. I think the real development has been that we’ve been able to define ourselves more accurately within our music. We have tried to slough off some of the more external trappings of genre, style and influence in favor of a more private and idiosynchratic means of delivery. Whether or not we have achieved any of this has yet to be seen. Process is the most important focus of the band, not resolution.

You’ve just announced a headlining tour with a variety of bands… explain the prospect of playing alongside such diverse musical company.

We have diverse musical tastes. Simple as that. It is restricting for us and our audience to play with the same type of band over and over again. There are so many powerful bands playing unique music out there; its a treat for us to share the stage with all of them. If nothing else, the diverse talent of those bands will keep us on our toes.

Any particular bands you’d love to tour with, or are you open to playing alongside anyone/anyplace/anytime? (ie: Clutch’s mindset throughout their career)

We’ll continue tour with bands that exemplify strong musicianship, forward-thinking attitudes and boundary-pushing ideas. Ostensibly, we are open to anything, it just has to illustrate one of the aforementioned qualities. I am a lifelong music fan, and outwardly, I am stoked to see these bands every night.

Explain the amp configuration you guys utilize for live performances. Does it largely differ from your in-studio setup?

I use two amps onstage for my rig now. One is a 50-watt Bad Cat head attached to a 4 x 12 cabinet, which I use for my high gain sounds. The other is a 30-watt Bad Cat 2 x 12 combo amp. This is more for the clean sounds and boosts on stage. Its not too complicated, and using two heads allows for a little more onstage diversity. In the studio, all bets are off. I’ll make anything work. Recording Blue Record, we used everything form our typical rigs, to tiny, super-crappy amps with horribly unique sounds. everything but the kitchen sink so to speak. It would take all day to explain the gear we record with. Then there’s a massive pedal board filled with inexplicable effects. The whole system is constantly changing.

In the age of digital media overtaking the music industry, what role do you feel artwork plays? Do you think it will continue to be as important as in the past?

Artwork will always be important to bands visual identity. But those rules and standards are changing. I am not liable to be some old codger rattling on endlessly about the way things used to be. We have to be aware of changes in aesthetic the shift from physical to digital artwork. With that in mind, I will still be making art the same way I always have, painstakingly slowly and traditionally. There are still people out there who appreciate that. My job is to find a way to make what I do relevant in the face of change.

Do you have a preference as far as format goes (digital/cd/vinyl)? In addition, what do you think of Apple’s recent announcement of iTunes LP… is that something you could get behind?

I believe in the LP as the ultimate (if outdated) album art form. That is how I initially design everything I make for bands. I think most album artists would agree with me there. There is a certain beauty in the LPs physical size. I have no idea what the itunes LP is. it sounds like a gross misrepresentation of something beautiful.

At this point, you’ve done artwork for a number of bands outside of your own. Will this trend continue on into the foreseeable future? If so, (I’m going to assume the demand greatly exceeds the supply) what factors determine who you will or won’t do work for?

I have always had a policy of working with bands I respect, admire, love or have friendships with. Anyone I work with exemplifies one of these qualities. I love making album art, and I am not likely to abandon it soon.

Describe what the ultimate visual+musical package for Baroness would be…

It’s already in the works. We’ll all just have to wait and see.

The Blue Record hits the streets on October 13th. As you might’ve suspected… there are a nice variety of pre-order options available.

We finally figured out what the hell we were doing (well… sort of) and recorded the first of many long-winded-blabber-fests to come. For our premiere (audio) episode, we tackle the Fall metal line-up, metal iPhone apps, and a few other goodies that you’ll be sure to enjoy while sitting in traffic on the way to work.

Our goal is to try and get in the habit of churning these things out once a month, but considering how long it took to edit this fucker, you’ll be lucky to have another one by the time the Fall 2010 preview is due up. Anyway… hope you enjoy, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, and feel free to give us the old “one-two” in the comments section.

A big pat on the back to anyone who actually makes it through the entire thing!

Download audio file (ReviewsResist_Podcast_1.mp3)

  
(41.8 mb / 45:39)

 

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