Purple is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Baroness. It was released in 2015 through the band's record label, Abraxan Hymns.
Background Baroness began writing Purple in early 2014. The album was recorded and mixed by producer Dave Fridmann from March until May 2015 at Tarbox Road Studio in Cassadaga, New York. Purple is the first album from Baroness following their 2012 bus accident and the first to feature members Sebastian Thomson and Nick Jost. It is the last album to feature Pete Adams, who left the band in 2017.
Release Purple was released on December 18, 2015, through the band's newly founded record label, Abraxan Hymns. It is available on CD, vinyl, cassette tape, and as a music download. The cassette copies were a limited edition given away for free with the purchase of CD and LP editions of the album at participating stores.
Four singles were released from Purple as part of a series of 12" vinyl picture discs featuring illustrations by artist Marald Van Haasteren. The album's lead single, "Chlorine & Wine," was released on August 28, 2015. The second single, "Shock Me," was released on November 15 and later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. The last two singles were released in December 2017, and each feature a B-side: "Try to Disappear" includes a live performance of the song that was recorded in 2016 at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, while "Morningstar" includes a demo version of the track.
Critical reception
Purple was met with critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic (a review aggregator site which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from music critics), based on 19 critics, the album received a score of 85/100, which indicates "universal acclaim".
In Dom Lawson's review of the album for The Guardian, he described the album as a "far more focused and fiery beast; both a return to the stormy riffing and skewed melodies of old and a subtle but unmistakable lunge for mainstream glory. It's a balance they pull off brilliantly." Pitchfork Brandon Stosuy was likewise praising of the album, writing that "These are some of the biggest, strongest songs that Baroness has written; it's rock music that folds in their more metal leanings, along with something more delicate and spare. The hooks and melodies are their best." Addison Herron-Wheeler of Exclaim! said that "Purple has just as much energy and power as the group's older works, but with a more refined and mature sound." She declared the album a "must-hear," saying "Baroness are back, and they sound as good as ever."
Thom Jurek of AllMusic said, "Though not as 'experimental' as their previous couple of records, as a whole Purple is far more focused, and it's certainly more euphoric. Surviving a close brush with death resulted in a celebratory affirmation of life that equates physical bombast and rockist swagger with woozy, dreamy, rainbow-streaked beauty." In a review for Spin, Dan Weiss wrote "Whether the devastation of the [band's bus] accident has imbued Baizley with new life, or his dual successes in the arts are just making him a fuller person, somehow Purple is still heavier than Yellow & Green despite being a leaner machine" In Mike Diver's review of Purple for Drowned in Sound, he referred to the album as a "quite wonderful record," "a certifiable triumph," and "a beyond-commendable comeback."
Commercial performance Purple debuted at No. 70 on the Billboard 200 with nearly 17,500 sales in its first week. It peaked at No. 2 on Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart and topped the Independent Albums chart. The album's second single, "Shock Me," reached number 28 on Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Track listing
Personnel
Baroness John Dyer Baizley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, lyrics, bells, glockenspiel, Wurlitzer electric piano Pete Adams – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals Nick Jost – bass, double bass, piano, synthesizers, additional backing vocals in "Chlorine & Wine" Sebastian Thomson – drums, additional backing vocals in "Chlorine & Wine"
Guest Isabela Dyer Thompson Baizley – spoken words on "Crossroads of Infinity"
Technical personnel Dave Fridmann – production, engineering, mixing Mike Fridmann – engineering Greg Calbi – mastering
Charts Chart (2015–16) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) 64 US Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)3
Accolades Best-of lists Publication Country Accolade Year Rank L.A. Weekly US 10 Best Heavy Metal Albums of 2015 2015 3 Loudwire US 20 Best Rock Albums of 2015 2015 9 Metalholic US 50 Best Hard Rock and Metal Albums of 2015 2015 5 New Noise US Top 50 Metal & Rock Albums of 2015 2015 4 Pitchfork US The Best Metal Albums of 2015 2015 6 Rock Sound UK Top 50 releases of 2015 2015 23 Rolling Stone US 20 Best Metal Albums of 2015 2015 7
Grammy Awards
| 2017 || "Shock Me" || Best Metal Performance ||
Kerrang! Awards
| 2016 || Purple || Best Album ||
Loudwire Music Awards
| 2016 || Purple || Best Rock Album ||
Metal Storm Awards
| rowspan="2" | 2015 || rowspan="2" | Purple || Best Sludge / Stoner Metal Album || |- | Best Album Artwork||
References
External links Purple at Bandcamp (streamed copy where licensed) Purple at Discogs (list of releases)