Baroness will release its sixth album, “Stone,” on Sept. 15, 2023, via Abraxan Hymns. The band has offered a preview of the record with the single “Last Word,” and its accompanying video, directed by bassist Nick Jost.
“I had been developing this process for video and animation, and this being our first self-produced album, we thought ‘why not extend that ethos to the video, too?’” Jost said. “It was really nerve racking to direct and create my first music video, but having a lifetime of nightmares and a love for strange animation turned out to be very useful.”
“An important through line in Baroness is we don’t like to repeat ourselves,” vocalist/guitarist John Baizley said. “It’s all about the willingness to take risks. When I was younger, the whole point of music was to be different, not to do the same thing, and not to listen to parents or play by the rules. That’s kind of goofy, but in practice, it works. It’s really sort of terrifying to be at the sixth record in your career and think that you’ll have to keep up with your history rather than continually invent. So, we doubled down on continuously inventing to see where it takes us. I think this record is a good reflection of that. ‘Stone’ is a lot more alive, more direct.”
That voluntary evolution brought the now Philadelphia-meets-Brooklyn based band to the border town of Barryville, New York. Electing to self-produce “Stone,” Baroness spent a month shrouded amidst the pines, holed up in a vacation rental that became an impromptu recording space replete with big, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and brick/glass walls. While writing “Stone,” Baizley recorded and pre-mixed it in real time, giving each song its own sonic treatment. After tracking drums, guitars and bass, the band took everything back to Baizley’s basement studio to record vocals before handing the album off to mix master Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Tool) and mastering guru Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, Nirvana).
“The recording process was completely self-contained,” drummer Sebastian Thomson said. “Having just the four of us in a rented house in the mountains for a month resulted in not only a cohesive and authentic sound, but also an intense collective mentality.”
“I think we were able to strip everything away on this record,” guitarist Gina Gleason said. “We were unified in that. So, we just jumped in and did our best. That felt really good. It was a really cool, empowering, creative experience.”
“Stone” pre-orders and pre-saves are available here. The album features original cover art by Baizley and is available on a variety of formats, including an indie exclusive LP and 10 limited-edition custom vinyl variants themed after each song on the album and designed by Baizley, as well as CD, a limited-edition deluxe CD featuring a bonus disc of live tracks recorded on the “Your Baroness” tour and a limited blue cassette.
“Stone” track listing:
1. Embers
2. Last Word
3. Beneath the Rose
4. Choir
5. The Dirge
6. Anodyne
7. Shine
8. Magnolia
9. Under the Wheel
10. Bloom
Baroness also has announced the “Sweet Oblivion Tour,” a seven-week trek that will see the band traversing North America this fall. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. local time Friday, June 23, with Baroness bringing along some of its favorite bands, including Jesus Piece, Portrayal of Guilt, Primitive Man, KEN Mode, Wayfarer, Chat Pile, Vile Creature, Soul Glo, Sheer Mag, Escuela Grind, Midwife, Hoaxed, Empire State Bastard, Cloud Rat, Imperial Triumphant, Uniform and Agriculture, with more support acts to be announced. More information and ticket pre-sales are available at yourbaroness.com.
Tour dates:
October 13 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
-With special guests Jesus Piece and Escuela Grind
October 14 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
-With special guests Jesus Piece and Escuela Grind
October 15 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
–With special guests Jesus Piece and Escuela Grind
October 17 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz Ybor
–With special guests Jesus Piece and Escuela Grind
October 18 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
-With special guests Jesus Piece and Escuela Grind
October 20 – Dallas, TX – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
-With special guests Portrayal of Guilt and Escuela Grind
October 21 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
-With special guests Portrayal of Guilt and Escuela Grind
October 22 – Austin, TX – Empire Control Room & Garage
-With special guests Portrayal of Guilt and Escuela Grind
October 24 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
-With special guests Primitive Man and Midwife
October 25 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater
-With special guests Primitive Man and Midwife
October 27 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
-With special guests Primitive Man, Midwife and Agriculture
October 28 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
-With special guests Primitive Man, Midwife and Agriculture
October 29 – Berkeley, CA – UC Theater Taube Family Music Hall
-With special guests Primitive Man, Midwife and Agriculture
October 31 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
-With special guests KEN Mode and Hoaxed
November 3 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
-With special guests KEN Mode and Empire State Bastard
November 4 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
-With special guests KEN Mode and Empire State Bastard
November 6 – Edmonton, AB – Union Hall
-With special guests KEN Mode and Empire State Bastard
November 7 – Calgary, AB – The Palace Theater
-With special guests KEN Mode and Empire State Bastard
November 9 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
-With special guests Wayfarer and Empire State Bastard
November 11 – Denver, CO – Summit
-With special guests Wayfarer and Empire State Bastard
November 12 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room Lounge
-With special guests Wayfarer and Empire State Bastard
November 14 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
-With special guests Chat Pile and Empire State Bastard
November 15 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
-With special guests Chat Pile and Empire State Bastard
November 17 – Columbus, OH – The King of Club
-With special guests Vile Creature
November 18 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall
-With special guests Vile Creature and Cloud Rat
November 19 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
-With special guests Vile Creature
November 20 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Beanfield
-With special guests Vile Creature
November 22 – Albany, NY – Empire Live
-With special guests Soul Glo
November 24 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater & Ballroom
-With special guests Soul Glo and Cloud Rat
November 25 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre
-With special guests Soul Glo
November 26 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
-With special guests Soul Glo
November 28 – Boston, MA – Royale
-With special guests Sheer Mag and Imperial Triumphant
November 29 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
-With special guests Sheer Mag and Imperial Triumphant
December 1 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
-With special guests Sheer Mag and Uniform
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