Baroness will finally begin an American tour in support of 2012's acclaimed "Yellow & Green," more than a year after releasing the record. Restlessness set in long ago, guitarist Pete Adams said, discussing the band's decision to pick up the pieces and tour following a horrific bus crash last August. If he and vocalist John Baizley had their way, and didn't have to find replacements at bass and drums, the group would've been on the road much earlier.
"We can't...not tour," he explained. "The fans were really supportive and understanding. They would have let us take a break, but we belong on the road or in the studio. We f-----' need it."
Adams was one of the "lucky" ones when Baroness's tour bus slid off the road near Bath, England. Rain and a set of defective brakes resulted in the vehicle falling more than 30 feet from a viaduct, crushing trees and bones. Baizley described the scene in a letter to fans, detailing "blood, gas and diesel fuel everywhere." Remarkably, none of the nine passengers died, which is not to say the effects weren't traumatic. Adams was treated and released without major injury, but bassist Mike Maggioni and drummer Allen Blickle both suffered fractured vertebrae, and Baizley broke his left arm and leg. Blickle and Maggioni would end up leaving the band in March.
Other bands were crucial in the rebuilding process, auctioning memorabilia and raising funds to cover the band and stage crew's medical expenses.
"Our friends like Mastodon, bands we had never even met before. People just came out of the woodwork," Adams said. "For lack of a better word, it was heartwarming."
The mental scarring from the incident may last forever, but the physical damage has receded enough that the band can travel. Baroness will begin its first American tour since May 2012, beginning July 30 in West Babylon, NY, and will continue around the country, including a stop at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Although the group is playing much of "Yellow & Green" live to American audiences for the first time, the specters of a new album are already floating in Adams and Baizley's minds. Formalities such as booking a studio are far off, but the idea has certainly been discussed.
"I mean, there hasn't been any hard writing yet, but we're definitely looking forward to doing new recordings," Adams said, comparing the theoretical album to the band's last release. "We've always bounced ideas around first, but it'll be scaled back from 'Yellow & Green.'"
Baroness released "Yellow & Green" as a double album, continuing the colorful title theme begun with "Red" in 2007 and continued by "Blue" in 2009. The double was the result of too many good ideas being bounced around, Adams said, enough that the band could create two stand-alone LPs. Fans of the group's previous albums will find "Yellow" closer to their expectations (although certainly not a replica of "Blue"), but "Green" mellows down from the density shown in the record's first half. The album scored praise from the gatekeepers of music high culture: Pitchfork gave it a "Best New Music" designation, a rarity for heavy rock, and SPIN listed it among the best records of 2012. Adams appreciates the approval, but regards it warily.
"I don't really trust good reviews," he explained. "If everybody likes your record, you might want to make the same exact record. And then you're disappointed when the critics don't like that one. I think we're better off trusting what we think sounds good."
Following its gut has worked out for Baroness thus far. The group is often associated with fellow Georgia band Mastodon, as well as heavier acts such as High on Fire, into the ambiguous "stoner metal" genre. These bands share several characteristics: an unwillingness to play only metal, occasional forays into concept rock, and critical acclaim. Adams and Baizley are devoted fans of the metal genre, but Adams has never considered the band part of the scene.
"We don't really consider Baroness a metal band," he said. "Maybe we're a gateway band for people who have never listened to metal before. If that's the case, that's pretty f-----' cool too."
Looking ahead, Baroness has already scheduled a leg of European dates set to begin in September, beginning in the Netherlands and ending in London. The band's last tour ended in England, and this one will too. We expect the group will find more satisfaction in the conclusion this time around.
