It was an enchanting night of metal as Baroness led the charge with special guests Deafheaven and Zeal & Ardor, as they took over the Skyway Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Zeal & Ardor was the first band to take the stage.
Picture an ominous piano playing to a scene that offers no light at the end of the tunnel. You hear the chain gang slaving away to the tune of no hope and where the old negro spirituals that offered hope suddenly had that hope and light dashed away from them. Zeal & Ardor told their story to the packed house at the Skyway Theater.
I could tell that some of the audience wasn’t sure how to take the band. I mean the songs were ominous, yet you could tell that the audience was listening intently and were engaged with the band. It was that moment when curiosity of the band transitioned into the audience rocking out and cheering along to the band. Manuel Gargeaux along with his two henchmen did a masterful job with their dark harmonies and the arrangements of the music were absolutely tight. Songs such as “Gravedigger’s Chant”, “Devil Is Fine”, “Don’t You Dare”, and “Baphomet” especially won the audience over. The songs were ominous, philosophical, and intriguing all rolled into one.
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect with Baroness, because I never listened to them before. After hearing Zeal & Ardor and Deafheaven, I was expected a full-on supercharged death metal set, or something to that effect. What I got was a very pleasant surprise, and that was a band that mixed classic rock with progressive metal with a dash of power metal into the riffs. The band members John Baizley(guitar/vocals), Gina Gleason(guitar/vocals), Sebastian Thomson(drums), and Nick Jost(bass/keyboard) all excel at their collective crafts. I couldn’t help but notice the chemistry and camaraderie that John and Gina have as they were slaying on their guitars while Sebastian and Nick grooved us to death in the rhythm section for Baroness. The crowd was immediately awestruck as they opened the set with “A Horse Called Golgotha” and Baroness had the audience in the palm of their hands for a solid hour plus.
Baroness Setlist:
- A Horse Called Golgotha
- Morningstar
- March To The Sea
- Green Theme
- Chlorine & Wine
- Borderlines
- If I Had To Wake Up(Would You Stop The Rain?)
- Fugue
- Eula
- Shock Me
- Ogeechee Hymnal
- The Sweetest Curse
- Isak
- Take My Bones Away
There are two more dates on the tour featuring Baroness with special guests Deafheaven and Zeal & Ardor. Check out the dates below:
Wed. 4/10- The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland
Fri. 4/12- Terminal 5 in New York, New York
For tickets and further information go to Baroness’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yourbaroness
