Gold Grey represents the end of Baroness' color-schemed album titles, preceded by Red Album, Blue Record, Yellow Green, and Purple. The now-Philadelphia-based quartet have been through major changes, from magazine covers and award nominations to a horrific life-threatening bus crash that caused the original rhythm section to leave, and the 2018 departure of founding guitarist Peter Adams, vocalist/guitarist John Baizley is the only original member. Bassist Nick Jost and drummer Sebastian Thomson were on board for Purple, but new guitarist/backing vocalist Gina Gleason (Santana, Smashing Pumpkins) makes her studio debut with Baroness here. While not quite the sprawling double-length exercise that Yellow Green was, the Dave Fridmann-produced Gold Grey, with its wildly diverse 17 tracks, is only ten minutes shorter, and is as labyrinthine as it is sprawling in ambition. Baroness have freely indulged in experimental songwriting, arranging, and studio experimentation before, but not to the degree displayed here. Everything, from continuously evolving, shapeshifting songwriting to a truly noisy mix and an ever-more-wide-angled juxtaposition of genres and styles, reflects aesthetic adventurousness. While there is metal riffing here -- especially in the set's second half -- it is merely an element in this kaleidoscopic rainbow of sounds, textures, and dynamics.

1		Front Toward Enemy
2		I'm Already Gone
3		Seasons
4		Sevens
5		Tourniquet
6		Anchor's Lament
7		Throw Me an Anchor
8		I'd Do Anything
9		Blankets of Ash
10		Emmett - Radiating Light
11		Cold: Blooded Angels
12		Crooked Mile
13		Broken Halo
14		Can Oscura
15		Borderlines
16		Assault on East Falls
17		Pale Sun