Baroness – Sweet Oblivion Tour 2023 (w/ Soul Glo, Spotlights)

Baroness have announced their sixth studio album, Stone, arriving September 15th, according to Consequence of Sound. Simultaneously, the band has also mapped out a Fall 2023 North American tour and has shared the video for lead single “Last Word.”

The seven-week “Sweet Oblivion Tour” kicks off October 13th in Baltimore and runs through December 1st in Philadelphia. Notably, the band has tapped a who’s-who of rising heavy underground acts to provide support on a regional basis: 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 to be announced).

Stone marks Baroness’ first non-color-themed LP, but does hold with the tradition of featuring the distinctive artwork of singer-guitarist John Baizley. Musically, Baizley said the band indulged the impulse to craft something different from Baroness’ past work, and “Last Word” showcases this creative leap, featuring frenetic guitar arrangements — even more prog-tinged than before — and an emphasis on layered melodies.

“An important through line in Baroness is we don’t like to repeat ourselves,” Baizley stated via a press release. “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.”

Baroness self-produced Stone in a private vacation rental in the border town of Barryville, New York. It was mixed by Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Tool) and mastered by Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, Nirvana).

“The recording process was completely self-contained,” said drummer Sebastian Thomsen. “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.”

Stone is available for pre-order via Baroness’ website in a variety of formats including vinyl (in numerous colorways), CD, deluxe double CD (with live bonus tracks), and cassette.