Critic Score
Based on 26 reviews
2015 Ratings: #44 / 1021
User Score
Based on 350 ratings
2015 Rank: #123
Liked by 44 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Kerrang!
A positive and uplifting album, and one that marks the most hard-fought comeback of the year.
90
Exclaim!
If you've loved Baroness's previous work and were holding your breath for this one, or if you are new to the group but love psych metal or more accessible heavy bands like Saviours and Mastodon, this is a must-hear. Baroness are back, and they sound as good as ever.
85
Pitchfork
These are some of the biggest, strongest songs the Baroness have written; it's rock music that folds in their more metal leanings, along with something more delicate and spare.
83
Consequence of Sound

Purple is their triumphant comeback, encapsulating the grief, recovery, and revitalization of Baroness.

80
The Needle Drop

Savannah, GA sludge metal outfit Baroness returns with the latest installment in their color-coded album series, Purple.

80
The Guardian

Purple is a far more focused and fiery beast; both a return to the stormy riffing and skewed melodies of old and a subtle but unmistakable lunge for mainstream glory.

80
Clash
Every Baroness album before this has featured huge shifts in style, this being the one where they take the best of each to create a propulsive, thrilling whole.
80
SPIN
Crossover moves are too often dismissed as cheap and lazy. These are brave, artfully considered.
80
AllMusic

Though not as "experimental" as their previous couple of records, as a whole Purple is far more focused, and it's certainly more euphoric.

80
PopMatters

The band unapologetically attempt to reach beyond the limits of their primary genre’s audience and welcome in anyone who appreciates a good song. And there are many very good songs among Purple’s ten cuts.

80
Drowned in Sound

It mightn’t possess the brute strength of those Relapse releases, Red and Blue, but there’s a greater balance between aggression and introspection to these songs.

75
A.V. Club

What defines Purple ... and allows it to transcend a mostly hokey, overwrought sound is the technicality and experimentation with which Baroness attacks melody, mostly via the busy drumming of Sebastian Thomson (also of Trans Am) and expert guitar work by Baizley and Peter Adams.

55
Under the Radar

To be fair, Purple is an enjoyable ride that's unlikely to disappoint avowed fans of the band. But playing it safe and not advancing their thesis substantially invites comparisons to earlier artifacts of their sonic template, artifacts that shine brighter than the present one.

SnowyFighter
83

Weezer needs to take notes

This was my first taste of Baroness, a metal group that I’ve been told about by some friends. I feel like I can be kind of picky with metal sometimes, but this shit hits ALL the right spots. Pretty sure Imma do a discog dive after hearing this record cause this shit is fire. Amazing performances, there is seriously so much talent here. The production is also so satisfying with so many little details and great transitions. The vocals are brutal, and when those ... read more

surlace
92

After a bus accident that could have led to an untimely demise, Baroness rise from the ashes and deliver what is arguably their best album (although my personal go to has always been Yellow & Green). I met John Baizley when they were touring this album, very sweet guy but I noticed he had a cast on before the show, I'm sure because he was still healing from the accident... and then all of a sudden he gets on stage with the rest of the band and absolutely wails on the guitar... completely ... read more

MaltosVini
58

Bem decepcionado com esse, um álbum aclamado, atual e de um gênero que estou aficcionado, estava com muita expectativa e simplesmente não clicou comigo. Pretendo escutar novamente após ler o que fez o pessoal gostar tanto.

elyssie
60

Trebla Freeman recommendations Pt. 1

I don't hate it, getting that out of the way, there's a lot of cool riffs, and a lot of catchy hooks ... and ummm, what else. I don't know, maybe if I listen to it stoned I'll like it more, but to me the lack of track variety, messy production work, and sub par vocal performance just kind of builds up to make this almost fade into the background. An album like this should keep me pumped up during the whole runtime, and while it definitely has its highs, and ... read more

88

a really catchy and engaging progressive metal album

JadedBen
100

Sheer emotive perfection!

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Added on: August 28, 2015