Ever had the feeling you had your mind made up only to find out a few days later that you were completey wrong? Well I have. About a week ago my fellow colleague Demondust asked what I thought of the new Baroness album. I think my answer was something like: 'meh' because I was slightly dissapointed.

I absolutely loved the two EPs and the tracks on the split with Unpersons. The raw energy, the Mastodonish sound, the lengthy jamlike tracks. This new album is a bit of a department from that. More compact songs, a toned down aggression and a different vocal approach (more clean-ish) I couldn't really get into it.

Well ladies and gentleman, this morning I 'got into it'. Baroness have made a massive leap into their own territory. Taking a more song-oriented bluesy approach with some postrock elements, they almost come off as a metal version of labelmates Grails. Gone are the obvious Mastodon comparisons, Baroness have made a record that just sounds like themselves, and that alone is a great accomplishment. 

I don't know what took me so long to get into this. Probably because my expectations were different it took me a while to adjust, but now I have adjusted and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I mean, how can you even resist the twin guitar attack on second track 'The Birthing' and for that matter, in the third track 'Isac' as well? Brilliant stuff. 

So in the end, no Luuk, Death Is This Communion isn't better than this... I'm sorry. Yearlist top 5 material for sure, buy this.