Barium is a Greek solo metal project that plays a unique style of traditional heavy metal mixed with thrash and doom elements. Painting The Misanthropy is the first release from Barium and was released late last year. The music is tough to just describe into simplistic terms as there is a lot going on here in a good way. There is a lot of experimentation, raw feeling and technicality behind Barium’s initial sound and it does continue through out the release. The guitar riffs have a Witchfinder General meets Black Sabbath mixed with a bit of thrashy aggression kind of vibes. The solos are well placed and feel like you are catching this project live. The vocals are a straight punch in the throat and are reminiscent of old Motorhead. The drums are not polished and studio clean but are definitely a grungy DIY quality which truly adds to the atmosphere.
Tracks like Barium Sulfate and Last Stand of Humanity stand out the most to me as both have the most memorable riffs and really keep you wanting to bang your head along. All and all, this is a super solid debut release from Barium. The song structures are catchy, well written and a modern blast from the past. If you like your metal with some early era doom, heavy metal, and thrashy, then this is definitely a well needed addition to your collection! I look forward to what is next for Barium.
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Review by Neil Andersen
