Assembling an all-star line-up of Primal Fear, Kill II This and Pyramaze alumni for an electrifying 5-track trip through Death Metal and Progressive Rock qualities, the new project known as Baron Carta are going in for the kill with the release of new EP – ‘Shards Of Black’ – which hits your favorite record store’s shelf on June 29th. Exploring humanity, exploration and contemporary war efforts as hard-hitting themes, ‘Shards Of War’ aims to be a piercing critique of crucial societal issues and the powerful voices of today’s authorities – with plenty of room left for head-banging.
Baron Carta blends numerous different styles into a unique format, throwing memorable shades of Slayer, Megadeth and Iron Maiden stylistically together for good measure. Currently comprised of guitarist/bassist/songwriter Jono Bacon, Primal Fear frontman Ralf Scheepers and Anubis Gate’s drummer Moretn Gade Sørensen, the band are dedicated to weaving big vocals and pounding riffs together with unique lyrics and multi-media tools to craft a distinctive experience.
Discontent with breaking new ground in a purely musical sense, Baron Carta have challenged themselves to anchor an extended creative universe through the project. Disregarding the Metal scene’s usual album release structure, Baron Carta have decided to put their fan following first by treating them to deep lore for audiences to explore between projects in addition to releasing high quality music material more frequently by easing up on the traditional two-to-three year gaps between album releases. Enriched by this treasure chest of in-artwork easter eggs, tales weaved across projects in a three-act trilogy, and constant new content for die-hards to get their teeth stuck into. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for the group – one which adds creative expression beyond the powerful vocals, the catchy melodies and the heavy instrumentation that characterizes their sound. Nowhere does this feel more potent than on the lead single ‘Lethality’.
Thrash by metal and the hardest strand of rock by name, ‘Lethality’ pulls no punches in encapsulating their mission statement in an obvious – if effective – way. An intense start marks the beginning of the very heightened guitar riffs and the thunderous drums, creating a high-octane groove that doesn’t let up. A set of clear and polished vocals throughout create the picture and the sonic textures, delivered with a very theatrical style that reflects the lyrics’ abstract narrative about saluting the brave explorers who dared to put their lives on the line to conquer worlds unknown. Piercing sequences like “You take your God and your Science will strain” and “Deceptive danger in falling/Through a hated life less free” examine the sense of Lethality that are all around us, and soundtrack the adventurers’ path to finding sanity in a dark, different world. A guitar solo mid-way through plays out as if it were born to be performed on a stadium stage, while the anthemic chorus and the melodic highs of the growling guitars tie together the themes with a relentless energy.
It sometimes feels a little too energetic for its own good, in the sense that it limits the emotional impact which the lyrics may have delivered during rehearsals. The track also evokes a classic rock and retro sound, appealing to a crowd of mature and youthful listeners equally, but given the experimental nature of the band’s release strategy and promise to build lore carefully into their tracks, it feels like more could have been done to make the rhythms feel as original and exciting as they were hyped up to be, a notion that sadly isn’t quite delivered as well as it could have possibly been. These small critiques aside, Baron Carta show plenty of decent promise as they continue to find their feet in a very crowded market.
While a few tweaks and future improvements could make things feel even sweeter in subsequent releases for this music-loving writer, Baron Carta have still done an excellent job on ‘Lethality’, a gloriously ear-deafening statement of intent in the build-up to their ‘Shards Of Black’ EP due for release later in June. It is a nice refresher on the name of the game for a band who have the potential to take the metal world by storm, it could just do with a little more experimentation beyond a certain comfort zone to stand out from the pack – although it is worth keeping tabs on.
Words by Jacob Braybrooke
Connect With Baron Carta