Baroness, Sheer Mag, Imperial Triumphant at Webster Hall

Photos and Writing by Kyle Ostrander

On Wednesday night, Baroness played NYC’s Webster Hall for the penultimate stop of their Sweet Oblivion tour. The band were on the road in support of their new album, Stone. Baroness hit the stage with electric energy, kicking off the set with Last Word before jumping into The Sweetest Curse, followed by A Horse Called Golgotha. Throughout their set, the band played cuts from across their entire catalog, serving up something for every fan to enjoy.

The signature sound of Baroness’ harmonized guitar solos, backed by their monstrous rhythm section, had the crowd jumping, moshing, and singing along the entire time. The band are no strangers to playing NYC, and it seems like this already amazing group of musicians somehow keep getting better and better every time they come back (I’ve personally seen Baroness at least half a dozen times now!).

Kicking off the night were experimental metal band Imperial Triumphant, a masked trio of musicians whose genre-bending music quickly caught (and held) the crowd’s attention. Everything from wearing light-up headwear, roaming into the crowd, and playing bass with a plastic water bottle were all part of the band’s impressive, performative set.

Second on the bill were Sheer Mag, an upbeat classic-rock inspired band. Full of shredding guitars and soaring vocals, the band served as a perfect juxtaposition to the rest of the acts on the show. Even though Sheer Mag’s set was shortened due to their singer recovering from a lost-voice, there’s no doubt the crowd was left wanting more, and would happily welcome the band for another NYC show when they’re back at 100%.