Every year, there's at least one, if not several, albums that if I'd only heard/fully absorbed them a scant few weeks earlier, they would be proudly displayed in my top 15 of the year. In 2006, it was Converge's No Heroes and Grizzly Bear's Yellow House. This year, it's Baroness' exceptional Red Album. A potent mixture of metal, Southern rock, ambient interludes, and prog dalliance, this record is as invigorating and consistently surprising a metal album as you'll hear. Their willingness to inject their music with moments of disarming calm and beauty pay huge dividends. Cannot stop listening to this.