Thursday 27 November 2014

Between The Buried And Me - Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium (Album Review)


Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 30/09/2014
Label: Metal Blade Records

‘Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium’ CD/DD track listing::

1. Goodbye to Everything
2. Astral Body
3. Lay Your Ghosts to Rest
4. Autumn
5. Extremophile Elite
6. Parallax
7. The Black Box
8. Telos
9. Bloom
10. Melting City
11. Silent Flight Parliament
12. Goodbye to Everything Reprise

Between The Buried and Me is:

Tommy Rogers | Vocals/Keyboards
Dustie Waring | Guitar
Paul Waggoner | Guitar
Dan Briggs | Bass
Blake Richardson | Drums

Review:

Between The Buried and Me represent the hallmarks of a successful band, from their S/T album all the way through to their latest studio release, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’, they have always been a band driven by their description, namely Progressive.  No two albums have sounded the same, nor should they. They have one of the most dynamic sounds in any genre or sub-genre, and they have the talent to do whatever they damn well please, and refuse to get stuck in a rut.  That to me is a measure of successful band. Live, they somehow manage to sound better than on a studio recording, and are able to do all the weird and kooky things you thought were robots. I’ve seen them, not a robot to be seen! What is also rare for a prog band and I’m making a personal statement here ‘they are not up their own ass, and make songs that aren’t complex for the sake of making you feel bad.’ They make sense; they are amazing to listen to, and even cooler to watch.

The reason I mention their live performance, is because they have recently plopped a massive example of that, on their new live album, conveniently labeled ‘Parallax II: Live at the Fidelitorium’, and it’s exactly as cool as it should be! The sound is absolutely massive, filling space like it paid for dinner first and sounding eerily not-live at all. Seriously, this album is close enough to being studio quality, it’s kind of scary. BTBAM bring their crazy style to the Fidelitorium, a place known for some jaw dropping shows itself, and put it to tape (That, kids, is what’s called an anachronism. It means I’m old for my age). 

I reiterate the point again; the sound is beyond phenomenal, with the arrangements of songs complimenting the aural stampede they bring to the table. They blast into ‘Goodbye to Everything’, with front man Tommy Rogers kicking doors down with his metal and clean vocal styles. He is a serious talent, having shown his dynamic range on their “covers’ album, ‘The Anatomy Of…’, with my favorites ‘Blackened’ (Metallica), ‘Kickstart My Heart’ (Motley Crue), and ‘Bicycle Race’ (Queen) showing he and his band of sonic circus misfits have all the chops. The live album, their second after ‘Colors’, is ‘Parallax II: Future Sequence’ played in its entirety, Live (duh).

If you’ve heard the studio album, you know what you’re in for. An absolute roller coaster of dichotomy, juxtaposition, and just plain weirdness most of the time, BTBAM have a knack for throwing very different styles together, somewhat seamlessly, and it’s on show like a prize hog. Yes, like calliope and brass, parading around a ring in a tent style and it’s AWESOME. Their keyboardist and vocalist, Tommy Rogers, has an air of mad genius, deftly mixing the musical type with their prog/heavy metal roots. There really is no way to sum up their style, so let’s move on.

This album isn’t exactly a quick listen, running at around the 74 minute mark, with 5 out of the 12 running over the 9 minutes, which is partially what allows them to do what they do. They give themselves breathing room in their music, keeping from that rushed sound, which is such a satisfying thing about their music in general. They give you plenty of what you love about them, while continually introducing a new thing in enough time to dig it. Master strokes of genius.

The songs wind deftly through one another, bouncing speed and style like bouncy balls, and varying between the crystalline and dark, from moment to moment.   Honestly, this is one of the most fun albums to come across my speakers in quite some time. If you’re a fan already, someone who has just heard the hype, or just looking for something to try for the first time, pick up this album in the near future!

Words by: Hunter Young

You can pick up a copy here




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