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
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
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