While this is one band I have been aware of for years (probably around the 05' ALASKA album si when I started finding out what these guys were about). I got to admit, I wasn't quite taken with them at first, probably due to my overload of new music that I was being introduced to. But just like a fine wine, it only took time for me to come around. Upon hearing their 09' release of "The Great Misdirect ", it seemed like a totally different ball game I was stepping into. I just happened to click with the album and been an eager fan since then. I was fortunate enough to catch them opening for In Flames/Killswitch Engage a few years back at the Airport Hanger in Mississauga (any other readers from the GTA there that night?). Then they ended up doing a "Saints & Sinners" tour not too long ago with personal favourites TesseracT and Animals As Leaders. Yes....it was a badass show!
OK, so enough of a memory lane trip, here is the latest installment of the HEAVY T.O. series, AFGM bings you BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME!
OK, so enough of a memory lane trip, here is the latest installment of the HEAVY T.O. series, AFGM bings you BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME!
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BTBAM consists of:
Dan Briggs - Bass | Blake Richardson - Drums | Tommy Rogers - Vocals, Keyboards | Paul Waggoner - Guitar | Dustie Waring - Guitar
Now mind you, this bio from Metal Blade Records seems to be a little dated, but it's better than nothing that's for sure. Chances are I wouldn't be releasing this till the end of the day if I decided to release my own bio of these guys (with taking ALL the same info anyways haha)...
"Merging unparalleled musical bravery, prodigious musicianship, flawless execution and an angular landscape of forward thinking ideas, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME (aka BTBAM) reinvent the rock 'n roll idiom while pleasing their harshest critics: themselves. Joining metal's dexterity and progressive rock's psychedelic, multi-layered experimentation, BTBAM (whose name was inspired by a line of lyrics from the Counting Crows song 'Ghost Train') create spine-tingling sound that contains visceral power, labyrinthine arrangement, mind-boggling melody and majestic beauty. The band has released five full-length LPs since its formation in 2000 including Between the Buried and Me (2002), The Silent Circus (2003), Alaska (2005), Colors (2007) and 2009's critically acclaimed The Great Misdirect, which landed at #36 on the Billboard Top 200 in its first week of release. The group has showcased its live prowess via a slew of world headlining tours and has participated in major touring festivals including Ozzfest and the Radio Rebellion and Progressive Nation tours. Since its inception, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has sold nearly one half million records and proven itself as a progressive rock pacesetter whose modernist clang pegs it as a paradigm to be followed and a yardstick by which other bands are measured.
The next step in BTBAM's musical journey involves a new label home in Metal Blade Records and another trek into boundary and genre defying song-writing that is their new album, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues.
The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues serves as the first installment of a two-part story. Hypersleep introduces two human characters who live in different planes of existence, separated by millions of light years. We find that each of them is confronted with similar personal issues that they need to reckon with. Both characters make decisions that will change their lives, and perhaps the course of the universe, forever. The follow up album will pick up the story with our two main characters, with the help of near light speed travel, meeting each other and realizing together their purpose in the universe.
Musically, of course, it sounds like Between the Buried and Me. Hypersleep has elements of aggression, beauty, quirkiness, and pure cacophony. Vocalist Tommy Rogers adds, 'For Hypersleep, we establish several themes which I'm sure will be revisited in the next album, which is something we really look forward to. We love to expand on simple ideas and see where they take us.'
The band will release The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues on April 12th, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. The three-song strong, 30 minute conceptual tour de force was recorded at Canada's Metalworks Studios and Rattlebox Studios and produced / engineered by the Grammy award-winning David Bottrill (Tool, Muse, King Crimson, Dream Theater). The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues represents BTBAM's musical and conceptual masterwork, showcasing the quintet's vivid execution and ambitious vision."
With the summer touring schedule beefing up and getting a good slot in one of the heaviest tours of each summer (aka Summer Slaughter 2012), it was perfect timing to announce the upcoming release of their latest endeavour "The Parallax II: Future Sequence", which will continue to conceptual idea of it's sister album "The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues". bHere is what BTBAM have released thus far in regards to information for PIIFS:
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME release 'Telos' and 'The Parallax II: Future Sequence' track listing; pre-orders available now BTBAM on tour now as part of The Summer Slaughter Tour 2012.
Globally celebrated progressive rock / cutting-edge metal innovators Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM) recently announced that their new album, The Parallax II: Future Sequence, will be released via Metal Blade Records on October 9th, in North America, and October 5th/8th in Europe. As some fans are already aware via live bootlegs on youtube, the first single BTBAM is performing live and releasing is entitled Telos. The song can be heard in its entirety now on metalblade.com/btbam.
Also available on metalblade.com/btbam are exclusive pre-order bundles, including a pre-order only t-shirt and a limited edition BTBAM spacesuit. Quantities on the deluxe bundles are limited, so order yours early.
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
With the album dropping next week, BTBAM have released a promo video in support of the PIIFS:
The Parallax II: Future Sequence, which clocks in at approximately 72 minutes, features artwork from Charlotte, North Carolina artist and designer Chandler Owen (Underoath, Shai Hulud, and Hopesfall). The group – TOMMY ROGERS (vocals / keyboards), PAUL WAGGONER (guitar), DUSTIE WARING (guitar), BLAKE RICHARDSON (drums / percussion) DAN BRIGGS (bass) - are currently touring as direct support to Cannibal Corpse on The Summer Slaughter Tour 2012, which kicked off with a sold out show at the House of Blues in Hollywood on July 20th.
Regarding the concept of The Parallax II: Future Sequence, the new full-length album picks up where the 2011 EP, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, left off. 'The two main characters of the story take on a journey through space and time with the unenviable task of having to cure the flaws of humanity by any means necessary. While the EP served mostly as an introduction to the characters, Future Sequence contains the action of the story. The lyrics are written in the stream of consciousness style, which really helps to capture the perspective and emotion of the characters. We really enjoyed the challenge of writing this record, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how well the music and lyrics jived with one another. I couldn't be happier with how Future Sequence turned out,' comments guitarist Paul Waggoner.
Vocalist and keyboardist Tommy Rogers adds his thoughts on the musical direction of The Parallax II: Future Sequence. 'This album is BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME on steroids. I feel like we have created an album that perfectly mirrors the band we've been trying to create since day one. An album that has sounds that will stimulate many genres and music fans alike. A conceptual journey that takes the listener to worlds that seem familiar and worlds that make you scratch your head. From start to finish this is music we want to create, not music we think people want us to create. We create songs that keep us (and hopefully you) excited about heavy music. Keep listening… something new will be there each time. Enjoy the music… we enjoyed writing it.'
Now as previously mentioned, BTBAM will still be touring in support of the sister album The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, which was released on April 12th 2011 via Meal Blade Records:
1. Specular Reflection
2. Augment of Rebirth
3. Lunar Wilderness
Even with the short track listing, the album got some great reviews from notable websites:
"Between The Buried And Me, a band who makes a three song EP the length of a regular full length from any other bands, is one of those bands that almost everyone knows is amazing but is more so plagued about which era of the band was the best. Regardless of where you stand, it seems that the guys are not going back to the Alaska era as evidenced by their brand new EP Parallax Hypersleep Dialogues. You first start off with the 11 and half minute 'Specular Reflection' that begins with some piano and a score that seems written for a drama movie that melds right into Tommy’s vocals and blastbeats from the drummer. They then slow things down for a bit and starts letting everything take their own path before bringing everything back together again in Between The Buried And Me fashion. Tommy’s vocals have not lost a thing and have seemed to even improve more if that was possible. The clean singing found on the EP is some of the best on their discography thus far. Near the halfway mark of the song the drums give you a 'jungle beat' so to say that is used as a great transition to the next movement of the song which includes mostly singing. The rest of the album follows up this amazingness with even more chaotic amazingness. This really is a band that is genre free as they put every genre known to man into their sound and yet they prove it again and again while surprising the listeners again and again. There is no way you can describe the band in only one word. We have all tried at one time or another, but it is always impossible. So let us all agree to let Between The Buried And Me’s music do all of our talking for us. Parallax Hypersleep Dialogues is a worthy addition to anyone’s music collection." -Audiopinions
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"In a nutshell, The Parallax is heavier than previous BTBAM releases, but pigeonholing this music would be unfair and inaccurate. The first track, 'Specular Reflection,' features a catchy, clean-sung chorus that is borderline poppy, in addition to heavy chromatic guitar riffs and spacey synth lines. Frontman Tommy Rodgers’ vocals run the gamut as usual, and his melodic singing sounds even better than ever. The second track, 'Augment of Rebirth,' is an example of the band’s technical chops and intense heaviness. Odd-metered riffs, blast beats, sweeping arpeggios, and accordion-playing (for good measure) ensue. The EP’s final track, 'Lunar Wilderness,' features the band’s more introspective, thoughtful side, with soft atmospheric sections, jazzy soloing, and a choir-like outro, in addition to frenzied heaviness.
While some deemed BTBAM’s last full-length, 2009′s The Great Misdirect, too ambitious, even discursive in its progressive mix, The Parallax flows more naturally. The tracks complement each other and build a cohesive piece of art. Between the Buried and Me are on a level of songwriting skill that few bands can hope to reach, and their new EP epitomizes the band’s talent." -Revolver
(Photo courtesy of Chuck Johnson)
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"Enjoying their newfound freedom on Metal Blade, Between the Buried and Me recorded The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues as the first of two conceptual records. It’s a short one, but even with a 30-minute running time, the EP cobbles together enough intricate twists and turns that it feels massive, and each of the three songs is an epic journey in precision. The concept plays out like a compact version of what System of a Down did on their Mezmerize/Hypnotize suite, combining wild signatures, scales, drastic genre shifts from one minute to the next, and syrupy vocals that erupt into roars. More than three songs of this caliber would be exhausting, so an intermission to break up this prog-metal opera feels necessary. Rogers, Waggoner, Waring, Briggs, and Richardson are at the top of their game, and couldn’t seem much more adventurous on their instruments as they interweave virtuoso parts that barely seem humanly possible. Meanwhile, David Bottrill’s dynamic production (his credits include King Crimson and Dream Theater) is perfectly suited, and only enhances the band’s ever-intensifying talents." -All Music
- www.betweentheburiedandme.com
- www.myspace.com/betweentheburiedandme
- www.twitter.com/btbamofficial
- www.facebook.com/BTBAMofficial
- www.youtube.com/btbamofficial
- www.indiemerch.com/BTBAM
- www.kingsroadmerch.eu/bands/between-the-buried-and-me.html
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