This is how I know I’m old: I remember Between the Buried and Me before they were one of the elder statesmen of progressive metal. Those origins of metalcore and slamming death started to evolve almost immediately, and 23 years later here we sit with The Blue Nowhere, an unapologetic progressive metal album that sounds like a rebirth. Their first as a quartet and the first for progressive super label InsideOut Music, The Blue Nowhere stretches into more unexplored sonic territories for the band, getting downright funky and heavy in equal measure. It’s a great rebound after a somewhat lackluster Colors II, and a bold step into a revitalized future.
The weird was already there on the band’s self-titled debut, even if it was somewhat muted under the ferocious metalcore technicality. 2003’s The Silent Circus showed a band already stretching out of the confines of a narrowly scoped genre, but who are we kidding? The real launching point for what we think of as modern Between The Buried and Me is “Selkies: The Endless Obsession” off of 2005’s Alaska. That song was enormous (as far as metal popularity goes) and charted the course that immediately lead to Colors, the band’s perceived highpoint, and the template by which their fans would forever judge each subsequent album against.
Not fair, especially when that comparison might have dimmed the shine on what has on average been a pretty consistent run of very good to great albums, including The Great Misdirect, Coma Ecliptic, and superb conclusions to both The Parallax and the Automata series of albums. Even Colors II has its moments, but more than anything listening to it now it sounds like a warm-up for what been accomplished on The Blue Nowhere, which cackles with delight at the abrupt left turns and homages and funk and – to be sure – enough incredible riffs and solos and death metal vocals to lay to rest any fears of complacency.
It starts with the single “Things We Tell Ourselves In The Dark” and that funky, deceptive synth heavy opening. Channeling 80s Peter Gabriel and King Crimson with dashes of Prince, the band sounds loose and engaged in a way that lets the transition to the chorus and Tommy Giles Rogers’s catchy vocal melody stand out. And then it starts to come off the rails in an unhinged progressive storm that had me literally laughing out loud in the best way. Despite the flurry of time changes and rhythmic syncopations the music sounds effortless, giving you so many hooks to cling to that the eight minutes runs by so fast I would just play it again and again. Which is fantastic but had the adverse effect of delaying my exposure to the fantastic “God Terror” which had Rogers evoking the spirit of Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine in a way I would never have imagined if you gave me a hundred years. And it comes in the midst of some great popping electronic music before grabbing 90s Marilyn Manson by the throat and devouring him along with Mike Patton.
Those are just the first two songs on The Blue Nowhere. It doesn’t begin to describe the horns and bluegrass twang that adorns the 11-minute “Absent Thereafter” which also manages to be one of the heaviest tracks on the album. Or is it? Because until you hear the opening of “Psychomanteum” you’ll need to reserve judgement. And to remind you that when the desire comes they can still write a killer rock song there’s the title track, maybe one of the most accessible songs Between the Buried and Me have ever put out.
By the time of the closing progressive rock majesty of “Beautifully Human” I’ve already reset to put the album on again. Except wait: when was the last time I listened to The Great Misdirect? And how does Automata I hold up? I know I had it on my end of year list but it’s been a while and…wait.
If there’s a message to take away from this review, it’s that: Between the Buried and Me have crafted an album so good it made me jump back into their entire catalog.
Yeah, even the debut. You know you like it, too.
— Chris
The Blue Nowhere will be available September 12 from InsideOut Music. For more information on Between the Buried and Me, check out their website.