Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect

01. Mirrors (3:37)

02. Obfuscation (9:15)

03. Disease, Injury, Madness (11:02)

04. Fossil Genera: A Feed From Cloud Mountain (12:10)

05. Desert Of Song (5:33)

06. Swim To The Moon (17:53)

To fully appreciate the latest offering put forth by North Carolina progressive metal outfit Between The Buried And Me, you must first turn an eye, or rather, an ear, to their monumental 2007 release, Colors. Colors is, in a word, PERFECT, one of only a handful of albums to which I have ever had the audacity to apply that label. Sonically and conceptually, the album is an absolute masterpiece, the kind of work that makes a great band....legendary.

What pressure BTBAM was feeling in their attempt to follow that effort, I can only imagine. The band having set such a ridiculously high standard for comparison, it was nearly impossible, as a fan, to not have such equally ridiculously high expectations for their follow-up. So, it was with great anticipation, and I must admit a fair amount of dread, that I awaited their most recent release, The Great Misdirect. When I got my hands on it, I slowly unwrapped it. I put it in the player. And with one last sigh in a world where BTBAM could do no wrong, I pushed PLAY, knowing that my image of the band would most certainly be a bit tarnished, if only in the tiniest sense.

And as the sounds filled my ears, one thought rose above all others: NO. F@*%ING. WAY.

Oops. They did it again.

This is the point at which my brain....exploded. I let the album weave and ebb through me. I absorbed every riff and drum blast, every growl and whispered croon, every soaring, arpeggio-laden frenzy and every hauntingly beautiful texture. And when I had collected it all and calculated the sum of the parts, my entire grasp on logic lay defeated, crying and broken on the floor.

The Great Misdirect is not as good as Colors. Its BETTER. Better than PERFECT.....just does not compute.

In the month or so since this fateful day of logical liberation, I have been unable to stop listening to The Great Misdirect. In a wickedly unfair twist of fate, there have been 3 or 4 other solid albums released this fall that I would also like to give a proper review, but every time I attempt to give one of them my attention, I find myself physically incapable of getting through it before maniacally swerving back to BTBAM, like a demented, salivating crack addict.

Getting to the specifics of the album, there are six total tracks. Two of the six ("Mirrors" and "Desert Of Song") are shorter mellow numbers, while the other four are of the longer, more dynamic variety. "Mirrors" leads in with a nice lighter groove, lyrically setting the conceptual table ("close one eye, step to the side") to slide seamlessly into "Obfuscation", a full-throttle ass-kicker. "Disease, Injury, Madness" follows, also mostly of the heavier variety, but also featuring a beautifully eerie melodic section from about the 2 to 5 minute mark (shades of Opeth here). The transition out of this passage is one of my favorite moments of the entire album, as an isolated dirty bass line punctures the calm and segues directly into some gloriously meaty guitar riffage. From here, the album treads into more bizarre territory with "Fossil Genera: A Feed From Cloud Mountain". This track's opening few minutes feature Tommy Rogers' best Mike Patton impression, creating a sort of creepy carnival vibe, before launching into BTBAM's patented brand of frenetic metal. "Desert Of Song" is a gorgeously executed ballad, and is the song that has grown on me the most since hearing it for the first time. The lyrics and the tone convey a potent sense of guarded optimism, powerful and moving but not overly complex. This all leads up to the closer "Swim To The Moon", which is probably my favorite track on the album. This song is 17 minutes of full-bore energy, featuring a nasty chugging riff (very reminiscent of Tool) during the first half, and some of the most epic solo'ing Paul Waggoner has come up with yet in the latter half. The breakdown toward the end is absolutely crushing, with Tommy Rogers brutally ripping the line "Look into the picture" repeatedly from his chest. This culmination rivals (albeit does not quite top) the legendary breakdown at the end of the Colors closer, "White Walls" (which does still stand as my favorite individual BTBAM track).

As for the overall feel, there is almost too much to try to capture in words. It is most certainly the next logical evolutionary step from Colors. BTBAM continue their mastery of pummeling, constantly-shifting rhythms, and indeed most of the album is a meticulously executed progressive slugfest. But it is their ability and willingness to blend in slower, melodic passages that gives this album a true sense of maturity. Serving as much more than to simply create a loud-quiet-loud dynamic, these passages are brilliantly woven into the longer tracks to actually give them a greater sense of cohesion and purpose. Every song feels like story, examined from every angle before reaching a logical, and usually devastating, conclusion. And with the tracks strung together, the same can be said of the album as a whole.

The Great Misdirect is an utterly astounding album. If their song-writing continues to mature and evolve, the sky is the limit for these guys. As much as it pains my already throbbing head to say it, BTBAM have proven that they are capable of outdoing even themselves.