Between the Buried and Me-the Great Misdirect

One of my recent favorite bands has been Between the Buried and Me. i never really checked them out until one day i saw their "Alaska" album on clear vinyl and decided to make the purchase. i do remember hearing a couple songs, such as the title track and the epic "Selkies: the Endless Obsession," but once i heard the entire album, i knew i had to hear more. My next purchase was "The Great Misdirect" on clear orange vinyl.

The orange vinyl really complements the artwork and aesthetic of the album in a way that is masterful. The album itself is a monster; i've had the album for a month and listen to it probably 4 or 5 times a week and i still am not sure what to make of it. i mean, it's good, but i can't say that i really know the album yet. "Mirrors" is a nice, soft start to the album which serves as a thematic link to the next song "Obfuscation." The second track is where we hear the classic BTBAM brand of metalcore weirdness, rife with technicality and musicianship. The song is catchy, too, with its refrains (previously in "Mirrors") of "Close one eye/step to the side." These two songs need to be considered some of my favorite BTBAMers. Track three "Disease, Injury, Madness" starts out heavy, continues heavy, throws in an awesome honky-tonk piano-driven middle section (complete with vocals by a horse), and ends heavy. It's a heavy song. The fourth track may be my favorite on the album: "Fossil Genera - a Feed from Cloud Mountain," which begins with a funny little keyboard number and features Tommy Rogers doing a clean vocal performance which still maintains the darkness of his best growling moments. This segues into a full-on BTBAM pummeling as the band does what they always do: showcase their spectacular musicianship, a combination of insane amounts of GOD-given talent and years of work and practice. The opening theme to the song returns in the middle of the song, which could easily be called "circus metal" if one is apt to label things in that silly way. Or, maybe, in the vernacular of the day, "circus-core." Either way, this song exemplifies as well as any in the band's catalog just why they are so revered: the willingness to create songs which defy easy categorization and a willingness to take risks, to be influenced by music other than metal/hardcore, and to create epic, epic songs.

"Desert of Song" starts as an acoustic track which serves as a reprieve from the three heavy songs prior to its place on the album. For this one, guitarist Paul Waggoner performs vocals for much of the song, with Tommy helping out. One standout on this track is the acoustic slide guitar which gives the song a country feel without coming off like the "country" that the masses consume today. This song hearkens back to the days of real country, a la Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard, but still maintains the band's own personal style. Indeed, this band does "sing with the few."  The song builds to a nice conclusion which brings the album back into "rock" territory without being pummeling and the "silence is broken."

The final track is the monstrous "Swim to the Moon," which comprises the entire D-side of the album. This is the one track i still cannot comprehend, as it moves through so many phases and moods. The song starts with percussion and xylophone before the band kicks in. i would say that this track really allows each member to stand out instrumentally, as there are myriad finger-breaking guitar and bass parts, a drum solo, and electronic elements which highlight Tommy's keyboards. It is about 2:30 into the song before the vocals even begin. Again, this song features a catchy refrain which ties together a song which otherwise goes in so many different directions. Honestly, i still need a few more listens to this song to fully comprehend what is going on musically and lyrically, but i know that i like it anyways.

If you have not heard "the Great Misdirect," please check it out. The album really shows that metal and hard music are not stuck in a rut, but rather that there are bands that are doing new things, growing and progressing, changing and re-defining just what it means to be heavy.