Between The Buried And Me - Colors
Release Date: September 18, 2007
Record Label: Victory
Sometimes when listening to an album, I like to picture it as a soundtrack to some sort of movie. Especially an album that covers a lot of different sounds and vibes and crosses genres, thus making it versatile, something soundtracks require to accompany a movie and its different scenes and moods. And, now thanks to Between The Buried And Me’s fourth album. Colors, I’ve found my latest pseudo-soundtrack.
The major selling point of Colors is that it is only eight tracks long yet spans over a hour’s worth of time, making for some pretty epic jams. Produced by the band and Jamie King, Colors is chock full of killer riffs, booming drums, and an increased sense of melody. And this isn’t even mentioning the jazz and western influenced breakdowns featured throughout, making Colors a smörgåsbord of musical variety.
The first track off of Colors, “Foam Born (A) The Backtrack,” immediately will draw comparisons to Muse, well at least for the first two minutes or so until BTBAM unleash their auditory assault. “(B) The Decade Of Statues” and “Informal Gluttony” are BTBAM at their best, with Tommy Rogers shredding his vocals along with the insane guitar work from Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring.
The meat and potatoes of the album are the fourth, fifth, and sixth tracks, each clocking in at eight minutes and above. Each track is unique and introduces us to some of the newer things the band has been working on. The eleven minute “Sun Of Nothing” is equally brutal and funky, incorporating a smooth jazz breakdown, while “Ants Of The Sky” (which clocks in just over thirteen minutes) beats your brain in, then soothes you with moody keys courtesy of Rogers, only to end Saloon style, with the boys whooping and hollering like they’re in the Wild Wild West. “Prequel To The Sequel,” only a measly eight and a half minutes long, thrashes throughout, putting the technical skills of BTBAM on display. After listening to these three tracks over and over, eventually you realize that these three tracks sum up Colors in a nutshell: intense, sporadic, and versatile.
While the highlight of each Between The Buried And Me album is the band’s amazing technical work on the guitars and kit, it’s Tommy Rogers flexibility with his vocals that prove to be the unsung hero. Whether he is growling, shouting, or singing, he does a damn good job at it. The only knock on this album is that Colors is not for those with short attention spans, as there are literally no breaks within the tracks, just great transitions. While only time will tell if this release will be regarded as highly as The Silent Circus, it is definitely a huge step up from Alaska (which I did enjoy, for the record). With Colors, Between The Buried And Me have released the pinnacle metal album of 2007 and the perfect soundtrack to all of our frantic lives.
Decent review and album. I wish they'd stick to shorter songs. A track doesn't have to be 10 minutes to be epic. Yes, they're good musicians, but they just string together different riffs. Those long tracks don't really flow.
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