The great thing about Between the Buried and Me, is that they are unstoppable when it comes to making good music. I could literally go on a 5 paragraph tirade about how shitty this new album is and everyone would just laugh whilst reading it knowing I was full of shit and probably accidentally listened to the newest Emmure instead as perpetrated by the folks at Victory. Everything this band touches turns to gold, they are borderline geniuses in the musical realm and really haven’t yet achieved their rightful place in the hierarchy of modern musical legends where they belong. So many people either have never heard them, or are too elitist to not look beyond the band’s stalwart metalcore influence (which the band has no shame in demonstrating, which is awesome!), which is a shame, because anyone who has been bitten by the BTBAM bug knows very well these guys are possibly the best thing in metal today.

The Great Misdirect is the latest piece of gold from the Between the Buried and Me camp, and it’s, as you would’ve guessed, a grand piece of music, to the point where it upstages everyone’s favorite, Crack the Skye. Ever since the release of Colors, fans have been awaiting eagerly for a follow up to the album that really put this band into a new class of artist, and I doubt anyone will consider The Great Misdirect anything but a direct hit. Containing all the grand musical mastery and originality we have come to expect from BTBAM, this album really isn’t out of the ordinary, which kind of creates an odd catch 22. How does one create an original album if that originality is what everyone has come to expect? Odd, but I’d say that is one of them there “good problems” to have.

The Great Misdirect also hasn’t sacrificed any of the band’s sudden bouts of brutality to make room for alternate artistic expression which happens to be one of the few quips some have had with Crack the Skye. Sure, the album is filled to the brim with different happenings, but fans can always expect a resolution of grindy death metal love. Basically, everything you loved about Alaska and Colors is present and accounted for. I will say though, that the melodic harmonies present on Colors don’t make themselves known on The Great Misdirect which is a slight disappointment, but BTBAM fills that void wonderfully with with many fresh riffs and rhythms.

Essentially, The Great Misdirect is exactly what fans were hoping for; the next great progressive masterpiece from Between the Buried and Me. Many bands disappoint at the point BTBAM are at in their careers, but as far as I can tell, their creativity has only gained steam and has no intention of slowing down.

MANDATORY OWNAGE

Similar Artists: Cynic, Opeth, The Human Abstract

1. Mirrors
2. Obfuscation
3. Disease, Injury, Madness
4. Fossil Genera – A Feed from Cloud Mountain
5. Desert of Song
6. Swim to the Moon

Tommy Rogers – vocals/keyboards
Paul Waggoner – guitar
Dustie Waring – guitar
Blake Richardson – drums/percussion
Dan Briggs – bass guitar

Victory Records

http://www.myspace.com/betweentheburiedandme

Review by CODY