Between the Buried and Me – Alaska
Victory Records – vr262 – September 6th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
I’m gonna go out on that skimpy limb right there, and claim that
Between the Buried and Me are the most popular genre-blending act. Recently I’ve been introduced to artists in a similar vein such as
Biolich,
SOIHADTOSHOOTHIM, and
The Apparati and have left the table with a smile each time, though none of them were fully able to satisfy my longings.
Alaska – a potent mixture of -cores, progressive metal, post-rock, and unpredictability – fares better than several efforts I’ve heard, but its triumphs may be interpreted as self-defeats by some.
Coming off
Self-Titled and
The Silent Circus, I have no reservations in declaring
Between the Buried and Me the champions of Victory Records, since the label has taken a dive in recent years. No matter what they’re doing on the fifty-four minute
Alaska, though, the quintet prove technically proficient. “All Bodies,” the opener, is just as good an example as any number on here because metalcore, deathcore, and power/prog metal are intertwined. While the transitions are smooth, I can see a certain amount of people berating the group for using such disparate elements, making it appear as if they’re in cahoots with one another. For example, does anyone want to hear tech-metal with gruff vocals be eclipsed by affable melodies with a choir approach? Judging by sales and word-of-mouth, there are some who do want to hear this kind of stuff. “Alaska” is arguably where the listener receives the first overpowering glints of prog, but they disappear until “Selkies: The Endless Obsession” commences with a keyboard-heavy, instrumental section lifted from present-day
Dream Theater, and once the song hits the 3:00 minute mark, robotic vocals (
Cynic –
Focus) steal the mic for a brief cameo. Somewhere along the line, however, “Selkies: The Endless Obsession” mellows out for a bit. Keep in mind that
Between the Buried and Me are almost always pulling different styles out of their collective hat, and that any respite seldom lasts.
“Breathe In, Breathe Out” is less than a minute, while the entirety of “Roboturner” is more standard -core than any of its predecessors. “Backwards Motion” parallels “Roboturner” until the former treads into post-rock territory, summoning
Pelican and
Red Sparowes in effect. At 6:20, Rogers (vocals, keyboards) pulls off an impression of
The Mars Volta that is completely unexpected, which recalls much of
Alaska itself.
Between the Buried and Me – sharing two members with
Glass Casket – recover old ground on “Medicine Wheel,” simply because they sound more post-rock here than anywhere else. “The Primer” has very thick synthesizer melodies, and an acoustic guitar closes the piece along with an enchanting keyboard line. Similarly, “Autodidact” shoves off formula by incorporating a variety of styles and sporadic tempo changes. Oddly, “Laser Speed” begins with forgettable guitar but soon migrates to instrumentation that teleports me to a beachfront resort.
As you can read for yourself,
Alaska is filled to the brim with surprising developments, and the music itself is quite unpredictable. Gamblers may want to try their luck with
Between the Buried and Me, but they’re mainly for the adventurous and open-minded of the lot. Still, their ubiquitous desire to switch things up hampers the listener to a certain extent: there’s simply no time to get into the music. And though the production suits the recording, the guitars lack any real edge. I was excited by this – which is not up for contention – although I recognize that this young troop needs to improve before they attempt to do any further conquering. Concentrating on writing memorable passages, coupled with enough time to savor them, will help in the future methinks.
8/10
Official Between the Buried and Me Website
Official Victory Records Website
