Send "Between the Buried and Me " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 When a band breaks as much new ground in as short a span as between the Buried and Me did between 2003 and 2007, the expectations from audiences seem to grow exponentially. Some bands work best within a set musical template, but others, like the North Carolina quintet, absolutely thrive when they’re in full experimentation mode, as albums like 2005’s Alaska and 2007’s Colors were thrilling displays of just how prodigious these progressive metal youngsters can be. Two years ago, the follow-up The Great Misdirect toned down the insanity just enough to have audiences wondering if Beween the Buried and Me was starting to sound just the tiniest bit predictable, but the songs were strong enough to assuage fears that the band was in any sort of creative rut.After a swift, highly ambitious formative period, though, you can’t blame a band for settling down a little, contentedly remaining in the niche they created for themselves. The Dillinger Escape Plan did just that on last year’s Option Paralysis, which ditched all the genre-blurring experimentation in favor of, well, making songs that sounded like people expected the Dillinger Escape Plan to sound like. Not that there was anything wrong with that – the album was anything but boring – but it was a far cry from the mind-blowing Ire Works from a few years prior. With a new record deal with Metal Blade after years spent at Victory, Between the Buried and Me seems to find itself in a similar situation. Whether you want to call it an album or a rather long EP, the three song, 33 minute The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues sees the band in a same comfort zone as their peers in Dillinger. In other words, there’s nothing at all new they’re doing here, but what matters most is just how fresh they can make this new material sound, predictable as it all may feel....full text |
| Thenewreview |
| If you haven’t at least HEARD the name “Between the Buried and Me” in the progressive metal scene, in the last 9 years, it is possible that you live under a rock. Garnering constant praise and criticism alike, Between the Buried and Me’s name can be heard within death metal, progressive rock, and even metalcore circles. Implementing elements of jazz, progressive rock, punk, folk music, and at times, even country, it would seem that BTBAM know no musical bounds. Okay, we all know that Between the Buried and Me is a unique band; that’s never the topic that gets people heated on forums and websites like ours here at The NewReview. Some people just can’t get into them; that will happen with any band. But truly, the debate is always over either a) the direction of the band since The Silent Circus in 2003, or b) the band’s ability to be unique with a purpose. Yeah, they’re a talented band. But to what end? Have a seat, and try your best to stay in it. Opening like a synthesized version of the battle of Helm’s Deep, the first minute of The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues will do exactly what BTBAM do best: make you feel as though you have no idea what’s going on. At least, that’s how I felt. When you come to your senses, angular lines, dissonant slides, and Tommy Rogers’ hoarse growl descend down Alaska-era chugging. It stops and goes. By three minutes, we look back to The Great Misdirect’s harmonized, reverbed syncopation. The following line sounds a lot like a bit of “Sun of Nothing,” from Colors, with its precisely placed squeals and spelled-out, spacey chords. But BTBAM would never be content with what they’ve already done. Next is the first time we hear one particularly beautiful movement, calling “evil stares back again.” With several recurring themes, moods, and musical directions, “Specular Reflection,” “Augment of Rebirth,” and “Lunar Wilderness” are not merely songs in the conventional sense. If you’re just looking for metal tunes to jam to, they might not be quite right. Each is a sonic experience all its own, and yet, it seems necessary for them to be joined as they are. Nonetheless, it’s easy to get lost in any of the three romantic, crushing epics of Hypersleep Dialogues....full text |
| Onemetal |
| As their first release on their new label, Metal Blade Records, and the first sign of new output since 2009′s The Great Misdirect, this EP carries a fair amount of expectation with it. For those of you who don’t care for all the tricky words and use the scores at the bottom alone to shape their purchasing decisions, I’ll say this now – yes, you should get this, it’s ace. Now that they’re gone… The parallax of the title refers to the central concept of this and its, as yet undated, follow-up release. Describing two characters that live millions of lightyears apart and the potentially universe-altering decisions they make around their similar personal circumstances, it’s certainly an intriguing idea. According to Paul Waggoner (guitar), there are musical themes established on this record that will be revisited through the second, apparently much longer, disc. Obviously given frontman Tommy Rogers’ more abrasive vocal stylings, a lot of the meaning will only really be revealed in print, but it’s certainly a fascinating lyrical conceit and one I look forward to digging into. If you’re a fan at all, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues won’t hold too many musical surprises for you – the band’s stylistic breadth and ability to change direction at a whim are very much still present and correct. They’ve learned a few new tricks along the way though, with the movie soundtrack-esque lead-in to the opening track, a polka section popping in out of nowhere during the second track ‘Augment Of Rebirth’, and flashes of jazz-fusion in some of the more out-there solos and instrumental sections. What Between The Buried And Me DO manage is to never sound stale – even though there are parts of this that are reminiscent of earlier material (the sweep-picked intro to ‘Augment Of Rebirth’ has more than a whiff of ‘Ants Of The Sky’ from Colors to it), that gets swept aside under the sheer volume of ideas that pour out at you....full text |
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