Ahh, post festival season blues. That time when Autumn takes its toll, unleashes masses of rain to keep us wet and cold whilst we reminisce about all those wonderful festival experiences we can remember. Or, at least the ones we crafted in our heads through anecdotes from our friends of our outlandish behaviour… But don’t fret! This is when plenty of brilliant tours make their way to our shores, and one of those is headlined by progressive death metal act Between The Buried And Me.
With 5 studio albums under their belt, as well as a cover album, an EPs and a live CD/DVD combination. Span these across a career spanning 12 years and you’ve got yourself a pretty decent following and heaps of experience. Their October headline tour sees them take Periphery and The Safety Fire with them for the journey, so with that in mind we set Dez and Jo from The Safety Fire against each other as they both have different opinions on which Between The Buried And Me album is best. If the band falls apart soon over “unsettled disputes” then we accept no responsibility…
Let us know what you think on Twitter and Facebook.
Alaska (Derya Nagle)
My favourite album by Between The Buried And Me has to be ‘Alaska’. While I have loved each of the albums they have released, and at times thought their latest release has won me over, I always find myself going back to ‘Alaska’. I think with it being the first BTBAM album that I got, it will always have a special place for me….in the CD player, on repeat. I instantly fell in love with their mix of metal, death, hardcore and prog. It brought elements from some of my favourite genres all in one tightly wounded package, kept together by clever songwriting and arrangements. I would say that the production of the album isn’t necessarily one of their best, but the raw sound of the band still shines through, and is even more of a commendation of the songwriting.
The stand out track for me on the album has to be ‘Backwards Marathon’. I feel that it is a perfect example of how modern prog should be done, showcasing the complexity and diverse nature of each musician while still holding on to a strong sense of melody and song writing. This theme runs throughout the album and still sounds as fresh and innovative as it did 7 years ago as it does today. It goes without saying without BTBAM and especially this album, TSF wouldn’t be the band it is today. What a boomhoüser album.
Colors (Joaquin Ardiles)
Although I am a big fan of ‘Alaska’ and even think that there are individual songs on there that are better than some songs on ‘Colors’, it still comes out on top for me. I think as a whole piece, it doesn’t really get much better than ‘Colors’. It has everything, some of the most serene singing and soft parts I’ve heard on any record and also some of the heaviest.
The best thing about this album is despite how eclectic or busy it is, it doesn’t lose it’s hook. I could sing you every vocal line, every guitar part, every drum fill and that’s not because I’m a true G, but because it’s written so well. It isn’t section after section after section, these songs flow and every part sounds like it should be there, some of the best bits in the album are the build ups. the anticipation of the next part is killer, COS YOU KNOW IT’S GONNA BE DOPE.
I can’t pick a stand out track, I think they all add their flavour to the album as a whole, but I will say ‘White Walls’ is one of the best endings EVER. I’m always left feeling satisfied, like I’ve gone to see a high class hooker, and we’ve jacuzzi’d afterwards… and she’s giving me a discount cos my dick is so big… and she bought dinner. It’s a very good feeling.
What is your favourite Between The Buried And Me album? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
Guest writers Derya Nagle and Joaquin Ardiles both play guitar in tech metallers The Safety Fire.
The Safety Fire links: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Tumblr
Want to be a guest writer for a future ‘Versus’ feature? If you’re in a band, run a label or music website then we want to here from you. Send us an e-mail to info@alreadyheard.com.
