Between the Buried and Me: The Parallax II: Future Sequence
Between the Buried and Me
The Parallax II: Future Sequence
(Metal Blade Records)
What can I possibly say about Between The Buried and Me that hasn’t been said before? They suck? I can’t say that because nothing could be further from the truth and I can’t imagine anyone using those words to describe one of the most interesting and talented bands of the past twenty years.
The Parallax II: Future Sequence just further cements Between The Buried Me’s reputation as master musicians, fully capable of taking listeners on a musical journey that leaves no stone unturned. I won’t even bother singling out one particular track on this album because it should always be listened to in its entirety. This isn’t just a collection of songs here, but a mammoth piece of music that will sooth your ears, then attack them, baffle them, astound them and ultimately entertain the hell out of them.
I think what gives Between The Buried And Me the massive edge over a lot of their contemporaries is that their excellent frontman, Tommy Giles Rogers, isn’t just a voice on their albums—he is a top-notch musician like the rest of his bandmates. Given their wide-ranging influences (as perfectly displayed on their awesome covers album, The Anatomy Of) BTBAM have more than enough ammunition to keep us on our toes for more than an hour. If I had one possible complaint about this album (and BTBAM in general) it would be that I often find the screaming vocals annoying. I have no problem with screaming as I love many bands that make a living by screaming their heads off. I just think it’s a bit jarring in their songs and takes away some of the finesse their instruments display. I realize it’s necessary to really enforce the brutal moments, but it’s so easy to get lost in the other aspects of their music that the screaming at times can really send you crashing back down to Earth.
Screaming included, The Parallax II: Future Sequence is another masterpiece from Between The Buried And Me that you should be listening to right now!