Review Summary: The roots of what the band did become, this album is a marathon of riffs and a showcase of raw talent.
Between the Buried and Me have become somewhat of a household name over the past few years. They have garnered a great deal of respect with the release of several notable albums, on each honing and refining their sound. It is true that on later releases, the band have employed a more progressive approach to song writing. However, on this album (their debut), it is safe to say that the band are focused more on the heavier side of the spectrum. Notably enough, it is safe to say that their debut is probably the heaviest material the band have ever produced.
Album opener More of Myself To Kill begins with a drum fill and hoarse scream from Tommy Rogers. The song then progresses into a fest of riffs and quick drumming before changing tempo completely into what could be described as a death metal sounding section. After a clean section, the song goes from tremelo-picked melodies to yet more brutal riffs, complimented later on with some blast beats. Overall, it is a nice introduction to what lies ahead on the album.
Album highlights come in the form of two tracks - Arsonist and Fire For A Dry Mouth. Both tracks are filled to the brim with well constructed guitar riffs. A wide arsenal of techniques are used, such as tight tempo and time signature changes, as well as a great breakdown featuring dissonant guitar riffs in Arsonist. Fire For A Dr Mouth starts out with a chugging guitar riff before exploding into madness (this madness being tremelo picked riffs and blast beats). From there on, an onslaught of guitar riffs, all in an ever changing vortex of timings and tempos, barrages to listener. Sometimes I think to myself how on earth does the band manage to remember all the structures/riffs for their songs.
Other notable moments on the album include the middle part of Aspirations, a solid track which showcases some ridiculous falsetto from Tommy (it has to be heard to be believed). Use of a Weapon is another slew of riffs - at times, it can almost be overwhelming but it must be noted that the majority of the riffs in question compliment the songs well. Naked By the Computer begins with a pleasant clean introduction before spiralling into yet more riff mayhem. Shevanel Cut A Flip also features genre-bending guitar work. Some sections sound hardcore/metal core influenced, whereas others follow more of a death metal approach. Even though the sound of the band on this album is very primitive and raw in comparison to later parts of their discography, it can be easily noted that the bands more progressive edge was experimented with as early as this album. In conclusion, Between the Buried and Me haven’t really disappointed their listeners much since their inception. Their self titled holds host to what is most likely their heaviest material to date as well the beginnings of a progressive element which has been toned and reconfigured on their later albums. Don’t expect anything in the realms of say Colors, The Great Misdirect or even The Parallax - this is raw and riff-orientated throughout.
Recommended Tracks
More of Myself to Kill
Arsonist
Fire For A Dry Mouth
