2.0 poor	Hugo Stiglet | October 25th 09
woodlywaaddlwdiwdidwdowowowwoooowowdiwidldeeefewewfewfararwararawrawrwowowdldlwowdodwwriwrowejwdweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee cool i wrote ANOTHER btbam song 21 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb

Kit Brown CONTRIBUTOR | October 25th 09

With The Great Misdirect, it seems that Between the Buried and Me have no interest in being associated with the metalcore scene they once dominated. Instead, it seems like they're more interested in being associated with progressive metal giants like Dream Theater and Opeth (who they shared the stage with not one year ago). The Great Misdirect is filled to the brim with guitar solos, time-changes on a dime, and more genre-hopping than Colors, only this time it feels much less forced. While BTBAM's latest isn't quite as ambitious as their previous outing, it's still an incredibly impressive album that just shows the band becoming even more comfortable in their own shoes and realizing just how damn talented they really are. Plus, the drum solo in "Swim to the Moon" is worth just about anyone's attention. 17 Bumps | Bump

2.5 average	Lelle | October 25th 09
shut up, Tommy Rogers Your soundoff was too short, it has to be at least 50 characters 3 Bumps | Bump

5.0 classic

Kyle | November 8th 09

I didn't like it that much at first, but damn this album is up there with the likes of "The Silent Circus" (but not quite there). Easily my favorite album of the year... this album is just so much fun from start to finish. Whether your going into a trance with the opening Mirrors, or jamming out to the groovy breakdown in Disease, Injury, Madness... or even headbanging to the most epic riff BTBAM have ever written 13:15 into Swim to the Moon, you will be thoroughly enjoying yourself the entire time. 2 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent

Jake C. Taylor | October 31st 09

Munro srtikes the nail; Between the Buried and Me finally pursue coherence and discover its beauty. There's a deserted tumbleweed sound all over this record that makes it fitting for both where the band are, and where they've come from initially. Sure, "Swim to the Moon" is total overkill (and Thor, the drum solo is pretty stock actually), but the rest is both beautiful and intense enough to leave this listener totally satisfied. 2 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent

Brien C. Stevenson | October 31st 09

Not exactly a far cry from Colours (not that that's a bad thing by any means) The Great Misdirect finds BtBaM somewhat building on their sound (is that even possible anymore?). Regardless, they've put forth another fantastic record, though at points it seems to meander and I question some of the lengths of the songs. Still, this is a nice addition to the band's discography. Rating: 3.8/5 2 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent	Brent Stephenson CONTRIBUTOR | October 27th 09
I really don't feel like re-uping a soundoff about sex so w/e I'll just say that it pretty much rules but Swim to the Moon is so long I can feel myself getting older during that overly indulgent section in the middle but Goosebumps is on so I can't really keep my focus long enough to talk the album anymore. Night of the Living Dummy rules. But not as much as The Great Misdirect. 2 Bumps | Bump

1.0 awful	foxxxy | October 26th 09
fuck this cd and fuck you, guy i mean really what is this 2 Bumps | Bump

5.0 classic	Robert Hollier | October 25th 09
Between the Buried and Me decided to refine their songwriting and their approach, and I couldn’t be any happier. 2 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent

Bfhurricane | October 25th 09

Highly polished and extremely ambitious, but with a little more reserve than their previous releases, The Great Misdirect is Between The Buried And Me's most progressive album to date. Any BTBAM fans listening to this album will be happy to find that they have strongly retained their style - they are as aggressive and ambitious as ever. However, their death metal antics are more concentrated on The Great Misdirect than their previous albums. Between The Buried And Me have changed their song formula from their black and white genre shifts to a more fluid style. BTBAM were never known for their song coherence, and this album won't change their identity. However, BTBAM have started to ditch their rigid shifts in sound in exchange for more fluent, cohesive advances in sound and style. This makes The Great Misdirect BTBAM's most progressive album to date. Death metal purists, fear not. Our favorite North Carolina axemen shred to death on this album. The drumming is arguably better than it's ever been, and Tommy's vocals retain the same balance of aggression and melody we've known him for. While this is more progressive than earlier releases, BTBAM do not sacrifice quility for accessibility. For the fans who may have not been able to stomach BTBAM's earlier style, they may find themselves reborn into the band with The Great Misdirect. For all others, everything you know and love about BTBAM is retained and applied with a more stylistic and progressive tone. And Swim to the Moon, it's just... yes. 2 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	Dan Paulmeno | November 20th 09
haunting stuff here, the only reason this isn't a five is because i haven't listened to it near enough. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent

Jordan Jerabek | November 3rd 09

This took a while to grow on me. It essentially would have taken a miracle for the band to surpass the bar they've set for themselves with Colors, and we all know how often miracles come around. It's overall an excellent album, but has its obvious flaws. "Desert of Song" does nothing to The Great Misdirect's benefit except give you time to get yourself a beer from the fridge or smoke a cigarette. The rest of the tracks are awesome, but at times show the band getting a bit stale ("Obfuscation" sounds like a Colors b-side) and pretentious (some of the segments and transitions on "Disease, Injury, Madness" and "Fossil Genera" are sub-par for BTBAM standards, disrupting flow and giving the songs a sort of "We're trying to write a long song" feel). "Swim to the Moon" is an indication that the band still has the ability to blow listeners away. It's like a mini Colors - it flows extremely well and takes listeners on a worth-while auditory trip. At the same time, it also shows what the rest of The Great Misdirect could have been. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent	Travis Montgomery | November 1st 09
Great album and definitely a "Must have", but isn't as purely amazing as Alaska. 1 Bumps | Bump

5.0 classic

bighugejake | October 30th 09

To me, this album is better than Colors. Less bull and weird transitions but I might just be saying that because after two years of Colors I've analyzed everything on it so much that it's annoying to me now. Of course I still enjoy listening to Colors but not as constantly as I did in the past. However, I have to say that The Great Misdirect is to Color as A Perfect Circle's Thirteenth Step was to Mer De Noms. It is equally proficient. But BTBAM is still young and this album did present a refinement in songwriting and a musical maturity. I really like Fossil Genera and Desert of Song. They might not even sound like BTBAM at all - more like Dimmu Borgir, Alice in Chains, or Mars Volta - but every song is distinctly theirs. And besides that, isn't the point of being BTBAM to not be tethered to the usual. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent	Sam Felldman | October 30th 09
the fact is there are some good parts and some bad parts and some parts that make you think they're progressing while some parts make you think they're starting to suck. 1 Bumps | Bump

5.0 classic	t0x | October 28th 09
This album is amazing. A step up from Colors in my opinion. For BTBAM fans this will reinforce their love for this band. For people who don't like them, this will do nothing to change their opinions. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	laterenima | October 27th 09
At first I condemned this album to the throes of the 3>'s, however a couple more listens later I was relatively hooked by it. Even though I do feel as if I want to listen to "Colors" again, I think that I will get into this as much as I did the other albums. This isn't quite a perfect score, however this is only because of the fact that it isn't "Colors". 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	Matt | October 26th 09
Compared to Colors, this isn't as good. But this should not be compared to Colors, as the album by itself is a monolithic achievement and it gets better every time through. 1 Bumps | Bump

5.0 classic	Progmaster85 | October 26th 09
It's basically Colors pt II, and just as good, if not better. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	Tw1ster | October 26th 09
Between the Buried and Me have combined everything good about their previous albums into one completely impressive, complex, and accessibile recording. The Great Misdirect is a personal standout of 2009 for me and has totally blown my expectations away. Not sure how I like it compared to Colors but it could very well end up being my favorite release by BTBAM. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	BlackTaxi2d | October 26th 09
do you know that BTBAM's myspace says the release date in October 26th ? obviously its a mistake because tuesdays are release days, but i think reviews should be able to be posted now ! my preorder came in on saturday and i think this cd clicked on the third time for me. do not be discouraged by the first listen. this is really good. 1 Bumps | Bump

5.0 classic	trilogique | October 26th 09
best BTBAM album ever. I may have to change Colors to a 4.5 after this. heavier yet more melodic = profit. if you hate BTBAM, you'll hate this one. if you love BTBAM, you'll love this one. basically, your attitude for the band won't change. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent	Sir Grigor Domashevich | October 26th 09
Apparently you can Swim to the Moon according to B.T.BAM. Anyone wanna try it with me? 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	Emmanuel | October 26th 09
The long awaited new BTBAM album, with a few suprises, such as the superb Fossil Genera, and various prog influences, the album may dissapoint COLORS fans, there just arent enough epic parts. The weakest point is definatly Swim to The Moon, which is also the longest song. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent	Mark Campbell | October 25th 09
While IMO this doesn't top the ambition and overall feel of Colors, The Great Misdirect is easily BTBAM's most fluid, cohesive listen yet. The tech is off the charts and I'm happy they're putting the metalcore on the backburner for a more progressive sound. Really really awesome stuff. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	Storm Crews | October 25th 09
all I know is that anyone who rates this below a 3.5 is an idiot and clearly has no idea what music is. And that this album is amazing 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	Corne Janssen | October 25th 09
Awesome mixture of their metalcore sounds, with some serious progressive influences, which they pull of real good. BTBAM is about to become a legend in it's genre. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb

bodominflames | October 25th 09

Less cohesive than colors....more impressive levels of technicality displayed....honky-tonk piano lines in Fossil Genera...Swim to the Moon is fucking amazing...apparently I should've saved my soundoff. Not really up to writing it over but this album is definitely worth the hype if you're a BTBAM fan like myself. Has the potential to become one of, if not their strongest release. *insert sexual metaphor related to the listener's experience listening to the album here* 1 Bumps | Bump

3.5 great

Hostile101 | November 9th 09

With the release of The Great Misdirection, Between The Buried And Me have taken their progressive influences and wacky traits to epic proportions. On the far superior Colors these oddball twists were just accents to the songs rather than the focalpoint. The main problem this album has is that it sounds so bloated with over the top solos, keyboard notes, and just about everything else you can think of. With all the experimentation BTBAM do not all of it is a failure, as "Desert of Song" features soulful southern vocals and acoustic work of guitar wizard Paul Waggner. On the other hand "Fossil Genera" is just plain bad. From its pointless Alt/Country intro or pathetic singing attempt during the end of the song. One thing you can expect is the great level of skill BTBAM possess. Dustie and Paul have not turned to Kerry King for advice, the drums and bass still sound amazing as Blake and Dan are some of the best in metal. The only question is how much more obscure and progressive does this band want to sound in the future. Bump

2.5 average

hydeyomoney | November 8th 09

I didn't like it that much at first, but damn this album is up there with the likes of "The Silent Circus" (but not quite there). Easily my favorite album of the year... this album is just so much fun from start to finish. Whether your going into a trance with the opening Mirrors, or jamming out to the groovy breakdown in Disease, Injury, Madness... or even headbanging to the most epic riff BTBAM have ever written 13:15 into Swim to the Moon, you will be thoroughly enjoying yourself the entire time. oh rly? Bump

3.0 good	Steven McMahan | November 3rd 09
It's a Between the Buried and Me album, which means there's some cool parts, some laughably bad stuff, a ton of semi-coherent wank, and Tommy Rogers' still bad harsh vocals. This could be excellent if it was half the length, but as it is it's just acceptable. Bump

3.0 good	nabrazune | November 1st 09
Despite the great musicianship throughtout, this album just never grabbed my attention or impressed me. Look out for the crazy drum solo in Swim to the moon though. Bump

3.5 great	JizzInMyPants | October 27th 09
colors > Alaska > TSC > TGM > Self titled, just sayin. and its likes a 3.3 Bump