Review Summary: Their glorious return and arguments aside, I love this album.
Between the Buried and Me, a band that has been a lot of hate but more so a lot of praise. Despite this I love people arguing over this album and this heated topic is never going to stop and it's turning BTBAM's albums (especially 'Colours') into the metal juggernauts we see them today. I could go on for ever on this subject but I’m not writing to inform you about people arguing over BTBAM, I’m hear to tell people why I think that 'The Great Misdirect' is a modern musical masterpiece.
Although 'Colours' was just brilliant and it brought BTBAM new found popularity because of it the album was a double-edged sword since BTBAM had to live to the huge expectations to follow up the beast of an album. So what do BTBAM do, they pull out all the cards and create 'The Great Misdirect' and deliver on every level and more (at least in my eyes anyway). So why do I think this is better the 'Colours', well there few reasons why. Firstly three songs on this are better they anything BTBAM have ever done before and also 'Colours' had two flaws which kept it becoming a classic in my opinion which were the few appalling attempts to be 'wacky' and fun which never worked and added nothing to the song at all and also parts of song were too long.
'The Great Misdirect' works on these flaws and the results......well it improved on them. The first flaw is solved with the unnecessary 'wacky' parts gone with anything out the ordinary working with the song instead of cluttering the song up. As for the second flaw it is unfortunately still present with 'Swim To The Moon' being 6-7 mins too long and 'Obfuscation' can do with being 30 seconds shorter although all the other songs are just the right length. Now enough of comparing albums now it's time to just look at 'The Great Misdirect'
As for the music itself BTBAM are unlike any band I’ve listened to and on this album they have mastered there music to the finest degree. For me what make this band so special is that all music gives the listener a mood or conveys an image whether it being riding the mighty rivers as a Viking to beating the hell out of everyone you hate to being secluded in the dark, cold mountains of Norway. As for this album, it's the only album were I feel just the music and the band. The whole album feels like a jam session although it feels so lively, so fluid with it never getting boring with instrument wankery. It gives me the image of the band playing sinking themselves in to the music as they play there instruments. It's hard to describe how incredibly this album just makes people just sit in a corner and listen not moving an inch as they are in a different world of there own as all classics should do. Giving the listener a feeling is important and no other album gives me the feeling of no other album.
The musicianship is everything you expect from BTBAM but with a few minor improvements. Tommy Giles Rogers who I want to give a medal to just because he's improved so much since the bands first outing is still outstanding with clean and death vocals being more defined then ever before although he still only give a convincing emotional very rarely but his singing in 'Desert of Song' may be his best vocal yet only matched by 'Mordecai'. Tommy's keyboard skills are still top notch with 'Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain' being his highlight for keys (I love start of that song).
Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring still shred with flawless timing and precision and are only going to getting throughout time with Dan Briggs giving them the building blocks to create great riffs while still maintaining a good separate rhythms as well. Out of all the performers in the band, Blake Richardson has improved the most. His blast beats are still dead on time and odd timing on parts gives the song more character then just blast beating every part on the song however on this album he's starting to become more playful thinking of better and more progressive beats giving lest blast beats and more creative drumming. It's like he's found a happy medium between very fast drumming and creative beats.
All the songs on this album have there own highlights and all of high quality especially thanks to song length issues being worked on. The songs feel less of a one grand song like 'Colours' so the scale is decreased although this doesn't disrupt to overall flow of the album. The songs 'Disease, Injury, Madness', 'Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain' and 'Desert of Song' are BTBAM's gems and the best songs they have ever produced. 'Desert of Song' shows the bands that the band can write brilliant songs when they need to and this song is completely different compared to that they have ever done. 'Disease, Injury, Madness', 'Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain' just flawless. Despite this, this only real problem worth noting on this album is 'Swim To The Moon' just way too long. Everything is a high quality but the song is bogged down with too many riffs and a jam session which is just overstaying it's welcome. It's a good thing every part in 'Swim To The Moon' on it's own is great because would have to knock down the rating but thankfully that did not happen.
Pros
- Improvement over 'Colours'
- Stunning musicianship
- Great flow
- Never falls into wankery
- Never repetitive
- Every song is memorable
Cons
- 'Swim To The Moon' needs to be shorter
Highlights
'Disease, Injury, Madness': Very experimental with a Opeth inspired acoustic part which has to be heard with drumming and vocals being relentless going dead fast with awe-inspiring riffs all the way though whether being fast or slow.
'Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain': BTBAM perfected especially the keyboard intro and the twin guitar riff. Best BTBAM song ever.
'Desert Of Song' Incredible atmosphere, brilliant lyrics and outstanding vocals.
Despite whatever anyone will think, this is for me a musical gateway drug and I love every minute of it. BTBAM his made there masterpiece so I recommend this to anyone so buy the album, sit in your room, play it and sit back. This shouldn't be missed.
5/5
OpethOfEpica
