Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect
Rating
RIYL
Dream TheaterOpeth
Glass Casket
Orbs
Release Date
10/27/2009
Label
Victory RecordsTracklist
1. Mirrors2. Obfuscation
3. Disease, Injury, Madness
4. Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain
5. Desert of Song
6. Swim to the Moon
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Before I get started, I just want to get this out of the way: Between the Buried and Me is my favorite band. I've seen them live six times now, I own more shirts from them than there are days in the week, and I regularly chastise people for disliking them. In my mind, they are flawless. I began listening to them around the time Alaska was released, and I moved backwards into their first two albums, awaiting eagerly both The Anatomy Of... and Colors. So, bear in mind, I am not the bitter 20-something who grew up with the first two albums and subsequently hates the band's newer material, and I am also not the acne-ridden prog fan who is “still trying to get past the screaming”. I love every single song this band has ever written, and I don't intend for that to change.
That said, I was scared upon my first listen of The Great Misdirect. I didn't hit it off with the first single, nor were my first impressions of the album very good. Multiple listens, however, have gotten me past whatever may have hindered my initial enjoyment of the album, and I've settled on my final thoughts. One of the first things that caught my attention was the album's noticeable departure from Colors. There are numerous bits and pieces floating around that sound similar, but this truly is not its sequel.
The opening track, “Mirrors,” is brilliant. With flawless fretless bass playing by Dan Briggs and improved singing by Tommy Rogers, the song is simply gorgeous. You can hear the beginning of a larger electric element, as well. “Obfuscation,” the second song, is the most straight-forward song on the album, yet also very experimental for the group. Swirling synths and flighty guitar riffs make the song a fun listen, and you're bound to hear something new from each member of the band.
“Disease, Injury, Madness,” the third track on the album, is where the band starts really showing their new tricks, however. Starting with a heavy, synth-dripping intro, the song jumps through many genres, each impressive in their own right. Like its namesake, the song is broken into three major sections, with the final defining “madness” as southern rock, black metal, and an atmospheric bass solo woven together. Critics will call the song out for being jumpy, but the band transitions between sections well enough. The following song, “Fossil Genera – A Feed from Cloud Mountain,” is similar in length and variety. The intro borders on comical and foreshadows some not so necessary keyboard experimentation, while expanding on the quirkiness of particular parts of Colors. Not that it sounds like Colors, though, it just seems to be the spiritual successor to certain moments. “Fossil Genera” quickly drops the Mike Patton tribute to end on an epic note, however. Tommy Rogers' singing is again featured, and though simple, Blake Richardson's drumming is absolutely flawless. Faux-symphonies and an assortment of synth patches accompany the album's increasingly present acoustic guitar, with things finally segueing into “Desert of Song”.
Initially acoustic, “Desert” features vocals from the band's lead guitarist, Paul Waggoner. Though it is his first singing venture since The Silent Circus, he certainly hasn't lost any ability. His stiff country voice is soon evened out by Tommy's higher register, and the entire band provides ample support as it goes electric. Following the climax, we're treated to one final acoustic portion and some atmospheric wind before the last track. “Swim to the Moon” is an eighteen minute epic that is, in all honesty, a fairly poorly written song. The band has made it a small habit to define “coherence” as repeating a motif with random noodling in between, as well as trying to pack every instrument possible into a song. There isn't a second of un-impressive music, but things are simply lacking flow and feeling until the second half. Following a gorgeous vocal climb by Rogers and a Cynic-like break in the middle, things start to brighten up. The song is ended with about ten minutes of amazing music, as well as a short guitar battle in which the often overlooked Dustie Waring absolutely steals Waggoner's thunder. Among some mishaps like laughable keyboard antics and a few directionless portions, “Swim to the Moon” undoubtedly features some of the greatest moments in BTBAM history.
Ultimately, The Great Misdirect feels like just that - a misdirect. Instead of straight-forward progress as was evidenced with all of their previous efforts, it seems like the band has gotten a little side-tracked. The album, while solid, is somewhat undermined by moments that should not have even been considered for the final cut. After multiple listens, however, some of the initial shock that the band is inhuman has worn off, making it easier to catch all of the moments that create the band's identity. Trust me, there are the usual jaw-dropping BTBAM moments on this album, you just have to look past the occasional misstep and embrace all there is to enjoy.
--Cody Rogers
Comments
San Jose, CA
That opening paragraph is about as good as a disclaimer paragraph as it gets.
last.fm/user/thetsaiguy
Spokane, Washington
it seems like you gave it 4 stars because it's BTBAM, but the way you speak of the album in the review sounds more like 3 stars.
Current Listenings:
7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes of Absolution"
Horse Feathers - "Cynic's New Year"
Andrew Bird - "Break It Yourself"
Sigur Ros - "Valtari"
Rocky Votolato - "Television of Saints"
Janus - "Nox Aeris"
Blues Traveler - "25"
Good timing, this just leaked.
And this sums up my opinion pretty well: "I am the bitter 20-something who grew up in Charlotte watching the band and loved the first album but subsequently dislikes the band's newer material" because it's occasionally interesting but directionless and unfocused.
FL
im a bitter 20-something that thinks btbam can do no wrong.
that said, i can't wait to hear this and google is not being very friendly right now.
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Toronto, Ontario
I've listened to two songs off this so far, and can't really get into it...as of yet, at least.
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Infinitely Inwards
9.25/10 for me. Really awesome, butI don't thnk that it can evenhope to "out do colors" like tommy stated. I hated the fact that I wasn't listening to another single song like colors immediately after the second track since the pacing isn't as tactful as the last effort.
By the way, my brother is 18 and foolish(except when it comes to music); and if he tried to compose a review of this album it would not have even come close to yours. Thatstatement wasintended to insult my brother's grammatical and descriptivewriting skills and not to say that youare anywhere nearas unintelligent as he is. I basically asked him what he thought about it as soon as I got it and all he could say was "It's good". I then laterasked him what he liked about it and he said he didn't know.It was an involving conversation.....Anyway, nice review.
Ever Forthright - Ever Forthright
Fallujah - The Harvest Wombs
The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm
The Mars Volta - Noqtourniqet
Aborted - Global Flatline
Spawn of Possession - Incurso
Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind)The Crafty Ape
Your butt
This might be from the initial shock, but this album is a 5.
I'm taking the Congo as a penalty!!
West Haven, CT
I got into these guys right when The Silent Circus came out. I sort of disliked Alaska. It had its moments but to me is easily their worst. When Colors dropped I forgot all other forms of music for 3-4 months.I'm checking into this now and I can see all of the connections between everything else they've made.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Raleigh, NC
I see what you're getting at, but I think the reason I gave it a four and not lower is because everything else aside from Swim is just so typically BTBAM, which is brilliant. And even a good 50% of Swim is great, too.
New Jersey
I still think BTBAM is a cross between Dream Theater and DEP taking the good parts of neither.
when i see it in your eyes
i just want to go blind
West Haven, CT
I'm not to sure about this CD. There seems to a bit of throw away tracks. Good ideas that dragged on a bit too long.
It has its moments. I dig the last track.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Minnesota
If it were possible, I'd give this album a 3.75. It's just not quite a 4/5 album. For me, I would need to see it as an album I'll still be listening to 5 years down the road. I don't think that'll be the case. However, I find it enjoyable enough where I'll continue to listen to it in the short term. It just doesn't quite stack up to Alaska or Colors. Those two albums, I'm afraid, will probably always be the pinnacle of this band's career in my eyes. That is, unless they somehow pull off something amazing in the future... but I'm not thinking that'll happen.
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Senegal Africa
it didn't really hit me as hard as Colors first did but I enjoyed it quiet a bit. It seemed like they toned down the sweep picking parts this time around which is probably a good thing because itwould start to sound like they are paroding themselves with another siekies song.
Listening to:
fuckin african mosques (Tang na bu baax)
West Haven, CT
I agree 100% with you.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Your butt
4 listens and I can say it is almost perfect. Colors was perfect and this is a 9.8.
I'm taking the Congo as a penalty!!
Green Brook, NJ
i'm a huge fan of this band, but this album was just boring. Colors is way better.
Atascadero, CA
I was really into The Silent Circus back in the day, just haven't really been able to grasp the excellence everyone claims this band possesses nowdays. Gotta be just me, but I listened to this and just found it okay.
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Raleigh, NC
I agree that Colors blows this album out of the water, but I still do love this album. Mirrors is an absolutely perfect song.
PA
It just annoys me how there are parts of this album that are the best thing this band has ever done (The end of Fossil Genera), and then there are parts that literally bore me or are recycled riffs (The beginning of Fossil Genera/most of the faster heavy shit on this cd).
I mean Fossil doesn't even start holding my interest until the awesome industrial-esque part at 4 minutes. Yet it has one of the best endings to any BTBAM song yet. WHY. I think I'd rather just dislike the entire song.
This is the problem with songs this long with a band like this. It's like The Mars Volta's Amputecture which is still my least favorite cd of theirs. The songs were so long that there was more chance for there being shitty parts in them. Then they came out with Bedlam in Goliath and shortened their songs and made them all sound cohesive.
I mean even the most consistently good song on this cd, Disease, Injury, Madness has parts that I just straight up dislike. I can't believe I'd ever be saying something like that about a band that's been in my top 10 since Alaska.
Yet this is still a 4/5 for me because of how strong other parts of the CD are. Like Cody said, Mirrors is mindblowingly good, Desert of Song is awesome, Disease, Injury, Madness is my favorite song, despite some rehashed shit, and the ending of Fossil as I mentioned is just unreal.
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NJ
its growing on me more and more. Its definitely not a clear cut album of the year like Colors was for me but its still another quality release by BTBAM
Go FLYERS Go
Jersey / Raleigh
Amen. I've been off the wagon since TSC, but I listened to Alaska and Colors. Just cant tolerate this shit anymore.
And.
"I still think BTBAM is a cross between Dream Theater and DEP taking the good parts of neither."
I think that's a little extreme but more accurate than not.
Your butt
the 5.1 surround sound recording of the album is awesome. You here so much more background stuff.
I'm taking the Congo as a penalty!!
Dallas, TX
Great review Cody. I got into BTBAM near the end of the TSC era and have loved the old stuff and the prog direction they have taken ever since; aka sort of a fanboy myself.
With that being said I gave myself several listens before passing judgement on the TGM and I gotta say that this review is close to spot on as to how I feel about it. There are certain parts that, like some of you have said, are the greatest this band has written IMO and even the odd goofy sections (which have never really bothered me) work well here.
However, I feel like there are certain mishits that truly bother me such as the lack of flow on Swim to the Moon that was mentioned in the review, the Dream Theater solo wankery, and the organ solo in specific among a few others.
Despite all of this TGM still maintains that air of freshness and the superb musicianship that the band is known for. Dan and Blake are unbelievable throughout and like Christopher said there are too many parts that are simply too good. For now this is a 4/5 for me although I could see it appraoching a 4.5/5 with Colors being a 4.75/5
West Haven, CT
This is a 4 as to where Colors is a 10.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Boston, MA
I'm glad I read this review and the comments before listening to the album because it greatly lowered my expectations. With that said, this album seemed much better than people were giving it credit for. But the ultimate flaw, like most people said, was that all the feelings of 'wow' were for parts of songs and not the songs themselves. This was something I put in my review of Colors as well and something they probably won't get over.Colors still fairs better with me but the rock-out moment in "Disease, Injury, and Madness" and the ending to "Fossil Genera" don't leave this one too far behind.
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