|  artist: between the buried and me
album: alaska
label: victory records
released: 9/6/05
by: eduardo moutinho
Between the Buried and Me has always been a band that I have really wanted to like. There's so much to admire about them. They believe in pushing the envelope by experimenting with various sub-genres of hardcore. Their songs contains no-nonsense grindcore, overly-technical Scandinavian metal, breakdown-laden metalcore, and tempo-breaking jazzy interludes. Of course, such an aural menagerie could not be accomplished without absolutely astounding musical aptitude. Between the Buried and Me can play, and I mean they can play. Yet, the pure chaos that is their music has always eluded my playlist. The overwhelming complexity of the music, for a long time, was just too difficult to enjoy.
So I had my prejudices when listening to Alaska, Between the Buried and Me's latest offering on Victory Records. However, this time, I found myself getting into the music. Maybe I am starting to get it. The music on Alaska takes the risks that the band is known for. There are the aforementioned mixed sub-genres with synthesizers thrown in to season the sound a bit more. The first track lets the listener know that he or she is in for a challenging listen, "All Bodies," is heavy and contains guttural screams and even hair metal-esque singing. The title track, "Alaska," is technical and sounds like a song collaboration between Unearth and Candiria. There are complicated string parts and rubber band-like chunky breakdowns.
I already mentioned it, but the band really is supremely talented. "The Primer," in particular, stands out as a demo for the technical prowess of the band. These guys can stand toe-to-toe with any guitar-driven band out there, without a doubt. The rest of Alaska is an exercise in randomness. It's common to listen to a song, expect something, and then be totally blindsided by the opposite. There are songs like "Selkies: The Endless Obsession" that contain synthesizers, "chugga chugga" grind, ghostly singing, and melodic hard rock interludes. There are songs like "Laser Speed" which can be considered as an homage to muzak. Yeah... Muzak. And, there are other instrumentals on the record. Honestly, Alaska is Pandora's Box.
Overall, I really enjoyed this record, and I feel that its
ambitious content has helped me grasp certain sounds that I previously tried to avoid. There's just enough good stuff in here to mesmerize me. At the same time, a lot of the good stuff wouldn't be as good without the crazier sections and the meticulously calculated transitions in between. I wholeheartedly recommend this effort, and I plan on listening to it frequently in the future.
favorite song: "selkies: the endless obsession"
rating: 90%/100%
listen to between the buried and me
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