Recommendation: Between The Buried And Me - Alaska

Russell

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Jul 15, 2001
11,103
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The starry attic
www.russellgarwood.co.uk
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1. All Bodies
2. Alaska
3. Croakies and Boatshoes
4. Selkies: The Endless Obsession
5. Breathe in, Breathe Out
6. Roboturner
7. Backwards Marathon
8. Medicine Wheel
9. Oprimer
10. Autodidact
11. Laser Speed

As the name suggests BTBAM are metalcore, so I don't expect everyone here to like them, but hear me out ;) I'm not a metalcore fan either. In fact, there are very few metalcore bands I listen to at all, I find most of it mediocre in the extreme, but BTBAM are different. In my opinion they're the best out there because they find a perfect balance. Their songs are technical enough that you can listen for months on end, and still not know the songs off by heart, but at the same time there are enough melodic lines and hooks to make it enjoyable listening after a couple of spins. The band are tighter than a marshmellow in a quarter slot, with sections of awe-worthy complexity, but also know how to write a song. Melodic and quiet refrains occur throughout, and entire quiet songs can be found interspersed through the album, and the moments when the metalcore breaks into soaring leads and singing, are, in my opinion, way above anything I've heard from any other metalcore bands. They are the kind of thing that make me lean back and realise this is why I like heavy music, irrespective of genre.

Here's the catch 22, however, they can - on first listen - be way too much, especially if you don't like of have little experience in the genre. Once you know the music a bit and you know where the hooks are, after a couple of listens, then you will (hopefully) start to appreciate just how good they are, I'm pretty sure everyone that hasn't heard them and downloads the samples really won't like them on first listen, but please, give them a few spins, and reserve your judgement until you've listened a few times, as I think they're worth it :)
 
Good reco! These guys are quite inventive, especially for metalcore's standards. The only album I have by them is "Alaska." I hear "The Silent Circus" is going to be re-released soon, though.
 
Any of you heard their covers album? Being a diehard King Crimson fan, I had to hear their version of Three of a Perfect Pair, and even my skeptical of any band being called "prog" by a mainstream source, -core hating ass (one of my friends tried to get me into these guys and failed) will admit they did a respectable job with it, but nowhere close to the original of course.
 
One of the few albums I've bought in the last year or so and really don't like, and I love metalcore when its done well. One of my problems is that often sections of songs sound directly ripped off from other bands, I'm constantly hearing The Red Chord, Zero Hour, Opeth, etc shoved together with mostly bland material padding out the rest of the songs.
 
Necro Joe said:
One of the few albums I've bought in the last year or so and really don't like, and I love metalcore when its done well. One of my problems is that often sections of songs sound directly ripped off from other bands, I'm constantly hearing The Red Chord, Zero Hour, Opeth, etc shoved together with mostly bland material padding out the rest of the songs.
oh cool, I don't listen to any of these 3 bands, that's probably why I didn't notice what you said :yuk: