Released: Oct 27, 2009
Genre: Progressive Metalcore
Label: Victory Records
Number Of Tracks: 6
The Great Misdirect is a quality album from one of metal's most inventive contemporary bands.
Featured review by:
UG Team, on november 03, 2009 7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Sound: Let’s not make it an elephant in this room – this album will be compared to ‘Colors’, the album that catapulted Between The Buried And Me into a whole new stratosphere of experimentation and exposure. Saliva-drenched CD players are being turned on as we speak, with each listener confident that the band will take the exact direction which suits their tastes best. The ‘Backtrack’-meets-‘Viridian’ crowd-pleaser ‘Mirrors’ only builds this anticipation, but getting into the meat of the disc requires a couple of precursory listens so that pants can be soiled and saliva can dry.
So rather than starting with first impressions, it’s best to start with something more analytical. Fundamentally similar to ‘Colors’, ‘The Great Misdirect’ runs on the fuel of riffs; fast, slow, long, short, dissonant, diatonic...riffs of all shapes and sizes. Complete mismatches, you’d think but these constantly morphing counts and keys do somehow make sense. On ‘Colors’, most of the music seemed to be a continuous, natural progression of whatever happened to flow out of the sessions but on this one, the madness seems very calculated. Alarming, considering the amount of ‘wacky’ fun to be found on ‘Fossil Genera’ or ‘Swim To The Moon’, but this certainly is an accomplished effort. Blake Richardson’s drumming seems more secure within this framework; rather than drumming to keep up with the creative flurry of ideas, he drums to signal them.
At its most extreme (the beginning of ‘Disease, Injury, Madness’, for example) it becomes more difficult to discern who the focus is supposed to be on, but the soft moments which follow those climaxes thrive on that balance. The exception is ‘Desert Of Song’, where Richardson and bassist Dan Briggs take a back seat, and let the vocal melody work with the bluesy guitars to create a tune that is simple on a basal level yet very much in line with BTBAM’s style of harmony and their knack for dynamic coherency. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: You’d think a song like ‘Swim To The Moon’ would have its fair share of Syd Barrett-esque psychedelia, but ‘The Great Misdirect’ is actually far more down-to-earth than its predecessor. No all you can eat trumpets, no funny-tasting teeth and no swollen ankles; due to the erratic nature of the music and Tommy Rogers’ delivery over it, the words are completely without structure but they are an awful lot easier to follow this time. Various theories for the betterment of mankind are presented; be it ‘Obfuscation’s philosophical wonderings, ‘Disease, Injury, Madness’s vicarious diatribe or ‘Swim To The Moon’s more personal reflection, ‘The Great Misdirect’ is a gripping collection of texts.
Tommy Rogers’ vocals are often an underrated factor in the power behind his band’s music. Without them, parts of this album would be like a slightly beefed version of Dream Theater, rather than a slightly Dream Theater’d version of beef. His job involves feeding grooves and often giving them a pattern which the listener can trace and he makes it happen without fail. His clean vocals, however are not as vital as they have been in the past, only really coming into their own on ‘Desert Of Song’. That can probably be attributed to where they are used on the album; only the chorus of ‘Swim To The Moon’, which acts as an anchor for the song, really gives Rogers a big platform from which to display his singing skill. That said, his screams are as good as they have ever been and moments like the end of ‘Obfuscation’ give him more than enough of a soapbox in that department. // 8
Impression: Well written, well arranged, well played, well produced...what else is there to say? Well, what this album is missing that made ‘Colors’ so phenomenal is a pour-your-heart-out sense of passion. The band are very much ‘into it’ but there’s no heart strings being pulled, no emotional rollercoaster to give the whole thing a sense of purpose. Unfortunately, it could be argued that the more ‘coherent’ layout may be to blame for this. A couple of cheeky ‘Colors’ references are hidden in the woodwork – their congruency might suggest deeper connections but at the end of the day the overwhelming scale of that album has made it very difficult for this one to be much more than a victory lap. Still, ‘The Great Misdirect’ is a quality album from one of metal’s most inventive contemporary bands. // 8
Reviewed by:
Jamo888, on november 03, 2009 6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Sound: In today's music industry (not to mention today's economy), too many people refrain from taking risks. This is especially true for heavy metal bands.
The funny thing is, the bands that take risks are the one's selling albums. Opeth's "Watershed" made it to number 23 on the US Billboard 200. For a metal band, especially a progressive death metal band, that's a hell of a number. Mastodon's "Crack the Skye," which might be the most audacious major label album of the year, boasting ten and thirteen minute epics, debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200. These are only two examples in a long line of failures, but it seems agreed upon that too many musicians are fearful to tread outside their comfort zone. Bands that carry the "heavy metal" tag are so quick to take the easy road and they end up going nowhere both musically and commercially because of it.
Which brings this review to Between the Buried and Me's new full length "The Great Misdirect," an album so full of imagination, variation, and color, it makes other albums seem gray by comparison. It's scary, beautiful, indulgent and familiar, often all at the same time. There's bluesy 12/8 passages, spaced out keyboard-laden pieces, warped Mike Patton-style polka, jazzy guitar jams, acoustic folk and absolutely sublime vocal harmonies side-by-side with crushing death metal as if they were cut from the same, demented cloth. Now this might sound like useless genre-exercising on paper, but it coalesces so magnificently, that it's an absolute treat to listen to from front to back.
Every song has a section that will make even the most jaded music fan excited. The swinging guitar breakdown that occurs about 8 and a half minutes into "Disease, Injury, Madness" will make people stop in their tracks. The strings that show up 9 and a half minutes into the regrettably titled "Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain," don't just make an appearance and go away. They stick around, adding both a creepy atmosphere and a sense of playfulness to the whole proceeding. One part in the middle of "Swim to the Moon" sounds like it's from an old, forgotten Blaxploitation film from the 70's. When listened to together, "Mirrors," with its jazzy chords and subdued, peaceful vocals and "Obfuscation," with juxtaposing melodic and atonal death metal riffs and growls sound almost like a statement of purpose and intent.
Blake Richardson and his drums get a starring role in "Swim to the Moon," hammering out a solo in the style of Black Sabbath's "Rat Salad" or Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick". Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring aren't afraid to prove they can shred but they're also unafraid to show off their more subtle and varied chops. They can write killer riffs, too.
The bass playing by Dan Briggs is superb throughout the album, so much so that he deserves a special mention. In this mostly guitar-focused band, he stands out by taking over the quiet passages with such understated grace, never taking away the power of the other instruments or the overall mood, instead enhancing it even when he's soloing.
Every now and then (when the music calls for it) singer/keyboardist Tommy Rogers throws piano, organ and various spacey and squiggly sounds into the mix. He's actually quite good on the keyboards.
The production on this album is Between the Buried and Me's finest yet, letting all the instruments breathe. The guitars don't sound like they blend in with the drum cymbals anymore. "Desert of Song" and the 18-minute closer "Swim to the Moon" sound like their respective titles.
However, this album isn't perfect (well, not quite). The sprawling nature of the songs will put off many listeners, as will the unmelodic death metal portions. Death metal purists will be offended by the jazz, acoustic guitars, and polka mixed in with the brutality. But it is precisely these moments that make Between the Buried and Me and "The Great Misdirect" such an exciting band and album to listen to. It feels as though they can do anything. This band is on top of the heavy metal pile creatively, whether casual observers know this or not. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are unintelligible during the moments of growling/screaming, so it's hard to tell what's going on without a lyric sheet. From what can be heard (usually in the cleanly-sung moments) it sounds as though it's business as usual in the BTBAM camp: Cryptic and poetic musings about real life, with some sly social commentary thrown in. "The throat can't start singing/The scarecrow is watching" sounds like an outtake from an Orwellian novel.
Tommy Rogers is still in top form as far as his David Gilmour-inspired falsetto clean vocals and his guttural growls are concerned, but they do kind of blend into the background. The best vocal hook of the album is in the closer "Swim to the Moon": "Slide into the water/become one with the sea/life seems so much smaller/swim to the moon". // 7
Impression: So will this album sell as many copies as either Mastodon or Opeth's latest releases? Probably not. The music is too "out there" for many people, even (or perhaps especially) heavy metal fans.
Reiterating the point at the beginning of this review, this is a band unafraid to take chances, and the result is their best album yet and what might be the best album of the year. There's more to discover on "The Great Misdirect" than any album (metal or otherwise) so far released in 2009. More happens over the course of this album than one review can describe.
If there is one problem with the album, it is that despite it's nearly hour-long running time, it's over much too quickly. But, if the worst thing you can say about an album is that you wish it kept going, the band must be doing something right.
This is a band that has almost made stepping out of its comfort zone a genre unto itself. Comparisons to Dillinger Escape Plan and Mike Patton are inevitable, but the fact is, Between the Buried and Me sound like no one but themselves. It is albums like this, albums that make you believe anything is possible, that are the reason this reviewer ever got into music in the first place. Buy this album, support this band. // 9
Reviewed by:
CherryWaves631, on november 03, 2009 2 of 5 people found this review helpful
Sound: Let's start with a big fat HOLY CRAP. Between The Buried And Me have proven themselves to be one of the tightest, most accomplished musical acts around today. They are easily my favorite band, and this new album only adds greatly to that fact. The sound of the album varies, in that this one the band decided to open up all of there musical ability even MORESO with the use of unusually percussion, a whole bunch of different acoustic instrument sounds, and just a boat load of unheard of creativity. Before my ears were privileged with listening to this, Colors was my favorite album of all time, and The Great Misdirect either ties it or takes the lead. This album still holds the Between The Buried And Me brutality that all of there diehard fans have come to love, and still contains some of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I am huge progressive fan, but really can't stand literally ANY of the vocalists that front any modern day progressive bands (i.e. Dream Theater, Outworld), however my other favorite types of music are either extremely chill and ambient, and the most brutal you can get with breakdowns and fast riffs and such. So you see why I love the album so much, BTBAM has literally answered my personal musically prayers. I feel that everyone should at least give it a listen because it is absolutely mind-blowing. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: Well, the lyrically content is nothing short of astounding. Not only does it compliment the mood of the music perfectly, but the lyrics in all the songs coincide with society as a whole today. For example, "Fossil Genera: A Feed From Cloud Mountain" discusses a secret society of people who rule the world behind the scenes and are basically making there vision into a reality, and using people for experimental purposes. AKA The Illuminati, which rules literally everything you see in the world today. Tommy, the singer, is singing about truth and what our society is in store for as these people "discuss our future". If that isn't intense enough, "Desert of Song" is about music being banned in society as we know it, and a group of people go into the desert to write music to continue on with it's beauty. The other songs are all related by essentially describing the downfall of society, and "Swim To The Moon" can be interpreted as one not being able to deal with the pressure of society and escaping via "swimming to the moon". It is intense beyond belief, and just as colors did for me, it paints a picture just as vivid as a world renowned artist. The actual vocal performance is untouchable, as Tommy incorporates more range and singing mixed in with his anomalous screaming techniques. The guitarist Paul actually does some incredible singing on "Desert of Song" as well, and it really adds to the mood of that song. // 10
Impression: I'll begin with fact that nothing disappointed me whatsoever on the entire album. The music is absolutely breathtaking, as is the lyrically content. I honestly can't pick a favorite song at all, but I will give you a short overview on each track. The opener, "Mirrors," is a very tripped out song, with very odd timings and just one hell of a listen. "Obfuscation" does not disappoint, as it flows directly from "Mirrors," and starts with a bang. It continues on to include some insane guitar work which is incredible. "Disease, Injury, Madness" is the song I would say is most comparable to older BTBAM, as it is straight forward metal and chill throughout, with a very cool rockin' interlude. "Fossil Genera" has the most unexpected BTBAM intro, and it continues on to be an insanely dark song, with some of the most unique parts I've ever heard. The next track "Desert of Song" takes a trip down a different road for BTBAM, being all acoustic. Shevanel (take 2) was incredible on The Silent Circus, but this one is different. It features the guitarist Paul singing, and his voice along with Tommy's mix incredibly well. Such a great, emotionally driven song with a fantastic meaning. The album's closer "Swim To The Moon" may be the best song ever created, with so many different types of parts. With the song clocking in at 17:54, there is not one second that is boring. It just continues straight until the end with the most intense bombardment of musical originality ever. It's a mind blowing album and is a much welcomed next step in the process of Between The Buried And Me's growth as progressive musicians. Must own for any prog lover, metalhead, and anyone who appreciates music for the talent and presentation aspect of it. // 10
Reviewed by:
Nemesis1156, on november 03, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: The Great Misdirect is the long awaited follow up to Between the Buried and Me's genre defying album, Colors. I know that a lot of people didn't believe that the band could actually out do Colors, many being skeptical that it would even be good. Your worries can be put to rest. The album is impeccable. A step in a new direction as well. With only 6 songs on the album, I was extremely interested in what I would find. What we have are 6 beautiful, well arranged masterpieces. The more progressive direction the band took might turn a few fans off of the album, complaining that the band strayed from their more "core" sound, but BTBAM are all about evolution. Just listen to the difference between the self titled and The Silent Circus. Two amazing albums, but two totally different sounds coming out of them. All in all, they grew on this album, creating a work of art. But obviously it has it's few flaws.
For example, while every song did feel very complete and awesome, I felt that maybe they could have included one more song. Seven just seems like a good number. Second, I found Pauls leads to be, overall, a little more emotionless than we're used too hearing. I didn't hear anything as epic as the ending of Selkies, or as moving as White Walls. This is just an overall look, because he DOES do some fantastic stuff here. Now, this is the Colors purist in me speaking, the album didn't flow as well as Colors. Anyone that listened to the album knows that every song went into the next, giving us the impression that the entire album was one giant song. This isn't the case in The Great Misdirect. Some songs flow, while others end quite abruptly, not really giving us that feeling Colors did.
Some honourable mentions are the slow part and rodeo breakdown in Disease, Injury, Madness, the slow, epic ending of Fossil Genera, the musical excellency showed off in Swim to the Moon, and my biggest surprise, Desert of Song. This song shows a real melodic side to the band that hasn't really been touched upon throughout their career. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Tommy Rogers brings the reckoning with his vocals this time around. His clean vocals are sounding amazing, and his growl has never been more menacing. The lyrics are also of typical BTBAM style, being dark, mysterious and full of crazy metaphors and allegories. Some of my favourite are found in Swim to the Moon: "Glide Into the Water/Become On with The Sea/Life Feels So Much Smaller/ Swim To The Moon."
It's that kind of stuff I expect out of the band, and they delivered. Nothing we haven't seen before, but still something that was very well done on the album. // 8
Impression: Overall, The Great Misdirect won't disappoint. While it might not be Colors to some, it's something even bigger to others. One thing we cannot deny is just how consistent these guys are. Their music just keeps evolving and stays fresh in a world today where just so many bands sound as bland and unoriginal as the others, so hearing such great music is really a breath of fresh air. Kudos to the rhythm section as well on really stepping it up a notch this album. Blake's drumming has gotten to be quite unique and captivating, and Dan's bass lines are juicier than ever. Not to say the other guys stayed the same though! I just felt that they really got better and really complimented the album with their awesome sounding fills.
All and all, it's a definitive buy for any Between the Buried and Me fan, an fans of music alike. (There's a chance that) you won't be disappointed. // 9
Reviewed by:
mywar013, on november 03, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Overall Between the Buried and Me has always had a fairly unique sound. Over the years they have progressed heavily from their self titled to their newest release "The Great Misdirect". From progressive death metal, to melodic breaks, and even going in and out of jazz or salsa tunes, BTBAM always keeps you guessing. This album is just another step forward for the band that is defining progressive metal and progessive music in general.
"Colors", their last album was one of the best albums I have ever heard in my life. From start to finish it was an onslaught of amazing musicianship and songwriting ability. Although they said they would out do Colors in the Great Misdirect, I believe as opposed to out doing it they instead established their style as a band and made an album that can stand next to Colors proudly.
The album starts out with a melodic intro similar to that of colors and then goes into 3 following songs that are composed of scary scales, beautiful transitions, and the occasional intimidating composure that BTBAM is often known for. The album takes a quick break on track 5, "Desert of Song", in which they play a southern blues-esq tune that even though does not fit the style of progressive metal still sounds like BTBAM. They then end the album with a 17 minute tune that smacks you in the face, takes a quick breather and then comes back at you twice as hard. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: I haven't taken a good look at the lyrics but I would be surprised if they didn't share any resemblence to lyrics on any of their previous albums. Tommy Rogers is known for singing about people watching (ants of the sky), dreams he has had (Lost Perfection), or the music between the buried and me has made in general (white walls, ad a dglgmut). He tends to stick with prose lyric writing but they are always inticing and thought provoking.
As for his singing/screaming abilities, he is one of the best out there. If you cannot tell by his clear and fully ranged singing or aggressive growls and screams from any of BTBAM's songs, you can certainly find him out doing himself in their cover album "Anatomy Of" in which he sucsessfully covers a Queen song which is no easy feat. // 10
Impression: Between the Buried and Me made a large step forward when they came out with Colors. Not to say their other albums aren't great (which they are), but Colors and The Great Misdirect show where Between the Buried and Me are heading in music overall. Both these albums have broken away from not only their previous releases, but they have out done any progressive metal band in my opinion.
For those of us who are extreme BTBAM fans (like myself), you know it is near impossible to pick a favorite song from any of their albums. The song that I think most clearly depicts what you will get from this album is probably "Swim to the Moon", but I would never say go download just that song. As most of their albums you need to listen to this one all the way through to get the proper feel for it.
I love the fact that they have been able to keep up with their previous releases especially after having one of the greatest albums ever put out two years ago. Nothing is wrong with this album, and it has alot of surprises within it that even the most diehard BTBAM fan would not be able to guess would lie within it.
I would buy this album no matter how many times it was stolen from me. Any fan of metal, progressive, or music in general needs to pick up this album... no if ands or buts. // 10
Reviewed by:
jollyjolly, on november 03, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: This album was by far my most anticipated album of 2009, and I'm sure others agree. Following 2007's "Colors" album Btbam has become an underground progressive phenomenon. The Great Misdirect is made up of beautiful soundscapes whether playing metal, jazz, bluegrass, trip-hop or any of the other genres they fuse into their sound they play to extreme proficiency and virtuosity. The album opens up with "Mirrors" & "Obfuscation" the latter being the first released song off the album. This song starts with a gorgeous opening with an odd catchy rythm. Then busting into obfuscation with a similar rhythm only extremely heavy and melodic, without listening to this album it is very hard to explain. Tommy Rogers' vocals on the album jump around a lot from bellowing screams to melodic ambient belts. Paul Waggoner really upped the anty on this album, tons of off-time thrashy movements into spiraling instrumental tangents. The rhythm section really stands out on this album, the little bass solos looming in the background done by Dan Briggs(Orbs) and the grind-jazz drumming of Black Richardson(Glass Casket) really make for a funky bottom end while the searing guitar riffs and vocals/synth dominate the forefront. This is my #1 album of 2009! I highly recommend everyone to purchase it and give it a real listen! // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The Lyrics on this albums are completely unique and well-thought out. "Fossil Genera-A Feed From Cloud Mountain" referrs to aliens and their pre-determined apocalypse of the human race. The songs like "The Desert Of Song" speak of a time where music is outlawed and people have to sneak to the desert to play. A lot of the lyrics discuss the universes' connection with the mind and Other worldly knowledge. The vocals on this album are very unique and jump around constantly making for the classic Btbam sound. // 10
Impression: This is honestly one of my favorite albums. I still find it hard to grasp it all sometimes this band has so much going on at once you have to listen to it multiple times just to catch on to some of the spontaneous off-time rhythms. Definately a favorite band of many musicians they keep raising the stakes and proving that they can just make music, and it doesn't have to have a particular genre or scene, it can just be beautifully structured music. If I lost this album I would refer to my back-up copies:). The stand out track on this album for me is "Disease, Injury, Madness." You just need to hear it to experience this song! Overall... Perfection // 10
Reviewed by:
Panasonic3, on november 03, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: It's finally here! One of the most anticipated albums of the year in the heavy metal scene is the fifth installment by prog giants Between the Buried and Me. After their critically acclaimed masterpiece "Colors" was released in 2007, many wondered if they could top, or even come closed to, the epic of all genres. Well, in this (biased) reviewers eyes, the boys have done it again. Creating beautiful, lush soundscapes woven into dreary passages of sadness, surrounded by intense riffage, super heavy chugs, complex time signatures, and the most bombin solos since never. The album is split colse to even with clean and distorted work, but thats not to say a distorted part isn't light and airy while the clean parts could be horrible (in a good way) and desolate. If "Colors" was their senior project, then "The Great Misdirect" is the work produced by a seasoned professional who knows his carrer path and job responsibilities. This is serious music made by serious musicians, and should be taken as such. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: While I don't have a lyrics sheet (didn't come with the torrent), they are obviously written the same style since the beginning. Rather vague, but the songs have a theme and create a story, and some phrases pop up in multiple tracks. Tommy's vocals are solid and consistent, and he doesn't sound like a bitch when he goes clean. On the bright side, his voice sounds much richer and emotional. His screams and growls were a little dry and mundane in "Colors," and not that it isn't skillfully heavy and intense, it could just be more creative. However, none of this gets in the way of the music experience. There's even other vocalalists in the last two songs. // 9
Impression: A six song masterpiece created by masters of their craft. Definatly their most inspired album.
Track List:
01. Mirrors
02. Obfuscation
03. Disease, Injury, Madness
04. Fossil Genera: A Feed From Cloud Mountain
05. Desert of Song
06. Swim to the Moon (18 minutes!)
All of the songs stand out in their own way, each with its own unique sound and journey. "Disease, Injury, Madness" would be my favorite. It seems like the most fun song to play. But every song is awesome. (Better be, only six of them)
Compared to their other albums, it kind of sounds like they are getting back to their roots, but supercharged. It is not one continuous piece of music as "Colors" is, which leads toward more individual and complete songs. With clever sound effects, hugely layered nuances, MORE bass solos, and just staright up fretwork, "The Great Misdirect" is a no-frills, mega prog BTBAM. Drums are killer as before, but I can't remember a single blast beat :( but anything I slightly dislike about this album is greatly overshadowed by everything else. Because it is sweet.
I got the album early, but I will also be in line at midnight to buy it. Because it's that good. I look at "Colors" as the band trying to do everything they could in one piece of music and doing it well, entertaining a jack-of-all-trades approach. Now that they have all that "other stuff" out of the way, they can focus on what's really important: making incredibly beautiful progressive death metal. "The Great Misdirect" is the next step in Between the Buried and Me's journey of epic proportions. I'm really excited to listen to this entire album for 1000 times just like that last four, and I know they will never dissapoint. // 10
Reviewed by:
thecrowing33, on november 03, 2009 0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: I really am enjoying the Great Misdirect. Mirrors has a very eerie sound to it. Mirrors was definitely a great way to start off the album. I liked how Dan Briggs used a fretless bass for the recording of Mirrors. Obfuscation is great because it sounds like a song that could be put on colors. I really like the dissonant chords used within the song. This is another great song that shows off their musical ability. It has an incredible solo in it close to the end. Disease, Injury, Madness really reminds me of songs from the Silent Circus. It has a softer part that reminds me of Backwards Marathon. I really like the jazzy-bluesy kinda solo during the song. It's cool how it changes from progressive sounding material to chill, bass-filled parts. Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Montain is simply amazing. I will just leave it at that. Desert of Song is great because it is the only track on the album that Paul Waggoner sings on. It really is quite a beautiful song in its entirety. Swim to the Moon has to be my favorite song on the album by far. It opens with a Hawaiian, Caribbean like intro. Then it just goes straight into the prog stuff associated with little breaks of classical acoustic guitar. This song is probably the most complex song they have ever written. The solo parts starting at around 11:00 into the song are jaw-dropping. There's even a keyboard solo. It easily tops White Walls. This album should win album of the year. My least favorite song on the album is Obfuscation. It doesn't have a big amount of catchy parts in it. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are great. They are just the typical Tommy Rogers lyrics. They fit very well with the songs. My favorite lyric is:
Slide into the water,
become one with the sea,
life seems so much smaller,
swim to the moon.
I really like when Paul Waggoner did vocals on Desert of Song. // 10
Impression: This is by far my favorite Between the Buried and Me album. The most impressive song on the album are Fossil Genera and Swim to the Moon. I love pretty much everything about it. There wasn't one part I didn't like. You need to get this album if you have not yet. // 10
ordinary_story
: What an album!
Absolute Beast from Start to finish!
Just one dissapointment for me though....i miss the sudden jazzy breaks that appeared a whole lot in Colors...It seems that on The Great Misdirect they went for constructing long pieces of music that were either chill or brutal, and thats cool.
So while TGM is a great album it lacks the kindof parts that made me jump and go "Holy freaking awesome!" POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 03:54 am / quote|
Darkkon
: Awesome album. I love this band. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 05:20 am / quote|
plakkert
: Fantastic album, especially Swim to the Moon is just marvelous. I cannot wait to see what BTBAM conjure up in the future POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 05:33 am / quote|
'Leviathan'
: I submitted a review for this... surprise, surprise it didn't get accepted... like all of my other reviews I've submitted.
Anyway, album was excellent, I'm still listening to it non-stop. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 05:38 am / quote|
The Tak
: Good album for sure but I hope their future releases will be more along the lines of Alaska, because the length of the songs on TGM can get a bit overwhelming at times. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 06:20 am / quote|
Magero
: ...and let the avalanche of "ZOMG BEST ALBUM IN THE UNIVERSE" that followed Colors, begin :p:
Having said that.
ZOMG BEST ALBUM IN THE UNIVERSE POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 07:30 am / quote|
theoldwizard
: Good album, but it hasn't topped Colors in my opinion. But this album is growing on me each listen, so I may like it better in the end. Swim to the Moon is an amazing song, I must add. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 08:50 am / quote|
Connah
: goooood album POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 09:55 am / quote|
Without them, parts of this album would be like a slightly beefed version of Dream Theater, rather than a slightly Dream Theater’d version of beef
Made me laugh out loud.
Other than that, fantastic album. I'm not really into endlessly comparing new albums with previous ones though, even if Color's success and quality implied that people would check for a confirmation with the next release. But personally, I'd say that both albums are different, and it's great that TGM is somewhat more structured than its predecessor. BTBAM proves that Colors wasn't just a spark of genius with another display of solid work and amazing creativity, and I feel that it's great they didn't try to make a Colors 2, if you get what I mean.
Anyway, this one is definitely a beast, and a serious contender for 2009's best Metal album. And it's so complex that I have yet to be fully familiar with every song, despite quite a lot of full listens already. Obfuscation stands out for now, but it might be the easiest track to apprehend, bar the two "short" ones. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 09:57 am / quote|
headbanger703
: Lol there are almost as many reviews as comments. BTBAM Fuckin rules! POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 10:10 am / quote|
ratm_fan_06
: Outstanding album...but one big thing that bothered me
The ending
(for Swim to the Moon)
WAS HORRIBLE
I was thinking, "Did the album honestly just end?"
Colors/White Walls had an epic ending, and you knew the album was going to close. 2-3 minutes of great guitar work and then piano to let you catch your breath.
I know Colors had more of that 1-song feel to it than this one, but TGM's ending still was a let down
But other than that, kick ass album POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 11:52 am / quote|
multipleofone
: Amazing album but the one problem is that, while the vocals were good, there weren't any emotionally engaging vocals like in Colors. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 11:55 am / quote|
death4077
: I absolutely love this album and i don't think i will ever get the chorus of swim to the moon out of my head... slide into the water.... POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 12:04 pm / quote|
Widow6
: I just bought this album last night. It delivers. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 12:36 pm / quote|
yeah i felt the same way too. I was expecting this face melting moment since swim to the moon was such an epic song, and then the album just ended. I was sad... great album overall though POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 01:08 pm / quote|
Progis8strings
: I'd just like to mention that many of the reviewers contradicted each other on discussing the vocal hook in "Swim to the Moon."
Amazing album, amazing band (after the first two albums of coure) POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 01:16 pm / quote|
korbhag
: Got the regular edition, still waiting for the deluxe one. Guess I'll juste keep listening to it 'til then! POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 01:23 pm / quote|
GREENWARRI0R
: OK album, but nothing stands out in the album except for Fossil Genera. Fans, of course, will be in denial that the beloved band that made the epic album known as Colors (which I frikkin love) could not top it and released a less than outstanding album. more like The Great Disappointment. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 01:35 pm / quote|
I'd just like to mention that many of the reviewers contradicted each other on discussing the vocal hook in "Swim to the Moon."
Amazing album, amazing band (after the first two albums of coure)
I love the first two albums... POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 01:54 pm / quote|
OK album, but nothing stands out in the album except for Fossil Genera. Fans, of course, will be in denial that the beloved band that made the epic album known as Colors (which I frikkin love) could not top it and released a less than outstanding album. more like The Great Disappointment.
Swear to God, you could be me. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 01:59 pm / quote|
The Spoon
: I love this album POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 02:52 pm / quote|
EvoLancer211
: Colors was great this was good, nothing beats The Silent Circus POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 03:08 pm / quote|
cheeser
: In my opinion the best part of the album is on Disease, Injury, Madness when theres blast beats and a circus-like "laaaaa laaaaa la la la" at around 8:35
that part was freakin sweet. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 03:29 pm / quote|
lethaldosage45
: I found myself bored with this one... really had to force myself to listen to it. Sounds JUST like Colors. Most times people complain when bands change their sound from album to album, but these guys can't do the colors sound again. Change is good! This left me kinda blaaah. I admire their musicianship of course. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 03:31 pm / quote|
Jondy
: Fossil Genera is my favorite song of the year. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 03:43 pm / quote|
thebigal
: Between the buried and me are one of the greatest unique bands around. They have captivated me with there creativity. This album is epic, yet it probably isn't as good as colours which i simply rate as one of the best metal albums ever.
I hope these guys start to get more recognised out there for the overwhealming talent which they have.
This would have to be a contender for metal album of the year. There really hasn't been to many great releases on the metal scene this year. BTBAM I salute you. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 04:50 pm / quote|
MustangMan311
: I completely agree with the final paragraph of the UG review, which is surprising. This album is nowhere near as memorable as Colors. Great album, but doesn't match up. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 04:51 pm / quote|
millerg17
: great album. btbam, veil of maya, animals as leaders next monday POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 04:56 pm / quote|
legallydead
: Its their best album POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 05:06 pm / quote|
Lion_Slicer
: An hour of sheer brilliance. It's a testament to Between the Buried and Me's talents that this album is worthy to even be mentioned in the same breath as Colors. In my opinion, which one is better is irrelevant: both albums are going to be getting a lot of playing time far into the future. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 05:47 pm / quote|
Jobe_13
: This album is fantastic. I've listned to it so much in the past week.
And will people stop comparing it to colors. seriously who cares which one is better. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 06:23 pm / quote|
Night_Lights
: Like Colors a lot more. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 07:00 pm / quote|
na10tbolt
: First, I'd like to say that I'm not disappointed in this album at all. Colors was excellent but I didn't want a repeat of the exact same thing. TGM kept what was great about Colors (minus the breakneck diversity), and did it a little differently to produce something that was new and familiar at the same time. I love it. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 08:02 pm / quote|
xcrunner1
: even stronger than Colors, simply amazing POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 08:26 pm / quote|
illuminatiano
: we should not compare colors to the great misdirect... as they are both really different from each other, as colors is with alaska, and alaska with the silent circus, and the silent circus from the ST ( thought not as much ). Fantastic album in my opinion, i'd give it a 9/10, I was not disappointed with this album at all. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 08:30 pm / quote|
Megalomaniac46
: What can I say? Another amazing album from an absolutely amazing band. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 08:51 pm / quote|
deafening
: stop comparing it to colors people, they obviously went in a different direction, but it'll grow on you, trust me.
it doesn't have to be "better" than colors, its still amazing!
im lovin' it right now POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 09:15 pm / quote|
hairy-southpaw
: OK album, but nothing stands out in the album except for Fossil Genera. Fans, of course, will be in denial that the beloved band that made the epic album known as Colors (which I frikkin love) could not top it and released a less than outstanding album. more like The Great Disappointment.
Are we listening to the same album? I thought it was catchier. A lot more going on in this album in my opinion. POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 09:26 pm / quote|
metallica4life_
: What the **** is up with Fossil Genera? I really thought i was listening to polka or something :P POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 10:26 pm / quote|
Outstanding album...but one big thing that bothered me
The ending
(for Swim to the Moon)
WAS HORRIBLE
I was thinking, "Did the album honestly just end?"
Colors/White Walls had an epic ending, and you knew the album was going to close. 2-3 minutes of great guitar work and then piano to let you catch your breath.
I know Colors had more of that 1-song feel to it than this one, but TGM's ending still was a let down
But other than that, kick ass album
well put, out of all of BtBaMs album closers, if id have to list them in order by album, it would be a little bit like
1. Colors (the climatic guitar solos into a subtle piano part at the end of White Walls)
2. Alaska (Laser Speed's lounge stylish music)
3. The Silent Circus (The Need for Repetition going out with a subtle jazzy part, going into random noises (while the drums maintain the jazzy feel), 5 mins of silence, and voila- a bonus track (The Man Land) worth a few chuckles over)
4. S/T (Shevanel Cut a Flip with its near 6 minute long clean parts with some vocals and harmonies)
5. The Great Misdirect (Swim to the Moon could have had a much better album closer if it deserved to be in the Top 3, instead they did a simple closing chord) POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 11:36 pm / quote|
WhiteDaddy2113
: I love the horse neigh in disease, injury madness, highlight of the album POSTED: 11/03/2009 - 11:57 pm / quote|
albertg91
: One chord at the end of song ruined an entire album for you? Suck it up pussies. This album absolutely topped colors. POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 01:06 am / quote|
TylerAOH&A7X
: Colors is possibly tattooed in my heart to be my favorite album of ALL time, but the way i think of The Great Misdirect is that its not just a follow-up to Colors, not at all, its almost like a whole different band playing a whole new album, the sound is so different, and the style is so different, yet still alot the same...alot of the guitars just sound so RAW!! like they were playing their solos in just a few takes, yet its so well produced that the sound quality sounds like someone painted the sound over with 3 coats
idunno this is just how i listen to it and NOT get disappointed with it not being just AS good as they did on Colors...theres just so much more to think about with it, and you cant really even give a shit that they didnt top Colors, cuz the bottom line is they CREATED Colors, so why in the hell should they try to please the opinionated "half-breed fans" as i call them that expect something better than the one album in the world that possibly no metal band can ever even IMAGINE again????? POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 01:28 am / quote|
Colors is possibly tattooed in my heart to be my favorite album of ALL time, but the way i think of The Great Misdirect is that its not just a follow-up to Colors, not at all, its almost like a whole different band playing a whole new album, the sound is so different, and the style is so different, yet still alot the same...alot of the guitars just sound so RAW!! like they were playing their solos in just a few takes, yet its so well produced that the sound quality sounds like someone painted the sound over with 3 coats
idunno this is just how i listen to it and NOT get disappointed with it not being just AS good as they did on Colors...theres just so much more to think about with it, and you cant really even give a shit that they didnt top Colors, cuz the bottom line is they CREATED Colors, so why in the hell should they try to please the opinionated "half-breed fans" as i call them that expect something better than the one album in the world that possibly no metal band can ever even IMAGINE again?????
You need to listen to maudlin of The well then, my friend.
I've stayed away from this release. No real people, but I don't feel like listening to it yet.
ArchisT
: my theory for the sudden and anti-climactic ending is that btbam will add onto this album with their next one POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 04:30 am / quote|
kennmi
: love btbam, def. in my top 5 bands of all time. im not a huge fan of bands that just scream all the time with no break in it, so when i first heard selkies, i was hooked on the intro, but then i almost gave up on them when all i heard was growling. good thing i didnt, cause as soon as it hit the clean half and then ended with the epic outro solo, i fell in love. All their albums are amazing, and i cant wait to get this one (being deployed is a bitch). if its even half the album that colors and alaska was, it will still be amazing. POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 04:55 am / quote|
El Boyo
: Im only 2 songs into this amazing album and already its put a more than positive impression on me! BTBAM are by far one of the most creative bands in metal, if not of all time for me. They never lack that 'little extra something'. They really do never cease to amaze. I only hope that they get their name heard in more places and more people start to enjoy them as much as i do!
Every one of their albums are sick as **** and The Great Misdirect is only adding to their collection of 'sickas****-ness' POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 09:17 am / quote|
Colors is possibly tattooed in my heart to be my favorite album of ALL time, but the way i think of The Great Misdirect is that its not just a follow-up to Colors, not at all, its almost like a whole different band playing a whole new album, the sound is so different, and the style is so different, yet still alot the same...alot of the guitars just sound so RAW!! like they were playing their solos in just a few takes, yet its so well produced that the sound quality sounds like someone painted the sound over with 3 coats
idunno this is just how i listen to it and NOT get disappointed with it not being just AS good as they did on Colors...theres just so much more to think about with it, and you cant really even give a shit that they didnt top Colors, cuz the bottom line is they CREATED Colors, so why in the hell should they try to please the opinionated "half-breed fans" as i call them that expect something better than the one album in the world that possibly no metal band can ever even IMAGINE again?????
You need to listen to maudlin of The well then, my friend.
I've stayed away from this release. No real people, but I don't feel like listening to it yet.
ive heard about 2 songs awhile back when i was more closed minded, ill check em out again, thanks man POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 01:20 pm / quote|
Dregen
: My god, this album is amazing. And even though it's really stretched out, Swim To The Moon is the best song on the album by FAR. Not only is the guest vocalist ****ing badass, but you gotta admit that the breakdown after the first chorus is brutal.
I seriously hated it when I first listened to it, but then I listened to it a second time and I'm like "Wow... This is a masterpiece"
Compared to Colors, yes, TGM doesn't have quite as many great amazing sweeps or memorable melodies, but this album is sooo much more consistent. On Colors, the most of the material in between the epic parts were just filler, on TGM it doesn't seem like that at all.
I have to say, I like the drums alot more than the guitars on this album. The guitars don't get too much highlight IMO. POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 10:55 pm / quote|
Jon777
: I hate to say it, but I enjoyed Colors MUCH MUCH more. I mean, yeah, TGM is still a great album. And BTBAM (God willing) will always be an amazing band. But it just wasn't as memorable of an album.
I agree with Dregen, the guitars don't get much highlight. Same with the bass. I mean... you guys remember Viridian? EPIC bass solo. It even got it's own track.
And so many memorable riffs on Colors... like the awesome ending to Ants of the Sky and the very beginning of Prequel to the Sequel.
I dunno, I guess I just expected something more... amazing (like Colors). POSTED: 11/06/2009 - 12:50 am / quote|
xcrunner1
: Am I the only one that saw the compositional improvement in TGM?? If you want the next Viridian, listen to the end of Mirrors. POSTED: 11/06/2009 - 10:14 pm / quote|
Jester InFlames
: THIS ALBUM is a god am beast POSTED: 11/07/2009 - 08:17 am / quote|
come.now.sleep
: great album, loved every song(even ALL of swim to the moon)Loved the diversity and technical work, they definitely put a lot into this album. One thing got me though...out of all comments and reviews, everyone mentioned tommy's clean singing and vocals, especially the chorus of swim to the moon, but no one hit on the best part of the album(vocal-wise), and that would be the end of fossil genera for me, where he hits that crazy falsetto note at the end of the clean section at 8-9 minute mark, somewhere around there. Saw him hit that note live and it blew me away!
great album though, good reviews, and nice to see comments where everyone isn't bashing each other, great that we can at least respect opinions around here. POSTED: 11/13/2009 - 12:04 am / quote|
Outstanding album...but one big thing that bothered me
The ending
(for Swim to the Moon)
WAS HORRIBLE
I was thinking, "Did the album honestly just end?"
I couldn't agree more that's the only thing that had me in the least bit disappointed! I was expecting the punch-you-in-the-stomach breakdown of White Wall and then 4 hour long epic guitar solo that culminates into a Dragonforce (sucky ass fakes) humiliating, face melting guitar solo!!! Other than that, Desert of Song beat Viridian for my favorite melodic song by them, I loooove it cuz I'm a fan of some blues and country too so that kinda satisfied me in that area : just proves BTBAM do what they WANT!!!!! POSTED: 11/16/2009 - 08:48 am / quote|
Outstanding album...but one big thing that bothered me
The ending
(for Swim to the Moon)
WAS HORRIBLE
I was thinking, "Did the album honestly just end?"
I couldn't agree more that's the only thing that had me in the least bit disappointed! I was expecting the punch-you-in-the-stomach breakdown of White Wall and then 4 hour long epic guitar solo that culminates into a Dragonforce (sucky ass fakes) humiliating, face melting guitar solo!!! Other than that, Desert of Song beat Viridian for my favorite melodic song by them, I loooove it cuz I'm a fan of some blues and country too so that kinda satisfied me in that area : just proves BTBAM do what they WANT!!!!!
Yeah I agree too kinda.
BUT still, personally, this was the best album of the year. BTBAM shall always be my fav. : D POSTED: 11/21/2009 - 09:07 am / quote|
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just proves BTBAM do what they WANT!!!!!