Review BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME “The Blue Nowhere”

The new album from Between the Buried and Me is titled “The Blue Nowhere.” It is the band’s eleventh release and their first with InsideOut Music.

No one expects catchy, easygoing music from the band, and indeed, “The Blue Nowhere” is also a challenging release. The band recorded songs that provide listeners with 71 minutes of extremely versatile music, often reminiscent of steered chaos alternating with more melodic moments.

The opener, “Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark,” is the perfect start to the album and mirrors the band’s approach. The song is a perfectly crafted blend of funky rhythms and metalcore moments, showcasing the band’s ability to generate heaviness. The opener resonates with the funky parts of Prince, Duran Duran-like textures, and blasting metal outbreaks, showcasing the band’s remarkable diversity.

With “God Terror,” things get heavier, and an industrial influence emerges. It’s a chaotic-sounding collage that showcases a band that never loses control.

The aggressive start of “Absent Thereafter” highlights the metalcore elements in Between the Buried and Me’s musical range. The sound architects constructed a ten-minute house of sounds with not many straight elements. Some melodic parts break the general pattern, creating a counterpart to the massive wall of sound. In a way, the song includes many of the band’s trademarks and reflects the lyrical approach of the album.

“The Blue Nowhere” isn’t exactly a concept album. However, it features connected songs. The album takes place in a hotel and is based on the feeling of being alone. When you are away from reality, you tend to focus on yourself, discovering and exploring new things. “The Blue Nowhere” is a metaphor for this situation, and the songs are built around it.

After the demanding first three songs, “Pause” provides a moment of sonic peace before “Doors” pushes you back into the world of polyrhythmic sound collages. Next are two eleven-minute milestone songs, but before we get there, the interlude “Mirador Uncoil” gives you some peace of mind before the explosive ending shakes you awake again.

“Psychomanteum” and “Slow Paranoia” are extremely layered songs fueled by breaks and twists that certainly won’t be fully appreciated upon first listening. Each of these two tracks has more variations than other bands have in their entire careers.

One of the most surprising moments is the title track. Compared to the creative chaotic nature of the previous two tracks, “The Blue Nowhere” creates lighthearted, atmospheric soundscapes. Nothing from the heaviness of the other songs resonates in this melodic, almost pop-like track, which showcases a different side of the band.

The closer, “Beautifully Human,” starts calm and introverted, slowly gaining intensity without leaving the general pattern behind.

“The Blue Nowhere” is one of the most challenging and demanding albums of the year. It is the opposite of musical fast food. It is a well-crafted, versatile musical journey with twists and turns within and between songs. It is a kaleidoscope of music covering everything from blasting sonic outbreaks to gentle melodies. Wow!