Between The Buried And Me
The Silent Circus

There are artists whose early works are unanimously considered the best because they are the most original and genuine. On the other hand, some artists create their most beautiful works later in their careers, as their beginnings are characterized by an embryonic and interlocutory style. Between The Buried And Me belong to the latter group, and "The Silent Circus" (2003), their second album, confirms this.

However, some clarifications must be made: the group's career is still quite short, as their beginnings date back only to the start of the new millennium; in addition, there have been numerous lineup changes, and currently, singer Tommy Giles Rogers and guitarist Paul Waggoner are the only remaining founding members, so it can be hypothesized that the musicians who then gravitated around the Rogers-Waggoner core were not the most suitable. However, it must also be specified that the band has already fully reached artistic maturity: in fact, "Alaska" (2005) and "Colors" (2007) are two excellent works, the peaks of their discography, probably even of the future one. Something that cannot be said for "The Silent Circus": in it, the band's style (using complex prog-style compositions in service of the most extreme metal) is recognizable, but it is still raw and edgy, as much as the term can be in such a musical context.

Starting with Rogers' voice: growl and screaming are not very impactful, and the vocalist often tends to yell inconsistently. The clean vocal parts also leave much to be desired, and in this regard, one should listen to the ballad "(Shevanel Take 2)", which is rather mediocre, to witness an uncertain vocal performance, almost timid, not very persuasive. The best tracks, those that convince about the talent of the North Carolina band, are "Mordecai" and "As A Dglgmut", which, thanks to continuous changes in atmospheres and sudden melodic bursts, are indicative of their future remarkable achievements. As for the rest, apart from the melodic interlude of the diptych "Reaction/ (Shevanel Take 2)", a very technical and convoluted death metal dominates, but at the same time also tight and corrosive, often on the verge of certain grindcore. It is undoubtedly a genre that forms the basis of the band's music, but it is not yet fully developed and is therefore lacking in truly memorable ideas. Additionally, the use of keyboards and electronics, which will play an important role in subsequent albums, is very sporadic and marginal.

Conclusion: keeping in mind that BTBAM's style is not at all simple and requires more than superficial listening to be appreciated, for those who have never heard them and intend to get to know them, I advise against letting this album be the first impression, as it is a work essentially of consideration and can be misleading. Forewarned is forearmed...