By By Jim Shea
The cold, harsh winters in the state of Alaska could drive anyone crazy. The constant frigid temperatures, and snow all around are factors make Alaska a pretty desolate place. But Between The Buried And Me’s very own Alaska is enough to split open the biggest glaciers to cause an almighty avalanche.
Unlike most of Victory’s roster, Between The Buried And Me deliver quite an innovative adventure for listeners that imitators will have a hard time trying to copy. Imagine the band’s sound as one big melting pot, fusing many of metal and hardcore’s best sub-genres. There’s a long list of influences found in Between The Buried And Me. Mr. Bungle, Zyklon, Dream Theater and Radiohead would be primary influences for the band, according to vocalist/keyboardist Tommy Rogers.
The band makes a step forward in Alaska by maturing their sound and staying fresh. It starts off with “All Bodies,” as the band mixes chaotic noises and melodic tunes throughout the song. “All Bodies” ends with an anthem-like chorus, making for a nice fight song. Meanwhile, the self-titled track unleashes a barrage of “prog metal meets grindcore” sounds that will hit you hard in the face.
Rogers is often considered Between The Buried And Me’s “Most Valuable Player.” On the mic, he uses both clean and aggressive vocals and also lays down a few notes on the keyboard to give their songs an added element. Rogers said, “We always want to perform our songs live like they are on the CD, so I try to always make it so I can pull everything off in a live setting.” The rest of the band also gives 100 percent and keeps up with Rogers throughout the entire album.
If you want to talk about the standout track on Alaska, it would have to be “Selkies: the Endless Obsession.” The band spontaneously changes pace throughout the entire song. When you reach the middle of “Selkies,” the band goes right into Opeth-inspired music – either paying tribute to Opeth or perhaps just coincidence. Rogers agrees that “Selkies” is his favorite track. “It’s very epic and it basically incorporates (every) style we touch,” Rogers said. However, he admits that making a great song is a lot of work, “That song took us forever; it was a headache. But in the end, it worked out.”
Creative songwriting, chock full of innovation, hard-hitting music – this is what makes, Alaska, Between The Buried And Me’s breakthrough album. They showed a lot of promise with the release of their debut album, The Silent Circus, but now Between The Buried And Me have reinvented themselves. Alaska may be one of the best albums of this year.
The Chronicle gives “Between The Buried And Me” by Alaska four 1/2 stars out of five.