Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American
progressive metal
Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
band from
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Sout ...
. Formed in 2000, the band consists of
Tommy Giles Rogers Jr.
Tommy Giles Rogers (born December 30, 1980 in Morganton, North Carolina) is an American musician, most notable for being the lead vocalist, keyboardist and lyricist of the American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me, which he co-fo ...
(lead vocals, keyboards),
Paul Waggoner
Paul Andrew Waggoner is the lead guitarist of American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. A fan of progressive music, he is heavily inspired by John Petrucci, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai, amongst others. He formerl ...
(lead guitar, backing vocals), Dustie Waring (rhythm guitar, lead guitar),
Dan Briggs (bass, keyboards), and
Blake Richardson (drums).
Their
debut eponymous album was released through
Lifeforce Records
Lifeforce Records is a German heavy metal independent record label that specializes in metalcore and death metal. Their roster contains bands such as Confession, This or the Apocalypse, Omnium Gatherum and Last Leaf Down, and they have helped t ...
in 2002, shifting to
Victory Records for subsequent releases until their signing to
Metal Blade in 2011, where Between the Buried and Me released their first
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. , ''
The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues'' that year, and its full-length follow-up ''
The Parallax II: Future Sequence'' the following year. Their seventh studio album, ''
Coma Ecliptic
''Coma Ecliptic'' is the seventh studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me, released on July 10, 2015 through Metal Blade Records. The band first announced the album through Twitter on September 8, 2014 saying "It h ...
'', was released in July 2015. Their eighth album ''
Automata I
''Automata I'' is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on March 9, 2018, through Sumerian Records, their first release with the label. It is the first part of a two-piece album; the ...
'' was released in March 2018, and their ninth album, ''
Automata II
''Automata II'' is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on July 13, 2018 through Sumerian Records, and it is the second part of a two-piece album, the first one being '' Automata I'', ...
'', was released in July 2018. Their tenth album, ''
Colors II
''Colors II'' is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on August 20, 2021 through Sumerian Records, their second release with the label, after the two-part album '' Automata I'' and ...
'' (a follow up to 2007's
''Colors''), was released in August 2021.
History
Formation and eponymous album (2000–2002)
The band was formed in 2000 in
Raleigh
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
after the demise of the metalcore bands From Here On and
Prayer for Cleansing
Prayer for Cleansing was an American metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The band is noted for their extreme metal (death/black metal) influence that was a little more prominent in their music than other metalcore bands at the time. Th ...
, of which Rogers, Waggoner, and Goodyear were members. Nick Fletcher and Jason King subsequently joined on guitar and bass respectively. The name "Between the Buried and Me" was chosen after a section of lyrics in the
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
song "
Ghost Train".
Between the Buried and Me's first release was a demo containing three songs, all of which were re-recorded for the band's
self-titled debut album, released through
Lifeforce Records
Lifeforce Records is a German heavy metal independent record label that specializes in metalcore and death metal. Their roster contains bands such as Confession, This or the Apocalypse, Omnium Gatherum and Last Leaf Down, and they have helped t ...
in 2002. The song "Aspirations" became the band's first music video. The album was not initially successful but did manage to catch the attention of
Victory Records, to which they later signed. Victory reissued the album in 2004 as an
enhanced CD
Enhanced CD is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players.
Formats that fall under the "enhanced CD" ...
. The band toured in support of their first album with Canadian metalcore group The End.
''The Silent Circus'', ''Alaska'', and ''The Anatomy Of'' (2003–2006)
In August 2003, Between the Buried and Me traveled to
Q Division Studios
Q Division Studios is a recording studio located in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1986, Q Division was originally located at 443 Albany Street in Boston, but moved to its current two-studio facility in 2000. Bands that have ...
in
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81,045 people. With an area ...
to record their second record, ''
The Silent Circus'', released in October the same year. It was later re-released in 2006 with a live DVD of the band's performance at The Cat's Cradle in
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ...
on July 17, 2005. Mark Castillo played drums on ''The Silent Circus'', replacing Goodyear.
After the release of ''The Silent Circus'', the band went through numerous members before the current lineup was assembled for their third album, ''
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
''. On drums,
Mark Castillo was replaced by Jason Roe, and later by
Blake Richardson. On guitar, Fletcher was replaced by
Shane Blay, and later by Dustie Waring. And on bass, King was replaced by Kevin Falk, and later by
Dan Briggs. This remains the current lineup.
In September 2005, Between the Buried and Me released ''Alaska''. The album released the songs "Selkies: The Endless Obsession", "The Primer", and "Backwards Marathon" as singles. In the following year, the band released their first cover album, ''
The Anatomy Of'', a collection of covers of bands that influenced them, including
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
,
Pantera
Pantera () is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-known lineup cons ...
,
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist ...
,
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
,
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
,
Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American hardcore punk band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Since 1993 the band's longest serving members are vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ian Edwards ...
,
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
, and
Soundgarden.
In early 2006, Between the Buried and Me was on tour supporting
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. In 2004, ''Revolver'' magazine hailed Bleeding Through as one of eight bands ushering in the "Future of Metal" cover story, and '' Spin'' called Blee ...
along with
Every Time I Die and
Haste the Day. They were also on the
Ozzfest 2006 Second Stage. In late 2006, they were on the Radio Rebellion Tour headlined by
Norma Jean.
''Colors'' and ''The Great Misdirect'' (2007–2009)
In September 2007, Between the Buried and Me released their fourth studio album (fifth if including ''The Anatomy Of''), ''
Colors''. Band members called it "a 65 minute opus of non stop pummeling beautiful music... we have described this release as '
new wave polka
Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas.
History
Etymology
The te ...
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...
'." The band also described the album as "
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
progressive
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...
".
In September 2007, after the release of ''
Colors'', the band went on tour with
Animosity and
Horse the Band. Giant (now known as BraveYoung) also supported their shows in the US. The run concluded with their November 4 appearance at the Saints and Sinners Fest in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In December 2007, they again embarked on a headlining tour, supported by
August Burns Red
August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's current lineup consists of lead guitarist John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist ...
and
Behold... The Arctopus. The band were also the main support on
The Dillinger Escape Plan's 2008 UK tour. Between the Buried and Me were one of the acts that took part at "Progressive Nation '08", the first in what became an annual
progressive music festival, also featuring
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out o ...
,
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal/ rock band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg. The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every original member; notably Isberg in 1992. Mik ...
, and
3.
Starting in summer 2008 and continuing in the fall, they performed as a supporting act for
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Se ...
's US headlining tour, alongside
The Black Dahlia Murder. In early December 2008, they went on a short four-show tour around the Carolinas and Georgia (US) with other bands from the Carolinas, such as
He Is Legend,
Advent
Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity.
The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek '' parousia''. ...
, and Nightbear. Between the Buried and Me finished a month-long tour of Australia on January 9 with headliners
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. In 2004, ''Revolver'' magazine hailed Bleeding Through as one of eight bands ushering in the "Future of Metal" cover story, and '' Spin'' called Blee ...
,
As Blood Runs Black, In Trenches, and
The Abandonment. In September 2009, Between the Buried and Me performed a Canadian Tour with
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and A ...
and
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal.
During the ...
co-headlining, along with the support of
Protest the Hero.
On May 31, 2009, the group went into the studio to record their fifth album (sixth if including ''The Anatomy Of''), ''
The Great Misdirect''. They released the single "
Obfuscation
Obfuscation is the obscuring of the intended meaning of communication by making the message difficult to understand, usually with confusing and ambiguous language. The obfuscation might be either unintentional or intentional (although intent ...
" on September 29 and the album on October 27.
''The Parallax'' and Metal Blade Records (2010–2014)
In February 2010, Between the Buried and Me supported
Mastodon
A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...
along with
Baroness
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or ...
on their US headlining tour. During the summer of 2010, they were on the Cool Tour with
As I Lay Dying,
Underoath
Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional membe ...
,
War of Ages
War of Ages (sometimes abbreviated WoA; formerly known as Point Zero) is an American Christian metal band formed in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 2002.
The band's self-titled debut album '' War of Ages'' was released in 2005, and in February 2006, t ...
,
The Acacia Strain,
Architects
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
,
Cancer Bats, and
Blessthefall.
In early 2010, Between the Buried and Me toured across North America with
Cynic,
Devin Townsend, and
Scale the Summit
Scale the Summit is an American instrumental progressive metal band based out of Houston, Texas. It formed in 2004 and signed to Prosthetic Records.
The band is influenced by other progressive acts such as Cynic and Dream Theater. The band gaine ...
. Afterwards, they traveled to Europe supporting
Lamb of God
Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...
, along with
Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy is an American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album ''Genesis'' was released in 2007, peaking at No. 54 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first wee ...
and
August Burns Red
August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's current lineup consists of lead guitarist John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist ...
.
In February 2011, Between the Buried and Me were confirmed to play at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival on Saturday, April 16 in Worcester, MA. They were main support for
Hatebreed. In April and May 2011 they headlined a tour featuring Job for a Cowboy,
The Ocean, and on select dates
Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage is an American death metal band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1992. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Cephalic Carnage has r ...
.
Between the Buried and Me stated their move from Victory to
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distr ...
and quickly released an EP entitled ''
The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues'' on April 12, 2011. In May,
Victory Records announced the release of a
greatest hits album as a three-disc set. On January 16, 2012, Between the Buried and Me revealed that work on the full-length second part to ''The Parallax'' had begun and was later released as ''
The Parallax II: Future Sequence'' on October 9, 2012.
Between the Buried and Me also announced a headlining European tour beginning in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
on September 2, 2011, and continuing throughout the mainland and into the UK, ending up in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
on September 30. The tour was supported by
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent b ...
. In July 2011, the band announced their headlining North American "Saints&Sinners Tour" playing throughout November and December with
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent b ...
and
TesseracT
In geometry, a tesseract is the four-dimensional analogue of the cube; the tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of six square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of e ...
. The band created a few medleys just for this tour, and performed songs that they hadn't played in years. They co-headlined the 2012
Summer Slaughter under
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988, now based out of Tampa, Florida. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radi ...
with numerous other metal bands such as
Exhumed,
Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy is an American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album ''Genesis'' was released in 2007, peaking at No. 54 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first wee ...
,
The Faceless, and
Veil of Maya, followed by a co-headlining tour through Europe and UK with
Periphery and
The Safety Fire
The Safety Fire were a British progressive metal band formed in London, England, in 2006. The Safety Fire first made a name for themselves in the UK scene with the release of their critically acclaimed EP "Sections" in 2009 and their reputati ...
.
They also toured Japan and Australia with
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent b ...
in November 2012.
Starting in February 2013, they toured with
Coheed and Cambria.
In fall 2013 they embarked on The Future Sequence Tour, where they played ''The Parallax II: Future Sequence'' all the way through. Support was provided by
The Faceless,
The Contortionist
The Contortionist is an American progressive metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. Formed in 2007, the band consists of guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard, drummer Joey Baca, vocalist Mike Lessard, bassist Jordan Eberhardt, and keyboard ...
, and
The Safety Fire
The Safety Fire were a British progressive metal band formed in London, England, in 2006. The Safety Fire first made a name for themselves in the UK scene with the release of their critically acclaimed EP "Sections" in 2009 and their reputati ...
.
On February 14, 2014, it was announced Between the Buried and Me would record and release a live album for ''The Parallax II: Future Sequence'', playing it in its entirety with additional instruments, including a saxophone, percussionists, flute, and a string quartet. The release, titled ''Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium'', was released September 30, 2014.
''Coma Ecliptic'' and ''Colors 10th Anniversary Tour'' (2015–2017)
On March 17, 2015, they announced that ''
Coma Ecliptic
''Coma Ecliptic'' is the seventh studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me, released on July 10, 2015 through Metal Blade Records. The band first announced the album through Twitter on September 8, 2014 saying "It h ...
'' will be released through Metal Blade Records on July 7, 2015, and released a song titled "Memory Palace" on July 10.
From 2015 - 2017, Between the Buried and Me went out on their ''Coma Ecliptic World Tour'' and headlined with / co-headlined for August Burns Red, Animals as Leaders, Devin Townsend Project,
Fallujah
Fallujah ( ar, ٱلْفَلُّوجَة, al-Fallūjah, Iraqi pronunciation: ) is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Je ...
,
Enslaved, and
The Contortionist
The Contortionist is an American progressive metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. Formed in 2007, the band consists of guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard, drummer Joey Baca, vocalist Mike Lessard, bassist Jordan Eberhardt, and keyboard ...
.
The band released "Coma Ecliptic: Live" on April 28, 2017, which has their entire ''Coma Ecliptic'' album played live in its entirety.
In the fall of 2017, Between the Buried and Me toured for the ''Colors 10th Anniversary Tour'' where they performed the whole album.
''Automata'' and Sumerian Records (2018–2019)
Recording of the band's upcoming eighth full-length album began on July 31, 2017 and finished on September 6, with the release date scheduled in early 2018.
On December 28, 2017, bassist Dan Briggs posted footage of a song they had finished recording separate from the eighth studio album completed in September 2017. It was later revealed to be their interpretation of
The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter is an American progressive rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a member of the Receiving End of Sirens, before becoming his main band in 2006. The band's ...
's track "The Tank" for an exclusive 7-inch split with the band.
In January 2018, the band announced ''Automata'', a two-part studio album. ''
Automata I
''Automata I'' is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on March 9, 2018, through Sumerian Records, their first release with the label. It is the first part of a two-piece album; the ...
'' was announced a release date of March 9, 2018, via
Sumerian Records. The second part, ''
Automata II
''Automata II'' is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on July 13, 2018 through Sumerian Records, and it is the second part of a two-piece album, the first one being '' Automata I'', ...
'', was released on July 13, 2018.
Their "Between the Buried and Me Spring 2018 Tour" was announced as well, spanning March 2 to April 7, 2018, across the contiguous United States. The tour would be supported by
The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter is an American progressive rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a member of the Receiving End of Sirens, before becoming his main band in 2006. The band's ...
with special guests
Leprous
Leprous is a Norwegian rock band from Notodden, formed in 2001. The group was founded by singer and keyboardist Einar Solberg and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke.
After releasing several demos with relatively unstable lineups, the band released th ...
. Additionally, it was announced on the
Thomas Giles Instagram how their exclusive split 7-inch single with The Dear Hunter would be available for VIP package buyers on the tour. The split 7-inch would contain each band recording their interpretation of an existing song from the other band.
The band then headlined the entire 2018 portion of the Summer Slaughter tour. They were joined up with bands such as
Born of Osiris
Born of Osiris is an American progressive metalcore band formed in 2003 in Palatine, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Ronnie Canizaro, lead guitarist Lee McKinney, rhythm guitarist/bassist Nick Rossi ...
,
Veil of Maya,
ERRA,
The Agony Scene,
Allegaeon,
Terror Universal,
Soreption, and
Entheos.
In early 2019, they toured ''
Automata II
''Automata II'' is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on July 13, 2018 through Sumerian Records, and it is the second part of a two-piece album, the first one being '' Automata I'', ...
'' in the US beginning in February and ending in March. Opening acts were
Astronoid and
TesseracT
In geometry, a tesseract is the four-dimensional analogue of the cube; the tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of six square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of e ...
, except for a few dates.
Postponed 20th anniversary tour and ''Colors II'' (2020–present)
In spring 2020, the band was set to headline a 20th anniversary tour across North America, with the first set composed of songs spanning their career and the second set being ''The Great Misdirect'' performed in its entirety. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the band postponed the tour until it was safe to tour again. The tour was rebranded as a 21st anniversary tour in 2021 and kicked off in Atlanta on August 3 of that year.
The band revealed on November 16, 2020, that they have been writing their upcoming tenth studio album and are recording it for a scheduled release sometime in 2021.
On June 24, 2021, the band announced the release of their new album ''
Colors II
''Colors II'' is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on August 20, 2021 through Sumerian Records, their second release with the label, after the two-part album '' Automata I'' and ...
'' (follow-up to 2007's
''Colors'') through SiriusXM's Liquid Metal channel. The album was released on August 20, 2021. The album's first single, "Fix the Error", was released online on June 25, 2021, along with a music video on July 7.
Musical style and influences
Between the Buried and Me's general musical style has been stated by critics to be primarily a blend of
progressive metal
Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
,
technical death metal
Technical death metal (also referred to as tech-death) is a musical subgenre of death metal that began and developed in the early- to mid-1990s, with particular focus on challenging, demanding instrumental skill and complex songwriting.
Techni ...
,
progressive metalcore,
avant-garde metal
Avant-garde metal (also known as avant-metal, experimental metal, and experimental) is a subgenre of heavy metal music loosely defined by use of experimentation and innovative, avant-garde elements, including non-standard and unconventional soun ...
, and
metalcore
Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...
along with various musical styles: "One minute the band may be playing
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
and the next they're flowing into
death metal growls and thick guitar riffs... the metal take on things can seemingly change in a flash as lead singer Tommy Rogers fleshes out his vocals and utilizes the keyboards to create something that sounds more like it should be on a
Smashing Pumpkins album".
On the band's cover album, ''
The Anatomy Of'', the band pays tribute to many of their diverse influences, including
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
,
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Blind Melon,
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albu ...
,
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
,
King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
,
Soundgarden,
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist ...
,
Pantera
Pantera () is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-known lineup cons ...
,
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
,
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting).
Depech ...
,
Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American hardcore punk band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Since 1993 the band's longest serving members are vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ian Edwards ...
, and
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...
.
Band members
Current members
*
Tommy Giles Rogers – lead vocals, keyboards
(2000–present)
*
Paul Waggoner
Paul Andrew Waggoner is the lead guitarist of American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. A fan of progressive music, he is heavily inspired by John Petrucci, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai, amongst others. He formerl ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals, additional lead vocals
(2000–present)
* Dustie Waring – rhythm guitar, additional lead guitar
(2005–present)
*
Dan Briggs – bass
(2005–present), keyboards
(2011–present), backing vocals
(2005–2008)
*
Blake Richardson – drums
(2005–present) backing vocals, additional lead vocals
(2018–present)
Former members
* Jason Schofield King – bass
(2000–2004)
* Will Goodyear – drums, clean vocals
(2000–2002)
* Marc Duncan – rhythm guitar
(2000)
* Nicholas Shawn Fletcher – rhythm guitar
(2000–2003)
* Michael Howard Reig – drums
(2002–2003)
*
Mark Castillo – drums
(2003–2004)
*
Shane Blay – rhythm guitar
(2004)
* Jason Roe – drums
(2004-2005)
* Kevin Falk – bass
(2004–2005)
Timeline
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Between the Buried and Me'' (2002)
* ''
The Silent Circus'' (2003)
* ''
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Colors'' (2007)
* ''
The Great Misdirect'' (2009)
* ''
The Parallax II: Future Sequence'' (2012)
* ''
Coma Ecliptic
''Coma Ecliptic'' is the seventh studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me, released on July 10, 2015 through Metal Blade Records. The band first announced the album through Twitter on September 8, 2014 saying "It h ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Automata I
''Automata I'' is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on March 9, 2018, through Sumerian Records, their first release with the label. It is the first part of a two-piece album; the ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Automata II
''Automata II'' is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on July 13, 2018 through Sumerian Records, and it is the second part of a two-piece album, the first one being '' Automata I'', ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Colors II
''Colors II'' is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on August 20, 2021 through Sumerian Records, their second release with the label, after the two-part album '' Automata I'' and ...
'' (2021)
;Other
* ''
The Anatomy Of'' (cover album, 2006)
* ''
The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues'' (EP, 2011)
Other projects
* Tommy Giles Rogers has an
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to ...
side project named Giles. A music video for the song "Slumber Party" is featured on the DVD that is included on the re-release for Between the Buried and Me's second album ''
The Silent Circus''. Rogers also released a solo album on February 1, 2011, entitled
''Pulse''. The album is credited under the name Thomas Giles. Also, under the name Thomas Giles, he released "Modern Noise" in November 2014 and "Velcro Kid" in November 2016. In 2018 he released the album ''Don't Touch the Outside''.
* Dustie Waring and Blake Richardson are members of the
deathcore band
Glass Casket
Glass Casket is a deathcore band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They were originally called Gadrel when releasing their first demo ''To Cherish a Falsity''. The band formed after several members' previous band Narayan broke up. Dustie Warin ...
.
* Rogers and Jacob Troth run a clothing line named Jacob Rogers.
* Dan Briggs and members of
Fear Before
Fear Before (formerly known as Fear Before the March of Flames) is an experimental rock band formed in Aurora, Colorado. As stated on their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline about the 2002 ...
and
Abigail Williams
Abigail Williams (born c. 1681, date of death unknown) was an 11- or 12-year-old girl who, along with nine-year-old Betty Parris, was among the first of the children to falsely accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692; these accusations eve ...
are members of an experimental
supergroup named
Orbs.
* Shane Blay is now in the bands
Oh, Sleeper and
Wovenwar and was formerly in the band Evelynn.
* Dan Briggs, along with Walter Fancourt (Casual Curious, Brand New Life) and Matt Lynch (Eyris) are members of a progressive rock/jazz fusion band named Trioscapes who are also signed under
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distr ...
. As of 2020, they have released two albums. In 2012 they released their debut album ''Separate Realities'', followed by ''Digital Dream Sequence'' in 2014.
* Dan Briggs, along with Richard Henshall (
Haken), Matt Lynch, and Pete Jones, are in a supergroup, Nova Collective, which has released one instrumental jazz fusion album, ''The Further Side''.
* Dan Briggs has an experimental solo project called Nightmare Scenario and released his debut EP ''Beyond What Is Real'' in 2019.
* Jason Roe is now in
Society's Finest
Society's Finest is a metalcore band from Dallas, Texas. Their first full-length album, '' The Journey...So Far'', was released on Solid State Records in May 2000. Due to member changes and personal matters the band took a break from touring a ...
and formerly was in Evelynn.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Heavy metal musical groups from North Carolina
American progressive metal musical groups
Metalcore musical groups from North Carolina
American mathcore musical groups
American death metal musical groups
American technical death metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 2000
Victory Records artists
Metal Blade Records artists
Sumerian Records artists
Musical quintets
Musical groups from North Carolina
Musical groups from Raleigh, North Carolina