Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Between The Buried And Me have been pleasing ears since their formation in 2000. Between The Buried And Me have always taken the free-form approach and for many bands in the progressive genres, this approach can go terribly wrong. Luckily, Between The Buried And Me make this method work, using the skills that they have been graced with. On April 12, 2011, the band released their seventh studio project, an EP entitled The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues. On this release, the band blends many genres and the music has a very similar feel to their last two releases, The Great Misdirect and Colors. This EP is much more accessible than the last two releases however, and the band manages to sound much more progressive and clearer than ever before.

The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues contains three tracks of epic proportions but to me, this does not seem like a three track EP. The songs are long enough in length and many boundaries are covered that this release could easily be split up into eight or nine tracks. The concept of this EP introduces two characters who live in different planes of existence and are faced with similar personal issues that they will have to make decisions about. These decisions will ultimately change their lives and possibly the course of the universe.

The EP begins with 'Specular Reflection', a track that starts out with a guitar passage very similar to Alaska-era Between The Buried And Me. The track develops into a beautiful and intense masterpiece, and the intensity continues for the first five minutes of the track, eventually breaking down into a soft interlude that almost sounds like twangy Americana at times. This track transitions very smoothly into the second track entitled 'Augment of Rebirth'. Lead guitars and jazz bass make up the beginning of the track, followed by a bizarre acoustic middle section that has the bar band feel of Tom Waits. The last track, 'Lunar Wilderness', covers everything from grindcore to blues and ends this EP with a bang.

Between The Buried And Me have proven themselves once again with The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues. This EP will keep the listener focused and drawn into the music. Between The Buried And Me progress with every release and cover so many boundaries that they might as well be named the Pink Floyd of modern metal. The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues is a masterpiece and a success, but the overall success of the two-part series will be determined by the upcoming LP. Do yourself a favor and go pick up The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues by Between The Buried And Me.

Check out the track 'Augment of Rebirth' off of Between The Buried And Me's The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues: