Progressive metal pioneers Between The Buried And Me return to the weird and wonderful world of their classic album, Colors.
The original Colors was a pivotal release for Between The Buried And Me. The 2007 album was a sprawling piece of conceptual storytelling, made by a band throwing caution to the wind and every genre at the listener. At the time, the North Carolinians described their creation as "new-wave-polka-grunge", which went some way to encapsulating an epic fever dream mix of styles that had as much to do with the American jam band tradition of acts like Phish as it did metal. It was an underground masterpiece that thrills to this day.
To return to that name all these years later, then, is a slightly risky business. Sequels are, after all, synonymous with raised expectations ultimately dashed, of retreading old ground and diminished returns. It’s a surprising relief that Colors II is a reprise that’s full of positives, first and foremost deepening the listener’s relationship with its predecessor, arriving filled with musical and lyrical callbacks that provide connective tissue between two albums separated by 14 years and five full-length releases – if you’re fan enough to spot them, that is.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Monochrome
2. The Double Helix of Extinction
3. Revolution in Limbo
4. Never Seen / Future Shock
5. Stare Into the Abyss
6. Prehistory
7. Bad Habits
8. Turbulent
9. Sfumato
10. Human Is Hell (Another One with Love)