Progarchives.com Monthly Gifts Giveaway

• progaeopteryx | Doug Larson's Imports (http://www.hicom.net/~dlarson/) 25$ gift certicifate every month. 
  > To redeem your 25$, place your order with Doug directly at [email protected] and he'll apply the 25$ discount.
  
  
• toroddfuglesteg | ROBERT BERIAU "Selfishness: Source of War & Violence" Digital Music Album
  > You will receive an email/PM from ROBERT BERIEAU on how to download your music.
  
  
• Rune2000 | GEMM 25$ Order Credit (refunded by PayPal)  on GEMM Green Shield sellers 
  > To use your credit, please place your order with Green Shield sellers and contact [email protected] 
  
  
• Bonnek | Free downloads of EPIGNOSIS "Stil the Waters"
  > You will receive an email or forum private message from the PA member & artist EPIGNOSIS on how to download it.
  
  
• snobb | Free downloads of EPIGNOSIS "Stil the Waters"
  > You will receive an email or forum private message from the PA member & artist EPIGNOSIS on how to download it.
  
  
• Epignosis | Free CD (past PA Featured Artist) DIALETO "Will Exist Forever"
  > Send me your postal address so we can ship it.
  
  
• Finnforest | Free CD (past PA Featured Artist) VANGOUGH "Manikin Parade" + T-Shirt
  > Send me your postal address and T-Shirt prefered size so we can ship it.
  
  
• Tarcisio Moura | (Past PA Featured Artist) PAUL CUSICK "Focal Point" Free CD
  > Send me your postal address so we can ship it.
  
  
• Tom Ozric | RANDONE "Linea di Confine" (2009)
  > Send me your postal address so we can ship it.
  

 Massive Talent but a Musical Mess

I have discovered so many new bands since joining this site, and more than a few take several listens before I finally started to get them. I have given Between the Buried and Me's COLORS more chances than sanity dictates. The core sound of BTBAM is progressive metalcore, and I've concluded that I really really dislike metalcore. Sadly, the progressive parts of COLORS are phenomenal. Some of the riffs during the metal sections aren't bad. But the atonal, unsubtle raw aggression that is at the heart of the metalcore sound is just pointless noise to me, no many how many times I listen.

More importantly, one of the most progressive aspects of BTBAM, which is their genre- hopping, does not always make musical sense. It's a more cut-and-paste affair, mixing cool textures just because they sound interesting even though they don't necessarily relate well. Certainly, the band has a go at about every genre they can think of (blues-based rock, thrash, jazz, pop, Egyptian march, and even country.) This choice is not uncommon in young bands trying to be progressive (Ansur's WARRING FACTIONS being an even more extreme example.) But with avant metal pioneers Mr. Bungle and their modern descendants like Unexpect doing this SO much better, BTBAM is left seeming like children playing with the tools of the adults.

A good contrast to this album is Maudlin of the Well's LEAVING YOUR BODY MAP, which also employs very heavy guitars, throated and clean vocals, varieties of textures, and some genre-bending. MotW, however, clearly has a musical point in everything they do. The contrasts of light and dark create emotional contours for the listener. Heavy parts have melody and rhythm, and never overstay their welcome. On COLORS, we get prolonged sections of throated vocals without significant rhythm over blast beats that go on far too long.

The progressive parts of COLORS sound great. The harmony vocals, the piano interludes, the major key solo guitar lines (one of the few aspects of metalcore I like), are sonically quite interesting taken one by one. But as a challenge to myself, I tried to think what I'd rate this album if there was no metalcore at all. It still wouldn't quite reach 4 star level. It's just not coherent enough. These leftovers are fun and could be recombined into quite an album, but as it is, COLORS is a bit of a jumbled mess.

If you're into metalcore, this could probably be a 4 star album. For me, I have never managed to listen to the album all the way through. I've done short episodes spanning the entire album over almost a year now. It could have been so beautiful, but I still have IN A FLESH ACQUARIUM.

Review permalink : http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=262490