Somewhat of an anomaly on the otherwise more conservative, pop-punk and hardcore oriented Victory Records label, Between the Buried and Me play a progressive style of extreme metal that attempts to incorporate a wide range of styles and moods alongside its staple diet of death and power metal. To their credit, with Colors, they manage the transitions very well: frenetic, thrashy riffs are seamlessly traded for thumping metalcore breakdowns, while death grunts and growls sit well alongside soft melodic vocal lines and dense, Porcupine Tree-aping harmonies. Opener "Foam Born, Pt. A: The Backtrack" marries sappy '70s rock piano schlock with furious tapped guitar textures, flowing seamlessly into the aggressive death metal riffing of "Foam Born, Pt. B: The Decade of Statues" and centerpiece "Informal Gluttony." Each of the eight tracks is designed to flow into the next, creating the impression of a continuously evolving piece rather than a collection of tracks, but it's a mixed bag musically. At times the creativity and emotional lure of the material is enchanting, but too often Between the Buried and Me force a constant stream of evolving riffs (it is primarily a guitarist's album) instead of exploring the full depth of the original idea. The effect is less of continuous evolution, than a constant stream of promising and half-baked ideas, and in this instance the color of monotony is rarely too far away.
© Dave Donnelly /TiVo