Between the Buried and Me at the PlayStation Theater

Tommy Rogers

Tommy Rogers and Paul Waggoner had already worked together in metalcore bands Prayer for Cleansing and Undying when they formed progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me in 2000 in Raleigh, North Carolina. They chose the name "Between the Buried and Me" from a lyric in the Counting Crows song "Ghost Train." Between the Buried and Me presently consists of Rogers (lead vocals, keyboards), Waggoner (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dustie Waring (rhythm guitar), Dan Briggs (bass, keyboards), and Blake Richardson (drums). Between the Buried and Me's eighth and most recent studio album, Automata I, was released March 9, 2018; Automata is a two-part album, with a supplement extended play to be released at a future date.

Between the Buried and Me brought its progressive metal, technical death metal, progressive metalcore, and mathcore to the PlayStation Theater tonight, often sounding thunderous for a few minutes before relaxing into a more cinematic soundscape. The band's current album is a concept piece which takes place in a not so distant future when dreams are sold as entertainment for the masses. While the concert did not revolve around that story arc, the band's complex performance often felt just as mysterious, cerebral and ominous. Rogers alternated death growls and screams with peaceful clean singing, sometimes reaching for falsetto against thick guitar riffs that were later diffused with smoother keyboard and synthesizer sounds. On many occasions, the music mellowed out for a pop-like melody, but was followed by seemingly chaotic noise. It was a complex mix, where all musical efforts were allowed as long as they ultimately hit like a truck.

Visit Between the Buried and Me at www.betweentheburiedandme.com.

Setlist:

1. Condemned to the Gallows
2. The Coma Machine
3. Dim Ignition
4. Millions
5. Gold Distance
6. Blot
7. Astral Body
8. Lay Your Ghosts to Rest
9. Obfuscation (second half only)

Encore:

1. Silent Flight Parliament
2. Goodbye to Everything Reprise