between the buried and me the blue nowhere album art<\/span><\/p> Fans got their initial taste of The Blue Nowhere<\/em> back in June of 2025, when album opener \u201cThings We Tell Ourselves in the Dark\u201d was\u00a0issued as a single. It was an awesome first glimpse into what the crew were concocting and it works even better within the context of the collection.<\/p>\n Kicking off funky rhythms, playful guitar licks, zany keys and winding melodies, it evokes the warmer and more colorful vibes of 2009\u2019s The Great Misdirect<\/em> and 2015\u2019s Coma Ecliptic<\/em> but with an additional layer of 1980 synth-led prog\/pop rock (in the vein of Yes<\/a> and Rush<\/a>).<\/p>\n Naturally, Rogers remains equally adept at juxtaposing sing-along clean\u00a0sentiments\u00a0with guttural interruptions and, overall, the group continues to provide engrossing yet strange and complex arrangements that go to unexpected places but flow with silky smooth purpose.<\/p>\n The intersecting instrumentation and vocal counterpoints near the end are particularly fascinating \u2013 conjuring the interlocking trickery of Haken<\/a>, Gentle Giant<\/a> and Echolyn<\/a> \u2013 and in general, \u201cThings We Tell Ourselves in the Dark\u201d sets up the rest of the trip extremely well.<\/p>\n Speaking of Haken, the title track of The Blue Nowhere<\/em> essentially combines quintessential BTBAM traits with the melodic richness of the English troupe and the life-affirming guitarwork and strings of modern Devin Townsend<\/a>. Consequently \u2013 and unless I\u2019m mistaken \u2013 it\u2019s their first track ever<\/em> without any<\/em> metal elements and while its radio-friendly simplicity might be controversial for longtime followers, even they will probably admit that \u201cThe Blue Nowhere\u201d takes the crown as BTBAM\u2019s catchiest and most beautifully contemplative song.<\/p>\n Rogers\u2019 dreamy synths coat Waggoner\u2019s soaring guitarwork and bittersweet acoustic guitar arpeggios at the start, immediately gearing listeners up for a gorgeously introspective ride. Those features \u2013 alongside the steady support of Richardson and Briggs \u2013 maintain their magic as Rogers\u2019 grippingly poignant verses unfold. That said, the heart of the piece is its irresistibly enthralling chorus (\u201cWander alone \/ Held by our own \/ Time\u2026 is the chemical \/ Searching \/ Lost and synthetic \/ When we see it \/ When we feel it \/ Equilibrium\u201d<\/em>).<\/p>\n Seriously, just try not<\/em> belting out every word alongside him. Can\u2019t do it? Yeah, neither can we.<\/p>\n Between the Buried and Me albums are known for repeating lyrical and\/or musical themes as they wrap up (or at least ending with a profound sense of finality). The Blue Nowhere<\/em> does both with \u201cBeautifully Human,\u201d a relatively epic and emotional reflection on what\u2019s transpired \u2013 and what\u2019s to come \u2013 that\u2019ll subtly but rewardingly brings the LP full circle.<\/p>\n How? By referencing the title and sentiments of the opening tune.<\/p>\n You see, \u201cThings We Tell Ourselves in the Dark\u201d includes the following line: \u201cTo all the old egos we\u2019ve sold\u2026 How \/ Does it grow? \/ Marigold<\/em>.\u201d Taking both the name and chorus of that song into consideration, it\u2019s obviously very cool to have Rogers begin \u201cBeautifully Human\u201d by requesting, \u201cDon\u2019t let me wake up \/ Marigold\u201d<\/em> and end by reflecting, \u201cAs it is \/ What it was \/ Things we tell ourselves in the dark<\/em>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n True, it\u2019s not the full-on\u00a0mirror image that we got with the\u00a0one-two punches of\u00a0The Parallax II<\/em>\u2019s \u201cSilent Flight Parliament\u201d and “Goodbye to Everything (Reprise)” or Coma Ecliptic<\/em>\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cOption Oblivion\u201d and \u201cLife in Velvet,\u201d but it\u2019s still a thrilling way to give The Blue Nowhere<\/em> greater connectivity and meaning.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one thing that distinguishes a BTBAM LP from what their stylistic contemporaries are doing, it\u2019s their love of injecting a lot of strangeness into their technical anarchy and gorgeous catharsis. The Blue Nowhere<\/em> is no exception since it offers at least a handful of unexpectedly odd elements.<\/p>\n Take, for instance, the electrifying Colors<\/em><\/a>-esque hoedown, explosive horns and batty Rogers accent within \u201cAbsent Thereafter.\u201d Elsewhere, \u201cGod Terror\u201d incorporates a Dream Theater<\/a>-like synth breakdown; \u201cPause\u201d and \u201cMirador Uncoil\u201d serve as uncomfortably surreal segues; and \u201cDoor #3\u201d launches into a romantic European detour.<\/p>\n There are even more idiosyncratically weird moments to discover (some of which may intentionally or unintentionally remind you of other<\/em> past BTBAM classics) and we don\u2019t want to spoil all of them. Suffice it to say, though, that anyone hoping to hear the peculiar side of BTBAM\u2019s progressive metal brilliance should be satisfied.<\/p>\n Given all those aforementioned qualities, it\u2019s fair to say that the main thing to love about The Blue Nowhere<\/em> is simply that it sounds like Between the Buried and Me.<\/p>\n Now, you\u2019d be justified to ask, \u201cWho else would it sound like?\u201d<\/p>\n However, \u00a0as every rock and metal fan knows, a change in lineup too often results in a change in style and an inability to recapture what worked so well about a band\u2019s golden period. Luckily, that\u2019s not the case here because the quartet (and Waggoner, in particular) do all they can to make Waring\u2019s absence undetectable to everyone except perhaps the most diehard BTBAM devotees who\u2019ve studied the differences between the two guitarist\u2019s methodologies.<\/p>\n In other words, the fact that BTBAM are now a quartet is more important for behind-the-scenes context than it is for how The Blue Nowhere<\/em> turned out. It\u2019s not their best record to date, but its ceaseless ability to retain the group\u2019s singular personality and craftsmanship means that it\u2019s precisely the record they needed to release right now.<\/p>\n From Ayreon to Tool, we’re breaking down the 25 best prog metal records of the 2000s!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Jordan Blum<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n1.\u00a0“Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark” Is an\u00a0Awesome Opener<\/h3>\n
Between the Buried and Me, “Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark”<\/h3>\n
2.\u00a0“The Blue Nowhere” Is Their Catchiest Song Ever<\/h3>\n
Between the Buried and Me, “The Blue Nowhere”<\/h3>\n
3.\u00a0It Comes Full Circle at the End<\/h3>\n
4. There Are So Many<\/em> Characteristically Weird Moments<\/h3>\n
Between the Buried and Me, “Absent Thereafter”<\/h3>\n
5. It\u00a0Proves That BTBAM Can Continue as a Quartet<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The 25 Best Progressive Metal Albums of the 2000s (Ranked)<\/h2>\n