Between The Buried And Me
Progressive Metal
Progressive metal visionaries Between the Buried and Me return with their most immersive and eclectic record yet—The Blue Nowhere, their first on InsideOutMusic.
Mixing uncharted musical detours with their distinctive aggressive identity, the band create a conceptual world unlike anything in their incredible catalog, inviting the listener to experience the journey on their own terms. Though the story takes place in a hotel—The Blue Nowhere—don’t expect haunted corridors or shadowy figures behind every door.
“It’s more of a feeling—those moments when you feel alone in the world and use that solitude to reflect on the human experience,” Rogers clarifies. “It exists in a space where no one can find you, hidden from all forms of reality—that’s The Blue Nowhere.”
Trying something new is not unusual for the group, who once again find ways to expand their musical palette while maintaining the band’s core sound. No more surprising is the album opener, “Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark,” which sets the tone with INXS and Duran Duran-inspired textures, even incorporating 90125-era Yes, filtered through BTBAM’s signature chaos. Meanwhile, “Absent Thereafter” is a quintessential BTBAM track—layered, intense, and unrelentingly dynamic, this 10+ minute opus delivers everything a BTBAM fan could want and more.
Between the Buried and Me remain allergic to stagnation, and The Blue Nowhere proves their creative drive is stronger than ever. “It feels like a natural evolution for the band,” says Rogers. “We’re not repeating ourselves. We’re lucky to have a fanbase that’s along for the ride.
Imperial Triumphant
Metal
There’s a murmuring amidst the monoliths of New York City as the sounds of the megalopolis churn below. The city becomes the sound of a human engine that throbs like an atrophying heartbeat; the decaying city of the future in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. That’s the grandiosity that New Yorkers, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT have found equal amounts of beauty and horror within. With their latest release, Goldstar, the masked triumvirate continues their exploration of the urban and arcane. The band has found inspiration in the sound of metal pushed to its darkest extremes, gilded, art deco temples, and looming cityscapes.
“The theme of every IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT record is New York City. That’s the fuel,” states guitarist and vocalizer, Zachary Ezrin, who has been the voice behind the band’s sonic expressionism since its founding in the shadow of the millennium. With bassist Steve Blanco and drummer Kenny Grohowski, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT has expanded the language of musical extremity with records including Vile Luxury (2020), Alphaville (2021) and Spirit of Ecstasy (2023).
While IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT has established itself as a portent of sonic improvisation and experimentation, Goldstar reins in their musical wanderlust with a newfound focus that the band has only hinted at with past works. Tracks like the album’s explosive opener, “Eye of Mars” or the stirring “Hotel Sphinx” clock in around the five-minute mark while upping the trio’s songwriting acumen and musical virtuosity. “It’s a challenge we posed to ourselves,” says Ezrin, who credits the sonic shift, in part, to two years of relentless worldwide touring, playing countless festivals including France’s Hellfest, the Czech Republic’s Brutal Assault or tours with the likes of Behemoth, Carcass and Zeal & Ardor.