Reviews: Between The Buried And Me, Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters, Walter Trout, At War With The Sun (Matt Bladen)

Between The Buried And Me - The Blue Nowhere (InsideOut Music)

Quite possibly one of the most innovative bands in metal Between The Buried And Me (BTBAM), have a sparkling career of prog metal masterpieces behind them, constantly reinventing the idea of what they are as a band, they are GRAMMY® nominated, critically acclaimed, experimentally minded and so often totally bonkers, existing both within and on the fringes of heavy metal.

Many of their albums are conceptual, favourites such as Colours or The Parallax II: Future Sequence are all have concepts around them but of course BTBAM are not an exclusively conceptual band, one of their most revered records is The Great Misdirect which wasn't conceptual at all, and neither is their latest; The Blue Nowhere, their eleventh record in total and their most immersive and sprawling in their career.

This time Tommy Rogers (vocals/keys), Paul Waggoner (guitars), Dan Briggs (bass/keys), and Blake Richardson (drums) are joined by a string and horn section to create a record that is cinematic, sweeping and emotional. Known for their conceptual albums, vocalist Tommy Rogers explains that the 10-track collection “exists in a world that’s not tied to a storyline. It’s more about a feeling, where the songs live for me.” He describes the lyrical approach to The Blue Nowhere as “journal entries, fleeting and introspective thoughts – chaotic at times, depending on the music.”

Produced by longtime collaborator Jamie King and mixed by Jens Bogren, The Blue Nowhere is the first Between The Buried And Me album to feature the extensive string and horn section which adds to their already widescreen sound. Used to perfection on Slow Paranoia, brilliantly. They open with Things We Tell Ourselves In The Dark, a track that gets things going with a load of fusion, jazz and rock in cohesion, throwing in some Yes style vocal harmonies and stop start riffs, driven by a deep, thick basslines and big chorus, it’s got BTBAM written all over it as they pay homage to influences while continuing to forge their own path.

That’s a way to describe everything the band do though as they really ramp up the weird on God Terror, the keys working overtime on this one, twisting and undulating against some explorative drumming, switching gears on Absent Thereafter which begins as a ballad but rapidly changes into some scuttle-buttling country at the latter end, showing the cleverness of the band as both side blend seamlessly. What BTBAM do vocally too is electric, switch wildly between soaring cleans and harsh screams as the theatrical Psychomanteum gives you the entire spectrum of vocals against the intense prog metal backing.

Between The Buried And Me return with another prog metal monster, they are a band that stand alone really, even inside their own genre they do things a lot of bands wouldn’t even attempt. I was late to the party with this band but they continue to excite me with each release, The Blue Nowhere is an impressive and often surprising record from these prog metal mavens. 9/10

Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters - Vintage Rebel x Trauma Bond (Independent) 

“This is an album for those whose souls are torn in two, for those who need to escape from real life or who wear a mask to get through their day" this is how Beth Blade describes her new album, just three years after Mythos, Confession, Tragedies and Love.

It's a record split in two with the first six tracks making up Vintage Rebel and the second six being Trauma Bond, they are both quite distinct. The former taking from some rock heroes, such as Kiss and Halestorm (I Still Want You) is rock n roll fantasy, with songs about love, sex and infatuation while the latter, explores the aftermath of destructive relationships, and is about choosing to move forward after the struggle through pain.

Both sides showcase the critically and audience acclaimed melodic rock style of Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters a band never afraid to speak out about issues, in recent times Beth has spoken very openly about being a survivor of domestic abuse, which has brought them closer to their fans as they use music as a way of catharsis, of taking control and working out the emotions.

With the powerhouse voice of Beth upfront they excel at massive rock albums, the Beautiful Disasters behind her a razor sharp rock n roll outfit, driving forward with a big rhythm section and a few flashy solos on Down The Front and the speedy Over It. They also step foot in the blues across the record, with a song such as A Rock N Roll Romance being an epic duet featuring Arjun Bhishma of Gorilla Riot, closing side one with plenty of Hammond organ and sax.

As I said things get heavier with side two, Colour Of Our Bones, is grungier and dirtier, gaining a 90's alt rock sound as the band embrace the metallic on Damage but never get rid of the towering choruses this one shifts into some twin harmonies. For me the second half of the record is probably more powerful than the first, it's not just the lyrics on tracks such as Dysmorphia but I think the band work better when they're heavier and darker.

Vintage Rebel x Trauma Bond highlights the duality of Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters, like an act such as Halestorm or New Zealand's Devilskin, they combing modern and classic rock influences with personal side in the lyrics. A band who embrace their fandom and give back to them with their music, this another great release from the UK rockers. 8/10

Walter Trout - Sign Of The Times (Provogue Records)

Walter Trout comes back with another record, this socially conscious, observer of the human condition, has released his most scalding, scathing indictment of modern life yet on Sign Of Times. After that faithful liver transplant in 2014, Trout has been on a tear of releases, the 74 year old has seen the world change dramatically so he has a lot to say using songwriting as therapy.

Inspiration such as the rise of A.I on the bluesing Artificial, a warning against killing yourself with drink and drugs on Hurt No More, or No Strings Attached which addresses division and bigotry. This is the toughest record Trout has released in a while following quickly on from 2024's Broken, there some incendiary, chunky rocking of the title track, featuring lyrics from his wife/manager and co writer Marie.

Trout said that he wants to rock on this record but can also get a bit lighter with the folksy Mona Lisa Smile, a song about his wife featuring accordion, mandolin and violin player/string arranger Stevie Blacke. However he does rock, like a lot, cranking out massive blues rock riffs and solos with his band of drummer Michael Leasure, bassist John Avila and keys man Teddy ‘Zig Zag’ Andreadis with Trout producing and J.J. Blair mixing to bring some guts to the blues rocking.

Still angry after all these year Walter Trout defies the idea of slowing down as you get older, he's been cranking out records at a relentless pace since his second chance at life and with Sign Of The Times he hit upon his hardest rocking yet. 8/10

At War With The Sun - Remembrance (Self Released)

I hope you like things slow as At War With The Sun take their time. Having gigged Mastiff, Ohhms, Beehover, Morag Tong, Wallowing and Grace Lines, this Worcestershire trio know a thing or two about heavy and the know even more about slow.

Moving at the glacial pace of 40-60 BPM, both of the tracks on Remembrance are gargantuan, crawling across about 40 minutes this EP (album?) sprawls through funeral doom, sludge and drone, mostly instrumental, with the occasional scream/growl to showcase the abject misery this band wallow in with an otherworldly side to their bleak musical outlook.

Anyone who knows anything about funeral doom will have lots to enjoy (though can really enjoy funeral doom?) anyway they'll have a lot to listen too with two massive cuts to lose yourself inside. 7/10