Between the Buried and Me – Gig Review 27th February @ Max Watts, Brisbane
Stepping into Max Watt’s tonight, I can’t help but note the assorted array of characters that had converged to see Between the Buried and Me. From your typical metalhead sporting a Dying Fetus shirt (more on that later) to the local exceptionally well-dressed music nerd, the band really seem to have united a unique fanbase.
Thankfully, they have brought along a few friends tonight to warm up the crowd, with Brisbane locals Weightless in Orbit being the first band to hit the stage. Having never heard the band before, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised in the best way, with their mixture of Opeth and Coheed and Cambria sounds; these guys brought it hard and maintained your attention. The added addition of the saxophone and trumpet gave the music a unique depth and well let’s be honest; saxophones in metal are cool as fuck. So definitely check these guys out!
Chon on the other hand, whilst musical proficient, were the very opposite of Weightless in Orbit. Consisting of obsoletely no stage presence, these “instrumetalers” (see what I did there) ultimately turned their 40 minute set into a contest of which member could stroke their instrument the hardest in an extended band jam. But while I fought to stay awake, the previously aforementioned person in the Dying Fetus shirt was extremely entertained; this particular punter head banging far too enthusiastically to not be in some state of inebriation. Meanwhile; I’ll just settle with calling Chon a Home Brand version of Animals as Leaders.
Following a small wait, the curtain is pulled back and the mighty prog gods unleash Between the Buried and Me onto the crowd; the band kicking things off with ‘The Coma Machine’ a choice cut from the phenomenal new album The Coma Ecliptic. They waste little time in reaching the stratosphere with their unique brand of prog, with lead vocalist Tommy Rogers performing vocal acrobatics that put many vocalists to shame. It’s interesting to note that the band don’t rely heavily on the new album tonight, choosing to showcase some of the best material from their past albums, with particular highlights being ‘Obfuscation’ and the oddly titled ‘(b) The Decade of the Statuses.’
Unfortunately the crowd response is lacking for a band putting on a performance of this calibre and made me wonder if maybe seeing Chon was too much for this particular crowd. Thankfully the band don’t seem to notice as they finish their set with the theatrically tinged ‘Famine Wolf’ before quickly leaving the stage. It’s not over though as the band come back one final time to play ‘Selkies: The Endless Obsession’ from the masterpiece Alaska which managed to result in this particular reviewer attempting extreme forced head trauma over the front railing.
Ending it all with a small extended band jam and a wave, Rogers assured everybody they would return, before leaving us all to return to our homes. Until next time.
Written by Kaydan Howison
Setlist
The Come Machine
Foam Born (A) The Backtrack
(B) The Decade of Statues
Telos
Shevanel Cut a Flip
The Ectopic Stroll
Mirros
Obfuscation
Famine Wolf
Encore
Selkeis: The Endless Obsession
