Between The Buried & Me w/The Contortionist & Nick Johnson

Between The Buried & Me w/The Contortionist & Nick Johnson

Details

  • Date: 7/16/2019
  • Time: 7:00 PM
Between The Buried And Me

www.LeoPresents.com - Click Here for Tickets

Between The Buried And Me

The Contortionist, Nick Johnston

Tue, July 16, 2019

Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 7:00 pm (event ends at 10:30 pm)

The Windbreak

Fargo, ND

$25.00

This event is 21 and over

Between The Buried And Me
Between The Buried And Me
The men of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have once again charted an expedition into undiscovered country. Colors, BTBAM's fifth and newest release, is a continuous, sonic labyrinth of savage metal, lush prog-rock and uninhibited emotion. "It's the ultimate BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME record," says vocalist Tommy Rogers. "It's definitely the most musical thing we have ever written. It goes through so many shifts and moods but still feels very organic and comfortable."

"Comfortable" is exactly where BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME should be right now. After countless tours, nearly 250,000 records sold, and recording four of the decade's most celebrated albums, BTBAM have every right to feel invigorated. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME began in 2000 when Tommy Rogers met Paul Waggoner and agreed to craft a style of hard rock that would defy categorization. Their impressive, self-titled debut was a widely heralded collection of stomping, progressive metal and hardcore filled with brutal breakdowns mixed with intricate musicianship and shifts in mood.

The band signed with VICTORY RECORDS shortly after and followed suit with another pivotal release within the metal/hardcore underworld entitled The Silent Circus. This album was another chapter in the ever-evolving band and put them on the map of today's modern wave of forward-thinking American metal. After several line-up changes, the band finally found their footing with 2005's Alaska. New members Dan Briggs, Dustie Waring and Blake Richardson immediately clicked with Rogers and Waggoner and gave BTBAM the kind of foundation that would allow them to take their unique brand of rock to the masses.

"Alaska was written together and it was really us, with the newer members, Blake, Dustie and Dan just finding our sound," explains Rogers of the new family members and their third full-length release. "After that record, we really felt that we found our niche."

"I had just joined the band and they had the title track already written," says bassist Dan Briggs. "We didn't know each other and we all had new ideas in writing more for that record. We went on tour right after it was completed." The touring went non-stop and brought them face to face with the heavy metal summer camp known as Ozzfest. The Anatomy Of…, their fourth release, contained renditions of classics by Metallica, Queen, Depeche Mode and Faith No More and was released just as Ozzfest kicked off that summer. The response was phenomenal and helped open BTBAM up to an even wider audience, giving the world a closer idea of the broad creativity that resides in them. But it was hardly an indication of what was yet to come. The demanding summer and fall of 2006 was the catalyst for the band to begin work on what would become Colors. They felt inspired and enthused by the challenge ahead of them.

"This is the best that the band has been since day one," says vocalist Tommy Rogers. "We wanted a much more epic feel to the record and make it clear that this would be a complete album, not just a collection of songs," Rogers explains. "You have to listen to this all the way through to really get it. Today, music is all about singles and videos and the other songs are just filler. We really did something that we are all very proud of and feel this is opening a whole new chapter for us"

Colors is not just an ambitious piece of music, it is a monolithic step forward in the advancement of hard rock. This record affirms that the music of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME is as emotionally engaging and beautiful as it is brutally empowering and complex. So it seems only fitting that such a groundbreaking studio album would be just as good, if not better, live. In October of 2008, Colors Live was released to the public. The two disc CD/DVD set offers live footage of a performance in Nashville, as well as special features.
The Contortionist
The Contortionist
Bottom heavy open chords that resonate strong enough to shake the core of the earth. Skyrocketing bursts of oscillating guitar leads layer an ominous and dark undercurrent of rhythm. While hardcore punk may be the sound that rules the day in The Contortionist hometown of Indianapolis, it is the band's signature brand of forward thinking heavy metal that has made them stick out as hometown favorites. The band worked hard to amass a following beyond Indiana though consistent regional shows, coastal touring, and two self-released EPs. They clearly began to define their sound and grow as musicians on their EP titled "Apparition".

The songwriting and progression on "Apparition" smacks of a group of musicians who are locked deeply into a remarkable place of expression and creativity that is usually reserved for bands with multiple albums under their belt. While it is not uncommon lately for bands in the world of metal to experiment with melody and progression, many times these breaks from the brutal end up sounding forced, too contrived, or way too over the top in shred. What could have been an opportunity for the listener to settle into some depth, winds up missing the mark. When The Contortionist venture into the realm of ambiance it actually raises the level of the song above the crushing breakdowns and demands the listener stay put for the ride. More impressive than their ability to write and record such material, is how big it all plays live. The room seems to expand and fill with spacious tones just in time to be leveled with ferocity. The band is razor sharp while nailing every bit of nuance their ambitious songwriting offers. It is this ability to dole out their sounds in epic proportions through a live performance that piqued the interest of record label Good Fight Music. The band had already distinguished themselves to Good Fight with a penchant for creating a distinct style of heavy music that has plenty of room for the listener to breathe and settle into. So in early 2010, shortly after the staff had caught them live, a deal had become imminent.
Nick Johnston
Nick Johnston
Canadian guitar virtuoso.