Between the Buried and Me is a thinking man's hardcore unit hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina. The band began in 2000 after the dissolution of vocalist Tommy Rogers and guitarist Paul Waggoner's previous group, Prayer for Cleansing. Rogers and Waggoner completed their new lineup with the addition of guitarist Nick Fletcher, bassist Jason King (ex-Azazel), and drummer Mark Castillo, formerly of Bury Your Dead. An eponymous debut soon appeared, issued through the German indie Lifeforce, and the band supported its release with an avid tour schedule. Between the Buried and Me signed with Chicago hardcore powerhouse Victory in the summer of 2002 and began work on their debut for the label. The Silent Circus appeared in late October of the following year and showcased a more focused fusion of the group's math rock, heavy metal, and post-hardcore influences.
Several lineup changes ensued that saw Rogers and Waggoner being rounded out by guitarist Dusty Waring, bassist Dan Briggs, and drummer Blake Richardson. Joining forces with producer Jamie King, who had recorded their self-titled effort, Between the Buried and Me released Alaska in September 2005. Various tour dates with the Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Bleeding Through, and Haste the Day followed. The band next paid tribute to many of their influences — from Pantera to Queen to Pink Floyd — on the covers album The Anatomy Of, which surfaced in June 2006, before hitting the road on a subsequent headlining tour. That fall, Victory reissued The Silent Circus with an additional bonus DVD of material. In 2007, they went to the studio with producer Jamie King and recorded Colors, which was released that September through Victory Records and described as "new wave polka grunge" by the band. The Great Misdirect, the band's fifth studio album, appeared two years later. Victory put out a Between the Buried and Me greatest-hits album in 2011, just weeks before the band released their first EP on Metal Blade, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, the first entry in a two-part concept album. The second part, The Parallax II: Future Sequence, followed in 2012.
"Coma Ecliptic" is the title of Between the Buried and Me's seventh full length album, which is currently scheduled for release on July 7th, 2015 via Metal Blade Records worldwide. Once again, the band has returned with an ambitious concept album. This time, the story follows the wanderings of an unidentified man, stuck in a coma, as he journeys through his past lives. Each song is its own episode in a modern day, sort of The Twilight Zone-esque fashion. The unidentified man enters each world and is offered a choice: stay, or move on to the next in search of something better, something more "perfect." Vocalist / keyboardist Tommy Rogers spoke with Revolver Magazine for their upcoming issue, which will be on newsstands everywhere March 31st. Pick up the magazine for an exclusive first look at the album's recording process and concept. New music and pre-orders bundles will be launched on April 3rd, 2015.
