Album Review: Between the Buried and Me – Coma Ecliptic (9/10)

Between_the_Buried_and_MeA concept album more than a rock opera, the seventh studio opus from North Carolina’s progressive metal firebrands recounts the tale of a man in a coma journeying through past lives. They ably switch styles, from guttural Cannibal Corpse yowls to self-referential noodling of Rush and everything in between, often within the same track. An exhilarating, if obtuse, amusement ride, seemingly crafted for the exclusive delight of adventuresome listeners. This relentless flux may ward off those not similarly inclined, yet that’s the price for breaking down barriers. – Andy Kaufmann