The Parallax II: Future Sequence

The second chapter of Between the Buried and Me’s 2011 conceptual EP has surfaced in the form of the group's sixth studio album. At just less than two minutes, the opening intro, “Goodbye to Everything,” plays like later-day Pink Floyd, with doomy drones buzzing under acoustic guitars and soaring three-part harmonies. It’s not until the following “Astral Body” that we get a sense of how much the band has grown musically since the preceding EP. Over angular arrangements mapped out by drummer Blake Richardson, guitarists Paul Wagoner and Dustie Waring play pointed leads reminiscent of Rush’s 2112. But their attack is harder, and when it's rounded out by Dan Briggs’ bass, the band’s progressive death-metal sound comes to life. When Tommy Giles Rogers squeezes melodic narratives from his banshee-like shrieking, we get a sense of the deity superpowers of the song’s protagonist. The harder and faster “Extremophile Elite” is less progressive and more death metal, especially with sci-fi themes on par with those of The Sword’s Warp Riders. “Silent Flight Parliament” is the standout composition here, with more than 15 minutes of labyrinthine tabulation.