Band:	Between The Buried And Me
Album:	Colors
Style:	Progressive metalcore
Release date:	September 2007

01. Foam Born (A) The Backtrack
02. (B) The Decade Of Statues
03. Informal Gluttony
04. Sun Of Nothing
05. Ants Of The Sky
06. Prequel To The Sequel
07. Viridian
08. White Walls

The past Between The Buried And Me albums saw the band slowly improving on their trademark style, honing their skills in small iterations and progressively becoming more interesting. Alaska, with its intelligent song writing and occasional bursts of genius, already seemed like it could be the pinnacle of the band's evolution; however, this is just because we haven't heard Colors at that point. It only takes the first two minutes of this album to completely shatter all expectations and leave the listener wide eyed and with a gaping chasm where their mouth used to be.

Much is being said about genre-hopping and hybrid styles in metal music these days; however, the genius of Colors is that it transcends genre classification and stands on its own. Pundits will of course pick out numerous influences (Emperor on "Foam Born: The Backtrack", The Beatles on "Sun Of Nothing", Pink Floyd on "Ants Of The Sky", Napalm Death on "Informal Gluttony" etc.) but the truth remains that these are all concise and deliberate musical pieces, rather than the haphazard blender many other bands churn out. It is through song writing that Colors shines so bright: there is no place for boredom throughout the 64 minute running time, even though it is essentially a suite with a narrative arc, rather than a collection of separate songs. Picking favourites is therefore a waste of time. Just know that you will experience unbridled brutality and tranquil beauty, and both will sound just as appropriate when you hear them. It is music with a sense of purpose and with unique character - traits that set Between The Buried And Me and Colors far ahead of any competition.

Colors is without a doubt one of the greatest achievements of 2007 and should therefore at least be heard by anyone interested in contemporary metal. It is also a beacon of hope for modern metal music, since it proves that there is place for innovation on the scene. Highly recommended.