In a move that shocked absolutely no one, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME—those math wizards of prog metal who apparently think time signatures are a competitive sport—have announced a 31-date U.S. tour that’s basically a traveling symposium on “How to Make Your Audience Question Reality.”
The band, which dropped “The Blue Nowhere” last September via InsideOut Music (because of course they did—it’s not prog metal without a label that sounds like it publishes quantum physics textbooks), will be traversing the country from May 15 to June 20. Starting in Richmond, Virginia and ending in Winston Salem, North Carolina, this tour is basically a really loud field trip for people who enjoy counting in odd numbers.
Joining these progressive overlords on select dates are special guests including IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT (the guys who make jazz sound like it’s being performed in a haunted factory), FALLUJAH (who apparently missed the memo that death metal doesn’t require a PhD), THANK YOU SCIENTIST (a band name that screams “we’re the smart kids”), and THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE (a group that clearly majored in both philosophy AND run-on sentences).
BAND MEMBER QUOTE THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN BY AN AI TRAINED ON SELF-HELP BOOKS:
Tommy Rogers, the band’s vocalist/keyboardist/human calculator, had this to say about the upcoming run: “I’m pumped to get back out on the road, especially with such phenomenal bands. Intensity in its full spectrum. It’s going to be a great night of music, and what better time than now to celebrate it with your friends? Friends rule. Shows rule. This tour rules. See you out there.”
Wow, Tommy. Groundbreaking stuff. Next you’ll tell us oxygen is good for breathing.
WHAT’S THAT? MORE SHOWS? BLESS YOUR HEART:
Before this North American adventure, the band will be subjecting Europe to their sonic experiments through February and March. Prior to that, they released a live recording of album highlight “God Terror” from Denver, which we can only assume is what happens when you try to write a pop song but accidentally leave your metronome set to “schizophrenic.”
THE TOUR DATES THAT WILL REQUIRE A GEOGRAPHY DEGREE AND A SPREADSHEET:
The exhaustive list of dates reads like someone challenged the band to visit every venue that has at least 12 syllables in its name. From The National in Richmond to The Ramkat in Winston Salem, fans across America will have ample opportunities to nod their heads in ways that look suspiciously like they’re solving differential equations.
BONUS ROUND: THE EXPANDED DIGITAL VERSION:
In late 2025, because waiting until the actual year 2025 would be too mainstream, an expanded digital version of “The Blue Nowhere” was released. This version features the bonus track “Overture” (because every prog album needs an overture—it’s like a law or something) and instrumental versions of the original 10 tracks, perfect for those who want to conduct their own symphony of confusion.
CRITICS ARE USING BIG WORDS AGAIN:
Consequence called it “another mind-bending prog metal journey,” which is critic-speak for “I have no idea what I just listened to but I’m pretty sure it was smart.” Revolver noted the band’s music is “complex as ever,” while Loudwire praised the album as “another characteristically compelling and eccentric record,” which is basically a polite way of saying “these guys are really weird and we love them for it.”
THE BAND THAT MAKES OTHER BANDS FEEL INADEQUATE:
Over 25 years, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has released eleven albums, somehow managing to make each one more technically impressive than the last. Their music has landed on year-end best-of lists, earned a Grammy nomination in 2019 (with Grammy.com praising their music as “versatile, imaginative and absolutely crushing”—though they probably meant the band was crushing it, not that their music sounds like a building collapse), been dubbed “prog metal heroes” by Kerrang!, and praised by Guitar World for their “epic” and “hugely diverse” sound.
THE DREAM TEAM:
The band consists of Tommy Rogers (vocals/keys—the guy who probably dreams in 7/8 time), Paul Waggoner (guitars—the human who makes six strings sound like thirty), Dan Briggs (bass/keys—the low-end wizard who probably has extra fingers), and Blake Richardson (drums—the guy who makes other drummers question their life choices).
Photo credit: Randy Edwards, who somehow managed to capture all four members looking simultaneously intense and like they’re about to explain why your understanding of rhythm is fundamentally flawed.
So there you have it, folks. Another tour from a band that makes music so complex it should come with a study guide and a recommended reading list. Tickets are available at Betweentheburiedandme.com, because navigating their tour routing is probably easier than navigating their song structures.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
