LIVE FROM THE PIT: Between The Buried and Me, Ihlo and You Win Again Gravity
- Alex Long
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Welcome to the frantic shapeshifting science fiction-inspired world of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME with their latest offering The Blue Nothing. Pioneers of the progressive metal scene BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have been touring the UK and Europe bringing the very best of prog metal with them. The North Carolina natives brought the best of their latest LP ‘The Blue Nothing’ and plenty of classics from the band’s tenure with them across the pond to much avail.
Opening up the UK leg of the tour was Berkshire’s very finest in progressive post-hardcore YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY who are playing shows on the back of their 2025 release, Don’t Leave Me Here, Pt. 1. Starting the show, the band brought unrelenting energy from the very first minute. Vocalist Jack Jennings erupted onto the stage, ready to tear up the room. When it comes to YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY every single note feels intricately placed to create a perfect storm of progressive post-hardcore intensity, as both guitarists played crushing riffs with perfect harmony. Just when the perfect moment hits, the ethereal clean vocal segments of their tracks will roar into brutal screams that shake through your whole body. Some bands need to be seen live to fully appreciate the nuance of their sound and YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY are a perfect example of an opening act with a bright future ahead. As they finished their set, the crowd were eager for more.
Following on from that was the self-proclaimed “Purveyors of The Big Sad”, IHLO. The British band have been making waves with their 2025 album Legacy and brought the best of it on this tour from the moment they opened their set with the massive sound of Haar.
Vocalist and keyboardist Andy Robison was at his very best despite saying he was suffering from a major headache. Illness was not going to stop him delivering a fantastic performance. ‘Wraith’ gave guitarists Rob Mair and Phil Monro a chance to shine with the colossal solos. Playing ‘Cenotaph’ allowed to band to give the crowd a taste of their heavier riffs, getting the headbangers out in full force from the front to the back, both upstairs and downstairs. IHLO really took their time to craft a masterpiece with their newest album Legacy, having released it six years after their debut LP Union. The wait was worth it. Fans of the first album got to enjoy the set closing on the title track which was a perfect way to bring the mood up in anticipation for the headline of the night.
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME are huge, but underrated name in the prog metal scene for many years. This tour sees them going from strength to strength. Beginning their set with the monumental Absent Thereafter from the new album The Blue Nothing sent the crowd flying from the very start. The crunching riffs of guitarists Paul Waggoner and Tristan Auman blending perfectly with the intense screams of vocalist Tommy Giles Rogers. The blues rock inspired segment in the middle of the track showed the incredible talent of both guitarists with their solo sections lead back into the heaviness by bassist Dan Briggs with a very funky lick. This 10 minute track was a perfect way to bring the good vibes to start the headlining set.
The band then played the over 20 year old track Selkies: The Endless Obsession which went down well with their long time fans. The heavier sound of the older track compared to the more funk inspired elements of new album gave way for a seismic mosh pit to open up that wouldn’t stop until the night was over. The track Sun Of Nothing had the crowd singing the words back at Rogers, which left him with a beaming smile. Finishing up the main part of the set with the title track from the new album,The Blue Nothing, felt like a beautiful emotional triumph for the band, knowing their hard work on the album had paid off.
After a brief moment off stage the band came back for a huge encore starting with the 15 minute long Silent Flight Parliament from The Parallax II: Future Sequence that fans were hoping would keep going longer despite the already long runtime of the track. Finishing off the night with the following and closing track from the same album Goodbye To Everything Reprise gave the band a moment to take in the moment of fans showing their gratitude for the music.
Over a quarter of a century on from the formation of the band BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have made themselves a staple of progressive metal and are showing no signs of slowing down. The UK leg of the tour was a huge success and the European leg with MONOSPHERE is shaping up to be just a monumental. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME live shows are more than just a gig, it’s a spiritual journey through the magnificent world that they have created.
Words: Alex Long
Photos: Alice Kenwright
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