My first encounter with Buried Inside involved a friend convincing me over AOL Instant Messenger (I get paid for that plug) that Buried Inside is "Hella sick!" BEGL00 sent me a few songs from Chronoclast, but I didn't listen to them right away due to my busy lifestyle. Coincidentally, that very night I saw Buried Inside. I watched as they, in unison, kept building up, reaching the ceiling and flooding the room with their energy. I wanted to yell, "Raise the roof," as my palms pushed the air towards the ceiling. Instead I stood in awe of Nick Shaw, the singer, beating a cymbal with a gong. I've never seen the birthing of a child, but I'd guess the experience would be similar. When I got home the first thing I did was toss the 12" I purchased that night on my record player. This chain of events led to me obtaining/listening to the best record of 2005 so far.
Chronoclast is released under Relapse Records so you might expect some extreme metal with even more extreme double bass. But this is not the case, my future friend. Instead ten songs riding on a chariot of flames are presented, melded by a common theme of "time." Buried Inside is able to start with something minor, like a beautiful bass line in "Time As Imperialism." Gradually other instruments sneak into the mix. Faintly you can also hear stringed instruments, organs and even a trumpet at one point aiding the cause.
When they get into their epic build ups it sounds like a Mono crescendo being performed by Isis. I mention Isis because of the heavy nature of the music. Unlike Panopticon, you won't find yourself yawning. There are no slow parts that doodle around for eight minutes while the listener wonders if the record is skipping.
Although there are ten songs present, without any hesitation one blends into the other with segues that are only noticeable by a drop in volume. Instrumental songs such as "Time As Methodology" allow the listener to catch a breath and realize what just unfolded before them.
Over the appropriate parts there's screaming that really adds power to the peaks of sound that is vacant from most post rock bands. In addition to Shaw's screams, bassist Steve Martin and guitarist Andrew Tweedy add two more angles of vocal rawness. At times the vocal arrangements almost sound like singing with a hint of melody. All of the "singers" release noise in a similar style to Tragedy, but with more energy. Mike Godbout's frenetic drumming definitely adds to this energetic feel as his fills keep increasing in speed and hitting harder.
To be honest, I don't fully understand the lyrical themes of time. But Shaw still is able to make them interesting to read with lines like, "The seams will split. The myth will spoil. The monolith will crack. The soil will turn. Death comes in time. Death comes with time." Half of the liner notes are quotes from chill bro's like Albert Einstein and Karl Marx. At least it makes a good read. Buried Inside get my respect for trying to do something different lyrically instead of the same old thing over and over.
In the amount of time it took me to write this review I have probably listened to Chronoclast from start to finish over ten times. With each listen I notice more parts that are worthy of an "ooo" or "ahh." The only thing that confuses me is why this album isn't getting jocked a lot more. Do yourself a favor and check out Chronoclast before you have to tell everybody, "I've only heard of the album, but haven't actually heard it."
