The guys from Buried Inside are Canadians, and this is their third full-length although it’s probably the first that will reach a wide audience, having signed on Relapse… Chronoclast is a concept album, with ten tracks meant to be listened as a whole, dealing with time as ideology, imperialism, abjection, commodity and such things. I haven’t read the lyrics so I can’t really tell you if they’re “smart” or not. Actually I don’t care much, and the subtitle of the album “Selected essays on time-reckoning and auto-cannibalism” gives enough hint at what they’re on about.

On to the music –I don’t think anyone will buy this for its debatable philosophical values. Buried Inside alternates melodic passage with some slightly chaotic metalcore assaults. The “trashier” bits remind me of Mastodon, a band with which they share the ambition to write epic composition. There is no doubt Mastodon are more talented, but Buried Inside showcases some promising tricks. This album has melodies all over, but it’s still the aggression that comes on top. It’s very dynamic although quite repetitive – too often you get your typical dose of heavy riffery, heard on gazillion of other records. Over all, however, the mix work.

If you like Mastodon and wish Isis didn’t give up on the fierce tracks, then Buried Inside is for you. Not the most original album of the year by a long shot, but some quality stuff for those who love epic metalcore.

Photo: Shawn Scallen