Between the Buried and Me, Thank You Scientist & Rivers of Nihil
June 25, 2023
Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
Canadian Beats Passport
Legendary progressive metal outfit Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM, for short) has embarked on a massive North American tour to celebrate and perform their seminal 2012 album, Parallax II: The Future Sequence. For support, BTBAM brought along Rivers of Nihil and Thank You Scientist. On June 25th, 2023, this tour made a stop at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto.
Rivers of Nihil is a progressive death metal band from Pennsylvania. They have been making waves since the release of their 2018 album, Where Owls Know My Name. In 2022, Rivers of Nihil lost their long-time vocalist, Jake Dieffenbach, and was replaced with their bass player Adam Biggs. As a result of the line-up change, the vibe changed along with it. There was an overall feeling of low energy during this performance. Perhaps it was the setlist, or perhaps it was missing the presence that Jake Dieffenbach brought. Their setlist comprised mostly of their new, slower, and more progressive songs, which might be a turn-off to some of their older fans. During their previous lineups, they would play more of their faster, death metal-oriented tracks from their earlier albums. I think this is a sign that Rivers of Nihil is transitioning into a new phase of their career. With a new lineup and a sound that’s changed from death metal to progressive metal, I’m interested to see where the band goes from here stylistically, and whether this lineup will resonate with fans.
Up next was Thank You Scientist. The music of Thank You Scientist could be described as progressive rock with elements of R&B and jazz. Changing up the standard instrumentation for a progressive rock band, Thank You Scientist has a violinist, saxophonist, and trumpet player on top of the standard rock instrumentation. This variation in sound gave their set a very dynamic and funky feeling that was a blast to watch. The performance of all band members was playful, energetic, and wickedly entertaining. Having never heard their music before, Thank You Scientist was able to win me over with their whacky, yet accessible sound.
As per usual, Between the Buried and Me put on a stellar performance. The Parallax II album is regarded as a fan favourite and seeing it performed in full encapsulates why. The album is a long, winding journey. Sometimes the music is soft, sometimes it’s heavy, sometimes there are anthems and sometimes there is odd time signature noodling. The point is that Parallax II is a setlist with variety and a sense of fun that progressive metal sometimes lacks. The members of BTBAM have excellent stage presence with plenty of movement despite the complexity of their music. Simply put, this performance was awesome. An absolute must-see for all fans of the band.
The Parallax II Tour has barely started so if you are considering grabbing a ticket, I’d highly recommend doing so.
This tour is a showcase of the heavy hitters within the progressive metal sphere. BTBAM continue to show that they are an essential band within the genre and their legacy is warranted. It’s so rare to see a legacy act where their new albums are held in such high regard, but alas, Between the Buried and Me is the best in the game.