Between The Buried And Me finally release their much anticipated second album and surprisingly, it actually lived up to my expectations. For those who do not know, BTBAM play progressive metal/hardcore and have been taking the scene by storm lately.

The Silent Circus lacks structure which would be a problem for most bands, but BTBAM thrive on this as the parts never lack substance and unlike most music in the over saturated "metalcore" genre it's hard to get bored with this one. You can tell every member of this band has had prior experience (see the excellent Prayer For Cleansing) as their musicianship is top notch in all areas.

The vocals consist of above average growling/higher pitched screaming as well as some excellent clean vocals done by one of the guitarists. The drumming is top notch and it's good to see they found a great drummer to replace their old one. The guitars stand out on this record with no one riff overused in any of the songs. Production on this album is also top notch, everything is clear and crisp.

What is really great about BTBAM is their ability to put every musical influence they have into their songs and still manage to make everything cohesive, even with all the chaos. If your a metal/hardcore fan I suggest you check this band out immediately, although if you are, you probably already have.