Album Review: Buried In Verona - 'Vultures Above, Lions Below'

After experiencing some rather shitty times that served as a precursor to any new material, Buried In Verona almost called it quits. In a recent tell-all interview (that has since deleted), the band put their new album into stark perspective.

Now, critics probably would have preferred for the band to just simply break up at this point, or, more conveniently, have done it earlier, right after ‘Notorious’, to avoid the tedious and incredibly underwhelming calamity that was ‘Faceless’. But Buried In Verona, like MOST other bands, would never want their very dream, their very lifestyle to extinguish in a self-destructive nightmare like it almost did. Thus, ‘Vultures Above, Lions Below’ has been birthed.

This new 12-track album is easily one of the better releases the band has birthed, and it stands right up there with their fan-fave, 'Notorious'. Now that might not necessarily be saying a great bunch, but the band will thankfully never go back to the scene-core days of ‘Circle The Dead’/’Saturday Night Sever’, as they’re definitely past that point in their career. So instead of trying to go excessively heavy again (leave it to a band like Asking Alexandria to limp to the line with faux brutality), they have honed in songwriting instead.

From the opening song, ‘Vultures Above’ to the closer ‘Lions Above’ (see what they did there?), this album focuses far more on the stronger song-structures, on their melodies, and on the shared vocals between frontman Brett Anderson and guitarist/singer Richie Newman. Sure, there’s the occasional breakdown, and chug-heavy section here and there, but, as stated, the guitar and vocal melodies have all been honed in on, and as such, these choruses are bigger and tighter than they’ve ever been. In short, these are easily some of BIV’s best songs, as ‘Unbroken’ and ‘Vultures Above’ so rightfully prove.

Sure, ‘Notorious’ may very well still be the band’s best work. But when it comes to bands and their albums, it’s much like an athlete beating their personal best; you want to beat your best so you can continue to excel, and you’ll only surpass your PB if you keep trying. So try the band has, and as they’ve now gone through and conquering their own personal hell, this record carries the weight of defeat, of self-loathing, and of striving for something better. That overcoming of adversity can be found in so many of these songs, from 'Can't Be Unsaid' and 'Pathways', to 'Lions Above', and thus, this record trumps its underwhelming predecessor by sheer miles.

Buried In Verona. It's a name that you either love or you hate. Regardless of your opinion of the metalcore outfit, their new album is commendable and a solid revitalisation of their sound, and as a band as a whole. Deep down, this album is basically still the 'Notorious'/'Faceless' Buried In Verona sound, yet the negative aspects of the recent years have all been channeled into defiant positivity, both lyrically and musically, with bigger choruses and a stronger focus on cleans. Hopefully, it’s clear sailing for these guys now.

1. Vultures Above

2. Extraction

3. Dig Me Out

4. Hurricane

5. Separation

6. Can’t Be Unsaid

7. Reflection

8. Done For Good

9. Pathways

10. Unbroken

11. Bring Me Home

12. Lions Below