They're heavy as fuck, undeniably talented and were denied their 20 minutes at this past year's Macrock. What the 5 guys in Between the Buried and Me also did was give us at sctas.com our very first interview - and where the hell else should we have started? All Music Guide claims the "jaw-dropping talent possessed by these five men seems almost too good to be true" - and we won't deny it. I caught up with the guys before their set at GO! on 04.20.03 to see what the future had in store for NC hardcore: + Kaleb [[[ about a month after this interview was finished, btbam site reported: Change of plans! We are now recording June 28th through whenever @ qdivision studios in somerville massachusetts. We are recording with matthew ellard (converge-"jane doe") ]]]


+ So are all you guys from the North Carolina area?

Tommy: Everyone but him, (pointing to drummer Mark Castillo) he's originally from Philadelphia. Well Jason's originally from Australia.

+ I guess we'll start with the exciting news: the signing to Victory Records, very exciting. We saw you guys on the Malevolent Creation tour with Dead to Fall... .

T: Which date?

+ Richmond at Alley Katz, good kids in Richmond. We are from Lynchburg, but try not to hold that against us.

+ I've heard the album's title is going to be 'The Silent Circus', is that right?

T: Yeah - how'd you know that?

+ I think I saw it on the Victory webpage

+ Anything particularly exciting about the new songs, like new experimentation or the opportunity to work in a larger studio?

T: Yeah, it'll definitely be bigger and sound alot better - the new stuff's faster & alot heavier.

+ Do you have a producer lined up, did you guys get to choose him?

Paul: We are recording it at Trax East in New Jersey with Eric Rachel [of Atreyu, Cataract & Nora production to name a few]

T: We record in July - and hopefully a release in September.

+ You express very personal insight to the song's lyrics on your website , are you going to continue this on the new album?

T:Like explanations? Yes, always.

+ So do you still get emails concerning your lyrics to Arsonist? [the particular song focuses on Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas City. The WBC hosts the website www.godhatesfags.com, and there sole purpose is to preach the "gospel truth". - from BTBAM site]

T: Yes, i get emails all the time.

+ Is it positive stuff, negative stuff?

T: Mostly positive, I am really shocked thinking it would be mostly bad. I have had people write, or preach to me, but - whatever.

+ Well we're from the "Bible Buckle" in Lynchburg (Virginia) and we see & hear religious shit all the time. Jerry's there to tell all the gay folks they're sinners - and they have protests and what not, it can certainly get under one's skin.. . .

+ So how did you get started with Lifeforce (Records of Germany)?

P: We had our demo out that we did ourselves and we were sending it out like every other band, and being a new band we didn't get anyone that wanted to sign us right off the bat, until we played with this band Cataract in Philly, they are on Lifeforce and from Europe - so they went back and gave the demo to Stefan and it happened.

+ And I know there are some labels kicking themselves in the ass for not signing you guys back then because that album is really amazing. I mean the sound on that is so great I didn't know if you had a choice now (on Victory) to the same producer?

T: Well, we recorded the last cd in a basement.

+ Are you serious? It sounds amazing - unreal. The cover photo of that album [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=2:35:28|AM&sql=Au1anqjoqojja], was that taken at a venue in North Carolina?

T: Yes, ECU (East Carolina) - a friend of our old drummer took it I believe.

+ Anybody heard 'Hard Candy', the new Counting Crows cd?

P: Oh I love it, I love it.
T: I like the older stuff.

+ Yeah, I read somewhere that the band's name comes from the song 'Ghost Train' off of one of the older albums.

P: Yeah.

+ Got any ideas where a kid can get the 'Prayer For Cleansing" cd [ older material featuring members of BTBAM ]?

P: No. We have no relationship with that guy at all.

+ Because that was the first release on Tribunal (Records) right? How many of you were in PFC?

P: Yeah it was. I was originally - then Tommy joined after the cd came out.

+ Yeah, and you (Tommy) played guitar right? You have any desire to get back into that?

T: Well, I still play all the time - but I like doing vocals.

+ Yeah - well stick with that because it's really your thing.

+ There was a quote from an older interview that said you guys would like to play with Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan - are you all familiar with Macrock?

T: Yep - we did not get accepted.

+ This past year? you're kidding.. . .

P: Did not make the cut. They sent us an email that said "nope"..

+ Jesus, you guys could have played fucking circles around alot of the stuff we saw this year - that really sucks. How about music influences? It's really difficult to pinpoint a particular sound in your songs - Pantera maybe?

P: I love Pantera - that's definately an influence.

+ I was hoping you guys would agree - but your sound as an entire band can't really be picked apart, and that's rare.

T: We listen to so many different things, really diverse.

- At this point I realized I had quite possibly given these guys the spottiest interview of all time, answering most of my own questions with new questions, and thanked them for the opportunity. About 45 minutes after our converstion finished, BTBAM took the stage at 100-F Brewer Lane, proving once again why we wanted to catch up with them in the first place.

::: :: :.. . ...
questions?