Last Rites

Last Rites is rather typical coming from a metal-core band such as Buried Alive. Much of the lyrical content uses the structure of first person versus second person in what is rather typical for the hardcore music format. Unfortunately, the musical content may not come off much better. However, it seems that much progression has been made for Buried Alive since their last album, Death of Your Perfect World. Still showcasing traditionally throaty, screamed vocals and a metal guitar sound, the band borders on some semi-creative guitar parts, which is especially pleasing in a genre noted for its redundancy. The organization and structure of the music contains more dance parts and groove than before, whereas previously the plan of attack was a blistering, if not overwhelming, metal sound. Unfortunately, a common criticism from adults that "It all sounds the same" is duly noted and agreed. Much of Buried Alive's material has a long way to go before being accepted by the average listener and should be considered for fans of the band or genre only. Last Rites climaxes with an area Buried Alive is known for most: the live sound. Five tracks, recorded at the 2000 CMJ Fest, help give the listener a better idea of the energy and power of this band during a live set. However, considering that all the songs had either been on Death of Your Perfect World or Last Rites, the necessity of the live material seems inconsequential.