The Great Misdirect

Released in 2009 as the follow-up to their seminal work 'Colors', The Great Misdirect saw Between the Buried and Me further refining their 'everything-at-once' approach to progressive metal. Produced by longtime collaborator Jamie King, the album consists of only six tracks but clocks in at nearly an hour, showcasing the band's peak compositional ambition. It is notable for introducing the 'Parallax' narrative universe through the closing track 'Swim to the Moon', which remains the longest song in their discography. Sonically, it expanded the band's palette to include more prominent classic rock influences, specifically on the ballad-like 'Desert of Song', which features lead guitarist Paul Waggoner on vocals. Critics often view this album as the bridge between their raw, experimental mid-period and the more polished, conceptual space-rock of their later career. It solidified their reputation as the premier technical metal band of their generation, capable of blending death metal, jazz fusion, and bluegrass into a cohesive, if challenging, whole.