Between the Buried and Me are one of the most ambitious and technically dazzling bands in modern progressive metal — a group who began as a technical metalcore act and evolved into genre-defying visionaries, folding death metal, prog rock, jazz, lounge and even country into sprawling, unpredictable epics. Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2000 around vocalist-keyboardist Tommy Rogers and guitarist Paul Waggoner, they have spent over two decades pushing the boundaries of what heavy music can be. Here is every Between the Buried and Me studio album, ranked from worst to best.

The short version

At the top sits Colors (2007), the album that transformed them into a fully-fledged progressive band, with the epic Parallax II and the beloved Great Misdirect close behind. At the other end, the raw metalcore of the earliest records tends to divide even the faithful. The full ranking is below.

How we rank them

This is one fan’s honest take, weighing songwriting, ambition, cohesion and sheer inventiveness. Between the Buried and Me pack more ideas into a single song than most bands manage in a career, so we reward the albums that channel that chaos into something coherent and thrilling. The facts are accurate; the order is where the arguments begin.

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The lower reaches

10. Between the Buried and Me (2002)

The raw, ferocious debut, firmly in the technical metalcore mould before they found their progressive voice. Furious and promising, but a world away from the epics to come. A primitive first step.

9. The Silent Circus (2003)

A sharper, more adventurous second album that began hinting at their future ambition. Heavier and more chaotic than melodic, it is a favourite of their early metalcore era. A ferocious step forward.

8. Automata I & II (2018)

A two-part concept work about dreams and reality, dense and technical but a touch scattered across its two halves. Strong material, if less cohesive than their very best. A rewarding, uneven epic.

The middle of the pack

7. Colors II (2021)

A deliberate spiritual sequel to their masterpiece, sprawling and maximalist, packed with ideas. Ambitious and often thrilling, if it occasionally overreaches. A generous, maximalist return.

6. The Blue Nowhere (2025)

Their latest, a diverse, intentional album that draws together every strand of their sound. Assured, evolved and hugely enjoyable, it is among their most rounded records in years. A confident recent high.

5. Coma Ecliptic (2015)

An ambitious progressive rock-opera about a man trapped in a coma, more melodic and song-based than usual. Theatrical, adventurous and richly rewarding throughout. A bold, underrated concept.

The upper tier

4. Alaska (2005)

The breakthrough, home to fan-favourites like “Selkies: The Endless Obsession” and “All Bodies”. The moment their technicality and melody truly clicked into place. A beloved, pivotal record.

3. The Great Misdirect (2009)

A sprawling, virtuosic follow-up to Colors, and for many their most beloved album. From the epic “Swim to the Moon” to the haunting “Mirrors”, it is the band at their most expansive. A fan-favourite near-masterpiece.

The masterpieces

2. The Parallax II: Future Sequence (2012)

Their boldest and most cohesive epic, a science-fiction concept album of dazzling ambition and scope. Grandiose, relentless and endlessly inventive from start to finish. A modern prog-metal landmark.

1. Colors (2007)

The masterpiece: the album where Between the Buried and Me became a fully-fledged progressive band, a seamless 65-minute suite that fuses death metal, prog, jazz and even country into a breathtaking whole. Their most important and influential record. The definitive album, and the place to begin.

Every Between the Buried and Me album, ranked

The full ranking at a glance, best to worst.

Where to start

New to Between the Buried and Me? Begin with Colors (2007), their masterpiece and the album that made them, then explore the epic Parallax II: Future Sequence and the beloved Great Misdirect. From there, the whole sprawling catalogue awaits — there is nothing else quite like it.

The verdict

Few bands in modern metal are as fearless or as boundary-smashing as Between the Buried and Me — a group who turned technical metalcore into genuine progressive art, and who remain as restless and inventive as ever. From the breakthrough of Colors onwards, they have built one of the most distinctive catalogues in the genre. If you only know Colors, the deeper cuts reward exploration; our pick of the most underrated Between the Buried and Me albums is a good place to dig.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: count down their finest tracks with the best Between the Buried and Me songs, browse our pick of their best Between the Buried and Me albums, or head back to the full directory of every prog band’s discography, ranked.

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