Between the Buried and Me seemed to reach their pinnacle when Colors was released in 2007. As impossible as it may seem, The Great Misdirect is an improvement.

The Great Misdirect has all the technical wonder of Colors, while lead guitarist Paul Waggoner continues to play astonishingly precise riffs and solos. The improvement comes with the tone of the music. The Great Misdirect combines masterful technicality with a creepier, darker tone that seems more like Opeth than BTBAM. The opener “Mirrors,” for example, is the same light intro idea the band implemented with Colors. While the track is considerably jazzy, it takes on a somber mood that sets up a theme of eeriness.

The Great Misdirect also utilizes repeated parts, something the band has always avoided. There are even a couple of sections that sound like choruses and verses. This may be tough for a traditional BTBAM fan to cope with, but the new sense of structure seems to lend the songs more cohesiveness.

The albums second track, “Obfuscation,” starts off with the same tired material from previous releases. After a couple of minutes, an unbelievable bass and drum groove snaps the music out of its slumber, and the album never looks back. This may be the rhythm sections strongest material yet. Bass player Dan Briggs really shines, and shows virtuosity that has seldom surfaced before.

The intro to “Fossil Genera” is another spectacular example of the bands versatility, combing folk piano with a brutally heavy riff. “Swim to the Moon” keeps that vibe going with a synth intro that sounds like a jug band.

With every release, BTBAM seems to mature more and more. Eventually, the band will set a bar they simply cannot match. But for now, another rising seems in order.