Buried Above, the musical brainchild of Colton Reed, has been steadily gaining traction over the past couple years with tracks like “The Front Lines” and “It’s Never Too Late.” That building momentum comes to fruition with the explosive self-titled full-length debut album, Buried Above.
The album collects previously released tracks like “The Front Lines,” “It’s Never Too Late” and “The Nations Fall (feat Josh Bramlett)” and positions them alongside a strong showing of brand-new tracks. The project drew on production, writing and recording support from Josiah Prince and Andrew Stanton of Disciple, which is immediately evident through riffs that hang perfectly in the balance between precision and grit. You’ll hear that in particular on “Blood,” which features a dual guitar intro from Colton and Josiah that is sure to satisfy the hearts of fellow shredders.
The themes are equally incendiary. Previously mentioned “Blood” is a song about the redemptive covering of the death of Jesus, referencing the way that sacrifice covers shame with the lyric “I see the things I’ve done, but all You see is blood.” “Sweet Misery” showcases brutal riffs and equally scorching lyrics about breaking up with the addictive taste of misery, declaring “oh sweet misery, this was never meant to be.”
Listening to Buried Above, you’ll likely have a hard time believing it’s a debut album, the musicianship is so strong. That caliber is backed up by the presence of an outstanding lineup of featured musicians who believed in the project enough to lend their voices to it. Serving as the album’s only true ballad, “Already Written” is a gorgeous song of grace carried by a back-and-forth between Colton and Dawn Michele of Fireflight’s vocals: “So as long as my heart is beating, as long as I’m still breathing, I will not walk through the darkness alone.”
Another feature appears on “Gravity,” a rock worship song with chugging riffs and added emphasis provided by the seasoned vocals from Matt Baird (Spoken). Matt and Colton’s vocal textures compliment each other perfectly through this soaring power anthem. The final feature comes from rapper Aaron Ray, who delivers rhythmic verses to pair with a melodic major key chorus that welcomes God’s grace with open arms.
Buried Above is, ultimately, a forthright album about the advance of the Gospel: both personally and globally. As listeners have already heard, “The Nations Fall” look at this on an eternal level. “It’s Never Too Late” addresses this on an immediate personal level, interrupting thoughts of suicide with an assurance of absolute love.
As a debut project, this album displays the impressive range of musical abilities Buried Above already possesses while laying a foundation for continued songwriting growth. Buried Above is undeniably one of the most crucial bands to watch in rising faith-based rock.
You can hear Buried Above on Apple Music and Spotify.
For fans of: Disciple, The Protest, The Midnight Wedding
Rock On Purpose 