I find myself far more drawn to the more underground side of Metal. For me, there is nothing more exciting than discovering an obscure gem and Metal outfit Buried, hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, is one such gem.
Buried – Infect And Replicate (Self-Released)
Release Date: 12 March 2025
Words: Jools Green
Buried were formed in 2022 by Ex Fracture Point and Abhorrent Rebirth bassist Preston Wilson and guitarist Alex Valdés. They are joined by Season of Decay vocalist Ben Rosputni and drummer Joe Symons, both also Ex: Fracture Point. Buried is set to unleash their debut EP, Infect And Replicate upon the masses, and it’s a crusher.
Soundwise, they meld the dark, brooding atmosphere of Doom with Thrash energy with a Progressive Metal complexity to the structure, drawing from a broad range of influences and inspirations, including Black Sabbath, Acid Bath, Pantera, Cannibal Corpse, and Death.
Lyrically, Buried explore themes of despair, defiance, and the human condition. The result is heavy and aggressive but also intricate and emotive and, even more importantly, hugely engaging.
Opening track Haunted absolutely smothers you with crushing heaviness from the offset, as hefty bass lines are laid over distortion. This is followed by crushing riffs that develop into a haunting repeat and deep, acidic, protracted growls, which progress into twin layers of voices, adding further to that thick, crushing atmosphere.
The pace picks up steadily as the piece progresses, and heralded by a fast flourish of drum work, the pace ebbs again slightly and briefly for the laid-back swathe of leadwork to emerge. This is a hugely impactful start to the EP.
Loving You brings a different mood, one that is a little darker and more reflective. The repeat is superbly haunting, chugging and slightly groovy. The vocals, largely higher but still acidic, are protracted and powerful, moving again into twin layers of voices further in. Then, to add further contrast, the second-half leadwork has a trippy, laid-back feel, but it’s still a crushing beast of a track.
Tallies is a little pacier. It packs a heavy punch once again, and I love the twists and turns in the riffing. A cleverly complex piece, there is a rapidity to the vocal delivery that reflects that faster pace. You do get a melodic, reflective drop in the second half, out of which the leadwork streams forth. I like this piece a lot.
The final piece, No Saviours, takes on a whole new level of sinister with a haunting build, dark, sinister guitar and spoken lyrics that merge into acidic, harsh vocals. Lyrically, No Saviours delivers an ominous message, all at a sinister slow pace. Towards the middle of the second half, the pace begins to build in steady increments, and the lines “the end, the end is coming for you” and “we’re all gonna burn!” are delivered with particularly unnerving impact.
Having developed a positive reputation in the Phoenix Metal scene Infect And Replicate will hopefully take that reputation further afield. The EP will be available from Buried’s Bandcamp page.
