Track By Tracks: Buried Under Sky - Darkest Corners (2022)

1. Extinguishing The Stars:

With the working title “T1000”, this was the second song written. Ian’s objective was to stick to a simple format, at a time when a lot of metal has gotten extremely complicated, and to focus on melody. Sal remembers that with most of the songs, the idea was to give the vocals space. Charlie turned in a very different chorus, and Sal and Ian got him to try something bigger, coming back with what Charlie calls “power metal vocals”, which are far outside his comfort zone. They gave him a gold star sticker after that. Lyrically, this song is about waking up and suddenly finding yourself old and outdated and wondering how it happened so fast.

2. Darkest Corners:

This song started as a string part that Ian wrote to deal with losing a family member. Jay added the bass line and the rest of the song filled itself out from there. This was the most collaborative song and is Ian’s favorite. The lyrics deal with having to be a relentlessly productive member of a sink-or-swim capitalist society, hiding the resulting fatigue and burnout, and plugging on because there isn’t another choice.

3. To Walk Upon Disintegration:

This was the first song Sal wrote since getting back into music from a long layoff, and was the beginning of the Buried Under Sky project before Jay and Charlie were involved. This is when it was decided to keep the songs simple and melodic, emphasizing feel over a technicality. Ian says that Sal’s songs usually arrive pretty complete, with the only arrangement and finishing touches coming later. Sal says that’s what happens when you don’t write anything for years and years. This is also the song when Ian Facebooked Jay and said “hi” and Jay didn’t remember him at first but then decided to jump in. Ian cried but only a little. Charlie’s lyrics deal with the oblivious comfort of modern society, the underlying decay that goes unseen by most, and the resulting wake-up call that came in the form of pandemics, political division, and violence simmering beneath the surface.

4. Ghosts Of May:

Another cathartic piece started by Ian during quarantine while being separated from someone. He didn’t think too hard about it, just letting the guitar fill out the mood. Sal envisioned a big build-up with the somber emotions culminating in heavy and blaring guitars. This song brings Charlie back to his vocal comfort zone - gothy 80s baritone - but his lyrical nightmare: writing emotional words about human relationships. Never having written a song from another’s perspective, forced him to stretch his abilities. Ian laughed at Charlie’s visible squirming and relished in it, his vision fulfilled.

5. We Eat Our Own:

In the interest of keeping things simple and direct, Ian didn’t want to add guitar solos. But because Sal doesn’t solo, and everyone voted against him, Ian was forced to lay down a triumphant lead. We’re all glad he did. Lyrically, it’s about the hardcore scene of the 90s and the violence that often accompanied it. It is also about Sal riding into battle, the heads of his vanquished enemies tethered to his saddle, holding aloft a blood-drenched spear in defiance of the oncoming horde of hell-orcs.