What’s going on, Butcher Crew?! It’s your Master Butcher, The Saw, and today we will be looking at an album that’s on my 2022 AOTY list — Burying Brightness by Boundaries. 

We all know by now that Boundaries is one of my favorite bands. The two things that draw me to their music are 1) the lyrics and 2) their musical structure. I love lyrics that tell a story and convey various feelings and emotions — it’s as if the vocals and lyrics are additional instruments. Matthew McDougal (vocalist) has mastered the art of vocal placements and tone. He has some incredible lows and growls but his yell is his trademark. 

Musically, the music is very technical in which the placements of panic chords, riffs, and blast beats are tasteful. The band doesn’t overuse these styles but places them within their songs to create a layer of sound and structure. Additionally, Boundaries has more of an old-school (2008-era) metalcore feel – which is my FAVORITE style of metalcore. 

Everything about this band is great — and their most recent album, Burying Brightness (3DOT Recordings) is no different. Burying Brightness was released on October 14th, 2022, and showcases the evolution of the band. If you look back at Boundaries’ discography, you’ll be able to tell how the band has progressed over the years. 

Burying Brightness is different compared to their previous releases. While the band still keeps the old-school metalcore sound and barking vocals, they added another layer to their music that’s new for the group: clean vocals and more light, open, and airy parts during songs. But those parts are just the calm before the storm because the band cranks back up afterward. 

However, there’s a reason for these lighter parts. The overall sound of the record is very dark and heavy — both musically and lyrically. The heaviness in the lyrics are used to make the heavy parts within the music hit harder and convey the weight of emotion behind them. The lighter parts are used to “lighten” the mood, if you will — to add variety and depth to the songs. 

I’m a big lyric analyzer and concept album kind of girl. I’ve spoken about how I love albums and songs that are layered with real, raw emotions. That’s one of the main reasons why I enjoy Boundaries so much. The lyrics and the instruments showcase how heavy some topics are and give listeners a sense that they’re not alone. 

According to McDougal (vocalist), Burying Brightness is mostly about a person close to him who lost himself. He discusses the internal battle that we all have when we experience the disintegration of a relationship with someone close, and the repercussions of that. The lyrics focus on mental illness, internal struggles, and being in a mental and physical state where you’re consumed in darkness. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Burying Brightness. It had the old-school sound (that will never get old to me), raw emotions, and new components that add to the evolution of the band. Boundaries never fail to impress me, and I can’t wait to see what they do next. 

Favorite song(s): Heaven’s Broken Heart, This Is What It’s Like, No One Will Mourn You Here, My Body Is A Cage. 

Rating: 8.5/10 — great riffs, breakdowns, and vocals! 

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW