REVIEW: Between The Buried and Me, Hail the Sun, Delta Sleep at Warsaw | 09.22.2025

Fellow North Carolina natives Between the Buried and Me have just released their eleventh studio album, The Blue Nowhere. The record is yet another example of the band’s ability to reinvent themselves—experimenting with new sounds and unique twists that flip the traditional definition of the metal genre on its head.

It blows my mind that it’s been 22 years since a friend handed me a burned CD of The Silent Circus, marked only with “BTBAM 666” in Sharpie, and I was first introduced to the band. The difference between that sophomore release and their latest is striking, but what has always remained constant is their ability to craft songs that take you on a journey.

For the tour in support of The Blue Nowhere, Between the Buried and Me are joined by Hail the Sun and Delta Sleep, with the bands stopping at Warsaw in Brooklyn earlier this week—the day before the rapture was supposed to occur, no less. Not a bad way to spend the evening before an apocalypse.

While I’ve covered both BTBAM and Hail the Sun before, this was my first experience with British rockers Delta Sleep. Their emergence onto the stage was met with a roar of applause fit for a headliner, and when they launched into "Lake Sprinkle Sprankle" to kick off their set, I immediately understood why.

Delta Sleep had me hooked from the start—not just by their music, but by their stage presence as well. They were locked in, focused, and passionate throughout their performance, which made the songs hit even harder.

The music was a blend of so many elements from different phases of my life as a rock fan that I found myself becoming a fan again and again throughout their set. Though it was the first night of the band’s trek on this tour, Delta Sleep played with a confidence and ease that made them feel right at home.

Hail the Sun came out as pure, palpable energy from the very first note—and somehow managed to keep that intensity at full throttle for the entirety of their set. Their stamina is remarkable, matched only by the strength of crowd participation in every singalong that vocalist Donovan Melero initiated.

I was still in the pit when they launched into my personal favorite, “Secondary Worship.” At one point I found myself nearly eye-to-eye with Melero as I belted out the lyrics between shots.

When Between the Buried and Me released The Great Misdirect in 2009, I spent months with it on repeat. I hadn’t revisited the record in a while—until BTBAM tore into their set with ‘Disease, Injury, Madness’ and instantly blew my mind, reminding me just how prolific they are.

Between the Buried and Me are masters of their domain, wielding a technical proficiency that borders on awe-inspiring. Their command of so many genres is almost uncontainable—if you tried to list them all, your pen would run dry. One moment they’re pummeling the room with full-on hardcore metal, the next they’re weaving in synth-driven math rock, only to shift again into a burst of funk. It’s a constant stream of delightful musical surprises around every corner.

BTBAM touched on much of their catalogue throughout the set. While they didn’t reach as far back as The Silent Circus, I still got to hear some personal favorites from their sprawling discography.

The tour itself is a marathon, with shows nearly every night through the end of October. They’ll close out the U.S. run at The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC—my hometown!—before heading across the Atlantic for an extensive European leg kicking off in February.

DELTA SLEEP

HAIL THE SUN

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME