Between The Buried And Me - "The Silent Circus"

This was the release that made it all come together for me. Death growls, blast beats, all of it can be found here. BTBAM really captured the entire range of Victory's catalogue with this one going from death metal, to emo, to tough breakdowns, and everything else in between. "Mordecai" through "Ad A Dglgmut" is really one song that blows away anything that was even being recorded in 2003. The song writing is top notch and it's no surprise they eventually catapulted into greatness. The lyrics are excellent and the guitars wail to complement the incredible writing. Castillo really showcases everything he can do on this one, even though his stay was short lived as he transitioned to Bury Your dead shortly after this release. Aside from Rogers & Waggoner, the group has gone through a dozen lineup changes, but this one was the most cohesive in my opinion. It's a shame these songs get eclipsed by after-Colors-era tunes that are >10 minutes in length these days, but for those who listened as the band went along and didn't get into the band in 2010, Alaska, Covers and the self-titled really made for a great catalogue for an incredible band. This is a great transition for kids teetering with death metal but not being able to come to grips with its mature sound and brutal content. I can't believe this album has been out for more than 10 years.