On Saturday, June 20th, Between the Buried and Me returned home to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to conclude their 2026 run of "The Blue Nowhere" tour at The Ramkat. The tour ran from May 15th up through June 20th, with additional support from Thank You Scientist and The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die at the beginning stretch of it. Joining them on the road for this half of the tour was Fallujah and Imperial Triumphant.
FALLUJAH
Fallujah performing at The Ramkat, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 20th, 2026. Photos: Christy Peterson
Fallujah introduced the night off just right! The energy they brought was infectious and the crowd was loving it. They seemed like they were overall having a great time performing, making goofy faces to the crowd and each other, and switching positions from side to side onstage.
The majority of songs that Fallujah played in this set are from their recent 2025 album, "Xenotaph," which I really enjoyed because this album is one that I have come to enjoy a lot! On top of album tracks like "A Parasitic Dream," "Kaleidoscopic Waves," and "Labyrinth Of Stone," they played some older material like "Radiant Ascension" and "Eden's Lament." Of course, they had to finish off their set with a fan favorite, "The Void Alone" from their "Dreamless" album.
Fallujah performing at The Ramkat, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 20th, 2026. Photos: Christy Peterson
Missing was founding member and lead guitarist Scott Carstairs, who is currently on tour with Entheos. Filling in on guitars was former member Nico Santora. Although Scott is an iconic member of this band, I believe that Nico and Sam (Fallujah's second guitarist) were able to hold everything down well. Sam even picked up a good majority of Scott's solos, which I was pleasantly surprised to see! It all sounded amazing.
IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT
Imperial Triumphant at The Ramkat, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 20th, 2026. Photos: Christy Peterson
Imperial Triumphant was next to take the stage, and not a single person could look away from this experience. This band is extremely unique from their stage outfits and down to the sound of their music. They sound almost like if Meshuggah and Car Bomb had a black metal child.
The setlist contained a whirlwind of chaotic material including songs like "Hotel Sphinx," "Pleasuredome," "Gomorrah Nouveaux" and "Industry of Misery." They even included a cover of "A Night In Tunisia" by Dizzy Gillespie.
Imperial Triumphant at The Ramkat, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 20th, 2026. Photos: Christy Peterson
There is not a single dull moment while Imperial Triumphant is performing. Their set was such a fun, one-of-a-kind experience, and the crowd was left praising them after it ended. I would recommend anyone to check these guys out if they are playing anywhere near you!
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
Between the Buried and Me at The Ramkat, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 20th, 2026. Photos: Christy Peterson
Finally, the progressive metalcore kings, Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM), took the stage to finish off this exciting night of music and the tour. Winston-Salem is their hometown, and every time they perform at The Ramkat, the venue is always packed full of fans. I even ran into producer Jamie King in the crowd. He has mixed and mastered most of BTBAM's records since their beginning. It is always so sweet to see him come show his support.
Between the Buried and Me at The Ramkat, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 20th, 2026. Photos: Christy Peterson
While this tour is in support of BTBAM's recent album, "The Blue Nowhere," this set included songs spanning their entire discography, which I enjoyed a lot. "The Blue Nowhere" has been a great release for BTBAM in my opinion, as it has many of the elements from the albums that made me originally fall in love with their music.
As a longtime listener of BTBAM, I enjoyed the spectrum of songs from this set, and I think that other fans in the crowd would agree. I think that the song choices showcased all of the elements of the older material that are presented in "The Blue Nowhere," and how they have elevated these elements with the new material!
Between the Buried and Me performing at The Ramkat, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 20th, 2026. Photo: Christy Peterson
BTBAM concluded this set with two songs off of my personal favorite album, "The Parallax II: Future Sequence." The songs they chose to end the night with were "Silent Flight Parliament" and "Goodbye to Everything Reprise." The sound of the crowd singing along is still playing through my head, even days later!
Conclusion
Between the Buried and Me's tour has concluded, but knowing them, I am sure they will not be off the road for too long.
In the meantime, if the 2025 and 2026 tours for "The Blue Nowhere" were just not enough to satiate your fill on the album, give the album a listen down below!
