# BTBAM - Colors II - 8/20/21



## gunshow86de (Jun 24, 2021)

BTBAM just announced Colors II coming out August 20. I'm sure this video will get taken down pretty soon, then an official one will go up later.


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## wheresthefbomb (Jun 24, 2021)

Huh. I am cautiously stoked. Colors was one of my favorite albums ever, but I didn't much care for their releases after it. 

This track is giving me D-Beat _Yes_ vibes and I'm fully about it. Glad to hear there's more goofy breakdowns to look forward to, the barn burning hoedown was unironically one of the most musically interesting sections on that album.


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## brector (Jun 24, 2021)

Can't wait for the whole thing. Looking forward to seeing them in Atlanta on 8/3.


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## gunshow86de (Jun 24, 2021)

Preorders go live at midnight EST.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 24, 2021)

Cautiously optimistic. 

The last few releases have been absolute snooze-fests, so hopefully this is a return to form. 



Still buying it though because of course I am.


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## Ralyks (Jun 24, 2021)

Sweet merciful crap! And I got my tickets for the Poughkeepsie, NY stop too!!


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## Ordacleaphobia (Jun 24, 2021)

Excuse me, _*what*_?


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## CTID (Jun 24, 2021)

colors was their newest album when i found them and have loved them since. seeing them for the first time in august so i'm super stoked. super excited for the new album, they always kill it


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## Ralyks (Jun 24, 2021)

Trying to keep myself up for another 2 hours to preorder. BTBAM has the kind of fanbase that would stay up to get all of the good stuff.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 24, 2021)

lowkey hyped


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## Ralyks (Jun 25, 2021)

Aaaaand pre-ordered vinyl and "The Future is Behind Us" shirt. The site got broken. Sweet Jebus.
Also, new track rips. It's kinda like thrashy Zappa at times.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 25, 2021)

Wasn't digging the merch, but grabbed the vinyl.

EDIT: Scratch that, Sumerian store had much better offerings, grabbed a shirt.


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## metaljohn (Jun 25, 2021)

It's probably only me, but I want another Silent Circus.


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## Winspear (Jun 25, 2021)




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## philkilla (Jun 25, 2021)

Hell yes


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## Pietjepieter (Jun 25, 2021)

Holy shit.... yes 2021 is official a kick ass year now


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## brector (Jun 25, 2021)

The US vinyl sold out quick!


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## Gnarcade (Jun 25, 2021)

Winspear said:


>



HOLY SHIT. I love this new song. I have to admit my first reaction to the idea of "Colors II" was skeptical, but this totally brings the same vibes as the first record. Like many others have said Colors was a hugely important album to me when it came out. It completely blew my mind how cohesive the record felt even though there was so much diverse and unique influence throughout the whole thing. I still listen to every release they come out with, but almost every other record since has been Meh.

This rips. I love the goofy funky organ/bass intro, and then when they hit that dirty minor threat style riff about a minute in I was fucking sold. I cant wait to hear the rest of this!


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## Spicypickles (Jun 25, 2021)

I’m purposefully not listening to shit until it drops, but I’m all the way hyped up. I’ve loved everything they’ve done since (and including) Alaska. 

Ballsy as hell to call it Colors II.


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## Albake21 (Jun 25, 2021)

Very hyped for this album, but still very cautious by the whole Colors II thing. I mean, Colors is my favorite from them, but Colors isn't a concept album or anything, so how do you make a part 2 without literally just making an ants of the sky 2 or an informal gluttony 2? The new single does sound closer to their old sound though than recent releases.


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## Winspear (Jun 25, 2021)

^ I think just a stylistic nod to it is enough, as they have changed so much since. It's kind of weird hearing a throwback to the Colors sound as I think they have gotten so much more mature with recent albums. Great 'songwriting' and such, whereas this is much more chaotic again. Very sweet though


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 25, 2021)

Really digging this new track now that I've listened to it more. 

Blake and Dan are, in my opinion at least, the most compelling rhythm section in heavy music, so the more space they get the better. The synth bass is great. It's cool to hear stuff that sounds more like Dan's other projects brought over to BTBAM.

The guitars sound great, and heavy, which has been missing for awhile. 

I'm genuinely excited now, which feels good since I haven't enjoyed listening to them since...funny enough...Colors. 

Still not into Tommy's keyboard bullshit, it was good on Alaska and Colors in moderation, but here it just seems a little "much". Not enough to detract from the solid as fuck track.



Albake21 said:


> Very hyped for this album, but still very cautious by the whole Colors II thing. I mean, Colors is my favorite from them, but Colors isn't a concept album or anything, so how do you make a part 2 without literally just making an ants of the sky 2 or an informal gluttony 2? The new single does sound closer to their old sound though than recent releases.



The band has said that they feel like they're in the same headspace now as when they wrote Colors, and it's meant to be a spiritual successor more than a sequel to a concept album. 

https://www.sumerianmerch.com/collections/betweentheburiedandme


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## CanserDYI (Jun 25, 2021)

God when colors came out, it enveloped me. I learned every line, melody and rhythm of it, and just buried myself in it. Such a good album.


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## works0fheart (Jun 25, 2021)

Albake21 said:


> Very hyped for this album, but still very cautious by the whole Colors II thing. I mean, Colors is my favorite from them, but Colors isn't a concept album or anything, so how do you make a part 2 without literally just making an ants of the sky 2 or an informal gluttony 2? The new single does sound closer to their old sound though than recent releases.



I feel about the same. I loved Colors and the Great Misdirect but in the last few years their music has become pretty meh to me. Hopefully with a title like Colors 2 it can live up to the hype, because trying to make a follow up to the original so far after seems a little far fetched to me. I hope it ends up being good because I used to really love this band, but they've really stepped into some huge shoes to fill when it comes to this album. Not to say they can't do it, as obviously they've worn them before. I'll just remain optimistic but not let my hype inflate too much. The song they revealed is pretty cool, so I will say that. One of the better songs they've wrote in a while.

Also, I wonder if the album will have the songs blending together structure the original had?


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## Albake21 (Jun 25, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The band has said that they feel like they're in the same headspace now as when they wrote Colors, and it's meant to be a spiritual successor more than a sequel to a concept album.
> 
> https://www.sumerianmerch.com/collections/betweentheburiedandme


This is a really nice read to clear it up more. It's for sure a big shoe to fill, but I have confidence they'll nail it.



works0fheart said:


> I feel about the same. I loved Colors and the Great Misdirect but in the last few years their music has become pretty meh to me. Hopefully with a title like Colors 2 it can live up to the hype, because trying to make a follow up to the original so far after seems a little far fetched to me. I hope it ends up being good because I used to really love this band, but they've really stepped into some huge shoes to fill when it comes to this album. Not to say they can't do it, as obviously they've worn them before. I'll just remain optimistic but not let my hype inflate too much. The song they revealed is pretty cool, so I will say that. One of the better songs they've wrote in a while.
> 
> Also, I wonder if the album will have the songs blending together structure the original had?


Judging by how this new single ends so abruptly, I'd imagine it leads into the next song like how Colors did. I sure hope the album is more so like one big song with chapters, like the original was.


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## CanserDYI (Jun 25, 2021)

God I'm so excited. Silent Circus, Alaska, and Colors were absolute perfection if you ask me. I wasnt a fan of much after Colors though. The live album of colors was absolutely incredible. One of the most on point bands I've ever seen.


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## Ralyks (Jun 25, 2021)

Also, how have we not acknowledged that for that drum section, they got Mike Portnoy, Navene Koperweis, and Ken fucking Schalk?!


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## Spicypickles (Jun 25, 2021)

I wonder which animal noise they’ll use on this one.


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## chewpac (Jun 26, 2021)

just got my ticket last night. sounds like they're doing Great Misdirect in it's entirety for set 2 on this tour. i love that record, so i'm all sorts of psyched.

can't wait to hear the new album in it's entirety (like 10-20 times so it truly sinks in...).


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## lurè (Jun 26, 2021)

Super pumped for this new album.

New track is killer.


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## Avedas (Jun 27, 2021)

Wew how'd I miss this. Hell yeah! I'm always on board for anything BTBAM, even if I thought the last release was a bit meh.

Wish I could see them on tour. Haven't seen BTBAM live in nearly 10 years mostly due to not living in NA anymore.


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## Empryrean (Jun 27, 2021)

I've always struggled with the mixing that BTBAM does but this one is CRISP. I can't wait to hear more banjo


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## CTID (Jun 27, 2021)

Tracklist is on the wiki page already somehow? It's their longest album yet

*1.* "Monochrome" 3:15
*2.* "The Double Helix of Extinction" 6:16
*3.* "Revolution in Limbo" 9:13
*4.* "Fix the Error" 5:01
*5.* "Never Seen / Future Shock" 11:42
*6.* "Stare into the Abyss" 3:54
*7.* "Prehistory" 3:08
*8.* "Bad Habits" 8:43
*9.* "The Future is Behind Us" 5:22
*10.* "Turbulent" 5:57
*11.* "Sfumato" 1:09
*12.* "Human is Hell (Another One with Love)" 15:08
*Total length:* *78:48*


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## Ralyks (Jun 27, 2021)

CTID said:


> Tracklist is on the wiki page already somehow? It's their longest album yet
> 
> *1.* "Monochrome" 3:15
> *2.* "The Double Helix of Extinction" 6:16
> ...



Yeah, Apple Music showed the tracklist as soon as Error was posted at Midnight.


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## couverdure (Jun 28, 2021)

CTID said:


> Tracklist is on the wiki page already somehow? It's their longest album yet
> 
> *1.* "Monochrome" 3:15
> *2.* "The Double Helix of Extinction" 6:16
> ...


That's longer and has more tracks than both Automata albums combined. It didn't make sense why they split them in two when they could still fit in one CD together.


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## Mendez (Jun 28, 2021)

Hell yeah this is exciting, the IG post had me excited to listen to the track but then I forgot to check it out. Just finished listening to it, really enjoyed it, can't wait for the full release!

Am I the only one that's disappointed it didn't continue to the next track?


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## Ralyks (Jun 28, 2021)

Not only does it sound like it goes right into the next track, but it also feels like it's coming right out of the previous track.


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## CTID (Jun 28, 2021)

couverdure said:


> That's longer and has more tracks than both Automata albums combined. It didn't make sense why they split them in two when they could still fit in one CD together.



Agreed. My guess is that was Sumerian's idea. Maybe based off the success they had with Periphery's Juggernaut? Who can say tho


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## Valdra (Jun 28, 2021)

CTID said:


> Agreed. My guess is that was Sumerian's idea. Maybe based off the success they had with Periphery's Juggernaut? Who can say tho


You are correct. I can't recall where but I do remember hearing the Sumerian owner (Ash I think his name was) say that he told BTBAM to do that as a business move. I think it was on an interview on the metalsucks podcast or something a while ago.


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## SCJR (Jun 29, 2021)

Genius for them to call it Colors II and bring older fans back into the fold that haven't liked their output since then as much. TBH when I listen to Colors I hear a lot of Alaska DNA that carried over and I just cannot picture what a follow-up would sound like. But they're the band to make it work for sure.

For me it probably goes:

Alaska
Parallax I
The Great Misdirect
Colors
Parallax II

And it trails off from there. For those who lost interest after Colors I'd say check out the Parallax I EP if you have not already. Has a slightly different sound as it's the only recording they have not recorded with Jamie King but the instrumentation on that particular set of songs was just awesome, especially the drums.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 29, 2021)

SCJR said:


> Genius for them to call it Colors II and bring older fans back into the fold that haven't liked their output since then as much. TBH when I listen to Colors I hear a lot of Alaska DNA that carried over and I just cannot picture what a follow-up would sound like. But they're the band to make it work for sure.
> 
> For me it probably goes:
> 
> ...



Post Colors they went from a really interesting and fun crossover hardcore/death metal band who brought in elements of various other styles in concise, listenable songs to a somewhat boring prog band that wrote great music that was a chore to listen to. 

It just sucked all the air out of the band for me, and I had been following them since before their self-titled came out. 

Parallax:HD is definitely better than the rest of the "between Colors" albums. I think it's the best Tommy has been in the mix, and his vocals just sound so searing. It's funny that I dig it so much considering Bottrill's prog bonifides. But, it's still a slog to get through. 

I say that as someone who likes songs, and doesn't usually feel like listening to a meandering 10 minute epic buried between a few more 10 minute epics. 

I'm excited seeing a tracklist full of variety in song legnth. 

For funnsies here's my list:

Alaska
Silent Circus 
Colors
BTBAM
Parallax:HD
The Anatomy Of (that's right, I rather listen to the so-so cover album more than the rest on the list  )
Parallax II
Auto I
Auto II
Misdirect
Coma

I actually don't think I've bothered to listen to Misdirect in like a decade, I have it on vinyl though, and Coma...not since it first came out. I'm probably going to listen to it all, the whole discography, from start to finish to catch up in anticipation. I love this band.


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## SCJR (Jun 29, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Post Colors they went from a really interesting and fun crossover hardcore/death metal band who brought in elements of various other styles in concise, listenable songs to a somewhat boring prog band that wrote great music that was a chore to listen to.
> 
> It just sucked all the air out of the band for me, and I had been following them since before their self-titled came out.
> 
> ...




I think I liked Misdirect so much because it was kind of the antithesis to Colors when maybe a lot of people expected Colors II, at least stylistically, coming off of that success. Not just for that reason alone as I thought the songs were really creative. Just seemed like an interesting zag coming off of something so definitive.

A friend's older brother tried to show us Alaska when we were in middle school and I just wasn't there yet lol. Colors came out a couple of years later when I was a sophomore in HS I believe and it obviously blew us all away. I came to appreciate The Silent Circus much later on. I kind of missed experiencing firsthand that wave of early BTBAM, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, etc. and found those guys about the same time when they were all a few albums into their careers. Though Poison the Well is from my hometown and were always very well respected.

Colors and TBDM's Nocturnal were kind of the holy shit moments for us as kids. I'm always looking for new heavy bands but I have to say when it comes to the crop I listened to in high school/early college, the only band I really go back to consistently is BTBAM.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 29, 2021)

SCJR said:


> I think I liked Misdirect so much because it was kind of the antithesis to Colors when maybe a lot of people expected Colors II, at least stylistically, coming off of that success. Not just for that reason alone as I thought the songs were really creative. Just seemed like an interesting zag coming off of something so definitive.
> 
> A friend's older brother tried to show us Alaska when we were in middle school and I just wasn't there yet lol. Colors came out a couple of years later when I was a sophomore in HS I believe and it obviously blew us all away. I came to appreciate The Silent Circus much later on. I kind of missed experiencing firsthand that wave of early BTBAM, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, etc. and found those guys about the same time when they were all a few albums into their careers. Though Poison the Well is from my hometown and were always very well respected.
> 
> Colors and TBDM's Nocturnal were kind of the holy shit moments for us as kids.



Where we are in life when we hear things, and the order, definitely makes a huge difference. 

I had family that lived in North Carolina, and my cousin introduced me to this heavy as fuck metalcore band called Prayer For Cleansing, even saw them live when visiting, and when I came back a couple years later he mentioned that they broke up and some members started a new band called Between The Buried and Me. I grabbed a copy of their first album, expecting more of the same and it absolutely blew me away. I was hooked. 

Every release just got better and better, more progressive, but still "fun". Ya know? 

But it felt like Misdirect was kind of a down shift. I'll never say it was a bad album, because it's not, it just wasn't what I was looking for when I wanted my BTBAM fix. 

I'm totally prepared to think differently on revisit though. Here's to hoping.


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## brector (Jun 29, 2021)

Seems I am the opposite for most people. To preface, I did not start listening until Automata I came out. I can't really get into Alaska or anything before. Automata I & II are the weakest of the newer stuff. I really love Colors, Misdirect, Paralax, and Coma.


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## CTID (Jun 29, 2021)

tbh as much as i love colors, when i think of it, i don't think of foam born or informal gluttony, i think of Sun of Nothing - White Walls, and i don't think i could place it at the top of my list bc honestly even though i can't really imagine how else the album would start, i don't really enjoy the album 100% until sun of nothing.

hierarchy for me would probably be something like

Alaska
The Great Misdirect
Colors
Parallax II
Coma Ecliptic
Automata II
Automata I
Parallax I
Silent Circus
S/T


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## SCJR (Jun 29, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Where we are in life when we hear things, and the order, definitely makes a huge difference.
> 
> I had family that lived in North Carolina, and my cousin introduced me to this heavy as fuck metalcore band called Prayer For Cleansing, even saw them live when visiting, and when I came back a couple years later he mentioned that they broke up and some members started a new band called Between The Buried and Me. I grabbed a copy of their first album, expecting more of the same and it absolutely blew me away. I was hooked.
> 
> ...



Ah that's awesome that you saw them so early on. I can only imagine watching the progression in order like that, being around for the S/T to SS to Alaska in real time, holy shit that's great haha. Talking about this now just made me realize Dan might have more to do with the direction the band has gone in than any of the other members. Seems from Colors on he began to write more and more of the material. 

I'm sure most of this crowd is well aware but if you have not heard Dan's side project Nova Collective, you're missing out. That's the album I wish I wrote lol.


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## works0fheart (Jun 29, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> But it felt like Misdirect was kind of a down shift. I'll never say it was a bad album, because it's not, it just wasn't what I was looking for when I wanted my BTBAM fix.
> 
> I'm totally prepared to think differently on revisit though. Here's to hoping.



Hoping the re-listen changes your mind. Swim to the Moon is a masterpiece. Probably my favorite song by them.


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## Shawn (Jun 29, 2021)

Love this band. Colors has always been my favorite album of theirs. Looking forward to this.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 29, 2021)

SCJR said:


> Ah that's awesome that you saw them so early on. I can only imagine watching the progression in order like that, being around for the S/T to SS to Alaska in real time, holy shit that's great haha. Talking about this now just made me realize Dan might have more to do with the direction the band has gone in than any of the other members. Seems from Colors on he began to write more and more of the material.
> 
> I'm sure most of this crowd is well aware but if you have not heard Dan's side project Nova Collective, you're missing out. That's the album I wish I wrote lol.



BTBAM is definitely the sum of their parts, especially with the current lineup which is their longest running. 

Alaska was the first album with this lineup, and you can hear they've integrated more and more with each album, especially Dan's "proginess". He's such a gifted musician, plays almost everything, etc. I've followed his side projects, and while not entirely my jam, his writing chops are undeniable. 

But you can definitely hear everyone in each album. Dan's prog, Dustie and Blake's metal, Tommy's eletro-indie, Paul's fusion.


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## Opion (Jun 29, 2021)

SCJR said:


> I think I liked Misdirect so much because it was kind of the antithesis to Colors when maybe a lot of people expected Colors II, at least stylistically, coming off of that success. Not just for that reason alone as I thought the songs were really creative. Just seemed like an interesting zag coming off of something so definitive.
> 
> A friend's older brother tried to show us Alaska when we were in middle school and I just wasn't there yet lol. Colors came out a couple of years later when I was a sophomore in HS I believe and it obviously blew us all away. I came to appreciate The Silent Circus much later on. I kind of missed experiencing firsthand that wave of early BTBAM, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, etc. and found those guys about the same time when they were all a few albums into their careers. Though Poison the Well is from my hometown and were always very well respected.
> 
> Colors and TBDM's Nocturnal were kind of the holy shit moments for us as kids. I'm always looking for new heavy bands but I have to say when it comes to the crop I listened to in high school/early college, the only band I really go back to consistently is BTBAM.



I remember being 14 and hearing Alaska while getting into Slayer/Lamb of God/Decapitated etc. and just not understanding it; Selkies was way over my head. Cue a few years later and I discovered Periphery/Sikth and I finally revisited BTBAM and it blew me away. I've seen them twice now and they always deliver live, though like some people in this thread it seems like they sorta dropped off creatively the last few albums. 

That being said, this new song is insanely cool, produced really well and its got lots of interesting stuff going on (that drum solo though), I can't wait to hear what the rest of the record sounds like.


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## Avedas (Jun 30, 2021)

Nova Collective is amazing. I hope they put out more stuff.

I've been listening to BTBAM since Alaska or so. Alaska and Colors have always been the definition of the uniqueness of the band for me, but Parallax I/II are probably the best balance of prog, metal, and a bit more cohesiveness to the songs for me.


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## SexHaver420 (Jun 30, 2021)

I feel the same way about this as everything this band has ever made. It's like each song has a few cool parts but I never really enjoy a whole song by them. Also I've never liked the vocals. I like the cool fun bass parts tho.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 30, 2021)

SexHaver420 said:


> I feel the same way about this as everything this band has ever made. It's like each song has a few cool parts but I never really enjoy a whole song by them. Also I've never liked the vocals. I like the cool fun bass parts tho.



Yeah, the vocals are definitely one of the most divisive parts of the band, so much so they actually released an instrumental version of (most) the Alaska album.


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## SexHaver420 (Jun 30, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Yeah, the vocals are definitely one of the most divisive parts of the band, so much so they actually released an instrumental version of (most) the Alaska album.



dude generic harsh fry vocals lmao


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 30, 2021)

SexHaver420 said:


> dude generic harsh fry vocals lmao





Yeah, I don't listen to them for the vocals to be sure. They fit in better back when they were just a hardcore band that could shred. Now...ehhh. It's probably why they have much much more clean singing parts as they move forward.

I actually think Tommy has a great singing voice. The Anatomy Of really shows that.


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## GunpointMetal (Jun 30, 2021)

The Silent Circus and Alaska are still their best albums IMO. The near-neo-classical shred stuff and the shoe-horned "outside genre" stuff sounds both lame and forced on a lot of their later records. I always prefer a band incorporate an element of a new genre over straight up "Here's the country licks part, oh here's the elevator jazz part". New song is OK, but Colors was honestly where they kinda lost me. I thought Coma Ecleptic was the best one since Alaska.


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## Spicypickles (Jun 30, 2021)

Love all their shit. Just a fan boy


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## CTID (Jun 30, 2021)

works0fheart said:


> Swim to the Moon is a masterpiece. Probably my favorite song by them.



It's weird for me, I remember seeing the great misdirect track listing and being excited for STTM because of how great a closer White Walls was for Colors. I remember a friend and I got a leaked copy of TGM and listened to it in his garage and at that first listen and still to this day, STTM is my least favorite song on the album by a LONG way. It just feels way too long for the sake of being too long, with so many clashing ideas that it doesn't feel right to me. idk, just my


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 1, 2021)

CTID said:


> It's weird for me, I remember seeing the great misdirect track listing and being excited for STTM because of how great a closer White Walls was for Colors. I remember a friend and I got a leaked copy of TGM and listened to it in his garage and at that first listen and still to this day, STTM is my least favorite song on the album by a LONG way. It just feels way too long for the sake of being too long, with so many clashing ideas that it doesn't feel right to me. idk, just my



That's really how I feel about most of Misdirect. 

The album is just under an hour long and I feel like between Obsfucation, DIM, and Fossil you could cut a solid 15 minutes out and it wouldn't be missed, or at least spun off into separate tracks. If you listen to DIM and Fossil especially they both "get good" about five minutes in.


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## wannabguitarist (Jul 1, 2021)

Started listening during Alaska, got obsessed because of Colors, lost interest after Parallax II (oddly enough that's my favorite BTBAM album).

I never managed to sit through Automata I and II but I'm gonna give it a shot again tomorrow at work. A spiritual successor to Colors has me so hyped. I rarely listen to them anymore but every time I do it's a big ol'hit of nostalgia


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## Lorcan Ward (Jul 1, 2021)

Since Colors I've loved every second album so I love The Great Misdirect, don't like Parallax, love Coma Ecliptic(on par with Colors for me), don't like Automata 1 but I love Automata 2.

Maybe its because I get so into one album that when the next one comes around I'm burned out on the band.


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## pazuzuya (Jul 6, 2021)

I took a long while to get into their stuff cause I was prejudiced against the radiohead and pop and non-metal influences.
Two years later I skip the breakdowns and screaming to get to the mid tempo cozy melodies and pianos and pretty solos.


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## Ordacleaphobia (Jul 7, 2021)

On the topic of STTM, does anyone know if the feature from the start has a project? 
I totally loved his voice but tried to dig him up back in the day and couldn't find anything.


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## works0fheart (Jul 7, 2021)

From what I remember he worked for the band as a roadie or sound guy or something and they just sort of brought him on whenever they'd play that song. Could be wrong though


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## vilk (Jul 7, 2021)

I got handed a Victory Records sampler CD outside an Atreyu/From Autumn to Ashes concert when I was in middle school and it had Mordecai from The Silent Circus on it. Silent Circus will always be their best album to me. Alaska is alright, and when Colors came out I was crazy about it. And I loved the Great Misdirect; I'm really surprised to hear the hate for it in this thread because I feel it's pretty musically similar album to Colors. Unfortunately I haven't been interested in any BTBAM album that's come out since TGM.

I am NOT digging the new track. Hate the Torche style happy metal section, super hate that bass filter effect. Drum solo ruined by cowbell (and the other instruments). Not digging the vocals until that cool effect at the very end. Actually the whole song kinda sucks until like the last part of it, but at least that part is pretty good. I hope it will sound better in the context of the full album.


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## Mendez (Jul 8, 2021)

Fix the Error video just released, love the drum break down in the middle.


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## Pietjepieter (Jul 8, 2021)

Came here to post the video, but is has been done allready! super cool 

Really hyped for this album


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## SCJR (Jul 8, 2021)

vilk said:


> I got handed a Victory Records sampler CD outside an Atreyu/From Autumn to Ashes concert when I was in middle school and it had Mordecai from The Silent Circus on it. Silent Circus will always be their best album to me. Alaska is alright, and when Colors came out I was crazy about it. And I loved the Great Misdirect; I'm really surprised to hear the hate for it in this thread because I feel it's pretty musically similar album to Colors. Unfortunately I haven't been interested in any BTBAM album that's come out since TGM.
> 
> I am NOT digging the new track. Hate the Torche style happy metal section, super hate that bass filter effect. Drum solo ruined by cowbell (and the other instruments). Not digging the vocals until that cool effect at the very end. Actually the whole song kinda sucks until like the last part of it, but at least that part is pretty good. I hope it will sound better in the context of the full album.



That's kind of where I'm at. I don't love the song but I've been burned on judging an album by the single before and then the album turns out to be great lol and vice versa.

Like you said I'm hoping in context of the whole record that it feels part of something more cohesive. No doubt it will but while I don't ever expect a complete swing and miss from this band I don't think it's an automatic home run either and I hope it lives up to being called Colors II, I give them credit for taking that on lol.


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## Musiscience (Jul 23, 2021)

Second single is out, and the Colors 1 influences are really apparent here. If the whole album is like that, it’s going to be great!


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## gunshow86de (Jul 23, 2021)




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## brector (Jul 23, 2021)

Damn, Blake bringing the growls!


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## Albake21 (Jul 23, 2021)

gunshow86de said:


>



Damn that is really good! It's like Colors and The Great Misdirect put together. Makes sense considering they've been replaying both of those the past few years.


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## Ralyks (Jul 23, 2021)

Two songs released and I’m already getting Album of the Year vibes. Excellent song.


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## Avedas (Jul 24, 2021)

This one feels like a TGM song with a bit less meandering. Good stuff.


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## Lorcan Ward (Jul 24, 2021)

I’m going to hold off until the album is out so I can listen to it start to finish.


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## lurè (Jul 24, 2021)

Damn, I'm so erect for this album.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 24, 2021)

Not as into this latest track. Started out great, and the last minute isn't bad, but not "we just spent 9 minutes building up to this" good. 

Still stoked for the album though.


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## mongey (Jul 26, 2021)

I hadn't listened to this band. Just downloaded the colors re master version and damn I like it


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## GunpointMetal (Jul 26, 2021)

Lorcan Ward said:


> I’m going to hold off until the album is out so I can listen to it start to finish.


Yeah, I'm not listening to any more singles if they release them. Entirely underwhelmed so far, but maybe in context it makes more sense.


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## beerandbeards (Jul 28, 2021)

I haven’t listened to BTBAM in over a decade so I decided to revisit all the albums. When I was 18, ‘The Silent Circus’ was really mind blowing to me at the time. I can still appreciate their music but half way through ‘Alaska’ I felt like they were getting technical to be technical or kind of random (Psyopus comes to mind). When it was released I thought the more technical the better. Now I have a harder time sitting and listening to it without my mind wandering.

I’m always willing to give a new release a try


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 20, 2021)

Fuck yeah, listening right now. Will report back.


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## CTID (Aug 20, 2021)

I'm at The Future Is Behind Us and I've been really enjoying it, but in true BTBAM fashion it's super dense with riffs and ideas and will probably take several more playthroughs before i have even remotely clear thoughts on everything

update from like 5 minutes later: man tommy's really been on some 80's synth kicks lately huh


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 20, 2021)

CTID said:


> man tommy's really been on some 80's synth kicks lately huh



Yeah, it really thickens and dulls the mix. I could definitely do without.


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## CTID (Aug 20, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Yeah, it really thickens and dulls the mix. I could definitely do without.



just finished the album and definitely surprised by how much T H I C C 80's synth is on it.

overall i feel pretty positive, like i said earlier, definitely need time to process everything. a couple really surprising moments on the album and some more dull ones as well.

i feel like the final song could almost more easily have been titled White Walls Pt. 2, it mimics its structure, some rhythms and i think some melodies pretty closely. caught a tiny bit of the breakdown from Prequel to the Sequel in there as well.
that being said, kind of disappointed by the closer. maybe i'll warm up to it but for a 15 minute track it didn't feel like it built to any real sort of climax before it ended.

definitely enjoyed it overall tho, will definitely listen more and try to digest it


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 20, 2021)

Yeah, definitely needs a few listens, but my impressions so far:

- Way too much synth
- Dan is absolutely buried in the mix at times, which is a bummer
- Feels like there is a lot of filler/created tension that never really goes anywhere
- Not a lot of parts where Paul and Dusty really goe off
- If Tommy is your favorite part of the band, you're in for a treat

Overall, it's full of the same post-Colors I gripes I've had. There's no big, exciting Mordecai/Selkies/Ants moment/song. Tons of really cool, interesting bits buried in either long tracks or sat right next to weird parts (listen to Prehistory or Bad Habits and you'll hear what I mean).

I don't know. I need to listen more, want to give the album a fair shake, but so far, a return to pre-TGM BTBAM it is not.

Maybe TGM II would have been a more apt title.



EDIT: Alright at three full listens now. 

If you've been a fan of post-Colors I BTBAM, you're going to love this album. It's busy, riff focused, plays with layering and textures, and Blake is an absolute monster on this. 

If you were hoping for some great leads...you might be disappointed. I'd go as far as saying there aren't really "solos" on this album, more of small fills. They're great when they pop up (often seemingly out of nowhere), but they don't last long. No minutes long fusion runs or sweep parties. In a lot of ways that fits the songs, but it's still a bummer since it's been a minute since BTBAM have delivered there. 

Also, the ending was pretty lackluster. It lacks the symmetry that Colors I had that sort of made it a more cohesive experience. 

This feels much more like tracks, vs a single flowing concept. Mostly. 

I need to listen more.


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## brector (Aug 20, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> - If Tommy is your favorite part of the band, you're in for a treat



The irony is here with Qobuz naming the tracks with -Tommy-Giles- in each one!


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## spawnofthesith (Aug 20, 2021)

I love it


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## Lorcan Ward (Aug 20, 2021)

Monochrome - Love the intro and key melodies. Very reminiscent of Foam A, following a similar structure. Strong opener.

The Double Helix of Extinction - Straight into Foam B. The synths are a bit out of place causing what sounds like clipping, bloating the mix. Not a fan of them. Guitars are a bit reserved and songs is a bit monotonous. I feel this song could have been cut out.

Revolution in Limbo - Guitars sounding more like BTBAM now. Much stronger song than previous. A lot more variation and input from each member. This is a song that really represents the bands sound and songwriting approach.

Fix the Error - This song makes so much more sense now. I need to avoid singles in future, I only listened once but it was out of context without the previous 3 songs. Blake doing a lot more on this track and really digging the synths. Some very technical arrangements. This will be a good live track.

Never Seen / Future Shock - I haven't listened to these guys in a long time. I love how you don't know where a song will go. This song takes so many left turns. Somme really tasty guitar and catchy vocal melody sections. Lots of peaks and drops. Tommy's vocals are on point and in places stronger than they ever have, his solo albums were good experience for him.

Stare into the Abyss - The intro keys are a welcome break. I've been on and off with the previous albums but there is a big jump in songwriting ability on this album.

Prehistory - Surfer metal. BTBAM can get rambly at times dragging out technical sections much longer than they should but they are more concise on this album making them more impactful. Dan hasn't had too much time to shine so cool to hear he gets a bass solo.

Bad Habits - I'm digging the shorter technical sections. When the second track started I was starting to think the whole album was going to be based on colours, glad they didn't and just included some nods to previous songs like Ants of the Sky in this track. Relaxing track.

The Future is Behind Us - The technical ability of this band is mind blowing while still being able to craft catchy and enjoyable songs. There's been a few mediocre releases this year from bands I like so maybe I'm enjoying this more than I should if it was released pre-Covid. 

Turbulent - Its clear Tommy had a lot of input on this album. Tommy's vocals are definitely the centrepiece on this album with everything else revolving around him. 

Sfumato - I've been listening to synthwave/chill music the last year so this is a nice surprise on a BTBAM album. Too short and I was getting excited we were going to get a guitar centric song like Life in Velvet.

Human is Hell (Another One with Love) - Last song so it has to compete with White Walls and Swim to the Moon. I love the section before the 5 minute mark and 7:30 onwards This song doesn't flow as well as the previous. Some really good ideas and sections but needed a bit more refinement. The melody from Sfumato as the outro is a great way to close the album, maybe Sfumato should have been the opener to loop everything back around. I don't think there was a single guitar solo on the album, just lead breaks. 

I haven't sat down to listen to a full album in a LONG time. I haven't listened to these guys in about 3 years so this album sounds really fresh to me. Bought it off iTunes and I'm sure I'll have it on play for the rest of the year.


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## gunshow86de (Aug 20, 2021)




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## _RH_ (Aug 20, 2021)

It's cool reading through this thread seeing different perspectives on BTBAM's history. My introduction was Mordecai - just as I was really getting into guitar so that was very formative. I spent so much time learning riffs from S/T, Silent Circus, Alaska, and Colors! I've listened to everything they've put out since then (and almost always listen to albums in entirety), but don't feel like those works have nearly the replay value and there is a lot of filler. Maybe it's just that my preference went down the "guitar-centric tech metal riff" path while BTBAM went down the "prog" path. Different strokes for different folks, you have to respect that they did what they wanted. I do wonder why they seem to have such a fanboy following of "oh wow I didn't like genre X but BTBAM did it for a few seconds so I like X now! Anything they do must be awesome!"

After a single listen to C2, there are plenty of great parts. It seems more are "slower vocal/harmony/chorus parts" than "faster techy guitar parts". Off top of head, I don't remember many weird time signatures / chugging patterns or any sweeping on C2. Different than what I usually listen to, but worthy of more listens. But man, those electronic drum parts / synth are not my thing. Not "Desert of Song"-singing-bad, but no thanks.

As much time as I've spent listening to them (and I think nearly every song they've made has at least something great in it), my biggest frustrations with them are:
-gimmicky genre shifts (when forced and unrelated to adjacent parts) I'm surprised no one mentioned the "Yello-oh yeah" (Ferris Bueller chicka chika moment) in Future 
-contrived long winding "transitions" between parts
-parts sounding so similar I can't tell what's supposed to be a "clever call-back" and what's just "hmm didn't I hear them do this riff a few albums ago?"


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## gunshow86de (Aug 20, 2021)

Listened to the full album while working on fysik this afternoon. No multiple paragraph review necessary, it's the best BTBAM album since the original Colors.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 20, 2021)

gunshow86de said:


> it's the best BTBAM album since the original Colors.



Yeah...


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## Selkoid (Aug 20, 2021)

I get Jamie King is probably a permanent "member" of the band at this point but I think his frequent appearances have done this band a disservice. As someone that was a HUGE fan of the band in the Alaska/Colors days it just kinds of bums me out that they won't mix up the production more. I think the quirky elements of Colors II are definitely my favorite parts. They do a good job with different instrumentation and textures on this album but I feel like the production needs to evolve more to make everything come "alive". I feel like everything coma ecliptic and onward is just half baked samey'ness.

I feel like half this album is very sonically Haken - Affinity inspired (probably the parts I like most honestly).

Initial highlights are:
The Future Is Behind Us (by far my favorite right now)
Prehistory
Sfumato

I'm sure my opinion will change after more time...


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## Bdtunn (Aug 20, 2021)

My review 
It’s awsome


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## SCJR (Aug 21, 2021)

Selkoid said:


> I get Jamie King is probably a permanent "member" of the band at this point but I think his frequent appearances have done this band a disservice. As someone that was a HUGE fan of the band in the Alaska/Colors days it just kinds of bums me out that they won't mix up the production more. I think the quirky elements of Colors II are definitely my favorite parts. They do a good job with different instrumentation and textures on this album but I feel like the production needs to evolve more to make everything come "alive". I feel like everything coma ecliptic and onward is just half baked samey'ness.
> 
> I feel like half this album is very sonically Haken - Affinity inspired (probably the parts I like most honestly).
> 
> ...



Never thought about it but you're probably right about them mixing it up. Parallax I was the only thing he didn't really work on in a long time and it's in my top 3.

I've been listening to a lot of their catalog lately because of this album coming out and honestly Alaska might be my favorite thing they've done at this point. It's just the most fun to listen to and I'm a fan of pretty much everything they've put out except maybe Coma and Automata I, so I'm not partial to any particular era.


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## thorgan (Aug 21, 2021)

(Coma was my introduction to the band so just declaring my bias right off the bat)

I'm giving it about a 7.5/10 after a few listens through, though I reserve the right to change after sitting with it for awhile. Everything I love about it is what I love about BTBAM, but I do have some nitpicks.

It definitely feels like a middle ground of the off kilter riffs from Colors and before, and the coma/Tommy style melodic soft prog. I like that blend until about Bad Habits onwards, where I start to feel like all the interesting nuggets are buried in long stretches of 'plot advancement but musical filler'. I feel like Bad Habits/The Future Is Behind Us/Turbulent would combine to make one stellar 7 minute song rather than three so so ones. A lot of people complain about BTBAM saying that the riffs are too breakneck and too unique and never get repeated, or you have people in the opposite camp that think there's too much self indulgent soft progging going on. I feel like the rapid fire switching from new riff to new riff is good because it conveys energy well, and there's always a pocket to lock into. What may be losing me as they shift to the other end of the spectrum is that as they write the more soft prog sections they are keeping the same "breakneck" mentality of cycling to new section after new section, and it doesn't translate as well to melodic sections. If the melodic sections were more based on established repetition, there'd be more to latch onto and they'd be more memorable. I think that may be the cause of the "musical filler" that seems especially present in the second half of the album. I liked the mix, but agree that I'd have liked more pyrotechnics from Dusty and Paul, though there are tons of great riffs. I really liked the inclusion of the Trioscapes like sound sections, as well as all the quirky elements, and for it being their brand there is still plenty of unpredictability, to me at least, in the music and in the sound design. Human is Hell is a bit of a anticlimactic ender, there's something about White Walls that is just magical that I'm not sure it replicates or captures.

I almost wish they hadn't put that Colors II label on it just because Colors is such an experience on it's own. While the callbacks were neat, I think that this album could have stood on it's own and it's unclear to me if it benefits from that Colors association, especially because it's not a plot sequel (a la Parallax II) it's more just a similar philosophy for writing that they had. I feel like Messiah Complex off of Virus really did the callback thing best by embracing the kitschyness of it and just turning it up to 11, whereas this half committed and was maybe too subtle for me to think of it as a sequel. Overall though, this is a very BTBAMy record, and I liked it, just some small nitpicks. I'm stoked for them to come around on tour and hear some of these live hopefully. I think I'd put it about on par with Coma but still behind Parallax II and Colors in terms of my favorites.


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## Spicypickles (Aug 22, 2021)

Gave it a full once over yesterday, digging it for sure. Gonna go on a hike later and listen to it again in full, one take and see how I feel then. This one will take a few spins to digest.


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## Veldar (Aug 22, 2021)

I've heard some reports that here aren't many "songs" on this release more riff salad, I feel like the original colours went a lot of places but always felt pretty cohesive. Is this the same or more all over the place?


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 22, 2021)

Veldar said:


> I've heard some reports that here aren't many "songs" on this release more riff salad, I feel like the original colours went a lot of places but always felt pretty cohesive. Is this the same or more all over the place?



Definitely more riff salad, akin to more recent releases.


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## Spicypickles (Aug 22, 2021)

I prefer to think of it as riff stew, the flavors have melded a bit more.


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## chewpac (Aug 22, 2021)

it's incredible. 1st half is solid, second half brings it home in a big way. 

crazy piece of musical work. i am looking forward to many more listens.


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## Veldar (Aug 22, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Definitely more riff salad, akin to more recent releases.



That's a shame, as much as I loved some prog I do struggle to hang if there isn't some unity to the composition. Never got into post 2010s BTBAM because of that


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## Pietjepieter (Aug 23, 2021)

I love it! Masterpiece imo.

It sounds just like the fun of music making. No boundaries, it goes wherever they want it to go. 
I can only dream of ever becoming a musician of their caliber, both technically as well as creativity.

It is wild, beautiful, heavy, funny, techy and always btbam. 

Will probably be mine album of the year


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## lurè (Aug 23, 2021)

Very solid release, way better than Automata but maybe the name "Colors" made me build too high expectations.

Overall there are songs with very nice parts weakly linked toghter imho.

Sfumato + Human is hell is actually one of their best transitions .


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 23, 2021)

Pre-order merch arrived today. Even though this album isn't my favorite, still stoked on the stuff. No regrets. I'll always support this band as much as I can.


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## SCJR (Aug 23, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Pre-order merch arrived today. Even though this album isn't my favorite, still stoked on the stuff. No regrets. I'll always support this band as much as I can.



Did you by chance order from Sumerian? Not sure if the order status just hasn't updated or if it actually hasn't shipped yet.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 23, 2021)

SCJR said:


> Did you by chance order from Sumerian? Not sure if the order status just hasn't updated or if it actually hasn't shipped yet.



Yes, I ordered from Sumerian. 

I believe there are delays with vinyl, if that's what you ordered. I only got apparel. I figured I'd grab vinyl down the road after the initial rush.


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## vilk (Aug 27, 2021)

Finally listened, and it was not at all as bad as I was expecting! I'd even go so far as to call it _pretty good. _I was very turned off by the single, but luckily that track did make a little more sense in the context of the album. 

I did enjoy the reprises (is that the correct term?) from Colors, lyrically and musically. Feels like finding an Easter egg.

Damn, the breakdowns are fucking _weak. _A badass, cathartically heavy breakdown used to be one of BTBAM's signature moves, and you can tell that they attempted it at least once, but it was just way off the mark. Having said that, they did introduce a new move that I don't normally associate with them, and that was a black metal-esque wall of sound—and I feel they did actually pull it off pretty well.

I feel it's the best thing they've done since TGM, as evidenced as it being the first album they've made since then that I actually want to listen to again. Gonna play it while I go for my walk tomorrow.


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## Avedas (Aug 27, 2021)

Finally had time to give the album a few listens. There are a lot of really cool moments and a ton of great musical ideas. So far I'm liking it a lot.

+1 on the lack of breakdowns though, and I'm a bit disappointed that Paul hates shredding now. There are like 2 guitar solos on the whole album.

The riffs may be a riff salad, but they are damn good riffs.

Also love how visible Dan is in the mix.

Anyway, back to deadlifts while listening.


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## KailM (Aug 29, 2021)

Doesn't do anything for me. I think their schtick just wore off on me. Colors was one of my favorite albums when it came out, but before listening to Colors II I went back and spun Colors again a couple weeks ago and could barely get through it. Alaska is still tolerable. I think their formula just jumps around way too much, genre-wise, and the novelty is up for me.

If you like Colors and everything after, then I think you'll love this album though. It is well-produced and sounds great.


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## SCJR (Aug 29, 2021)

Ultimately middle of the pack as far as their entire output goes but it's not bad by any means. I would say the back half far outshines the front. Everything from Prehistory on takes a step up from what came before it. Though I do believe they could have emitted Turbulent entirely and the album would not have suffered one bit.


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## gnoll (Aug 29, 2021)

Why is it so fucking long?

There's cool parts but then there's also a bunch of boring stuff and I don't have time for that. I find myself going yes, no, yes, no, no, yes, no, no, no at all the different parts. Ultimately I just can't get through this whole thing.


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## gnoll (Aug 29, 2021)

And this band's screaming has to be the most monotonous ever?

Ra ra ra ra raaaahhhh! (Same note)


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## jwade (Aug 30, 2021)

I liked the first two albums, but after that I just haven’t been able to get into anything they do, and I’ve tried! I saw them open for Devin Townsend Project and did not enjoy any of it. There were no songs I knew and it was a massive chore sitting through their set.

I made it like 45 seconds in to this new track and I think this band is really just not for me, which is weird because I love the Thomas Giles shit.


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## Spicypickles (Aug 30, 2021)

If you saw them with DTP then you just don’t enjoy their Coma Ecliptic album. They just played that album in full that tour.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 30, 2021)

Spicypickles said:


> If you saw them with DTP then you just don’t enjoy their Coma Ecliptic album. They just played that album in full that tour.



Eh, minus Parallax I, things have been pretty "samey" post Colors I, and even more so after TGM.


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## works0fheart (Aug 30, 2021)

Spicypickles said:


> If you saw them with DTP then you just don’t enjoy their Coma Ecliptic album. They just played that album in full that tour.



Exactly. I just could not get into that album. I saw them around that time 2 different times. The first I was super underwhelmed by the setlist so the 2nd time I thought would be better, and it was, but still very new album oriented. Seeing them last night was the best set I've heard them play.



MaxOfMetal said:


> Eh, minus Parallax I, things have been pretty "samey" post Colors I, and even more so after TGM.



I disagree on this. I love TGM (I know you're not a fan) but pretty much everything after I'm not really big on. There's been a few decent songs here and there but still. 

Colors 2 is pretty decent but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. So far I enjoy it more than their last few releases but I don't know if it lives up to the hype of being a sequel to their most popular album. I think Lorcan's post summed up how I feel about it pretty well, but I need to really sit down/drive around and take it in.


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## GunpointMetal (Aug 30, 2021)

I spun it 4-5 times since it dropped and it's good, but like the last few for me its better as background music than something that holds my attention. Still an awesome live band, though.



gnoll said:


> Why is it so fucking long?
> 
> There's cool parts but then there's also a bunch of boring stuff and I don't have time for that. I find myself going yes, no, yes, no, no, yes, no, no, no at all the different parts. Ultimately I just can't get through this whole thing.


 Kinda my impression of most everything post-Alaska. Lots of cool ideas, but the songs don't feel like they're going anywhere but to the next part for no other reason than to have a next part. I think most of these songs would be better if they were 3-4 minutes long and that's it.



gnoll said:


> And this band's screaming has to be the most monotonous ever?
> 
> Ra ra ra ra raaaahhhh! (Same note)


 Yeah, right around Colors you could hear in the recordings that the screams were being done in a way so as to save his voice for the cleans, which ended up making both things less interesting.


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## works0fheart (Aug 30, 2021)

gnoll said:


> And this band's screaming has to be the most monotonous ever?
> 
> Ra ra ra ra raaaahhhh! (Same note)



Love this band, but man this is such a true statement. While it can be argued that he has good range because he does clean singing, his growls really do leave something to be desired.


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## jwade (Aug 30, 2021)

gunshow86de said:


>



Ok eating my words a little bit, the other song I heard I didn’t ‘get’, but I like this one a lot more.


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## Flemmigan (Sep 2, 2021)

works0fheart said:


> Love this band, but man this is such a true statement. While it can be argued that he has good range because he does clean singing, his growls really do leave something to be desired.



I may be in the minority here, but I think Tommy's growls are very unique. Definitely prefer them to 95% of deathcore shit and find them to be much less monotonous than that. I also think he's the master of double tracking unclean vocals.

Colors II slaps. Fucking love it. Better with each listen.


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