Automata I | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 9, 2018 | |||
Recorded | August–September 2017 | |||
Studio | The Basement Studios, Winston-Salem, North Carolina | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 35:13 | |||
Label | Sumerian | |||
Producer | Jamie King, Between the Buried and Me | |||
Between the Buried and Me chronology | ||||
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Automata I is the eighth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on March 9, 2018, through Sumerian Records, their first release with the label. It is the first part of a two-piece album; the second, Automata II , was released on July 13, 2018. [1]
Between the Buried and Me began recording the album on July 31, 2017, and finished on September 6, 2017, [2] announcing it in January 2018 with 2018 tour dates set with The Dear Hunter and Leprous. [3] [4] Longtime producer and collaborator Jamie King returned to produce the album. [5]
A music video for "Condemned to the Gallows" was released on January 19, 2018. On March 9, 2018, the band released the second music video from the album for the song, "Millions". The album was released later that same day.
About the album, guitarist Paul Waggoner remarked: [6]
We never want to repeat ourselves. We're always trying to do something different, and this album fell right into that sort of pattern. We push ourselves into new places, while retaining our basic sound. Musically, we go somewhere that's fun and challenging. We never know how it's going to turn out. These are uncharted waters for us. We've never written an entire piece and presented it in separate parts like this.
Automata is a concept album. According to an official press release, the album will revolve around the concept of being able to view the dreams of others, frontman Tommy Rogers commented: [7]
What if dreams could be broadcast for the purpose of entertainment? Could you consume the innermost thoughts of another person on screen? If you could, what does that say about an attention-starved audience? More importantly, what would become of the dreamer?
During an interview with That Drummer Guy, he also added: [8]
The protagonist in the story... his dreams are broadcast over the entire world as a form of entertainment and because of this he is taken advantage of by a company called "Voice of Trespass". It follows one of his dreams where he is searching for a family that he's lost, [...] all those different aspects of the story and deals a lot with his personal well-being, corruption, depression, the audience's perspective on the whole thing, [...] it showcases his life in a way and things that he deals with.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 70/100 [9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
The A.V. Club | C+ [11] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [12] |
Metal Injection | 9/10 [13] |
MetalSucks | [14] |
PopMatters | [15] |
Team Rock | [16] |
Automata I received generally positive reviews from professional critics, noting the band's continued technical proficiency found in their previous albums, [13] [16] [15] [14] while some felt ambivalent of the album's significantly shorter length—drawing comparisons to their 2011 extended play, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues , which is five minutes shorter—and the band's decision to release Automata in two parts. [15] [17] Review aggregator Metacritic scored the album a 70 out of 100 based on five music critics, citing "generally favorable reviews". [9]
The Prog Report praised the album, referring to the song "Blot" as a "song [that] brings all the elements which one would expect—it doesn't disappoint", comparing the track with the sound of bands like Haken and Nova Collective (bassist Dan Briggs being a member of this band). They also add that the song "shines as it has everything BTBAM has to offer at the highest level of musical performance. The ending chorus is epic; but, just when you think a conclusion is due, the abrupt ending reminds us the second part is just a few months away..." [18]
MetalSucks's Phil Boozeman gave the album 4 devil horns claiming "Automata is also a perfect jumping-on spot for new fans, as it winds up being one of the band's easiest-to-digest releases" and that "Musically, BTBAM are already in outer space while every other metal band remains stuck on earth — and yet Automata finds the band somehow continuing to push themselves in new territory". He also added that the song "Blot" "may very well represent BTBAM's strongest work to date". [19]
All tracks are written by Tommy Giles Rogers Jr., Dan Briggs, Blake Richardson, Dustie Waring and Paul Waggoner [20]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Condemned to the Gallows" | 6:35 |
2. | "House Organ" | 3:41 |
3. | "Yellow Eyes" | 8:45 |
4. | "Millions" | 4:43 |
5. | "Gold Distance" (instrumental) | 1:02 |
6. | "Blot" | 10:27 |
Total length: | 35:13 |
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] | 88 |
US Billboard 200 [22] | 35 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [23] | 1 |
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [24] | 4 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [25] | 7 |
Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr., Paul Waggoner, Dan Briggs, Dustie Waring (guitar) and Blake Richardson (drums).
Glass Casket is a deathcore band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Originally known as Gadrel, the band released two albums before becoming mostly inactive in 2006 as the members focused on other projects. In 2013, the band announced that they were working on new music but would not officially reform until a decade later in 2023, announcing that an EP would be released later that year.
Tommy Giles Rogers is an American musician, most notable for being the lead vocalist, keyboardist and lyricist of the progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me, which he co-founded in 2000. His vocal style combines death growls and screams with peaceful clean singing melodies, sometimes including falsetto. In 2005, Stylus Magazine named Rogers one of the three most versatile rock singers at the time.
Between the Buried and Me is the debut studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was produced by Jamie King and was released on April 30, 2002 through Lifeforce Records.
The Silent Circus is the second studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. Released October 21, 2003, through Victory Records. It was their first album to be released through Victory Records after their departure from Lifeforce Records. It was re-released in 2006 with a bonus DVD included. The album includes 10 tracks with a hidden song titled "The Man Land" hidden at the end of "The Need for Repetition". It is notable for being the band's only album not to be produced by Jamie King. The album was remixed and remastered in 2020.
Alaska is the third studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on September 6, 2005 through Victory Records and is the first album to feature the band's current lineup, with the addition of Dustie Waring on guitar, Dan Briggs on bass, and Blake Richardson on drums. The band co-produced the album with Matthew Ellard, who produced the band's last album The Silent Circus, and Jamie King, who had previously produced the band's self-titled album. The album was remixed and remastered in 2020.
The Anatomy Of is a cover album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It is the second release to include Dan Briggs, Blake Richardson, and Dustie Waring and consists entirely of cover songs by Between the Buried and Me's favorite bands and musical inspirations.
Colors is the fourth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me, released on September 18, 2007 through Victory Records. Although separated in 8 tracks, Colors gives the impression of one continuous song, with transitions between each part. The album was remixed and remastered in 2020. In August 2021, the band released a sequel to Colors, titled Colors II.
Prayer for Cleansing is an American metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The band is noted for their extreme metal influence that was a little more prominent in their music than other metalcore bands at the time. They are also notable for being an early musical starting point for three members of Between the Buried and Me who played in the band.
Colors Live is the first video album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on October 14, 2008. The concert was filmed at the Rocketown in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, August 2, 2008. The album peaked at number 100 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The Great Misdirect is the fifth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on October 27, 2009 through Victory Records and was produced by Jamie King. Despite containing only six tracks, the album reaches nearly an hour in total time length. The album contains their longest song, "Swim to the Moon", which surpasses 17 minutes. Frontman Tommy Giles Rogers described The Great Misdirect as "some of the best material we've ever created."
Sumerian Records is an American record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen. They have signed artists such as Black Veil Brides, Crosses, Poppy, Bad Omens, Animals As Leaders, and I See Stars. In early 2022, Sumerian acquired Behemoth Entertainment, a comic book and video game publisher, in order to increase their merchandise options and further expand the brand.
The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues is an extended play by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on April 12, 2011 and was the group's first release through Metal Blade Records after leaving Victory Records in 2010. The entire EP was made available for streaming two weeks before its release on March 31, 2011.
The Contortionist is an American progressive metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. Formed in 2007, the band consists of guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard, drummer Joey Baca, vocalist Mike Lessard, bassist Jordan Eberhardt, and keyboardist Eric Guenther. They have released four studio albums and three EPs. The band signed with eOne Music and Good Fight Entertainment in early 2010.
The Parallax II: Future Sequence is the sixth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me, released on October 9, 2012. The album's concept is the continuation of the band's 2011 EP The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues. Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring (guitars) described it as being their favorite release up to now, being mature, dynamic, and with various metal influences from 1970's progressive rock, to jazz and fusion.
Capture is an Australian metalcore band formed in early 2010 after the break-up of another metalcore outfit, Atlanta Takes State. The band rose to prominence under their original name Capture the Crown when they released the music video for their song, "You Call That a Knife? This Is a Knife!" (2011) on YouTube. The band was signed to Sumerian Records in December 2012 but were dropped in October the following year. Since their formation they have issued two studio albums, 'Til Death, which appeared on three Billboard component charts Top Hard Rock (No. 21), Top Heatseekers (No. 7), and Top Independent Albums (No. 25), and Reign of Terror, which charted at #86 on the U.S. Billboard 200. In August 2013 the group announced the proposed release of an extended play, Live Life, which was released on 4 February 2014. Later in 2014, they announced that they had signed with Artery Recordings. In March 2017, the group shortened its name to simply Capture and unveiled a new song under the new title.
Coma Ecliptic is the seventh studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me, released on July 10, 2015 through Metal Blade Records. The band first announced the album through Twitter on September 8, 2014 saying "It has begun! #rockopera". Similar to previous releases by the band, Coma Ecliptic is a concept album. The first single, "Memory Palace" was released on April 3, 2015.
Soul Sphere is the fourth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Born of Osiris. The album was released on October 23, 2015 through Sumerian Records.
Automata II is the ninth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on July 13, 2018 through Sumerian Records, and it is the second part of a two-piece album, the first one being Automata I, which was released March 9, 2018. The band also announced that they would perform at The Summer Slaughter Tour.
Colors II is the tenth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on August 20, 2021 through Sumerian Records, their second release with the label, after the two-part album Automata I and II. It serves as a direct follow-up to their 2007 album Colors.