Coma Ecliptic | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 10, 2015 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 68:31 | |||
Label | Metal Blade | |||
Producer | Jamie King | |||
Between the Buried and Me chronology | ||||
|
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 73/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Alternative Press | [1] |
Consequence of Sound | C− [3] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [4] |
The Guardian | [5] |
Kerrang! | [1] |
PopMatters | [6] |
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. [7] The band first announced the album through Twitter on September 8, 2014 saying "It has begun! #rockopera". [8] Similar to previous releases by the band, Coma Ecliptic is a concept album. The first single, "Memory Palace" was released on April 3, 2015. [7]
The band has stated that the concept of Coma Ecliptic involves a man stuck in a coma, journeying through his past lives. It was added that the man faces a choice to either stay or move on to something better. Each song is its own episode in a fashion similar to "The Twilight Zone". [7]
Coma Ecliptic is notably the first album since 2005's Alaska to feature no songs over 10 minutes in length, although the track "Memory Palace" is close to the mark, clocking in at 9:54. This album also has a smaller emphasis on growling compared to other albums. Vocalist Tommy Rogers decided to use clean vocals more frequently, as he felt they better fit the tone of the songs being written.
The album received generally positive reviews from professional critics. Review aggregator Metacritic scored the album a 73 out of 100 based on 7 music critics, citing 'generally favorable reviews'. [1] Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the album a positive review saying, "Coma Ecliptic holds together as an album. Despite, and perhaps because of, its relative accessibility it is exceptionally creative. Ultimately, Between the Buried & Me, despite employing many tropes and influences, come off sounding like no one but themselves." Calum Slingerland of Exclaim! opined, "While the noticeable shift away from death metal may discourage some, Coma Ecliptic succeeds in pushing Between the Buried and Me's creativity in a new direction, avoiding a simple rehash of their winning formula."
Dom Lawson from The Guardian gave the album a perfect rating calling it "ingenious, sprawling prog-metal" and saying "From the rock opera crescendos of the opening "Node" onwards, the album dares to be both a quintessentially prog-rock experience and a timely act of modern metal derring-do." Chris Cope of Prog added that "at its best, Coma Ecliptic holds some of this band’s most impressive moments to date." [9]
Some opinions were generally mixed on the band's shift away from technical death metal on Coma Ecliptic. Jon Hadusek of Consequence of Sound gave the album a rating of C−, saying, "Coma Ecliptic clocks in at over an hour, but most discouraging is the band’s failure to translate the album’s conceptual themes to the listener in that timespan." Kerrang! received the album negatively: "They're suspended in an airy updraft of synths and clean guitar lines that are so '70s prog-rock they should be wearing a Rick Wakeman from Yes-styled cape."
The second track "The Coma Machine" is featured and available as downloadable content in the game Rock Band 4.
All tracks are written by Between the Buried and Me
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Node" | 3:31 |
2. | "The Coma Machine" | 7:35 |
3. | "Dim Ignition" | 2:16 |
4. | "Famine Wolf" | 6:50 |
5. | "King Redeem/Queen Serene" | 6:58 |
6. | "Turn on the Darkness" | 8:26 |
7. | "The Ectopic Stroll" | 7:02 |
8. | "Rapid Calm" | 7:59 |
9. | "Memory Palace" | 9:54 |
10. | "Option Oblivion" | 4:22 |
11. | "Life in Velvet" | 3:38 |
Total length: | 68:31 |
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [10] | 17 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [11] | 205 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [12] | 53 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [13] | 42 |
UK Albums (OCC) [14] | 74 |
US Billboard 200 [15] | 12 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [16] | 1 |
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [17] | 1 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [18] | 1 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [19] | 2 |
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).
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.
Between the Buried and Me is a North Carolina–based progressive metalcore band. The discography of the group has seen a shift from a short, song-based approach in their earlier albums to a more conceptual approach in their later offerings. The band has been known throughout their career for employing a wide variety of musical styles in their compositions, often combining them with technically demanding playing.
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.
Dystopia is the fifteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released on frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft label via Universal on January 22, 2016. It is the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Kiko Loureiro, the only album with drummer Chris Adler, and their last with bassist David Ellefson. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw and features cover artwork by Brent Elliot White.
Juggernaut: Alpha is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Periphery. It's the first part of a double album, the second part of which is Juggernaut: Omega. The double album was released on January 27, 2015, by Sumerian Records. Juggernaut: Alpha debuted at No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Juggernaut: Omega is the fourth studio album by American progressive metal band Periphery. It's the second part of a double album, the first part of which is Juggernaut: Alpha. The double album was released on January 27, 2015, by Sumerian Records. Juggernaut: Omega debuted at No. 25 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Node is the third studio album by Australian heavy metal band Northlane. It was released on 24 July 2015 through UNFD and Rise. It was produced by Will Putney and recorded at Graphic Nature Audio in Belleville, New Jersey. This is the first album to feature vocalist Marcus Bridge after the departure of Adrian Fitipaldes in 2014. It also marks the group's first slight departure from their heavier metalcore roots and towards a more alternative and experimental sound.
Polaris is the third studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract. It was released on 18 September 2015, both digitally and physically on vinyl and CD. There is also a 2-disc version with the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound.
The Color Before the Sun is the eighth studio album by American progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria. Following the conceptual double album, The Afterman: Ascension and Descension, released in 2012 and 2013 respectively, The Color Before the Sun is the first non-conceptual album the band has released, making it the only Coheed and Cambria album to not be a part of The Amory Wars storyline. The band released a live acoustic version of "Atlas" in August 2014, and announced a release date of October 9 in July of the following year, before announcing a push back to October 16, 2015. The first single was "You Got Spirit, Kid", released in July 2015, with a music video for the song released in August. A second music video, for the song "Island", was released in October.
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.
Gore is the eighth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on April 8, 2016, by Reprise Records. Its release was met with critical acclaim, debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200; it is the band's fifth album to debut within the chart's top-ten and is their highest-charting since their 2003 eponymous album.
Periphery III: Select Difficulty is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Periphery. The album was released July 22, 2016 through Sumerian Records, and was produced by Misha Mansoor and Adam Getgood. The opening track, "The Price Is Wrong", was nominated for Best Metal Performance in the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. It is the last album the band released on this label. It is also the last album to feature bassist Adam "Nolly" Getgood as an official member of Periphery before he left the band in 2017, though he still returned on Periphery IV: Hail Stan to produce, engineer, and mix the album, in addition to contributing final bass parts.
Grief's Infernal Flower is the third album by American doom metal band Windhand. The album was released on September 18, 2015 via Relapse Records. It was named the 17th best album of 2015 by Consequence of Sound.
The Violent Sleep of Reason is the eighth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 7 October 2016 via Nuclear Blast. This album was recorded live in the studio, simultaneously with all members, rather than recording each instrument separately as is more common for modern recording. The band announced the new album, its title, and track list via Blabbermouth.net and Revolver magazine on 5 August 2016.
Emperor of Sand is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released on March 31, 2017 through record label Reprise Records. The album's first single, "Show Yourself", peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2017. The second single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart. It was ranked on several year-end lists, including at number three on The Independent's "Top 20 Rock & Metal Albums of 2017".
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.
Uniform Distortion is the third studio album by American musician and lead vocalist of My Morning Jacket Jim James. It was released on June 29, 2018 under ATO Records.
Forgotten Days is the fourth studio album by American doom metal band Pallbearer. It was released on October 23, 2020 through Nuclear Blast, making it the band's first full-length for the label. Production was handled by Randall Dunn.
Hushed and Grim is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released as a double album on October 29, 2021, through Reprise Records. The album is the band's longest to date, their first double album. Guest appearances include Soundgarden's Kim Thayil on "Had It All" and Troy Sanders' mother Jody Sanders on French horn. There is no guest vocal appearance by Scott Kelly from Neurosis for the first time since their 2002 debut Remission, due to Kelly's domestic abuse allegations, which the singer confirmed were true in a statement in August 2022, where he also stated his intention to withdraw from the public eye. The album also serves as a tribute to Mastodon's former manager Nick John, after his death from cancer in 2018.