| Level 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 12, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal, avant-garde metal, metalcore | |||
| Length | 43:50 | |||
| Label | Prosthetic | |||
| Producer | Jamie King | |||
| Last Chance to Reason chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Level 2 is the second full-length album by metal band, Last Chance to Reason. It was released in 2011 through Prosthetic Records and is their first release since leaving Tribunal.
Teaming up with producer Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, The Human Abstract), the band set out to create a modern take on the classic progressive concept album. Drawing influence from the 1970s prog of King Crimson and Yes, composers Steve Reich and Schoenberg as well as prog-metal masters Opeth, Dream Theater, Between the Buried and Me and Cynic, LCTR's Level 2 takes the band in awe-inspiring new directions.
Set in a Tron-like virtual world, the album's concept revolves around the relationship between man and technology, our move from physical reality to virtual spaces and what these changes mean to our lives and our art. The lyrics are expressed from the point of view of an artificial intelligence facing the violent reality of a videogame world.
Not content to simply release the piece as a musical endeavor, LCTR has teamed up with acclaimed indie developer Tom Vine and pixel artist Francis Coulombe to create a fully interactive version of the album in which the story unfolds through LCTR's thematic riffs, stirring vocal hooks and progressive virtuosity while the player blasts his way through viscous gameplay inspired by classics such as R-Type, Contra, and Super Metroid. [2] However, there has only been a demo released so far, which is the full level of “Upload Complete".
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Upload Complete" | 5:32 |
| 2. | "Coded to Fail" | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Taking Control" | 1:29 |
| 4. | "Temp Files" | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Programmed for Battle" | 4:34 |
| 6. | "Portal" | 5:12 |
| 7. | "The Parabolic" | 2:44 |
| 8. | "The Linear" | 6:30 |
| 9. | "The Prototype" | 5:34 |
| 10. | "Apotheosis" | 5:43 |
| Total length: | 43:40 | |
Jamie King - producer
Progressive metal is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral or "pseudo-classical" compositions of the latter. One of these experimental examples introduced to modern metal was djent. The music typically showcases the extreme technical proficiency of the performers and usually uses unorthodox harmonies as well as complex rhythms with frequent meter changes and intense syncopation.
Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr., Paul Waggoner, Dustie Waring, Dan Briggs, and Blake Richardson (drums).
Between the Buried and Me is the debut studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was produced by Jamie King and was released on April 30, 2002 through Lifeforce Records. The album contains re-recordings of all the songs that were on the group's 2001 three-track demo: "What We Have Become", "More of Myself to Kill" and "The Use of a Weapon". The album was remixed and remastered in 2020.
The Silent Circus is the second studio album by American progressive metal 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 metal 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.
In Search of Truth is the third studio album and first concept album by Swedish progressive metal band Evergrey. Released on 13 November 2001 through Inside Out Music, it is the first album to feature guitarist Henrik Danhage and bassist Michael Håkansson, as well as the only one to feature keyboardist Sven Karlsson.
Colors is the fourth studio album by American progressive metal 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 June 2021, the band had released another album being a sequel to Colors, titled Colors II.
Colors Live is the first video album by American progressive metal 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.
Last Chance to Reason is an American progressive metal band from Augusta, Maine. Their debut album, Lvl. 1, was released through Tribunal Records in 2007. Their first major label debut, Level 2, came in 2011 through Prosthetic Records. The band's third studio album, Level 3, was released on August 6, 2013.
Scale the Summit is an American instrumental progressive metal band based out of Houston, Texas. It formed in 2004 and signed to Prosthetic Records. The band is influenced by other progressive acts such as Cynic and Dream Theater. The band gained notice as part of the Progressive Nation 2009 tour with Dream Theater, Zappa Plays Zappa and Bigelf.
Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C., United States. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent band within the djent scene. Prosthetic Records released the band's eponymous debut album in 2009. They went on to release the albums Weightless (2011), The Joy of Motion (2014), The Madness of Many (2016), and Parrhesia (2022).
The Great Misdirect is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal 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."
Ashley "Ellyllon" Jurgemeyer is an American pianist, keyboardist and songwriter for the band Orbs and was the former pianist of symphonic black metal bands Abigail Williams and of Cradle of Filth.
The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues is an extended play by American progressive metal 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.
Lvl. 1 is the debut studio album by the band Last Chance to Reason. The album heavily references video games, especially Super Metroid. Song titles include "Escape From Brinstar", "Kraid Ain't Got Shit On Me", and "Destroy Mother Brain", and "Maddens for Noobz".
Language is the third studio album by American progressive metal band the Contortionist. The album was released under eOne/Good Fight Music on September 16, 2014. It is the first studio album to feature Michael Lessard of Last Chance to Reason, who replaced Jonathan Carpenter. The album debuted at #52 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as #6 on the "Hard Rock" chart and #15 on the "Rock" chart.
Coma Ecliptic is the seventh studio album by American progressive metal 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.
Automata I is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal 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.
Artificial Language is an American progressive metal band from Fresno, California founded in late 2015 by guitarists Victor Corral and Charlie Robbins, bassist Josh Riojas, keyboardist Jonathon Simpson and drummer Jeron Schapansky, all hailing from the Central Valley area. Vocalist Shay Lewis, from Rhode Island, joined them later.
Colors II is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal 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.