| Level 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 12, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Studio | Mother Brain Studios, Augusta, Maine The Basement Studios, Winston-Salem, North Carolina | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:50 | |||
| Label | Prosthetic | |||
| Producer |
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| Last Chance to Reason chronology | ||||
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| 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 | |
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 quasi-classical compositions of the latter.
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is the fifth studio album and first concept album by the American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 26, 1999, through Elektra Records. It was recorded at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York, where the band had previously recorded their second studio album, Images and Words (1992), and the EP A Change of Seasons (1995).
Octopus is the fourth studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1972. It was the band's last album which all the Shulman brothers involved together in the band, as the founding member Phil Shulman left the band after the release, and the first with new drummer John Weathers, who would remain with the band until their dissolution in 1980. Octopus remains a highly regarded example of the progressive rock genre and is generally considered to represent the start of the band's peak period.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 formed in Houston, Texas in 2004. The band comprises guitarist Chris Letchford, bassist Kilian Duarte and drummer Charlie Engen. They were signed to Prosthetic Records before the band decided to release their work independently. 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.
Leprous is a Norwegian progressive metal band from Notodden, formed in 2001. The group was founded by singer and keyboardist Einar Solberg and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke.
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 Music/Good Fight Entertainment 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.
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The Oblivion Particle is the twelfth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was released on August 21, 2015. It was the last album with drummer Jimmy Keegan, who left the band in October 2016 for personal reasons. This album also features Nick D'Virgilio on one track as a guest musician. Only 3 songs on the album feature writing credits to the band members themselves, with the rest being credited to longtime collaborators Stan Ausmus and John Boegehold.
Soul Secret is an Italian progressive metal band that formed in 2004 in Napoli, Italy.
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.
The Middle-Earth Album is the fifth studio album by American progressive rock band Glass Hammer, released on June 15, 2001. It is the band's second album based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, after their 1993 debut album, Journey of the Dunadan, and their second release not to be a concept album, after 1998's On to Evermore. It is the first album to feature singer Susie Bogdanowicz after she joined as band member, and as such the first album to feature the band's longest and steadiest line-up, which would last until their tenth studio album, 2007's Culture of Ascent.
Our Bones is the third EP by American progressive metal band The Contortionist. It was released on August 9, 2019 through eOne Music and Good Fight Entertainment. The EP was self-produced by the band and John Douglass.
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.
A Shadow of My Future Self is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Ross Jennings. It was released on 19 November 2021 through Graphite Records. Unlike his more well-known Progressive music, Jennings' solo record follows a much more mainstream approach with Jennings directly citing Styx, Coldplay, Journey and Porcupine Tree as references.