AUTOMATA II

Released three months after the first part, 'Automata II' completes Between the Buried and Me's two-part 2018 concept album, exploring a scenario in which dreams are broadcast for the purpose of entertainment and following one of the protagonist's dreams, a dark story that oversees a lot of personal issues expressed in the search for a lost family. This second installment sees the band completely embracing their adventurous, conceptual and atmospheric side, as 'Automata II' only features four songs, three of which work as lengthy and complex blocks of music, overshadowing perhaps the first installment of this work with the focused and aggravated approach as well as the flamboyant songwriting that sees the producing some of their most eclectic and futuristic compositions. The entire second part is a fantastic ode to everything that makes this American band special - the staggering and sometimes intimidating complexity of their music, the frantic riffing with all of the unpredictable twists and turns, the strong melodies and the unexpected mixture of seemingly incompatible genres and sounds, as well as the balancing between the clean singing and the striking harsh vocals.

Opening track 'The Proverbial Below' is a gargantuan 13-minute opus that sees a lot of fancy chord progressions à la King Crimson, which is definitely a major influence for the band. Kicking off with a muscular metallic riff, the song soon turns to a dazzling dance of time signatures and extraordinary playing, simply one of the best long pieces BTBAM have ever recorded. This is followed by 'Glide', with its two minutes of bluegrass wackiness, a nice little snippet of music that gives way to the glorious and really heavy 'Voice of Trespass', another one of the centerpieces across the two parts of the album. Some horn sections and vaudeville vignettes do make their way through, on a song that end up being incredibly diverse and enjoyable, despite all the in-your-face growls. And the closing piece is 'The Grid', with its ten minutes of epic riffing and moody shifts, it start off really harsh, but it transitions into a very atmospheric piece towards the end that closes off this half of the double album with its quiet, almost nostalgic tones. The entire double-album is fantastic and the idea of releasing it in two parts makes it more easily digestible; Still, one has to admit that 'Automata II' is the better mini-album overall.

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