TECHNICAL MUSIC REVIEW
North Carolina’s premier prog band released the second part of the “Automata” series recently and like Auotmata 1 took a long time to sink in…..why? Well, for starters the second release was melodic like part one but a lot more experimental! The band incorporated more jazz elements and even some scat vocals! Lots of odd rhythms (as expected from any progressive band) are littered throughout this glorious trips along with some cool guitar duals, and some kick ass bass work from Dan Briggs himself including some bass solos.
BTBAM outdid themselves on both parts, but in the end 2 is my personal favorite of the two releases. It’s not only heavy and melodic, but the band further pushed it’s boundaries on what they can write and what styles they can succeed in. “Voice Of Trespass” blends all of those elements including the jazz and classic 1970’s prog influence as well. Automata 2 further proves the perfect musicianship of BTBAM as a collective, and their true diversity sticking to their guns and original sound without sacrificing integrity continuing to push those boundaries. Some fans think they “sold out” with Coma Ecliptic, but the band wanted to write something more melodic.
It’s a perfect mix of their 15 year existence of the band, and a mature evolvement in my opinion. They keep raising the bar in modern prog and continue to be a very overlooked band. I think its safe to say they know how good they are. One of my favorite drummers of my generation Blake Richardson continues to shine and proving his diverse skill set. It’s a top release of 2018 with many more great ones on the horizon. Check out the songs below and then buy the damn thing!
Originally published on Technical Music Review. Republished with permission.
