I have a super hard erection for BTBAM and this was meh. Memory palace started out meh but got un-meh, this was meh the entire way.

Meh.

Really? I feel the exact opposite.

This is slightly better than the first song, but it's still plagued by the same problems.

I am biased but I love this

I can't get over the mix

I hate how modern prog bands that I love start to think that going all 70s prog rock cheesiness is somehow a step forwards. these songs are a fucking mess in terms of atmosphere. I know that there is many people thinking the other way and their opinions a legitimate too but for fucks sake I dont like this pattern in modern bands.

I thought this was alright. Memory Palace was better for now, but I've also listened to Memory Palace about a dozen times. As for the mix, when will you fucking idiots realize that youtube/soundcloud/album streams arent representative of the final mix? Ever heard of compression? jfc...

I enjoyed the song, but I kind of miss the growls a bit. I've always enjoyed the clean singing in previous outings, but it was only really special because of how it juxtaposed the harsh vocals.

this is going to be their most polarizing release

BTBAM used to be my favorite band like 3 years ago.

And I fucking hate this.

BTBAM has always been cheesy as fuck though...

Not my thing but not that bad

Always cheesy, but they used to have some identity. Now they're just subscribing to this 70's prog rock sound that's too sterile.

I got a huge Faith No More vibe from this, but yes I still seems to be quite tame for BTBAM. It's not a bad thing; that's one of the best influences to have (imo) and they really pull it off. I love the video, that's what sold me. "Directing, editing, effects, acting, photography, story, 11/10." Couldn't have said it any better.

This is much better than Memory Palace, but its still very subpar for the band. Atleast their discography up to this is filled to the brim with quality to I guess I can't complain about them finally making a huge mistep that was bound to happen at some point.

BTBAM last two records attempting so much prog already sounded pretty overdone and I really hate the approach they are going for with their music now. This really is a shitty song and Tommy vocals sound pretty bad. Doesn't help that the mixing for this album based off these songs is terrible. I just want them to be themselves again like Colors or Alaska type writing, hell even Silent Circus. This is so drab and overdone to the point I can't get any enjoyment out of it, only annoyance. This album is shaping up to be pretty shitty if you ask me.

Yeah I much prefer the sound they had in Colors and Alaska. I still really like The Great Misdirect and both Parallaxes, but they've been getting closer and closer to just being Dream Theater copies which kinda sucks.

These two new songs feel a bit predictable which is exactly the opposite of what made their best stuff good, unpredictable and chaotic. Now they're moving to the grandiosity of prog. Idk how I feel. I guess I don't hate it. But I can't lie, I'd seriously love to just get Colors 2.0

Fuck BTBAM for not staying the same.

Fuckers.

Wasnt P2 Colors 2.0?

Alaska through TGM was fantastic. P1 was aight. P2 sucked. This sucks harder.

It's depressing to listen to a band that peaked 8-10 years ago.

Damn, people around here tend to complain a lot just for the sake of it, it's a good song. I even read a comment of someone saying "I miss the screams", and I wonder, do you even listened to the song? There are several parts with screams.

I'm nowhere near the biggest BTBAM fan, but I don't really hear anything wrong with these songs aside from some Dream Theater style cheese, though I'd take stuff like this over any DT

Very disappointing. Feels very bloated...

like it alot of course.

this is pretty good. more well-written than the majority of their music for sure, and many aspects of the band's sound seem pree streamlined at this point

i also actually think that from what i can tell, the mixing here seems to finally do the band justice. but tommy pls stop making weird animal noises instead of singing

this album is going to be really good

what the fuck happened to these guys? unbearably cheesy

I really can't handle those cleans, I find them terrible. I mean he can sing but his style really REALLY rubs me the wrong way. Music is okay I guess. Colors remains the only thing by these guys that I really enjoy.

Thought it was pretty good actually, his cleans >>> his harsh vocals

seriously some of the worst harsh vocals I have ever heard, especially for a band that is so big.

This also gave me some Voivod vibes at times a little bit

"his cleans >>> his harsh vocals"

By far, and I don't really understand how somebody could disagree.

'BTBAM has always been cheesy as fuck though...'

I said that about Memory Palaces but to be honest they've really crossed a threshold with last two songs. It's just far too much

But yeah this band just doesn't interest me anymore so I can really judge this song fairly

*can't

RIPBTBAMSMH

Comatorium, the mix for the youtube video will probably be exactly the same as on the record, there are basically no differences with the itunes song, maybe that the bitrate / overall quality of the track will be better, but the mix will basically stay the same. I've never heard differences in mixes from a youtube track or cd track...

Its times like these I really wish they stayed with their Alaska sound...

I'd love it so much if they lost the cheesy prog and added more of the ambient/post rock touches they used to incorporate in their early albums. It's just impossible to take them seriously anymore.

Yeah the actual sound of it is a little sterile, but I think the riffing is getting a lot more organized and the songwriting/transitions are a little more... idk, professional than they usually are. Usually it's like: MOTIF - crazyriffagecrazyriffage - MOTIF without a whole lot of actual flow. And I guess that was always part of the band's charm, but this song does feel like a step forward in that way. And I like that the harsh vox are contrasting the cleans now, rather than the other way around. It's a nice change of pace. You can't expect a band like this that's been around this long to stick with one sound.

"Its times like these I really wish they stayed with their Alaska sound..."

NO. That's a bad tacos

"I'd love it so much if they lost the cheesy prog and added more of the ambient/post rock touches they used to incorporate in their early albums."

I wish they would've went further in that direction, but I kind of enjoy the music they're making nowadays so I won't bitch

Also agreed w/ Brick

Quite frankly, a lot of it is going to depend on the context of the rest of the album. BTBAM hasn't been a "singles" band since Alaska (and not even really then), so any judgment rendered on these two new songs before July will be inherently lacking.

THAT BEING SAID

I'm not initially a huge fan of the idea of an 80/20 split of clean and harsh vox, especially, if the harsh vox are just gonna peppered in sporadically. It'll be interesting to see how that use them on this album. I don't know what some of you are talking about Tommy harsh vox being subpar -- he has a gorgeous tone! And it layers perfectly on the music too. Personally, I'd be super fine with 50/50 harsh and clean, ESPECIALLY since we've seen Tommy switch between the two so effectively in the past.

But really, fuck even my opinion on that because 1, it's too early to tell, and 2,
THERE ARE FOUR OTHER PEOPLE IN THE BAND, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE VOCALS.
I'm diggin' on that Briggs bass as usual.

Shit, now that I think about it, if the harsh vocals are placed really in super climactic moments, it could work REALLY REALLY amazingly.

If I wanted 70s prog rock, I would listen to 70s prog rock.[1]

same fans who bitched about Opeth released Heritage. People want the same shit over and over again. but great bands evolve, sure it may never be the classic Colors or Alaska but damn it's not supposed to. Im pumped to hear the album in its entirety.

sweet

But this just doesn't sound like they're evolving. The little flourishes of fromage in their past was unique and quirky but passable in the context of the albums. Now, instead of maturing into an even more refined sound, they're regressing by defining their sound on.....paying homage to a tired and lame sound from 40 years ago?

Man, I was curious as to whether I should get back into these guys or not. Missed the last few albums. I saw them play under a year ago with The Faceless and The Safety Fire and The Contortionist. Honestly, the "openers" outshone them completely.

The Contortionist are doing the same thing, but doing it right. Shitcore --> Melodic death --> Prog. Maturing. Sharpening and refining their sound.

BTBAM? They're playing circus clown music now, I guess.

Very fun song, definitely has some wicked sections.

They've just gone far too obscure for me. I loved Colors because it had bits of mucking around, but always pulled it back to a good melody or a catchy part. Some of the most powerful bits of that album were the most formulaic and tuneful - the "duet" in Prequel to the Sequel, "this is all we have when we die" in White Walls...

This new stuff is all over the shop without ever coming back to basics for long enough to make sense.

man are these guys an even bigger joke now

they've gotten way too bizarre

considering i hated P2, im not hating this, but its still pretty boring.

i hate that this reminds me of Survival by Muse. fuck that song

other than that, its aight

The new song is better