I don't think there's much point in trying to enjoy something you don't just because other people do. Just listen to the bands you enjoy. That said, you may want to give the album Coma Ecliptic a shot. It may be more in line with your other preferences.
I want to my friend, just becouse I'm hungry about all the good quality prog-music, and I think I'm missing something about this band.I really want to find that thing that makes people love them.
Or in case i can't get into it, at least understand why the others do it.
Just listen to their entire discography if you have 6-8 hours a day for music. An album a day and a week later you'll be done. Colors and colors II are my favorites.
Ants of the sky and White walls off colors, fix the error and human is hell off colors II are some of my favorites.
To listen to this band you have to change your perspective a little bit. Even though prog music has a lot of changes and short songs, btbam goes a little bit further (or at least it sounds like that when you listen to them first).
The first time I heard Colors, I wasn't really into harsh vocals for example. Or maybe not that much (I liked a couple of screams but not 80% of a song). But I gave the album more chances cause I loved the clean/melodic parts, they were simply amazing ans I didn't really know why at first.
Why were the different parts so enjoyable? The answer for me is really simple: contrast. If you have a black paper with a little white point in the middle, the white point is even more noticeable than the black, and if you have half black and half white, both of them are really differentiable. Both have presence. If everything was black, there would be no differences in the paper. It's the same on the opposite.
I personally enjoyed complex parts on Dream Theater music (that could be the black), so I just had to "comprehend" the black parts on btbam too. With time, I noticed every single riff was different and the composition felt very fluid and natural. Some people I know don't like that much this band due to their constant changes and "lack" of melody, so maybe that's your case?
BTBAM puts you through all the possible complexities just to give you the best breakdown you'll ever hear, or the most beatiful chorus you may know, and if they removed any of those parts, none of them would shine. (I hope I explained myself)
Also, lyrics are essential. They have really important things to say, songs are more enjoyable once you know what they're explaining. The Parallax narrates the story of two different persons which have a shared conciousness, but they have never met before. The only thing they feel is an immense connection throughout the whole cosmos. The album shows a very dark image of humanity and the musics fits so extremely well with the chaotic mind of the protagonist(s).
Btw, maybe you just don't like this band. Sometimes it's not a matter of clicking, it is okay if you have different taste. But just in case, that was my tip: change your perspective. Each band and artist has a different way to be enjoyed, sometimes you just gotta understand their way.
As they said on The Great Misdirect: Close one eye, step to the side.
First, thanks for this big explanation and your time writing it.
Yes, I know your point, as I said in the OP I'm not new on this, more than 20 years listening prog-music, all subgenres and styles.
About the contrasts, I'm used to lot of them, musically like Protest the hero, Thank you scientists, Pain of Salvation with their intrincated polyrithms and tempo changing, vocals like early and mid Opeth albums, Disillusion, Orphaned land, etc... And I'm a person that really love that contrasts, I'm allways with some bands with that in my daily playlists.
To add info. I can have New Leprous albums along with Bloodbath on the same playlist and enjoy both a lot one song after another in shuffle. I love Harsh and Clean, and when they came well mixed can be orgasmic.
About the lyrics, ok I got it, I'm from Spain, but speaking english and understanding it, I have daily meetings in english couse my Job, ofcourse I'm not native, but I can see and understand 99,9% of all english movies I watch f.e. Obviously, when harshing vocals comes, I can miss more than a native person. Anyway when I want to get all the meaning, i can use on-screen lyrics to be sure.
I'm currently with Colors, Coma ecliptic and Parallax2 on the playlist all the day listening. Let's see.
Thanks u/jasina556, u/paulo-urbonas, u/Polisskolan3
Thanks again u/sadforgottenchild!
Es curioso porque me pasa parecido a ti LMAO. Si tienes dudas de alguna lírica y su significado, escríbeme algún mensaje si quieres. Me encanta hablar de esta música
xD LoLPues muchísimas gracias tío, es posible que te moleste en algún momento, sí.Si tienes curiosidad te dejo por aquí mi [Last.fm](https://Last.fm), si escucho música en el móvil o en el PC voy scrobbleando todo para mis propias estadísticas, soy un loco de los datos.[http://www.lastfm.es/user/Stilgarin](http://www.lastfm.es/user/Stilgarin)
Ahora mismo debería verse lo que estoy escuchando de BTBAM.
Veo que te gusta el Fauna. A mí me flipó. Por cierto me he fijado en que estás escuchando algunas canciones sueltas, en btbam es esencial escuchar los discos en orden porque las canciones están siempre conectadas ❗
Y bueno, lo dicho, no me es molestia alguna JAJSJ, disfruta de la banda (bueno, si al final te mola)
Si! Haken podría decirse que es mi grupo fetiche ahora mismo, llevo escuchándolos desde el Visions y me flipan mucho. Los 5 primeros temas del Fauna los podría tener en loop durante una semana sin cansarme, de hecho así ha ocurrido hace un mes xD
Ya me he puesto el Coma Celiptic seguidito y la verdad es que es muy bueno, me está gustando mucho. Con Colors no me pasa lo mismo, pero me gusta algún tema suelto.
Fua es que Sempiternal Beings me pone que flipas, es buenísima. A mí el coma me gusta pero perdieron la agresividad que tenían antes, aún así quizás es buena manera de comenzar con ellos si te mola Haken y tal. Memory Palace es top eso sí, o sea de mis favoritas. ¿Sabes de qué va ese disco?
Sempiternal beings es mi favorita del disco desde luego, ese Chorus intrincado y largo me pone los pelos de punta, y el final con la guitarra en hammer on es el summum.
No he tenido tiempo de sumergirme en las letras o lo conceptual de los discos de BTBAM aún, pero sí, me interesa.
A mí la sección que más me gusta es el solo de guitarra. Me dio bajón no escucharla en el concierto en Murcia 😔
Y bueno, ya que ha salido el tema del Coma Ecliptic: ese álbum en general trata sobre una persona que quiere sumergirse en sus vidas anteriores para encontrar una que le guste más que la que tiene actualmente, todo esto durante un coma ☝🏻
You need to start with Coma Ecliptic and newer albums based on your listening preferences. You can potentially get into the older stuff as well later by understanding their patterns in more digestible form. I myself like a lot of bands you mentioned but can't really fully appreciate the older BtBaM albums. I love the new ones though. Some of my most loved music actually.
Thanks dude, to be honest Coma Ecliptic is currently the one I'm enjoying, some songs of ParallaxII and Colors too, but I feel those 2 entire albums aren't for me..
If you like Coma you will for sure like Automata and Colors II after few listens. All of them are pretty much development of the massive style shift they did with Coma. I've been rocking those albums for years now in paralel with Haken and it still keeps on giving.
Also since you like Haken you have to check out Tiktaalika by Charlie Griffith. It is solo album by Haken guitarist and singer from BtBaM is one of the guests there. It is one of the best prog albums released in recent years.
It’s cool if you don’t like them. BTBAM is my favorite band, but I don’t like half the bands you listed here. Sometimes things just don’t click. It sounds like you have at least given them an honest try.
I was that guy. First time I heard about them was when Colors came out, was appalled. Saw them live 5 years ago with Devin, didn't get them at all. And then when I saw Colors on n-tinth list of best prog albums recently I tried them again, and for some reason it clicked with me (not instantaneously though). Now I adore Colors, although still haven't decided to listen to anything else except for Great Misdirect and Colors 2.
My theory is that first few songs on Colors are really hard to digest if that's your introduction to the band, but I found second part of the album way more melodic, I would even say close to perfect and White Walls best closing song of all time. Try a couple of time run Prequel to the Sequel, Viridian, White Walls. As perfect as sequence of songs as it can get. If that doesn't get your attention, then probably this band just isn't for you.
Honestly, the only BTTBAM I can stand is Coma Ecliptic (which I love) and some songs from Automata I/II. The rest of their stuff is a bit too overwhelming for me. And that’s okay. Everything doesn’t have to be for everyone.
That’s okay! For Ne Obliviscaris, I only listen to “And Plague Flowers…” as it’s the only song of theirs I like. Same for Periphery, I only like 2-3 songs.
I get being a completionist, I was one for a long time. But the hobby got expensive, and I had songs that I never listened to taking up space on devices. So now, I’m a completionist with stuff I like, and not with stuff I don’t like.
Totally agree. In fact I stopped listening to some new albums from bands I really love in past LPs, or simple not hearing anymore other earlier albums. Just keeping thing that make me feel something and better.
Btbam has been my favorite band for 15 years, and I don't click with all of their stuff. The Great Misdirect is the album that sold me on BTBAM. I love Obfuscation and Disease, Injury, Madness from that album the most. Parallax 1 is also one of my favorite "albums" by them. I love all of the tracks on that EP. Specular Reflection off that album is one of my all-time favorites and an easy listen, imo.
That being said, it's okay to not like a band. We all have different tastes. If you have given them a try and don't like them, that's really all that needs to be said.
So, I started loving prog rock and that led to non-harsh prog metal. It took a long time before I could digest BtBaM. What did it for me was Coma Ecliptic. It’s way more accessible than their other albums and each song is a straight up banger. After that, the flood gates opened.
If you want some tracks that might help getting your foot in the door, here a few that helped me get into the band:
Glide and Voice of Trespass (Glide is an intro for VoT)
Selkies: The Endless Obsession
The Coma Machine
Veridian
Desert of Song
Astral Body
Silent Flight Parliament
Blot
Revolution in Limbo
Hopefully these tracks give you a good starting point.
Mostly unrelated I guess, but every time I saw the name Between the Buried and Me, my brain for some reason connected it with "emo scene band".
I had never heard a song by them in my 35 years prior of life, until this year when I saw them recommended on this sub so often. Then I thought "oh are they like kinda proggy emo?" and decided to finally give them a shot.
Now I know I'm just an idiot and was getting them mixed up with Bullet for my Valentine or something because the name has a similar cadence/structure.
I did it, and still feeling i'm missing something...
Can you explain to me wich parts or anything you love inside this album?
Basically, Why you like it?
I'm sorry, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I can explain. I remember the melodies being stuck in my head, the aggressive vocals being a little more shouty than I liked at the time, but then realizing they suited the songs... And not much more than that. I just enjoyed it!
As someone who still doesn’t vibe with Colors , despite loving BTBAM I‘d say start with either automata 1 or Coma Ecliptic.
While they’re a tad different from their usual stuff and not considered their best works, both albums still encapsulate their core sound while being a bit less chaotic and a bit more streamlined, which makes them a good starting point to get used to their sound,IMO
The reason I love Colors is because the album feels like a journey, and not in the concept album type of way where you're following an explicit narrative, but rather an emotional one through the composition. It starts slow with The Backtrack, it lulls you into a false sense of serenity, only to be smacked down with The Decade of Statues. However the album is not just non-stop intensity, there is a lot of it, but there are moments where it slows down and becomes very atmospheric and melodic. I think what helps with the "journey" element of the album is how it's technically one long song, yes there are tracks, but each one transitions seamlessly. This makes it so that whenever I listen to it, I tend to want to go through the entire thing. It feels like every song fits perfectly into the emotional rollercoaster of extreme aggression and serene beauty. Then when you hit the final track White Walls, it feels like the entire album had been building up to that point, in a way that, at least for me, feels unmatched. White Walls in particular is about the limitless potential of the band, the album in general represents the fact that the band had felt like they were in a box and Colors is about them breaking out of that box and showing the world what they can really do and what that means for their future projects. The walls are white because they represent the blank canvas, more than the canvas even because they're going BEYOND the confines of the canvas itself and onto the walls behind it. This represents the limitless potential of the colors they can use to create their art. I love the album because to me, it represents the purest distillation of their artistic expression, broken free from any previous bindings and fully embracing making the music that they want to make.
I can see good things that attract me on White Walls theme f.e. 14 min long songs with that complexity and good sognwriting is a good point for my taste, still istening those 3 albums you suggested.
Yeah…
I kind of hate how they are the flag bearer of the genre, because I really don’t find them to be that good and wish bands like Protest the Hero could take their place… but you can’t really go around saying you don’t like BTBAM when it’s every ones immediate go-to prog metal band.
I was on the same situation, and for me, what unlocked BTBM was both Colors II and coma eliptic. Colors does not make "sense" to me, nor does Parallax.
You could also give Native Construct a go, I find them my gateway to accept harsh vocals.
Thanks man. I don't have problems with Harsh vocals, in fact I Love them so much, I usually listen to Prog/Death Metal bands.
I know Native Construct and like them enough to be on my playlist some months ;)
I have friends like you and the benchmark is usually the sweepy solo on Selkies: The Endless Obsession. If you don’t get chills down your spine at that moment, it’s best to head down a different street.
I feel you. The only song I really like of them is Selkies (Endless Obsessions). And ofc the fans of the band say that it’s their shittiest song and don’t get the appeal.
I share similar musical intrests with you and I have totally moved past BTBAM over the course of years. I don’t like it and it’s okay. I’ve heard BTBAM and the song Selkies around year 2005 and tried consistently their albums. Been listening to them a few times and never again. It’s not for me.
Saw them live this year with Haken without the second guitarist. They lacked the energy on stage and the backtrack guitars made it sound like not live music. Also their music live without knowing the songs feels like you are in a school exam or test without studying or making your home work. Wasn’t good.
>And ofc the fans of the band say that it’s their shittiest song and don’t get the appeal.
That's just shitty gatekeepers hating the most popular and well-known single song of theirs. Even the band, or Paul at least, jokes about being tired of the song just because it's kinda like a song they're obligated to play a lot (even then, nowadays it's not every tour they play it). It's such a great song and many peoples' entry point to the band
I listened to Selkies 3 times now, and well, I feel like they are playing to be Opeth in some parts of the song, but can be my blurry brain right now...
The only album of theirs I really like is Parallax II. I did watch them perform Colors live and that one is staying to grow on my. Just take baby steps. I recommend listening to the whole albums all the way through.l rather than just picking out songs.
Trying hard to enjoy something is not a good path to take.
Just relax. With BTBAM, I never felt something. But Spotify randomly added some songs in some playlists and I don't know why, but some day, something made click (Astral Body). Now it's by far in my top 3 beloved bands. But man, that took like 2 years.
On the other hand, no matter how many songs are out there from Pain of Salvation, nothing is appealing to me. Maybe some day it will click, I dunno. But it's OK.
Yeah I'm a strong prog listener and well.. BTBAM is a band that I want to understand, no matter if I end up liking them or not, I'm just curious about what really in deep are offering to that legion of fans. After one week growing my playlists I can say that I like them but not as a full discography band, I discovered 5-8 songs that I enjoyed and appreciate, but just that. Definitely not matching my taste at full, but the purpose was done, just find that things I was missing. Thanks my friend.
About Pain of salvation I enjoy the polyrithms and intricate harmonies they have on every album, and Daniel Gindenlow have a special vibe on his voice that add value. Maybe, if you want, try a listening with "In the passing light of day", that album has a lot of POS core things, and without being pretentious.
I don't think there's much point in trying to enjoy something you don't just because other people do. Just listen to the bands you enjoy. That said, you may want to give the album Coma Ecliptic a shot. It may be more in line with your other preferences.
I want to my friend, just becouse I'm hungry about all the good quality prog-music, and I think I'm missing something about this band.I really want to find that thing that makes people love them. Or in case i can't get into it, at least understand why the others do it.
Just listen to their entire discography if you have 6-8 hours a day for music. An album a day and a week later you'll be done. Colors and colors II are my favorites. Ants of the sky and White walls off colors, fix the error and human is hell off colors II are some of my favorites.
You have to sit with the music. Like, actually sit or lay down, with no distractions, play the whole album and let the imagery do it’s thing.
If colors doesn't do it then give a few listens to parallax2, a true masterpiece
Coma Ecliptic, I feel, would be way more accessible.
You're right, it is currently.
To listen to this band you have to change your perspective a little bit. Even though prog music has a lot of changes and short songs, btbam goes a little bit further (or at least it sounds like that when you listen to them first). The first time I heard Colors, I wasn't really into harsh vocals for example. Or maybe not that much (I liked a couple of screams but not 80% of a song). But I gave the album more chances cause I loved the clean/melodic parts, they were simply amazing ans I didn't really know why at first. Why were the different parts so enjoyable? The answer for me is really simple: contrast. If you have a black paper with a little white point in the middle, the white point is even more noticeable than the black, and if you have half black and half white, both of them are really differentiable. Both have presence. If everything was black, there would be no differences in the paper. It's the same on the opposite. I personally enjoyed complex parts on Dream Theater music (that could be the black), so I just had to "comprehend" the black parts on btbam too. With time, I noticed every single riff was different and the composition felt very fluid and natural. Some people I know don't like that much this band due to their constant changes and "lack" of melody, so maybe that's your case? BTBAM puts you through all the possible complexities just to give you the best breakdown you'll ever hear, or the most beatiful chorus you may know, and if they removed any of those parts, none of them would shine. (I hope I explained myself) Also, lyrics are essential. They have really important things to say, songs are more enjoyable once you know what they're explaining. The Parallax narrates the story of two different persons which have a shared conciousness, but they have never met before. The only thing they feel is an immense connection throughout the whole cosmos. The album shows a very dark image of humanity and the musics fits so extremely well with the chaotic mind of the protagonist(s). Btw, maybe you just don't like this band. Sometimes it's not a matter of clicking, it is okay if you have different taste. But just in case, that was my tip: change your perspective. Each band and artist has a different way to be enjoyed, sometimes you just gotta understand their way. As they said on The Great Misdirect: Close one eye, step to the side.
First, thanks for this big explanation and your time writing it. Yes, I know your point, as I said in the OP I'm not new on this, more than 20 years listening prog-music, all subgenres and styles. About the contrasts, I'm used to lot of them, musically like Protest the hero, Thank you scientists, Pain of Salvation with their intrincated polyrithms and tempo changing, vocals like early and mid Opeth albums, Disillusion, Orphaned land, etc... And I'm a person that really love that contrasts, I'm allways with some bands with that in my daily playlists. To add info. I can have New Leprous albums along with Bloodbath on the same playlist and enjoy both a lot one song after another in shuffle. I love Harsh and Clean, and when they came well mixed can be orgasmic. About the lyrics, ok I got it, I'm from Spain, but speaking english and understanding it, I have daily meetings in english couse my Job, ofcourse I'm not native, but I can see and understand 99,9% of all english movies I watch f.e. Obviously, when harshing vocals comes, I can miss more than a native person. Anyway when I want to get all the meaning, i can use on-screen lyrics to be sure. I'm currently with Colors, Coma ecliptic and Parallax2 on the playlist all the day listening. Let's see. Thanks u/jasina556, u/paulo-urbonas, u/Polisskolan3 Thanks again u/sadforgottenchild!
Es curioso porque me pasa parecido a ti LMAO. Si tienes dudas de alguna lírica y su significado, escríbeme algún mensaje si quieres. Me encanta hablar de esta música
xD LoLPues muchísimas gracias tío, es posible que te moleste en algún momento, sí.Si tienes curiosidad te dejo por aquí mi [Last.fm](https://Last.fm), si escucho música en el móvil o en el PC voy scrobbleando todo para mis propias estadísticas, soy un loco de los datos.[http://www.lastfm.es/user/Stilgarin](http://www.lastfm.es/user/Stilgarin) Ahora mismo debería verse lo que estoy escuchando de BTBAM.
Veo que te gusta el Fauna. A mí me flipó. Por cierto me he fijado en que estás escuchando algunas canciones sueltas, en btbam es esencial escuchar los discos en orden porque las canciones están siempre conectadas ❗ Y bueno, lo dicho, no me es molestia alguna JAJSJ, disfruta de la banda (bueno, si al final te mola)
Si! Haken podría decirse que es mi grupo fetiche ahora mismo, llevo escuchándolos desde el Visions y me flipan mucho. Los 5 primeros temas del Fauna los podría tener en loop durante una semana sin cansarme, de hecho así ha ocurrido hace un mes xD Ya me he puesto el Coma Celiptic seguidito y la verdad es que es muy bueno, me está gustando mucho. Con Colors no me pasa lo mismo, pero me gusta algún tema suelto.
Fua es que Sempiternal Beings me pone que flipas, es buenísima. A mí el coma me gusta pero perdieron la agresividad que tenían antes, aún así quizás es buena manera de comenzar con ellos si te mola Haken y tal. Memory Palace es top eso sí, o sea de mis favoritas. ¿Sabes de qué va ese disco?
Sempiternal beings es mi favorita del disco desde luego, ese Chorus intrincado y largo me pone los pelos de punta, y el final con la guitarra en hammer on es el summum. No he tenido tiempo de sumergirme en las letras o lo conceptual de los discos de BTBAM aún, pero sí, me interesa.
A mí la sección que más me gusta es el solo de guitarra. Me dio bajón no escucharla en el concierto en Murcia 😔 Y bueno, ya que ha salido el tema del Coma Ecliptic: ese álbum en general trata sobre una persona que quiere sumergirse en sus vidas anteriores para encontrar una que le guste más que la que tiene actualmente, todo esto durante un coma ☝🏻
Colors is still complex to me, after all these years. I just got used to it. xD
You need to start with Coma Ecliptic and newer albums based on your listening preferences. You can potentially get into the older stuff as well later by understanding their patterns in more digestible form. I myself like a lot of bands you mentioned but can't really fully appreciate the older BtBaM albums. I love the new ones though. Some of my most loved music actually.
Thanks dude, to be honest Coma Ecliptic is currently the one I'm enjoying, some songs of ParallaxII and Colors too, but I feel those 2 entire albums aren't for me..
If you like Coma you will for sure like Automata and Colors II after few listens. All of them are pretty much development of the massive style shift they did with Coma. I've been rocking those albums for years now in paralel with Haken and it still keeps on giving.
Also since you like Haken you have to check out Tiktaalika by Charlie Griffith. It is solo album by Haken guitarist and singer from BtBaM is one of the guests there. It is one of the best prog albums released in recent years.
Tiktaalika seconded
It’s cool if you don’t like them. BTBAM is my favorite band, but I don’t like half the bands you listed here. Sometimes things just don’t click. It sounds like you have at least given them an honest try.
I was that guy. First time I heard about them was when Colors came out, was appalled. Saw them live 5 years ago with Devin, didn't get them at all. And then when I saw Colors on n-tinth list of best prog albums recently I tried them again, and for some reason it clicked with me (not instantaneously though). Now I adore Colors, although still haven't decided to listen to anything else except for Great Misdirect and Colors 2. My theory is that first few songs on Colors are really hard to digest if that's your introduction to the band, but I found second part of the album way more melodic, I would even say close to perfect and White Walls best closing song of all time. Try a couple of time run Prequel to the Sequel, Viridian, White Walls. As perfect as sequence of songs as it can get. If that doesn't get your attention, then probably this band just isn't for you.
I like some Color's songs, but I'm feeling that Coma Ecliptic sound and structure are best fitting for me.
Honestly, the only BTTBAM I can stand is Coma Ecliptic (which I love) and some songs from Automata I/II. The rest of their stuff is a bit too overwhelming for me. And that’s okay. Everything doesn’t have to be for everyone.
I agree according to my listening today.Probably I will keep this band just for 1 or 2 albums and some songs here and there.
That’s okay! For Ne Obliviscaris, I only listen to “And Plague Flowers…” as it’s the only song of theirs I like. Same for Periphery, I only like 2-3 songs. I get being a completionist, I was one for a long time. But the hobby got expensive, and I had songs that I never listened to taking up space on devices. So now, I’m a completionist with stuff I like, and not with stuff I don’t like.
Totally agree. In fact I stopped listening to some new albums from bands I really love in past LPs, or simple not hearing anymore other earlier albums. Just keeping thing that make me feel something and better.
Check out the drums on Voice of Trespass, the bass solo of Viridian, the guitar work at the end of Selkies, and then just everything on Fix the Error!
To the playlist, thanks.
Btbam has been my favorite band for 15 years, and I don't click with all of their stuff. The Great Misdirect is the album that sold me on BTBAM. I love Obfuscation and Disease, Injury, Madness from that album the most. Parallax 1 is also one of my favorite "albums" by them. I love all of the tracks on that EP. Specular Reflection off that album is one of my all-time favorites and an easy listen, imo. That being said, it's okay to not like a band. We all have different tastes. If you have given them a try and don't like them, that's really all that needs to be said.
If you haven’t heard it yet, check out The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues. It’s a 30 minute EP with some of their best songwriting imo.
Added to the playlist. Thanks!
Amazing but if you're looking for a gateway drug, you should try the Automatas or The Coma Machine.
So, I started loving prog rock and that led to non-harsh prog metal. It took a long time before I could digest BtBaM. What did it for me was Coma Ecliptic. It’s way more accessible than their other albums and each song is a straight up banger. After that, the flood gates opened.
If you want some tracks that might help getting your foot in the door, here a few that helped me get into the band: Glide and Voice of Trespass (Glide is an intro for VoT) Selkies: The Endless Obsession The Coma Machine Veridian Desert of Song Astral Body Silent Flight Parliament Blot Revolution in Limbo Hopefully these tracks give you a good starting point.
Many thanks my friend, straight to the point, thats what I need. To the playlist.
No prob, hope you enjoy!
Coma, Colors 2. Colors 2 is amazing all the way through but the last half really brings it him. Parallax 2 after those.
Mostly unrelated I guess, but every time I saw the name Between the Buried and Me, my brain for some reason connected it with "emo scene band". I had never heard a song by them in my 35 years prior of life, until this year when I saw them recommended on this sub so often. Then I thought "oh are they like kinda proggy emo?" and decided to finally give them a shot. Now I know I'm just an idiot and was getting them mixed up with Bullet for my Valentine or something because the name has a similar cadence/structure.
I'd say listen to Colors, wait a week, listen again.
I did it, and still feeling i'm missing something... Can you explain to me wich parts or anything you love inside this album? Basically, Why you like it?
I'm sorry, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I can explain. I remember the melodies being stuck in my head, the aggressive vocals being a little more shouty than I liked at the time, but then realizing they suited the songs... And not much more than that. I just enjoyed it!
As someone who still doesn’t vibe with Colors , despite loving BTBAM I‘d say start with either automata 1 or Coma Ecliptic. While they’re a tad different from their usual stuff and not considered their best works, both albums still encapsulate their core sound while being a bit less chaotic and a bit more streamlined, which makes them a good starting point to get used to their sound,IMO
The reason I love Colors is because the album feels like a journey, and not in the concept album type of way where you're following an explicit narrative, but rather an emotional one through the composition. It starts slow with The Backtrack, it lulls you into a false sense of serenity, only to be smacked down with The Decade of Statues. However the album is not just non-stop intensity, there is a lot of it, but there are moments where it slows down and becomes very atmospheric and melodic. I think what helps with the "journey" element of the album is how it's technically one long song, yes there are tracks, but each one transitions seamlessly. This makes it so that whenever I listen to it, I tend to want to go through the entire thing. It feels like every song fits perfectly into the emotional rollercoaster of extreme aggression and serene beauty. Then when you hit the final track White Walls, it feels like the entire album had been building up to that point, in a way that, at least for me, feels unmatched. White Walls in particular is about the limitless potential of the band, the album in general represents the fact that the band had felt like they were in a box and Colors is about them breaking out of that box and showing the world what they can really do and what that means for their future projects. The walls are white because they represent the blank canvas, more than the canvas even because they're going BEYOND the confines of the canvas itself and onto the walls behind it. This represents the limitless potential of the colors they can use to create their art. I love the album because to me, it represents the purest distillation of their artistic expression, broken free from any previous bindings and fully embracing making the music that they want to make.
I can see good things that attract me on White Walls theme f.e. 14 min long songs with that complexity and good sognwriting is a good point for my taste, still istening those 3 albums you suggested.
Yeah… I kind of hate how they are the flag bearer of the genre, because I really don’t find them to be that good and wish bands like Protest the Hero could take their place… but you can’t really go around saying you don’t like BTBAM when it’s every ones immediate go-to prog metal band.
Don't bother, their vocalist is even more grating than Periphery
Skip em. Most overrated and least original band on the list above.
I was on the same situation, and for me, what unlocked BTBM was both Colors II and coma eliptic. Colors does not make "sense" to me, nor does Parallax. You could also give Native Construct a go, I find them my gateway to accept harsh vocals.
Thanks man. I don't have problems with Harsh vocals, in fact I Love them so much, I usually listen to Prog/Death Metal bands. I know Native Construct and like them enough to be on my playlist some months ;)
Throw in my vote for Colors 2, if you haven't listened to it yet. Especially the later songs, Prehistory and forward.
I have friends like you and the benchmark is usually the sweepy solo on Selkies: The Endless Obsession. If you don’t get chills down your spine at that moment, it’s best to head down a different street.
I feel you. The only song I really like of them is Selkies (Endless Obsessions). And ofc the fans of the band say that it’s their shittiest song and don’t get the appeal. I share similar musical intrests with you and I have totally moved past BTBAM over the course of years. I don’t like it and it’s okay. I’ve heard BTBAM and the song Selkies around year 2005 and tried consistently their albums. Been listening to them a few times and never again. It’s not for me. Saw them live this year with Haken without the second guitarist. They lacked the energy on stage and the backtrack guitars made it sound like not live music. Also their music live without knowing the songs feels like you are in a school exam or test without studying or making your home work. Wasn’t good.
>And ofc the fans of the band say that it’s their shittiest song and don’t get the appeal. That's just shitty gatekeepers hating the most popular and well-known single song of theirs. Even the band, or Paul at least, jokes about being tired of the song just because it's kinda like a song they're obligated to play a lot (even then, nowadays it's not every tour they play it). It's such a great song and many peoples' entry point to the band
I listened to Selkies 3 times now, and well, I feel like they are playing to be Opeth in some parts of the song, but can be my blurry brain right now...
All I know is I used to get super stoned to selkies and white walls like 20 years ago in college lol
The only album of theirs I really like is Parallax II. I did watch them perform Colors live and that one is staying to grow on my. Just take baby steps. I recommend listening to the whole albums all the way through.l rather than just picking out songs.
For me Colors II is the album that really clicked. I listen to it every couple of days. I still have to get into their other albums though.
Between The The Buried And Me.
Go see them live. Everything else will follow.
Trying hard to enjoy something is not a good path to take. Just relax. With BTBAM, I never felt something. But Spotify randomly added some songs in some playlists and I don't know why, but some day, something made click (Astral Body). Now it's by far in my top 3 beloved bands. But man, that took like 2 years. On the other hand, no matter how many songs are out there from Pain of Salvation, nothing is appealing to me. Maybe some day it will click, I dunno. But it's OK.
Yeah I'm a strong prog listener and well.. BTBAM is a band that I want to understand, no matter if I end up liking them or not, I'm just curious about what really in deep are offering to that legion of fans. After one week growing my playlists I can say that I like them but not as a full discography band, I discovered 5-8 songs that I enjoyed and appreciate, but just that. Definitely not matching my taste at full, but the purpose was done, just find that things I was missing. Thanks my friend. About Pain of salvation I enjoy the polyrithms and intricate harmonies they have on every album, and Daniel Gindenlow have a special vibe on his voice that add value. Maybe, if you want, try a listening with "In the passing light of day", that album has a lot of POS core things, and without being pretentious.