Between The Buried And Me - Automata I & II

Both albums together on Magenta & Electric Blue Colored Vinyl Over the course of nearly 20 years, North Carolina's Between the Buried and Me have challenged fans. Since the technical thrashing on their 2002 self-titled debut, stylistic shifts, panoramic production aesthetics, and musical evolution have succeeded in placing them alongside Opeth, Dream Theater, and Symphony X as prog metal innovators. Automata I is the first volume in a two-part concept album; the second followed a few months later. Keyboardist/vocalist Tommy Rogers explained the concept as centered around "…a protagonist whose dreams are used as entertainment, broadcasted by a company called Voice of Trespass. Most of the record takes place within that dream. [He] thinks it's all real." Since we only get half the story here, it's impossible to evaluate how the entire concept comes together. This leaves the primary evaluation weight on the music and lyrics of the individual songs. Also, given the lengthy proceedings