| Colors II | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Between the Buried and Me |
| Cover: | Colors2AlbumCoverBTBAM.png |
| Released: | August 20, 2021 |
| Recorded: | 2020 |
| Studio: | The Basement Studios, Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 78:40 |
| Label: | Sumerian |
| Producer: | Jamie King, Between the Buried and Me |
| Prev Title: | Automata II |
| Prev Year: | 2018 |
Colors II is the tenth studio album by American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on August 20, 2021 through Sumerian Records, their second release with the label, after the two-part album Automata I and II. It serves as a direct follow-up to their 2007 album Colors.[1] [2]
In regards of the conception of the album, vocalist Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. explained:[3]
Guitarist Paul Waggoner added:
About the concept, Rogers commented:
And about the track "Fix the Error", he shared:
The first single "Fix the Error" was released on June 25, 2021. An animated music video was released for the song on July 7, 2021, animated by Tony Celano.[4] The second single "Revolution in Limbo" was released on July 23, 2021.[5] A music video for "The Future Is Behind Us" was released on August 20, 2021, the same date as the album release.[6]
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics upon its release. On review aggregator Metacritic, the album holds a score of 68 out of 100 based on four reviews.
Kerrang! gave the album 4 out of 5 with writer James Hickie stating: "Unsurprisingly, at 80 minutes long, and with exhaustive closing track 'Human Is Hell (Another One with Love)' taking up 15 of those, it's entirely too much music to wrestle with on cursory listens, and requires serious dedication, though that's no bad thing in an age when streaming has fundamentally altered the attention span. As a result, the uninitiated are likely to be overwhelmed by such a glut of material, particularly when it takes so many stylistic detours and about-turns. It's worth the endeavour, though, because there's some sublime music here, deep and diverse, which has plenty to offer nerds and newbies alike."
Metal Hammer gave the album a positive review, stating: "In being so loyal to the structure of what's come before, Colors II doesn't reinvent progressive metal like its predecessor, but by all other metrics, it lives up to its lineage. It's the only album to ever recapture Colors brand of restlessness, reaffirming that BTBAM are once-in-a-lifetime masterminds."
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consequence | Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Albums | ||
| Loudwire | The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021 | ||
| Metal Hammer | Top 10 Prog Metal Albums of 2021 | ||
| PopMatters | The 75 Best Albums of 2021 | ||
| PopMatters | The 10 Best Progressive Rock/Metal Albums of 2021 | ||
| Prog | Top 20 Albums of 2021 | ||
| Loudwire | The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021 ("Fix the Error") |
Credits for Colors II adapted from liner notes.[7]
Between the Buried and Me
Additional musicians
Production