Yep, the new Between the Buried and Me double album is going to be a trip. The prog metal giants have just released “Condemned to the Gallows,” the opening track from Automata I.

Just two days ago, BTBAM thrilled fans by announcing they’d be releasing not one, but two albums in 2018. Automata I is set for a March 9 release, while Automata II is expected to come this summer. The conceptual journey will be a long one, but epics like Colors and The Parallax II have turned BTBAM’s fan base into rabid composition fiends, so the band’s most ambitious project to date isn’t under any restraints.

“Condemned to the Gallows” is right in the pocket for Between the Buried and Me. The slow buildup, euphoric atmosphere and constant stylistic changes of “Condemned to the Gallows” mirror the dynamics of the North Carolinians’ most celebrated works while remaining fresh and exhilarating. Paul Waggoner’s guitar work is pure bliss once he breaks free at the 3:45 mark and his tone is warmer than Brian May’s Red Special wrapped in a space blanket.

“We never want to repeat ourselves. We’re always trying to do something different, and this album fell right into that sort of pattern,” Waggoner says. “We push ourselves into new places, while retaining our basic sound. Musically, we go somewhere that’s fun and challenging. We never know how it’s going to turn out. These are uncharted waters for us. We’ve never written an entire piece and presented it in separate parts like this."

Watch the new music video for “Condemned to the Gallows” above and get excited for Automata I coming on March 9.

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