Bands taking 15 years to put another album out must be a theme this week, as Cynic's sophomore album emerges the same week as Guns 'N Roses' long-awaited new album. I don't know exactly what kept Cynic apart in the decade and a half since 1993's groundbreaking Focus, but the band returns almost as if little time had passed - still technical, still heavy, and not a little bit weird and jazzy in places — maybe even "beautiful," some odd minds might call it.
What makes this band so special is that these guys possess a skill so few metal bands like this do - a sense of subtlety. There is brutal and heavy in equal measure with the delicate and intricate. That said, is it a sign of the times that the "tech" in this album doesn't seem quite so technical? Has metal advanced so much since their first album that it caught up to what they were doing? I'm not sure, and I'm not sure it matters too much - it's simply great to have them back, and hopefully they're going to stick around this time and give us a lot more than one album every 15 years.
I've written about this before, but Hall & Oates used to be on my list of guilty pleasures. Wait, better make that secret guilty pleasures. Super-secret, that is. There was no way I was going to let on to my friends, all of whom were heavily into stuff like Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Foghat, and Ted Nugent, that I totally dug tunes like "Rich Girl." Well, everybody grows up after a time and with that maturation process should come the realization that you just can't help who you like.
What's that cliché ? The heart wants what the heart wants? Yeah, I know...too often that's applied as a sort of "rationalization salve" to wounds created by affairs of the heart. Luckily, my love of the pop and soul music of Hall & Oates has produced no such casualties — except for maybe my 'indie cred' as applied to my writing. But heck, since I never had any 'indie cred' to begin with, I can just go ahead and say that I'm looking forward to this release and it's companion DVD. This documents their return to the famed Troubadour in L.A. after 35 years.
Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
Weiland did seem a little toasted, eh? i did hear one of his new tunes on the radio and it was quite good.
and speaking of the awards show...geezies, aren't there any rock bands out there anymore? Coldplay? c'mon...!
2 - Jordan Richardson
aren't there any rock bands out there anymore?
Rock is dead.
3 - hannnah;]
i like guns and roses.
(8) welcome to the jungle.
rock is not dead.
4 - hannnah;]
tbh rock is actally alive.
5 - Mark Saleski
oh, i totally think rock is alive...just not on the american music awards.
6 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I don't know exactly what kept Cynic apart in the decade and a half since 1993's groundbreaking Focus...
Cynic first disbanded in 1994 but the members were quick to approach different avenues. Sean Malone gave us the brilliant Gordian Knot while his own solo release prior to that was just as amazing for its time. Sean Reinert stuck with Mr. Malone for his solo effort as well as Gordian Knot. BUT, he was also involved with Aghora on their Y2k self titled release which was damn good. Both members including Paul Masivdal had some brief but worthwhile commercial success with AEon Spoke. Masvidal also writes and performs music for television and motion pictures, credits include main title (composer credit) on an Emmy nominated NBC teen series show 'Operation Junkyard', short films 'The Yellow Umbrella', 'A Bride In Black', session musician for Carsey Warner network sitcoms, 'That 70's Show, 3rd Rock From The Sun, also has library songs regularly performed on network and cable television.
*Phew*... After all that it is nice to hear a new release and I, for one, am an odd mind that finds "Traced in Air" to be not only Beautiful but a true "progressive" effort for the metal community.
It pushes the envelope on so many levels. Cynic is no longer technical for the sake of complexity but more like Modern Jazz where it blends in. It is different but the same &, to me, shows a mature vision of where "Prog" Metal needs to go.
7 - Tom Johnson
And there you go, our resident Cynic expert chimes in. I somehow knew you'd help us here, Brian. ;-) And, yes, it is a very, very good album - took me by surprise even though I really wasn't sure what to expect from the band after all this time.
8 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Oh?? Come on Tom... Don't report like you didn't know that Wikipedia existed *Smirk*. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I am quite the frenzied fan of Cynic,Gordian Knot,etc...
Honestly, you took me by surprise with such an insightful review. Nice Job!
9 - Pico
so sez Mr. Guppus...
Cynic first disbanded in 1994 but the members were quick to approach different avenues. Sean Malone gave us the brilliant Gordian Knot while his own solo release prior to that was just as amazing for its time.
I didn't know about the connection between Cynic and Gordian Knot. Gordian Knot is indeed very good stuff, so if this Cynic is anything like that, I'm on board. Thanks for the tip.
10 - Josh Hathaway
Hall & Oates, without a trace of irony.
11 - Mark Saleski
irony is for the weak.
12 - Tom
Hall & Oates a guilty pleasure? Do you eat ice cream when listening?
13 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Pico...
IMHO, if you are ProgHead, like me, I don't see why you wouldn't like Cynic. The growling back-up vocals may turn you off if you don't like Death Metal,but, I feel with Traced in Air they are used tastefully. Almost more like an added emotion/instrument instead of being the main focal point. As for Focus, I think you could appreciate the progressive attributes though it is a little bit of a tougher listen. Just like Tom said, it was very groundbreaking for 1993 so you kinda have to expect that. Those sounds were unheard of for this genre with exception to Watchtower & Atheist,but, they still presented some amazing ideas.
14 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I totally dig I can't go for that(No can do)
by Hall & Oates. I just don't understand the whole "guilty pleasure" thing...But, I also like Benny Mardones If I Could Fly. I guess I'm just weird like that.
15 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Oh and let's not forget Jo Jo by Boz Scaggs
16 - Tom Johnson
Yep, Pico, you need to check out Cynic. The "death growls" on the new one are very minimal - they are basically almost background vocals on the new one, with the "altered-straight" vocals being the most prominent. I guess it's kind of a vocoder type effect (Brian? you probably know more,) but more sci-fi sounding. Honestly, even if you're not big into this, but you can handle it, Cynic is VERY worth checking out. They are several cuts WAY above, and the instrumental stuff is so tasty.
17 - Jordan Richardson
Because I trust Brian's metal cred. and Tom's everything cred., I'm checking out Cynic. Wish me luck, fellas.
18 - Glen Boyd
If you trust TJ's cred Jordan...and you should...you should also check out Porucpine Tree. TJ (and Pico) turned me onto them about a year ago, and I've since become a pretty big fan. If I'm not mistaken, Gupster's a fan too.
Word of warning though, they've got a ton of records and if you get hooked it'll be expensive. Trust me, I know...
-Glen
19 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Yea, Tom, it is a vocoder. Though, I am not certain how far the technology has come and whether Paul is using an actually piece of equipment or hardware/software for a computer.
Either way, he has a great voice and this really masks it in a supportive way.
Jordan... thanks. Glen is right, you should check out PT.Very Solid Prog Rock. I like most of their latter stuff but my favorite is In Absentia.
I would also suggest:
Spiral Architect
Attention Deficit
Aghora
Spock's Beard
Sieges Even Paramount
SubSignal
Oh and of course The Improv Project
*Smirk*
20 - Mark Saleski
i will take the vocoder-ed vocals over the silly growls any day. besides, the music is really happenin'.
gonna have to buy that one.
21 - Tom Johnson
The artwork is worth the purchase of a hard copy, Mark. Really beautiful stuff - the kind of thing we don't see very often anymore, unfortunately. It's this kind of thing I'm going to be very sad to see disappear when downloads/streaming are the only choices we have.
22 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
It's this kind of thing I'm going to be very sad to see disappear when downloads/streaming are the only choices we have.
Actually, I think it could get better. No paper to worry about so they could design artwork in HD and make it like 1600 x 1200 and @ only 1-2Mb the cover art would look sick. Include that file with a Flac formatted d/l(96Khz/24Bit) then you could print that shit yourself via color laser printer on some glossy photo paper and have an actual poster.