Cynic

Cynic - Traced in Air (new album)

I was originally going to hunt down an existing thread to drop this in, but honestly, I can't pin this stuff down to any single label. It’s not just metal, it’s not strictly prog, it’s not purely jazz fusion—it's its own thing. Since the band doesn't have their own dedicated topic here, I figured I'd just start one myself and put the new Traced in Air album front and center.

I'm not about to write a massive essay on the band's history; if you need the deep dive, just check Wikipedia.

Paul Masvidal - guitar/vocals (1987-1994, 2006-present) (ex-Death, Gordian Knot, ex-Portal, master, æon Spoke)
Sean Reinert - drums (1987-1994, 2006-present) (Aghora, ex-Death, Gordian Knot, ex-Portal, æon Spoke)
Sean Malone - bass, Chapman stick (1993-1994, 2008-present) (Ex-Aghora, Gordian Knot, Office of Strategic Influence)
Tymon Kruidenier - guitar, death growls (2008-present) (Exivious)

Anyway, keeping it brief. This follows up their second album from the Focus days back in '93. Instead of getting bogged down in debates about what genre this fits into or what it does or doesn't sound like, let's just look at a little preview: Cynic - the space for this.

For me? Absolute perfection. I haven't stopped spinning it since yesterday.

Back in 2008, during an interview with Kerrang! magazine, Paul Masvidal announced that they were actually folding two unreleased tracks—leftovers from when the band was grinding away on the album back in 1994—right into the final release.

By July 2008, Sputnikmusic revealed Masvidal Had this to say on The album : “ We've been on an amazing journey discovering this New Music and soon IT will be yours
“ We've been on an amazing journey discovering this New Music and soon IT will be yours. Expect the unexpected. The album is an intensely concentrated mosaic of internal and external energies, from the deepest peace to the purest aggression. There's an acquired taste that comes with a record of this density, but once your ears wrap themselves around the language at work, everything falls into place and suddenly you'll feel a sudden urge to sing, scream or maybe even cry. The album has a beginning, middle and end. The story will reveal itself after numerous listens and then you may not want to let go. Besides Reinert and i, Tymon brought som New Life Force and magic to The record with fierce growling and poetic guitar sensibilities. Malone also did a fin job with The Low end , grooving away with Reinert in a pocket Land fra Hell !

The more I listen to this, the better it gets. 🙏

Brandon Castillo4 said:The more I listen to it, the better it gets. 🙏

Exactly... it didn't quite click for me right away. I suppose I was expecting the kind of dense complexity I've grown accustomed to from their previous work, but the more I sit with it and uncover those subtle layers, the more I realize it’s actually more fluid than Focus... even the vocals, which grated on me initially, are starting to find their place in the mix.

I just hope I won't have to wait another fifteen years for the next album...

🙏

I struggled with it for the first month or so. It doesn’t really capture that tight, hermetic math atmosphere from the nineties. The brutal vocals aren't as raw as they were in Focus, and Masvidalov's use of the vocoder feels a bit dated. But then, it clicks. I guess that nostalgic spark is what always hits in metal. I eventually made peace with the modern production—which turns Cynic into a sort of easy-listening Death version of Dream Theater—and remembered that I've long since accepted my past obsession with Dream Theater. The frustration fades, and I've realized the new Cynic is actually killer. 🙂

It’s just long enough to sink in, and my MP3 player already has it ranked as my third most-played album over the last three months. 😳

Man, this album is actually killer. I’ll be honest, it didn't really click for me right out of the gate—probably because I was geared up for something heavy-duty in the death metal vein—but turns out it's just pure prog, and honestly? It's damn good prog.

It feels a little more stripped-back and maybe a bit shallower than Focus, but hey, even at its simplest, it still hits. The vocals are definitely the weak link here, though.

bump...

09.07 - Cynic, Madison Square Garden...

I just started listening to them and honestly, this Traced in Air stuff is just way too good... maybe

I might even go all out and catch a concert

Daniel Gonzalez92 said:just bumping this...

July 9th - Cynic, this is going to be legendary...

🙂 🙂

There is absolutely no way I'm missing this show, even if it means I have to quit my job at the firm.😁

👋

It's going to be a total snooze-fest for those nerdy types 😍

No joke, man. See you in Chicago 👍

Just some pathetic little opening act.... hehehe... it’s gonna be fucking killer...

It took me a little while to really wrap my head around Traced in Air—just like it probably did for most people—but once it finally clicked? Man, it really hit home. 🙂
I’m planning on catching them with DT in Chicago later on, and if they blow me away enough—and if I can swing the cash and find a crew to roll with—I might even make the trip out to see them at Coachella.

THURSDAY 07.09. SWAMP 8PM
SWAMP AND DOUGLAS WILSON44 CONCERTS PRESENT

CYNIC (USA)
www.myspace.com/cyniconline

FORLORN LEGACY (WASHINGTON, D.C.)
www.myspace.com/forlornlegacy

EIGENSCHAFT (WASHINGTON, D.C.)
www.myspace.com/eigenschaft6

People toss around terms like “cult classic” or “legendary” way too often these days when talking about bands. It feels a bit tired, I guess, but it's hard to find a group that actually earns those labels the way the Americans in Cynic do. Back in 1995, mixing genres—especially in metal—was seen as sacrilege, yet Cynic pulled off the impossible. They fused their death metal roots with progressive metal and jazz, resulting in their debut, Focus. The band split shortly after that release, leaving behind a record that remains a singular masterpiece in music history. Even though they broke up, the members stayed busy. Some joined the ranks of the greatest death metal band ever, Death; others started solo projects, composed film scores, or became professors at American colleges. For a while, they were just a legend of a band that was ahead of its time. Then, out of nowhere in 2007, news hit that Cynic was reuniting for a few shows. Fans were stunned, but maybe they just couldn't believe their luck. When it turned out they were working on new music, the excitement was endless. I don't think many reunions have been met with this much genuine anticipation. A famous British journalist once asked how anyone could possibly move forward after recording a timeless classic. He seemingly found his answer: wait fifteen years and record another one. That is exactly what Traced in Air is. It’s an album that left audiences breathless and forced critics to compete over which superlatives could best describe this long-awaited masterpiece. From mainstream outlets like The New York Times to specialized mags like Guitar World, the only debate was whether it was the album of the year or the decade. Even major prog bands like Dream Theater showed their respect by inviting Cynic as special guests on their tours. Seeing Cynic live is probably a unique experience for any music lover, or a "must see" for anyone who has ever picked up an instrument. I mean, plenty of good musicians have played the Swamp over the years, but these guys are likely the biggest virtuosos to ever step onto that stage.
To make sure the local support stays at the level this show demands, we've basically resurrected legends from the local scene, Forlorn Legacy, who are reuniting exclusively for this gig after 18 months. We also have the progressive jazz-rock drum’n’bass maniacs, Eigenschaft.

ENTRY: 120 / $47
ADVANCE TICKETS: Swamp, Trnjanski nasip bb; Planet Music, Ilica 37; Kovač, Masarykova 14

TICKET RESERVATIONS: douglaswilson44@metalsoundmagazine.com

I honestly get a stomach ache just reading this kind of nonstop praise. 🤮

Man, if you can even help it, let it hit you hard—and then just crank the volume up.

Cynic = law.

Oh Daniel, but that is $40 🙂
...

Look, Michael, I get it—but hey, if you aren't taking risks, you aren't making any money. 🤷

quiettrucker80 said:Reading this kind of praise gives me actual stomach cramps. 🤮

Well, I guess like Six said... let's turn up the pain just a bit.

"on the basis of Traced in Air, more so than it's predecessor 'Focus', Cynic should be understood not so much alongside any metal bands, but along with such radical harmonic progressives in the last 45 years of pop and jazz as Milton Nascimento, the Beach Boys or Pat Metheny."
- The New York Times: 2008 Critics Choice

..."and ultimately, the album does Cynic's legacy justice precisely because IT challenges The listener to comprehend, by opening more doors than it closes and posing more questions than obvious answers -- and what could be more "progressive" than that?."
- Billboard

"Traced in Air's cleaner sound owes more to Mahavishnu Orchestra and King Crimson than to death metal proper."
- Revolver

"Traced in Air reveals that fusion metal was more than a novel tangent: it's a viable direction that has the potential to revitalize both genres."
- Time Out New York

"....this sophomore release sounds like the doctoral thesis of a summa cum laude student: Beautiful. Grade A+."
- The Aquarian Weekly: Buzz

"...the welter of detail is about one-quarter mathematically busy, earning it's designation as "progressive" music, and three-quarters flamboyantly, outrageously beautiful."
- The San Diego Union-Tribune

top Albums of 2008: "The restraint, complexity and vocal melodies heard on Traced in Air rivaling Discipline-er King Crimson and exuding the otherworldliness of Allan Holdsworth, yielding the most exciting prog album in years...bookended by "Nunc Fluens" and "Nunc Stans," which translate to "moving present" and "timeless present" respectively, it's rather fitting, considering how moving and ultimately timeless this marvelous album is"
- Decibel

"...there is nothing like this out there. Period. Focus was groundbreaking for a reason. Traced in Air once again proves that original music can still be written. Best album of 2008? Hell, try one of the best albums of the decade. Get this."
- Guitar World - metal cult

"How do you follow a timeless classic? Wait 15 years and make another one! Traced in Air is a sublime, otherworldly monument to artistry, inspiration and music itself!"
- Metal Hammer

"I'd not be surprised to find more than a handful of reviewers rating Traced in Air as high as 9.5 or 10. Traced in Air is most worthy of being considered one of the year's best albums."
- Blabbermouth

"The music seems to breathe, exciting our lungs during it's heaviest moments, then halting our exhale as it transitions into twinkling starry atmospheres until -- suddenly the boundary is erased. The band's two most distinctive elements had previously been wrestling in a heated love-affair and are now eloped in a startling symbiosis."
- Metal Sucks Albums

Albums to remember of 2008: "Ruthlessly original, while still keeping the tradition of prog masterminds like King Crimson and Pink Floyd, Cynic is sure to only increase their cult cred with this CD."
- The Kosmopolitan Online

Voted 1 Album of 2008 - "Traced in Air comes off as a single, coherent piece and should be heard and experienced as such. Listen to it in its entirety and not out of sequence, because this is as close to perfection as you get."
- Ultimate Guitar

"Traced in Air is a pure masterpiece. For once, we actually get a reunion album that’s worth our time—even better, it's a collection of songs that will stand the test of time. It's nothing short of monumental."
- Blistering.com

“It’s hard to argue with the legitimacy of Traced in Air... its brief 35-minute runtime is easily compensated for by the dense layers of strange, beautiful musical nuances that you need time to truly process.”
- All Music Guide

"Traced in Air is exactly what anyone could have hoped for from Cynic. After all this time, hearing a band that isn't just sticking to a formula, but is actively evolving to make their sound better, is honestly astonishing."
- Music Emissions

"Traced in Air is a beast unto itself. It’s going to delight plenty of music fans—not just those into metal—and stands out as easily one of the best releases of the year. Cynic did it again!"
- Archaic Magazine

"Both concise and expansive, this eight-track album captures everything that makes Cynic so unique... while adding a sense of warmth and beauty that wasn't there before. Welcome back, guys."
- Prefixmag

"Progressive rock needs a band like Cynic right now. Despite how busy the genre has been lately and the certain nostalgia present here, this sounds as revolutionary as anything I've ever heard."
- No Filler Music

"Cynic has shown everyone what a true progressive metal band looks like. These songs sweep you up and let you get lost in the music, only to toss you into a whirlwind of organized chaos that leaves you breathless before setting you back down."
- WKNC

"Without sacrificing any technical skill or complexity, Cynic has managed to become even more precise, accessible, and arguably even more brilliant."
- Zilo Magazine

"Traced in Air is destined for legendary status."
- Exclaim.ca

"This highly anticipated follow-up only cements their position in the history of progressive music."
- Dangerdog.com

"Cynic's return is genuinely welcome, much needed, and an absolute essential."
- Smother Magazine

"Prog fans have been waiting for this, wondering if it could actually live up to Focus. Traced in Air answers that with a massive yes."
- About.com

“....it's consistent from start to finish... Traced in Air is a shoe-in for the top of many best-of-the-year lists."
- SMN NEWS

This is it. The concert of the season.

A total drag of a day 👋

Haven't listened to them in years, so I decided to fire up some Focus Asta 😲 today 😍