Cynic – Traced In Air

In 1993, Cynic shocked the metal world with Focus, a groundbreaking debut that fused progressive death metal and jazz to create an original and unconventional sound. Just as fast as the band shot into popularity did Cynic fade into the distant sunset, leaving behind a long-lasting legacy that was untouched for over a decade. After several side projects and the ghost of their former band tailing them, vocalist/guitarist Paul Masvidal, drummer Sean Reinert, and bassist Sean Malone re-formed Cynic, to the joy of metal fans worldwide. Bringing along Exivious guitarist/vocalist Tymon Kruidenier for the ride, Cynic proves that Focus was not a fluke with sophomore album Traced In Air, an outstanding release that yet again pushes the boundaries of death metal.

The vocoder is long gone, and the death growls are not as prevalent, but Traced In Air still has Malone’s driving bass lines, Reinert’s complex and unpredictable drumming, and Masvidal’s robotic, yet passionate, vocals, everything held together by the spacey guitar work. Traced In Air is a calmer album than Focus, which may disappoint those looking for aggressive tracks like “How Come I” and “Eagle Nature,” but Cynic sounds more confident and assure of themselves with the new direction. “The Space For This” and “King Of Those Who Know” are two modern-day classics, the former having a fantastic clean opening, with soaring guitar work that takes the phrase “Traced In Air” literally, and the latter ending with a jazz-inspired guitar passage dripping in majestic beauty.

In the middle of those two epics are several solid progressive death metal tracks. The clean passages are kept to a minimum, save for the bridge of “Integral Birth.” Some tribal chanting is used on “The Unknown Guest,” which is quite random, but doesn’t distract too much. Closer “Nunc Stans” is a morbid, yet stunning, ending to Traced In Air, signaling the calm before the storm, as the “eternal warriors” prepare for the end.

A new dawn is upon us, and with the rising sunset comes the re-birth of Cynic, and what a glorious re-birth it is. Traced In Air may only be 35 minutes long, but it is consistent from top to bottom, and shows a level of songwriting that usually only comes from a band with five or six releases under their belt. Cynic fans may have had to wait fifteen years for a proper follow-up, but the wait was worth it. When the year comes to an end, Traced In Air is guaranteed to be on the top of many best-of-year lists.

Rating: 8.5/10
Label: Season Of Mist
Website: http://www.myspace.com/cyniconline

By Dan Marsicano

(+40 rating, 11 votes)

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