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Cynic - Traced in Air CD (album) cover

TRACED IN AIR

Cynic

 

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

4.18 | 559 ratings

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Gatot
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars The first time I spun this album I was confused about the music as it was so complex for me at the beginning. As I was so curious about Sean Malone's technical capabilities with his chapman stick, I kept spinning it many times and it surprisingly grew on me. One thing I can say about this album is that the whole album sounds like a one track to me as many times I realized when I tried to re-spin I was not aware that the music listening session reached to track 5 without I really noticed when the transition between one song to another. It's quite well understood as the music this album offers is basically containing many changes in nuances from complex music arrangements that sometime changes dramatically into silent parts.

The album contains many textures and soundscapes like demonstrated from the opening track Nunc Fluens (2:56) where the intro part indicates atmospheric session followed with floating drumwork. It's really a great opening. It a short track but it sets the whole nuance of the album. The transistion to next track does not sound noticeable as the first track suddenly stop followed with guitar fills that opens up second track The Space For This (5:46) where the nuance changes differently from previous track. This second track is really excellent. I like the drumming work and the combined clean and growling vocals augmented with stunning guitar work. I think this kind of music is something that I never heard, it's so unique. The guitar solo is so stunning!

Evolutionary Sleeper (3:35) also starts with guitar fills and I do not notice that it changes to another track. The music is similar with previous track but it does not make me boring. There are great stops as the music flows. For some reason it reminds me to Mars Volta sorts of music / style. The other remaining tracks are excellent - all of them: Integral Birth (3:53) -- I like the drumming part; The Unknown Guest (4:13); Adam's Murmur (3:29); King Of Those Who Know (6:09); and Nunc Stans (4:13).

I think this album is really an excellent music offering from Cynic even though the album is short in duration. But the music is truly great! It's different than the other kind of music with metal elements. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Gatot | 4/5 |

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