Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Cynic Appreciation Thread
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedCynic Appreciation Thread
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Negoba View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: July 24 2008
Location: Big Muddy
Status: Offline
Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Cynic Appreciation Thread
    Posted: November 05 2009 at 09:18
I've listened to alot of albums since joining PA over a year ago, and TRACED IN AIR was one of the early ones. I gave it 5 stars then and of all the albums, this one is holding my esteem more than perhaps any other. I come back to it often and consider it one of the most beautiful, complex, progressive, and musical pieces of work ever made in the metal genre.
 
For some in explicable reason, I only picked up FOCUS last night. It is a very different album but also phenomenal. I'm only a few listens in so I'm not ready to review. Minimum 4 star album though. Less melody and beauty but Sean Malone! Actually more technical, a different beast.
 
So I'm looking for other people's opinions on all things Cynic and suggestions about where to go next. I've sampled alot but the only thing I own is the Aghora album with Reinert.
 
Go.,.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
Back to Top
Padraic View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 16 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline
Points: 31165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 09:27
Do you have Sean Malone's Gordian Knot project (two albums, I believe)?

Focus is still one of my favorite metal albums of all time.  I bought it on a whim around 1996, I think, and was blown away by the musicianship. 
Back to Top
Negoba View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: July 24 2008
Location: Big Muddy
Status: Offline
Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 09:33
I think the Gordian Knot will be next...I've listened to them alot on last.fm but never bought them. But there's Exivious too....probably will end up with all of them eventually. xmas is coming.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
Back to Top
J-Man View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: August 07 2008
Location: Philadelphia,PA
Status: Offline
Points: 7826 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 15:20
I only have Traced In Air, and after about 4 listens, there's nothing that really "grabbed" me enough to listen to it too many more times. I don't know, maybe I just need to give it some time...

Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 19 2007
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 3010 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 15:27
Sadist - Tribe
Pestilence - Spheres
Cerebrum - Spectral Extravagance
 
 
Just to mention a few interesting ones. But nothing really sounds like Cynic now does it? The only other band I have ever found comparable to Cynic is Atheist  ( especially when talking about quality) and they are actually quite different when you begin to analyze them.
Metal Music Archives

UMUR on RYM
Back to Top
Negoba View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: July 24 2008
Location: Big Muddy
Status: Offline
Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 15:40
Thanks UMUR, I've got some searching to go do.
 
J-Man...Focus is much more like Death and Atheist from what I've seen. Traced in Air is that elusive "Beautiful but very Heavy Metal" that I search for...only Devin Townsend really plays anything like it and it's still quite different. I assume you like Focus.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
Back to Top
J-Man View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: August 07 2008
Location: Philadelphia,PA
Status: Offline
Points: 7826 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 16:18
Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

Thanks UMUR, I've got some searching to go do.
 
J-Man...Focus is much more like Death and Atheist from what I've seen. Traced in Air is that elusive "Beautiful but very Heavy Metal" that I search for...only Devin Townsend really plays anything like it and it's still quite different. I assume you like Focus.


I don't actually have Focus yet, but I do plan on getting it. I love Athiest though, so that might be more down my alley.

Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime
Back to Top
zappaholic View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 24 2006
Location: flyover country
Status: Offline
Points: 2822 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 19:36
Focus is quite good.  I've only listened to Traced In Air a couple times so I'm not quite as into it.
 
Some time ago - a couple years before Focus was released - a tape of early Cynic material came into my possession.  It had early versions of "The Eagle Nature" and "Uroboric Forms" with all DM-type vocals (presumably done by Masvidal before he tore his throat up), plus an otherwise unreleased song called "Pleading For Preservation".  I don't know if I still have it or not.
 
 
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15783 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 23:00
The band Portal is an offshoot of Cynic. More of a symphonic thing with female vocals but worth checking out.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
Petrovsk Mizinski View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: December 24 2007
Location: Ukraine
Status: Offline
Points: 25210 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2009 at 23:15
Traced in Air is probably in my top 5 of 2008, easily.
Goddamn amazing album
Back to Top
Synchestra View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: April 07 2009
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 734 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 04:26
Originally posted by J-Man J-Man wrote:

I only have Traced In Air, and after about 4 listens, there's nothing that really "grabbed" me enough to listen to it too many more times. I don't know, maybe I just need to give it some time...
 I gave it a couple listens after it came out and thought it was decent, then forgot about it. Came back to it about two weeks ago, and it blew me away. It's definately an album that takes time. But it's currently working it's way up to my top 20 metal albums. If you like Athiest then Focus is almost certainly going to be more your thing, the two really go hand in hand as far as jazz death (or whatever you feel like calling it Wink) goes.
'Yeah, thats.. Whatever you're talking about for ya' - Zapp brannigan
Back to Top
sleeper View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 05:45
Originally posted by Petrovsk Mizinski Petrovsk Mizinski wrote:

Traced in Air is probably in my top 5 of 2008, easily.
Goddamn amazing album
Agree with Harry here, astounding album.
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

Back to Top
The Pessimist View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: June 13 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 3834 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 11:32
I love Cynic. Gotta say I prefer Focus to Traced In Air, but both are pretty stoic albums in my collection. My opinion of the band is kind of public, and I'm gonna back it up with a short story: they toured with Cannibal Corpse during their first album tour (citation needed) and pretty much got booed off the stage (not really the kind of material you'd expect to hear at a CC gig). That's actually one of the ego-hitters that made them put off an album for so long according to Reinert, but lo a behold: Traced In Air comes along during the height of prog metal, and it turns out that at their first festival venue everyone was singing along to Veil of Maya.
 
Beautiful story, and entirely true.
 
So I guess that sums it up. They take a while to get into for metalheads, but after a period of time their music is almost anthemic.
 
They are also top notch musicians, especially Masdival for me. Astonishing guitarist, and one of the pioneers in jazz death-metal.
"Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value."

Arnold Schoenberg
Back to Top
sleeper View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 07 2009 at 09:24
^Thank god we wont have to wait as long for album number 3 as we did TiA!
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

Back to Top
O666 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: September 20 2009
Location: TEHRAN-IRAN
Status: Offline
Points: 2618 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 07 2009 at 14:27
I wrote about sean's great band AGHORA. gordian knot and cynic also great. but i advise to listen AGHORA.
Back to Top
Negoba View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: July 24 2008
Location: Big Muddy
Status: Offline
Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 10 2009 at 09:42

Traced in Air is among my top 10 metal albums ever. It combines the unbelievable ideas from Focus and a more mature melodic and songwriting to be just one of the highest pieces of art metal has produced.

I've listened to Focus at least 10 times now, probably review it today.

I have Aghora's newer album which is a great tech album. The female vocalist is pretty blah though. Less fire in her voice than the background vocalist on Focus. The little I've heard of the first album is a different singer who I like a little better. Some of the music is phenomenal.

I'm probably going to buy one of Gordian Knot's albums soon.

 
ed. When are we supposed to get another Cynic album???


Edited by Negoba - November 10 2009 at 13:46
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
Back to Top
The Sleepwalker View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: February 03 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 15141 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2009 at 10:42
I bought Traced In Air today and I really enjoy it. The vocals sound very unusual for extreme metal, but I really like them. I also really enjoy the jazzy melodic parts and really like the overall mood of the album. The beautiful digipack artwork also deserves to be mentioned I think!Thumbs Up
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 19 2007
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 3010 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2009 at 13:55
Yep enjoyed that nice artwork myself the other day before turning the volume up to pain level and then drove out to make the world an uneasy place for other people driving to work that day. With an album like Traced in Air itīs difficult not to forget everything around you. Warning. Donīt listen and drive.Big smile
Metal Music Archives

UMUR on RYM
Back to Top
Negoba View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: July 24 2008
Location: Big Muddy
Status: Offline
Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2009 at 14:01
Bought Gordian Knot's Emergent last week...it's ok, but a little disappointed after how good Cynic is.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 19 2007
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 3010 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2009 at 14:17
Yep the times Iīve tried to listen to Gordian Knot has always ended in disappointment too. But I will give them another try when Iīm going to review them.
Metal Music Archives

UMUR on RYM
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.211 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.