EMERGENT

Sub-genre:Experimental/Post Metal
For Fans of: The first Gordian Knot, late Brand X
Vocal Style:Choral background in closing piece only
Guitar Style: Varying styles both acoustic and electric.
Keyboard Style:Some piano
Percussion Style:Standard rock kit with slit drums & congas
Bass Style:Primarily come from the low end of Malone's Chapman stick with the occasional picked electric fretless bass.
Other Instruments: Chapman Stick
You are not likely to enjoy this album if: you are expecting some monumental growth via the prog all-star lineup.

Summary: The months leading up to the release of Emergent, the bands label website included a rather embarrassing amount of advertising for the new guest lineup that included prog legends Bill Bruford and Steve Hackett. The remaining players made up almost the entire lineup of Cynic. This marketing emphasis should have been a warning sign similar to a novel at the supermarket checkout on which the cover has the author's name larger than the book title. It is not as though the music is poor by any stretch. It just sounds like a rehash of the first self titled Gordian Knot release. The exception is that there are no exclusively mellow songs, save for the live version of Grace. There is also The Brook the Ocean which has a much more traditional Jazz/Rock Fusion sound than any of the debut album. Unfortunately, it comes across as more of an accommodation to the guest percussionist than something unique to the project. The sound mix is almost identical to the debut.

Final Score: The music is good enough that someone hearing this album prior to the debut album might feel it is the stronger of the two. But simple chronology makes Emergent a less important album in the scheme of Progressive Metal/Fusion than Gordian Knot. The star power that Bruford and Hackett bring do nothing other than create a résumé entry for Malone. It is my hope that he realizes his ability as a musician/composer stands on its own without such non-sense. The album is good but not great; welcome but not essential. 3 stars.

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