Cynic
Otherworldly metal that dissolves into fluid jazz fusion. Shimmering vocoder vocals and intricate rhythms create a soundscape that feels both alien and deeply human.
Otherworldly metal that dissolves into fluid jazz fusion. Shimmering vocoder vocals and intricate rhythms create a soundscape that feels both alien and deeply human.
Cynic sounds like a transmission from a more evolved civilization that still remembers what it feels like to be grounded in the earth. It is music of immense technical complexity that never loses its sense of wonder or its spiritual core. The guitars swirl with a liquid grace, often trading jagged metal riffs for lush, ambient textures that recall the best of 70s fusion and 90s shoegaze.
What truly sets them apart is the juxtaposition of extreme metal's precision with a gentle, almost pastoral sensitivity. The use of vocoders transforms the human voice into something synthetic yet strangely intimate, while the rhythm section provides a masterclass in polyrhythmic interplay. It is a sound that is constantly shifting, moving from aggressive outbursts to moments of profound, quiet beauty without ever feeling disjointed.
Start with Focus if you want to hear the moment death metal was forever changed by jazz. If you prefer something more melodic and expansive, Traced in Air offers a more refined, atmospheric take on their unique sonic philosophy. Either way, prepare for a listening experience that demands your full attention and rewards it with layers of hidden detail.
Cynic is an American progressive metal band formed in Miami, Florida in 1987. Paul Masvidal originally served solely as the band's guitarist, but later took over as lead vocalist and chief songwriter. Cynic incorporates elements of progressive rock, alternative, and metal. Their first album, Focus, was released in 1993. Cynic disbanded in 1994, reunited in 2006, and released their second album in 2008. Traced in Air was released through French label Season of Mist, followed up by an EP titled Re-Traced in 2010 and an EP titled Carbon-Based Anatomy in 2011. Their third studio album, Kindly Bent to Free Us, was released in 2014. In December 2017, after two years of uncertainty surrounding his involvement, founding drummer Sean Reinert confirmed his split from Cynic. Reinert later died unexpectedly, at the age of 48, in January 2020. Longtime Cynic bass player Sean Malone died at the age of 50 eleven months later. The band's fourth album, Ascension Codes, was released in December 2021.
Shares jazz fusion, mysterious, progressive metal, upright bass (signature)
Shares mysterious, progressive metal, underwater, forest (signature)
Shares mysterious, death metal, progressive metal, forest (signature)
Shares progressive metal, midnight, stargazing, ethereal (subgenre)
Shares jazz fusion, progressive metal, art rock, stargazing (signature)
Shares jazz fusion chord voicings, jazz fusion, death metal, progressive metal (detail)
Shares death metal, progressive metal, underwater, forest (subgenre)
Shares jazz fusion, bass, progressive metal, upright bass (signature)
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