mp3reactor

Cynic became famous for their album Focus, which has been their only one till now. Focus was released in the early '90s, and is known to be the epitome of jazz/fusion-influenced death metal, along with Atheist's works. Rumors of a reunion have been going around for the past few years, and finally, a new album is made. As a huge 'comeback album' it's sure to recieve both extremely good and bad comments, but I'm neither a worshipful fanboy or a hater of Cynic, so I'll attempt to write a non-biased review. Remember how Focus had some characteristics - the production, for example - that sometimes resembled ordinary death metal? Well, Traced In Air has a lot less. The riffs have a touch of death-esque complexity, but they sound nothing like that. I don't hear too much the rough-yet-decipherable riffage typical for this style, this is more like a laid-back Between The Buried And The Dead (you can punch me for the comparison after you've listened to it - believe me, it stands, even for the whole CD, regardless of how stupid it sounds). Many people disliked the 'robot' vocals on the debut, because they were unusual in that context and were hard to get used to. They now use grunts and harsh vocals more scarcely, and the robot vocals have changed to clean, sung vocals. Some special effects are surely still intact, but they sound a bit less awkward now. Regarding the album as a whole, it's different than what you'd probably expect from Cynic. They've lost most of their death and thrash influence, the new album is much calmer, but still shows a wide array of emotions and atmospheres. Good music for relaxing.