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Avg: 4.0 (73 ratings)
- Date Released: October 27, 2008
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Metal
- Label: Season of Mist / The Orchard
Death metal sharpens its focus and turns into "life metal"
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We Say...
Focus, Cynic's 1993 debut, was rough-hewn yet visionary. Its blend of death metal and jazz fusion inspired countless bands — Between the Buried and Me, The Faceless and Intronaut, to name a few. Afterwards, the band split up. Guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert played atmospheric rock in Aeon Spoke, bassist Sean Malone explored prog metal and guitarist Jason Gobel eventually retired from the music industry. In 2007, Cynic reunited to satisfy rabid fan demand.
The band has not faltered under scrutiny. Unlike Focus, which was exploratory but unfocused, Traced in Air is self-contained and self-assured. The production flaws of the debut are gone; the sound is smooth and sleek. Even the distortion is precise and pristine, like an edgier King Crimson. As on Focus, Masvidal's vocals are heavily processed. This time, Auto-Tune seems to trump vocoder as the tech toy of choice. Reinert's percussion is characteristically crisp and colorful. The compact songs and coruscating, clean tones show a strong Aeon Spoke influence. This record consummates Focus' leanings towards melody and harmony. Masvidal's lyrics likewise continue Focus' spiritual themes. The sum total is sweetly frictionless. What began as traditional death metal is now something perhaps best called "life metal."
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08 Total Tracks, 34:18 Total Length
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