Cynic make a brilliant come back

Cynic were a progressive metal band that releases a seminal album in 1993 called “Focus”. It turns out, by happy accident that they have reformed 15 years later and are touring to promote a new album, in support of Opeth who I am going to see play in a couple of weeks.

The new album is excellent – a modern progression of their original sound and composition. As ever brave and somewhat disorientating it is wonderful to have Cynic back with their new album Traced In Air. It comes as little surprise that their jazz-fusion-metal approach sees them playing a cover of a Mahavishnu Orchestra track live.

Their sound and unusual jazzy chord progressions tend to leave me feeling rather mournful at the end of it all, rather than pumped up and ready to crack skulls, as when I listen to most metal. The album actually reminds me of a metal’d up Oceansize at times, and even strangely reminiscent of some Smashing Pumpkins.