Cynic, 'Kindly Bent To Save Us'

Cynic has always been a favorite of mine when it comes to progressive metal. Their progressive metal style along with some jazz-fusion influence and “auto tuned” vocals, they really have a very unique sound. That being said, I really love their new album for many reasons. The band took a step in another direction with their newest effort “Kindly Bent To Free Us.” With the lack of harsh (screaming) vocals and, from what I can tell, less vocoded vocals, the band drifted from their typical sound.

I’m not saying that they totally ditched the “robotic” vocals like they did their harsh vocals (due to the departure of guitarist Tymon Kruidenier), but there are definitely parts on the album where there are very little vocal effects. This, obviously, gives Paul’s voice a more natural sound and adds a new element to their music. It seems to me like this was a slower transition that I’m making it out to be, but after Re-Traced, released in 2010, I should have assumed that this would be the way that they would eventually go.

Every album of Cynic’s seems to add more and more texture work, adding a sense of ambiance to the record. This, in my opinion, is a trait of an evolving musician, especially for heavy metal acts. Instead of focusing on riffs or grooves, the musician is focused on the entire mood of the piece. Every album of Cynic’s since their release of their first in 1993, has become more textured and the overall mood and feel of the albums has changed. They still have their quintessential style of writing, but there is more depth to the music, engaging the listener and allowing them to connect at a different level.

Overall, I was very fond of this record. There are quite a few tracks that I find myself listening to more than others, but there isn't a bad song on the album . I’m not saying that the lack of the “robotic” vocals killed this album for me, because that’s not true at all, but I do wish they were more apparent. That is the aspect of Cynic that diversifies them and makes them different from all of the other metal and progressive metal acts in the scene today (and for the past 23 years). Favorite Tracks: “True Hallucination Speak”, “The Lion’s Roar”, and “Holy Fallout”