News |

Guitar World Column |

Interviews |

Pictures |

Album Reviews |

Gig Reviews |

Release Dates |

History |

Articles |

Setlists |

Upcoming |

Contact

Track Listing: Amidst The Coals Carbon-Based Anatomy Bija! Box Up My Bones Elves Beam Out Hieroglyph

After last year's release of the "Re-Traced" EP, Cynic are back with another EP titled "Carbon-Based Anatomy", and unlike Re-Traced, all songs on this one are original, previously unreleased compositions. The 2008 release "Traced In Air" was the band's comeback album after a long hiatus, and marked the beginning of their journey towards a new musical direction that focussed more on experimentation. The Re-Traced EP presented some interesting interpretations of some of those songs, and I was very much looking forward to their next release.

The year of 2011 also saw a revamp of Cynic's line-up, resulting in the departure of Tymon Kruidenier and Robin Zielhorst. All guitar parts on this EP have been recorded by Paul Masvidal, while Sean Malone has contributed bass and Sean Reinert stays in the drummer's seat.

The EP starts out with "Amidst The Coals", which is a quiet little 2-minute piece decorated with female vocals, contributed by Amy Correia. It sets the mood for the rest of the album and flows into the title track, which keeps a similar vibe going and showcases some nicely crafted guitar parts along with vocal harmonies that fit into the song really well. A two-and-a-half minute interlude "Bija!" comes next, an exotic piece that treats the listener to the wonderful sound of the Tabla. "Box Up My Bones" is perhaps the best track on the album, a very well structured and musically rich tune that gives each instrument ample space to contribute. "Elves Beam Out" focusses a bit more on the percussive side, hence sounds heavier than anything else on this EP. The 2-minute outro titled "Hieroglyph" brings this EP to a close, and most certainly leaves the listener wanting more.

This EP gives a very accurate indication of where Cynic stand in their musical career and what the next full-length album could sound like. Fans of early Cynic might be completely turned off after listening to this EP, but if you're a fan of experimental music, you will most likely perceive this as a great piece. I wouldn't even describe it as technical, because there is really nothing "technical" about the guitar or drum parts. But it breaks new ground, and through these tunes Cynic have stepped into the realm of what I would call New Age or World Music.

I am very eager to see how this sounds when the band plays it live on their upcoming US tour. Just to clarify, he band's current touring line-up is different from the group that recorded this EP, and you'll be seeing Brandon Giffin on bass and Max Phelps on guitar & vocals as the new members.

On the whole, I would say it's an enjoyable release, but needs an acquired taste. It definitely isn't for everyone.