Artist: Cynic
Title: Re-Traced
Type: EP
Label: Season of Mist

I guess something like this was more or less inevitable. It's clear to anyone with vaguely functioning perceptions that Paul Masvidal and his accomplices have far more sonic strings to their bow than mere 'death metal', even beyond the fusion flourishes and tech-jazz workouts that have peppered the two Cynic albums released to date. And so, with Re-Traced, the band finally sever their ties with anything remotely resembling extreme metal for this experimental EP in which four tracks from 2008's 'Traced in Air' are reworked into new interpretations embracing a spectrum of styles. Electronica, shoegaze, ambient and alt-rock are all thrown into the mix in an attempt to highlight the band's multi-layered approach and once again reinforce the notion that Cynic are not - and never really have been - an out-and-out 'metal' band.

Is this EP a step too far, however? Have Cynic perhaps run the risk of giving us too much of one thing, that the balance between tech-metal and jazzy ambience was the focus of their appeal? These were my fears when I first heard tell of this project and as the reworked version of 'The Space for This' commenced with some distinctly limp-wristed electronic beats, my heart sank. Thankfully, the opening few bars a mere aberration and as the EP evolves, one has to conclude that this is a successful experiment. The reinterpretations are multi-leveled, serving to simultaneously reveal more secrets of the originals yet are very much distinctive pieces in their own right.

Performance-wise, it is nearly faultless. Malone's fretless bass work moves like the perambulation of an organism with a mind of its own whilst the guitars are delicate and restrained. Stripped of vocoder, Masvidals vocals are airy, pure - sometimes whiny - but otherwise the focal point of these lighter, more spacious reworkings and carry the melodies with aplomb. As we move from '...Space's futuristic electronic-tinged ambience, through the modern-day Anathema-styled atmospheric, emotional rock of 'Evolutionary Sleeper' to the acoustic minimalism of 'Integral Birth', Re-Traced succeeds predominantly in highlighting the quality of Cynic's songwriting. That these songs, predominantly known as metal numbers, can be so substantially re-worked yet retain the fundamentals of their essence is a real testament to the band's unquestionable talent. After this short yet absorbing journey, the new 'proper' Cynic song 'Wheels within Wheels' feels almost tacked on at the end and unnecessary - multiple plays however reveal that the band have no intention of reining in their progressive, spacious tendencies with the song, laced as it is with ethereal hooks. Re-Traced could be accused of self-indulgence at points but it’s an interesting, captivating experiment and underlines the vision of this unique band.

http://www.myspace.com/cyniconline

Frank Allain

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