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TechnoTV - Traced In Air (Ltd. Edition)
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List Price: $16.98
Our Price: $12.06
Your Save: $ 4.92 ( 29% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Season of Mist
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0822603118223
Format: Limited Edition
Label: Season of Mist
Manufacturer: Season of Mist
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Season of Mist
Release Date: 2008-11-24
Studio: Season of Mist
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: To every blade of grass.
Comment: I have been waiting for Cynic to release a new album since 1995 and finally, they did. 'Focus' is probably in my top 5 albums of all time, it's dense and futuristic while still maintaining a human feel. 'Traced in air' is very different but still Cynic. Dare i say that some of the songs are down right catchy?! It took me quite a couple listen's to fully absorb everything on this disc but when i did it boggled my mind how four humans could write such beautiful music. The arrangement's are lush and precise and the vocal's are floaty and light. Paul masvidal's lyric's are also stunning while he run's the gamut from universal one-ness to being reborn through integral birth.
I highly suggest picking this album up. It is inspiring and uplifting with an overall positive message. I will not pigeon hole Cynic into any specific genre so you'll have to pick up this little piece of art for yourself. This album will reveal it's genius after repeated listens so linkin park fans need not apply.
Also, robert venosa's artwork is rediculous. There are 8 piece's of art that coincide with each song and they are all relatively different. I'm surprised no one else really mentioned the beauty of the packaging on here, probably the best i've seen since Tool's '10,000 Days'. Buy this, you will LOVE it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Tapestry of Melody; and a Maze
Comment: It's incredibly difficult to know where to begin. This album is one of the most beautiful works of music my ears have been lucky enough to listen to.
Cynic is probably the most non-pretentious prog bands I've ever listened to. Some bands can fly so high that they completely lose the human aspect of the music and the become globs of highly technical crap on an emotional level even if they are beautiful works of art.
This album by Cynic has a distinct feeling; I wished I could grab a non-esoteric example, but anyone who has played the game series "Xenosaga" or "Xenogears" will have a good solid idea of how this album feels. It's incredibly spacey and atmospheric, and futuristic. The compositions are also completely organic, the only thing that might be considered a 'chorus' moment is the chant moment in "Unknown Guest."
Like I've been trying inadequately to describe there is an abstract quality to this music. If you've ever had the feeling when solving a math problem, that you knew the solution but can't write down why, that's what I came away with. There's a mystery here, one that can only be solved by listening to it many more times; not difficult. This is my vote for best album of the year.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and long awaited
Comment: Traced in Air represents a stylistic evolution of the Cynic sound along the lines of what the guys have done in the 15 years between albums. Translation: it's not a carbon copy of Focus, but it is definitely the same band. I would say it's not quite as heavy, although it is still very much metal. The sound has shifted toward much more of an emphasis on Paul's vocals than on the growls, but the latter are definitely still there, and are done well and tastefully. At the same time, the vocoder is toned down a little from Focus, so a more "human" Paul comes through.
In my opinion this sonic evolution applies conceptually, as well: lyrically, Focus represented Paul at an earlier stage of spiritual growth. Traced in Air finds him older and wiser, I think, grown in his spiritual journey and more aware of himself--more comfortable in his own skin, if you will. As before, the lyrics are intelligent if somewhat esoteric, much to be preferred over the dreck that passes for content so lamentably often in metal (particularly so-called "extreme" metal, where Cynic's roots lie).
Once again, Cynic brings to the platter a more interesting harmonic palette than mere power chords, which to my composer's ear is a treat disappointingly uncommon in metal (or most other popular music, for that matter). In terms of metric variety, the band strikes a nice balance between predictable and overwrought--they are not Meshuggah and don't try to sound like it (and nobody but Meshuggah really can or should), but still interesting to ears tuned to Tomas Haake's wildness. My wife and I agreed that the album sounds somewhere between The Mars Volta (sans overindulgence) and more recent and melodic iterations of death metal. Like others have said, it really can't be called a death metal album, but more of a melodic progressive metal colored with elements of death metal.
Overall, I give this album an unequivocal five stars. The songwriting is fantastic, instrumental arrangements exquisite and sensitive, neither overbearingly dense nor uninspiringly thin. My only beef is that it ends after only 34 minutes, which means that I want another album, which is dangerous when a band has as much expectation riding on their shoulders. Who knows, it may have to wait another several years until Paul hits a new place in his personal evolution from which to set out once again on Cynic waters. If so, I will gladly endure the wait.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best album of 2008
Comment: As a matter of fact TiA is my favorite for album of the year, also return of the year for Cynic.
Is something spiritually, I don't exactly my feeling but so many emotions can not be describe with simple words. Its just magic.
I have heard TiA more that 13 times just today, since the leak I had heard maybe everyday more than once without feel tired about, you can go to [...] and see my statics (user: Painkiller), is all about TiA these days.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Traced In Air
Comment: I wasn't previously aware of Cynic as some of the reviewers here were. I dropped in Traced In Air and was impressed. I even surprised myself by hitting play and listening to the album in it's entirety a second time. As I listened I tried to pin the band's sound down. They have an outstanding drummer in Reinert. This and certain song structure reminded me of Rush. Although Reinert does the double kick drum when needed he also creates some killer rhythms reminiscent of Phil Collins. The album has some growling vocals but the majority of the time they are blended with Masvilad's almost angelic vocals. The talented guitar styling for the most part is more Jazz/Fusion than Metal. However, the songs are melodic with tasteful variations that keeps your attention. Absent on the album is any heavy distortion or thrash. All of this blends to create the experience that is Traced In Air.
Cynic, as a band, is very tight on this album. What I mean by that as complex as this album is the musicians bring their various parts together with precision. All the members are talented but you can't help being struck by the outstanding drums and guitar work. I hope it's not another 15 years before we hear from these guys again.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Traced in Air is the second full-length album by the progressive/technical death metal fusion band Cynic. It is the first album since their 1993 debut Focus. Cynic disbanded during the fall of 1994 while working on the album. In January 17, 2008 Cynic resumed musical activity and Paul Masvidal said he wanted to complete the project after the Reunion Tour. It was originally believed that Cynic would be working with Jason Suecof of Capharnaum fame. However, Warren Riker (Down's producer) is working with the band. Tymon Kruidenier was then announced as replacement for Senescu. Kruidenier will also be handling the death growls for the album.
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