ProfessorMurder

Interview Paul Masvidal

The ‘80s are often seen as the glory days of metal (rightly so), but as the ‘90s
dawned, metal was a dirty word, except for death metal acts in Florida and
Sweden. Fans wanted harder and faster. Words like esoteric and progressive
weren’t welcome. Cynic, along with Atheist, Psychotic Waltz and Watchtower
before them, found their intelligent music drowned out. Perhaps NOW, in a
climate that has fostered careers for the likes of Tool, Dillinger Escape Plan,
Meshuggah and Primus, an act like Cynic has a better shot. If it were
possible to combine the sometimes wacky output of the aforementioned
foursome, it might approximate Cynic, who is often favourably compared to
latter-day Death (Paul Masvidal, vocalist/guitar, and Sean Reinert, drums
both teamed with the late Chuck Schuldiner on the groundbreaking Human in ‘
91). Shame that after 15 years apart, they could only create eight selections
(34:45), one being the tribal drum-laden instrumental ‘Nunc Fluens’. That
said, the jazz meets art rock meets rock style employs the two vocal
approach: predominately smooth and super-clean, backed by another, right
out of Death metal. Chuck would be proud! ‘Evolutionary Sleeper’ is moody,
whereas ‘Integral Birth’ picks up the pace/intensity and features plenty of
growling, yet as with any and all Cynic “songs,” they can switch on a dime.
Take the subdued intro to ‘King Of Those Who Know’, complete with a choir
of female voices. Suddenly it jumps to metal, a la improvisational jazz. You
want virtuoso musicianship? Check out the guitar on ‘A Space For This’. Call
it math metal, technical, whatever, just approach with an open mind.


Last Question of the Masvidal Interview:

One real question though: We know Chuck (while living in Altamonte Springs)
loved the Netherlands. You Cynic guys (originated from Miami) choose to play
with two Dutch guys. Since we (EW) are Dutch (based): What is it with
Florida and Holland?

Weed? I’m sure that had something to do with Chuck’s liking of the country!
Otherwise, I’m guessing there must of been some great Death shows and
fans in Holland. I remember we had a nice time there with Death and have
always enjoyed Holland since. It’s a wonderful little country.

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"No contaban con mi astucia!"

m0rb1d

good album, but i think that focus is leaps and bounds better.

those dudes got an instrumental side project too called gordian knot which kicks major ass as well.

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