Kindly Bent to Free Us

Unfortunately, time has shown that most of the rest of Cynic's discography after "Traced In Air" is clearly weaker music, created without force, not according to the name and only for the most understanding listeners. The lack of ideas was clearly emphasized by "Re-Traced" and "The Portal Tapes", the next step is "Kindly Bent To Free Us" - the third lp in the group's discography. Of course, I do not intend to pick on the chosen style, after all, they have had some better albums in this style (eg. "Carbon-Based Anatomy"). The problem, however, is that..."Kindly..." is a completely new and quite long-awaited material compared to previous eps/compilations (except for "Carbon..."), and it looks like it was another cluster of old ones (and by default weaker) ideas! Worse still, a large number of changes and the "new" direction did little to the Cynic "proprietary" patents. These mostly do not overlap at all or are pushed somewhere to the background compared to the newer ones.

The unique contrast between the lighter and heavier sides of their style has faded somewhere in all of this. Instead, the trio decided to go all the way down to sleepy, pseudo-alternative prog rock. While more or less similar approach was presented by "Traced..." and "Carbon...", so there were still some remnants of the jazz-metal past and a lot of sensible technique. "Kindly...", in turn, lacks anything that would fit into that "counterbalance", not to mention the ideas for main style and the general atmosphere. They lacked (or rather Paul - as I am used to speculating) imagination in which direction to lead Cynic's music, so that it would fit into the "new" formula, and at the same time was still exciting and one step away from the others.

It's a pity that such creative and performance potential has been wasted. Bass, guitars, drums all of this aims at quite twisted and more technical than other musicians from this narrow trend - so it should be nice. But what after when Paul Masvidal's falsets are even hard to digest and more lifeless than on previous releases, and to such an extent that they make it extremely difficult to get through the very beginning of the album! Even the tracks where the spirit of the old Cynic style (like the title track, "Gitanjali" and "Moon Heart Sun Head") and the appearance of more interesting instrumental flavors or ideas that go beyond standard progressive metal seem to make little sense when (unfortunately often) Masvidal appears with his anemic vocals. Another thing - mix. This one, of course, causes less problems than the singing, which does not mean that it does not bother the album. There is something strange, unnatural about it, and speaking more humanly, one has the impression that Mr. R. Walt Vincent did everything to make the instruments play separately and do not have the necessary power (especially from the guitar side).

Unfortunately, this is what the last step of Cynic's activity looks like in an almost "classic" line-up, just like a substitute for the magic of this band and a minimum of their's own abilities. There are so many lame elements on this album that even the "better" ones in their context become not very important and do not fit into even a few fully good songs. It's a pity, because the potential was muuuch more.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2021/04/cynic-kindly-bent-to-free-us-2014.html

I remember when I learned Cynic had reunited. That was thrilling! And then, when I knew they would release a new album, I couldn't believe it! Fuckin' a! Few things got me more excited in 2008, and take into account that was the year I finished university. Cynic even appeared at the 2008 W:O:A, and a friend of mine was lucky and rich enough to see them, along with the fresh reincarnations of At the Gates and Carcass. Damn you Germans! It's just not fair. Ok, I'll let this pass because you gave us Blind Guardian. Anyway, Cynic's second coming was quite a phenomenon for the metal world, and with the release of what I consider their best album, Traced in Air, things seemed pretty bright ahead for the band. The Re-Traced ep was a letdown, even if I knew it was only a temporary appeasement for the fans. Then, a year later, Carbon-Based Anatomy ep finally came with real new material, which turned to be decently great, the title-track probably being my favorite Cynic tune ever, but the rest of the songs a bit lower in quality. Their sound ever evolving, unfortunately farther and farther away from their metal roots, my worst fears materialized with the advent of their third lp, 2014's Kindly Bent to Free Us.

Thing is, I actually hoped in a continuation of the sound found in their 2011, even with the world music elements, which blended quite nicely with the band's brand of jazzy prog metal. But I never imagined they would end up sounding like Masvidal and Reinart's soft alt rock project, Æon Spoke, only minor the hooks some of the compositions of that outfit's self-titled debut album exhibited. These guys truly hurt me… bad. What a devolution! So sad, so sad. What was supposed to be one of the most expected releases of 2014 ended being the creative death of one of progressive metal's most intriguing bands. I don't care if they found illumination and transcendance along the way… they fuckin' died for me. Kindly Bent of Free Us is devoid of any spirit, any grit. Despite every band member playing their instruments with dexterous grace, like they have always done, the music feels lifeless, flat, enters one ear and exits the other without provoking the slightest sensation or excitement. This, unlike the colorful cover by the late Robert Venosa, is pure gray music, presented here as artful and virtuous, but ultimately vain.

So musicianship it's not an issue here, that's pretty obvious, crystal clear. Just like the production, modern, balanced, rich… but ultimately doesn't matter, since the compositions are just meandering alt/prog rock/metal with no soul at its core. Ironic since these guys seem to be very spiritual. But that's exactly what I mean. Why? Why does this sound so boring and uninspired? There's no hunger to explore new territories or add new influences to their sound. There's no need to grow artistically anymore. Like I said, the best comparison to this is the ordinary 2007 Æon Spoke album, and for some reason beyond human comprehension, they thought or felt it would be a good idea to go with that style under the Cynic moniker, only with a much more complex rhythmic base, the only thing that might tempt you to call this “progressive”. There's no real progress though. Masvidal is there, beautifully singing in tune, his melodic guitar riffs and solos varied, but lacking power and memorable moments. The pair of talented Seans are marginally more interesting in performance than Paul, but again, all those complex time changes, robust bass lines and rapid fills just doesn't bring much to the table in terms of emotion. Is not that these guys are trying to impress the listener with their skill, they've never been like that. This album is not tech metal, not shred, but as it attempts to elevate the human spirit, I do feel I'm listening to robots play instead.

I have listened to this material tenths of times, and the only song I can vaguely remember and recognize is “The Lion's Roar”, so I guess I could consider that one the… hmmm… less atrocious track of the bunch. Yes, there are parts here and there in which the band almost manages to conjure up their greatness of old, but those are sparse, ending up lost among a sea of tedium. Such a waste of talent. So, dear metal bro or sis, unless you're a really big, BIG fan of Æon Spoke, I would advise you to go and grab Focus, Traced in Air, Carbon-Based Anatomy or even their now pretty distant old demos instead of this, and remember what once was. Those are the ones that truly free my soul and make my spirit soar.

“Kindly Bent to Free Us” is the next logical step in the evolution of Cynic, I suppose. Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert had showed waning interest in the metal element throughout “Retraced,” an EP featuring ‘reinterpretations’ of anthems from “Traced in Air,” and “Carbon-Based Anatomy,” which shed the skin of the heavier elements for a sublime, rock-influenced coat layered in progressive philosophies and designs. “Kindly Bent to Free Us” is pretty much the completion of Cynic’s conversion over to the progressive rock station, which might be fine for some, but I’m not awestruck. It seems in a lot of ways that the ethereal ingenuity and complex algorithms of Cynic’s yesteryears have gone from a million screaming spirits to a feeble creative whisper.

No, I’m not close-minded or indifferent to change. It requires a copious amount of open-mindedness on the listener’s behalf to enjoy Cynic in the first place, because the group’s music is, you know, transcendental and in a universe of its own. “Kindly Bent to Free Us” is nonetheless like running into a former lover—perhaps small talk occurs, maybe a burst of arbitrary updates; but the bigger points float above like a halo and overshadow the whole tête-à-tête, left untouched. “Kindly Bent to Free Us” in essence scratches the surface of the Cynic machine without exposing much of its multipart, enthralling layers; it pretty much ends up sounding like a dialed-back “Traced in Air” mixed with the color of “Carbon-Based Anatomy”—tame, passively technical progressive rock tracks.

The performances are, as expected, absolutely wonderful. The chemistry validated between Masvidal’s algebraic guitar playing, Reinert’s stylistic percussion, and especially the zesty, jazzy bass performance of Sean Malone, the album’s MVP, is a storm to behold. But this magic is to be expected, and despite the corky jazz influences and showmanship that is remarkably sharp yet modest, “Kindly Bent to Free Us” proves little worth mentioning. Although I would say there are interesting elements present in tracks like “True Hallucination Speak” and “The Lion’s Roar,” the songs themselves are not attention-grabbing; they manage to be procedural and bouncy, but at the same time overtly accessible, which renders many of Cynic’s exceptional ground rules trivial and makes the band’s works, by some sorcery, unreservedly forgettable.

The eight songs each have their own corks—take, for example, “Gitanjali,” a tune that steps up the speed and technical riffing and wouldn’t sound out of place on “Traced in Air.” Unfortunately, there’s just not enough captivating material to truly make “Kindly Bent to Free Us” a quest that rivals the consistency of Cynic’s former journeys. One of the record’s saving graces is Paul’s vocal performance; the mixture of machinelike vocals and clean singing adds ample depth to the otherwise banal material. However, his lyrics about tripping balls, charkas and stuff are noticeably ridiculous and even occasionally distracting—the worst offender being the soft bridge of “True Hallucination Speak” wherein he mutters, “Pop, snap, crackle and pop,” in what must have been the result of Frosted Flakes iced in DMT instead of sugar.

I like “Moon Heart Sun Head” and the title track for different reasons; the former’s hypnotic, tribal atmosphere is excellent, while the latter captures an element of instrumental intricacy the likes of which meet the standards of Cynic’s former releases. The rest of “Kindly Bent to Free Us” is a haze, though, and the group’s colorful ambitions fail to preserve dull rockers like the poppy “Infinite Shapes” or the mellow spine of “Endlessly Bountiful.” A lot of it boils down to personal preference, as the performances and Cynic’s spirits are magnificent as always, and I can see why some might like this, but I don’t. As a longtime fan of the band, Cynic has moved on to a realm that doesn’t sit well with me, and that’s okay; they don’t need my approval to continue the celestial journey.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

Cynic is a darling of the progressive metal scene as much as Opeth or Dream Theater, an amazing feat considering the whopping number of two albums they've released since Focus in 1993. Like projects such as Necrophagist or Orphaned Land, however, they never needed to astound with their fecundity; the rare times they did release an album (twice), it was always great. While my passing journeys through Focus left me largely unimpressed, despite its legendary status, I find Traced in Air to be a fantastic, unique spin on the progressive metal affair. That said, after their marginally lackluster Carbon-Based Anatomy EP, and knowing full well they'd be continuing down that path on their next full length after they asserted it with The Portal Tapes re-release, I fully expected Kindly Bent to Free Us to be Cynic's Heritage .

Is it? Well, to be honest, the comparisons are bound to show up. Two prog metal legends feel far more attached to the prog than the metal and call it quits on the latter. That said, the main difference between this album and Heritage is that Kindly Bent to Free Us by all means carries on the spirit of Cynic. When you listen to this album, you know you're listening to Cynic. This is essentially a less heavy Traced in Air without the vocoder, and with that I can say I am pleasantly content with this album.

The vocals are traditionally Cynic. Paul sings his typically abstract, otherworldly lyrics that are occasionally ridiculous yet ingenious in his typical light, airy, and almost psychedelic voice. This is literally the exact vocal style that would've been heard on Traced if they weren't vocoder'd. Realistically, the only reason I find this disappointing at all is because I do, indeed, miss the unique vocoder'd vocals, and I definitely miss the metal.

One needs not look further than the riff that blasts out 50 seconds into "True Hallucination Speak" to tell that this is as progressive as Cynic has ever been. The song has one of the coolest rhythms in their career, it's complimented by aforementioned ethereal vocals and otherwise unearthly textures, and completed with a spinechilling break just over 3 minutes into it that reminds me of "Integral Birth." Meanwhile, "Holy Fallout" legitimately sounds like a post-apocalyptic recording, as if this bunch of hippies experienced the end of the world through astral projection or some type of drug-induced mind trip, then wrote this song to document the emotional experience of the ordeal. Quite honestly, this whole album screams "mystical." There's something deep and transcendental about the soundscape of the album, and that, beyond everything else, is what keeps the Cynic spirit alive.

Despite the 80:20 ratio of progressive rock to progressive metal (and that's being generous to how much metal actually exists on this album), cutting out the ambient sections and reinstating the guitar-driven sound leaves this far more akin to their full length efforts than Carbon-Based Anatomy . Due to the very nature of this album, I fully expect this to leave fans aghast. However, those who can look past the reduced heaviness will likely realize this is still Cynic; it's potentially their most progressive outing yet, and a welcome addition to their catalog.

As someone gets older, it's inevitable that some degree of mellowing out will occur. While the pessimistic among us might chalk it up to losing steam and passion, a more realistic way to look at it would be to see it as a reinvention of perspective, a natural development that comes with insight and experience. At least such has been the case for Cynic. Death metal was indelibly changed in 1994 with Focus, its unique blend of death metal, prog, jazz fusion and space ambient remains a unique statement that has never been repeated, even with the release of Traced in Air in 2008. With such a distinct and firm grip of style, Cynic would and could have forged a remarkable career without having changed a thing about their sound...

As it so unfolded (and as anyone who has been following the band will be able to tell you) change was exactly what happened for Cynic. Fast forward to 2014; fans are up in arms over Kindly Bent to Free Us. I've heard it called everything from a masterpiece to the worst piece of garbage this side of Cold Lake. As is usually the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Cynic's third album may lack the 'instant classic' masterpiece appeal of their first two, but the band's evolution into mellower depths has still yielded an impressive set of material. Death metal purists should go back to polishing their Demilich records; Kindly Bent to Free Us isn't quite what we had been expecting or hoping for, but its solid songwriting, tight fusion musicianship and a knack for atmosphere have made for a successful prog rock record.

Two things have changed most prominently with this record, when compared to their past work. Most notably, the growling has been tossed out entirely, instead lending the weight of the vocal duties to Paul Masvidal's fragile cleans. Even though the preceding EP Carbon-Based Anatomy followed the purely clean format, a far greater emphasis in the music have been placed on clean vocals, drawing it closer to a more traditional rock format. Secondly- and far more importantly- the atmosphere and tone has filtered out much of the dark heart and melancholy. Check out a song like "The Lion's Roar", and everything from the trademark synthesized vocals to the tight and peppy guitar riffs deliver a vastly different emotional atmosphere than what one might be used to from metal or even progressive rock.

The musical approach feels more straightforward on the surface, but Cynic deliver an impressive level of sonic depth to the performance. Kindly Bent to Free Us enjoys a masterful quality of production and recording; this is headphone music at its most sublime. "True Hallucination Speak" fleshes out an otherwise straightforward rock tune with effects manipulation that would have sounded incredible even on its own. Masvidal's guitar tone has some bite to it, but there's an evident emphasis on clarity. Sean Malone's bass tone has been getting a fair bit of recognition as well, and for good reason; his fretless bass lines sound like they've been drawn from a purely jazz context, and sound incredible when placed among Cynic's rock (or metal) foundation. I don't mean to imply that Cynic's songwriting relies on production wizardry or strong musicianship to get by, but Cynic's execution is far more impressive than the substance of the work itself. The only exception to this lies in Masvidal's vocal performance itself. Although I don't think he is a bad singer, his fragile vocal style really needed the growls to balance it out, and the almost ubiquitous 'robot' vocorder effect feels less like an artistic statement at this point and more of a way to pad an otherwise thin performance.

Kindly Bent to Free Us has certainly grown on me, at least enough for me to acknowledge it as being better than what its detractors have dismissed it has. Cynic haven't lost a shred of their technical abilities, and fans of the fusion metal template won't come away empty handed. I'm still enjoying the album, even long after the familiarity has set in. Without the context of Cynic's past achievements, I may have been more enthusiastic about it; the truth is that in spite of my enjoyment, I cannot help but feel disappointed. Carbon-Based Anatomy included, I have fallen in love with everything Cynic put out before this. Kindly Bent to Free Us, via unfavourable comparison, strikes me as more of a passing affection. Focus has solidified its place in the legendary pantheon, and Traced in Air felt like an instant classic had been born when it came out. Kindly Bent to Free Us offers none of that awe or promise. It's a disappointment in itself that the impression has been brutalized so much by the context, but expectations were expectations. Fortunately enough, if you're able to get past that red tape and approach the album without the context, there's a fair amount of enjoyment and wonder to behold in the mellower approach. Take it for what it is, I guess.

If there's one thing I wouldn't have expected of a new Cynic album, it's that it heavily remind me of, or felt like some stylistic retrogression towards anything they'd released in the past. That's not to imply that Kindly Bent to Free Us lacks fresh ideas or an arsenal of riffing structures we hadn't heard from them before, but with each new listen through this I kept thinking as if it were just an amalgamation of Traced in Air and the Carbon Based Anatomy EP. On paper, that looks pretty good, since I enjoyed both, but after a strong initial impression this turned out not to have the staying power I really wanted. To be fair, the gulf between Focus and Traced was so enormous that it would have been silly to expect such progressively-inclined musicians to repeat themselves, and the gap between full-lengths #2 and #3 was far shorter, so the aesthetic similarities make sense, I just predicted a much more expansive evolution and didn't get one, so poo on me.

If anything, Kindly Bent to Free Us bridges Cynic back towards a slightly more mechanistic variety of winding, dingy metallic grooves that counterbalance the soothing Beatles-esque vocal harmonies; a clean and tidy style which can sustain the natural variety, experimentation and ambiance with which they play. I mean, there is still nobody who truly sounds like Cynic...they are a league unto themselves and will live or die by their willingness to either succeed or cede to what they've previously offered, and I found this the least impressive of their long players, with the caveat that it undeniably provides a few curious listens through. The drums and bass are superb, the guitars busily constructed if not entirely catchy, and this is probably a more technical and 'metal' direction than Traced in Air, though it shares the same proclivity to lapse into these somnolent passages of cleaner guitars that sound like 90s prog rock lite. A number of the songs like "Moon Heart Sun Head" sounded like Yes or Watchtower being filtered through later 90s era Queensryche or Jellyfish, and a cloying haze of 'hippie enlightenment' seems to hover over their composition, but it's still a case where you can never quite predict the blueprint of an individual track, only that the vocals will remain consistently melodic and not too catchy throughout the 42 minutes.

It sort of saddens me that each consecutive listen to this evokes an even further negative reaction, so it might just be best if I don't revisit it next week, or the one after that. I like a lot of the subtle processed effects and nuances which either lead into the tracks or supplement their depths, more than the riffs, vocal hooks and choruses themselves, and that's not really a good sign. I kept pining for a joygasmic song like the ill-titled "Elves Beam Out" or "Integral Birth" but they're just nowhere to be found, even though Kindly Bent is very clearly clogged with efforts to capitalize on similar motifs. In the end, I had to console myself that this was merely a 'good' Cynic record for a few spins, but very quickly forgotten about when I break out any of their earlier works I own. It's also unlikely to generate any of the divisive buzz that surrounded their reunion earlier this millennium, since there is no real surprise or advancement upon what they've already produced. A shoe in for the appreciation of prog metal nerds who care more about smooth sailing and the showcasing of musical talents, but the older material went beyond that into a realm of obsessive, explosive passion that seems to be replaced here with a little bit of studio gloss and familiarity. Good, but never 'good enough' for a creative outlet like this which inspires such high standards of divergent sonic exploration.

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This is the place where one of Florida’s more enigmatic metal projects ended up circa 2008 upon their reformation and the release of their last LP Traced In Air, if it is assumed that the map covers the whole of the metal paradigm. Such is the interesting state of affairs when progression comes into play, particularly if it is so pronounced that it bears mentioning as part of a band’s professed style. This isn’t to say that the reformed Cynic lacks any element of metal per say, but when inspecting the contents of their latest offering Kindly Bent To Free Us, it’s pretty safe to assume that the eclectic and more jazz-infused character that has typified their post-Focus career is here to stay.

There is both a contemplative character to this album, as well as something of an asymmetry to it all that serves to bewilder the ears, all the while maintaining a very consonant character that comes off as almost pop-like in its presentation. One might liken this to some of the more outlandish concoctions of Devin Townsend of late, though this only serves to demonstrate how far away it is from what even a steady fan of Dream Theater might expect. When listening to the longer offerings such as “Kindly Bent To Free Us” and “Holy Fallout”, a heavy free jazz character emerges that makes for an interesting foil to the progressive rock and world music elements that make up the rest of what is going on here instrumentally, which somehow fails to clash with the heavily digitized character of the vocal work.

In essence, Cynic perfectly embodies the complexities that go into abstract philosophical thought as suggested by their namesake, and it proves to be both their greatest strength and also their Persian flaw. The eclectic collage of sounds and styles serves to tickle the senses and stimulate the mind, but also tend to come off as overly intellectual and possibly meandering at times. And while musicianship is definitely not a weak spot for this project, at times the individual moving parts come off as a bit too minimalist, almost to the point of finding itself in Radiohead territory (see “Endlessly Bountiful”). If nothing else, it definitely plays to an audience that is bored with conventional music, while still maintaining a nebulous consistency that somehow manages to make its way back home.

Accessibility may prove to be the only real enemy of this album, particularly since the name of Cynic is tied with an album released more than 20 years ago with a somewhat comparable, though mostly different sound. Kindly Bent To Free Us listens more like a jazzy rock album than a metal one, especially when dealing with Paul Masvidal’s mathematically precise vocals manage to all but vanish into the haze for their overt smoothness, yet also have a cold, computerized character to them. It’s a challenging album meant for minds starved for challenge, and may shoot over the heads of anyone seeking a formally stylized listen. Essentially this is a band that has found their niche by avoiding almost every other known niche in existence.

Originally posted at (The Metal Observer) on February 15, 2014.