Cynic
Focus

THE REVIEW

The year 1993 was a turning point for violent and pyrotechnic metal, marking the release of one of the most complex and original musical works ever conceived in modern music; I am referring to the album "Focus", the first and only creation from the Cynic project (if we exclude the various demos), a band comprised of some of the best musicians (technically speaking), featuring Paul Masvidal on vocals, Jason Gobel on guitars, Sean Malone on bass, and Sean Reinert on drums. Starting from a typical American Death metal base, the Californian band decided to create an album in which a wide variety of genres coexisted harmoniously, moving not only through death but also progressive influenced by Watchtower and Rush, not shying away from semi-acoustic parts close to jazz and fusion. Another peculiar feature of the album, which caused quite a stir, was the use of filtered vocal parts that complemented the peculiar, yet beautiful screaming of guitarist/vocalist Masvidal.

The album, divided into only 8 musical episodes, is mostly developed on absolutely extraordinary bass lines and drumming: it is indeed Malone and Reinert who orchestrate the rhythms and melodies of the album, which are consistently tight and heavy. The record begins with "Veil Of Maya", a song introduced with clean voice and filtered parts, which, supported by the various instruments, take us on a musical journey to the edge of the imaginable; violent and intense parts are alternated with more intimate and delicate ones, almost sweet, always played with enviable class. "Celestial Voyage", just as the title suggests, turns out to be a celestial journey in music: overlapping voices, accompanied by rocky riffs and a powerful and heavy rhythm and acoustic parts, will keep you company for 3 minutes and 36 seconds of pure madness. That leads us to "The Eagle Nature", a song closer to death, if it weren't for the omnipresent filtered vocal parts, which presents itself as a more violent track in the first part, then subsides briefly in the central moments, leading us back to an unprecedented explosion of passion. We thus arrive at the song that most diverges from deathster standards but rather represents the group's progressive spirit: "Sentiment", in which the total absence of the characteristic growl and the wealth of tempo changes, along with the presence of odd times and various instrumental evolutions accompanied by some female vocalizations, make this song one of the most successful in the entire album.

The next two songs represent the best duo: the first, "I'm But A Wave To...", presents itself as a song that also wants to explore territories close to dark in its intro, then accelerates and becomes a pure piece of death, accompanied as usual by parts closer to prog metal; the second track is the one that I am most passionate about: "Uroboric Forms", starts very fast, a crescendo of passion will overwhelm the listener. The song, fantastically led by Reinert's double bass drum and Malone's explosive bass, is certainly the most successful episode of all; excellent the central part, with a praise to the group, which manages to create twilight and gloomy atmospheres. The following "Texture", turns out to be one of the most intricate instrumentals ever written, in which all the band's elements put their exceptional instrumental preparation at the service of the melody (on the border between prog and fusion). The concluding "How Could I", returns instead to more properly death/prog territories, closing the album in the best way, presenting itself as a tight and fast track, of unprecedented violence.

The album is over, but I would like to say a few more words, first of all about the recording quality, which is truly excellent for this type of album, and then I would like to emphasize the thrilling performance given by the musicians, with a note of praise for the Malone/Reinert duo, who, as usual, can move as few other musicians can. Essential for anyone who loves music played with technique and heart.