### Cynic: Kindly bent to free us

#### 16/04/14 || The Duff

The press for this record has spoken highly of “Kindly Bent to Free Us” to say the least – Cynic’s ‘moment’, their high-point, making me wonder truly what could this record be when records like “Focus” and their return, follow-up full-length “Traced in Air” some fifteen years later have both been very warmly received, the latter perhaps watered down compared to its predecessor but still musically very, very rewarding.

‘Chill’ is the best way to describe this new record, and I don’t know where they took things on the preceding 2011 E.P. “Carbon-based anatomy”, but there aren’t riffs on this record, more mindsets, accompanied with The Mars Volta-style, peaceful croons, spacious almost spoken-parts those knowledgeable of Paul Masvidal’s style will remain unphased over, and lyrics that speak of harmony, higher-selves, third-eyes, life (probably death) and sweet-flowery-things – lyrically this is hit-and-miss, once the music thins out, real bad but we shall overlook such and simply accept it as Paul’s transcendental view of life. I mean he plays a guitar without a headstock for fuck’s sake. Does he even wear shoes on stage?

So it is musically where this album must shine if it is to survive at all the hands of the rabid death metal fans of old, and sadly, unless you are on some level invested in the twirls of prog metal and green tea, this record is going to piss you right the fuck off. There are no growls, not even one for posterity on “The Lion’s Raw” – if ever there was a place for a fucken growl, but Paul doesn’t seem bothered: this here is kinky jazz, music to oil yourself up and get down with your sister to. You know: deeeep love.

If I’m frank, this record annoys me; the music is just sickly-drab enough and devoid of anything flavoursome to make me a little flustered in absorbing everything it has to offer in less than five listens – why bother selling CDs at all? The spacious moments are real spacious, the rest is the hook, so overall, with of course Masvidal’s very tasty lead playing, we are left with very little actual music no matter the creativity of the chords they can come up with; ultimately, this is not a thrilling record.

A lot of “Kindly Bent to Free Us” is empty in order to propel the record’s kitsch philosophy of harmony, conscientiousness, free love (and one direly patronizing soundbite about consciousness). It otherwise prances very comfortably – promotional stickers say Cynic’s finest hour or something to that effect, anyone into “Focus” will know such to be impossible, those into “Traced In Air” will be disappointed unless they thrust their genitalia onto trees.

It is difficult to understand what albums like Death’s “Symbolic” and Cynic’s “Focus” did to the technical death metal scene when Cynic themselves have become this cross between lounge-jazz and The Beatles; no longer pioneers, this safe set of eight tracks is the least bit taxing, yet also a comfort for anyone into the extremely delicate side of prog still wanting a bit of bite to their guitars.

- Information
- Released: 2014
- Label: Season of Mist
- Website: www.cyniconline.com
- Band
- Sean Reinert: drums, keyboards
- Paul Masvidal: vocals, guitars
- Sean Malone: bass, Chapman Stick

- Tracklist
- 01. True Hallucination Speak
- 02. The Lion’s Roar
- 03. Kindly Bent to Free Us
- 04. Infinite Shapes
- 05. Moon Heart Sun Head
- 06. Gitanjali
- 07. Holy Fallout
- 08. Endlessly Bountiful