Death is June - Looking Back in Anger at Cynic's "Focus"

For the "Looking Back in Anger"  column I go back and try to listen to supposed classics and see how well they have stood the test of time. I admittedly have been more enamoured with their album "Traced in Air" but recognize how far ahead of their times these guys have been from the jump. This album came out in 1993. The opening track finds them doing more in one songs than  most bands accomplish in their entire career. "Celestial Voyage" does confuse you in it's winding maze of math. I like how the robotic vocals offset the growls. The race at a more thrashing speed on " the Eagle Nature". This is the first time I have noticed the kind of Obituary emoting from the growled vocals. The jazzy interludes flow very well, nothing feels forced with these guys.


There is more atmosphere to "Sentiment" . The guitar's phrashing on this one is incredible. They are tasteful, but still technically astounding. Not without riffs to bang you bang your head."But I'm a Wave to..." is not unlike where they went with "Traced in Air". More aggressive for sure. Where that album is death metal for elves, this has definate teeth. Some of the twists and turns are pulled off with Zappa level dexterity savings throws. They do not need ten plus minutes to do this. "Uroboric Forms" does plenty in the three and a half mintues it exsists . This tight coiling of riffs keeps the songs momentum rather than getting lost in the kind of pondering many progressive metal bands do. This is all while still including jazz like interludes. This jazz influence is dialed up on the instrumental "Textures".

"How Could I " finds them using signatures that would be revisted on "Traced in Air". I will round this up to a 10. I think "Traced In Air" is a better album, but this is a better death metal album. I think this album is a good blue print of what works in good taste while still serving the songs and making music that is listenable rather than an exercise in wanking.