ALBUM REVIEW: Ascension Codes – Cynic
CYNIC have been a tour de force in progressive metal for decades but lately they’ve been forced to bear far more tragedy than any band should. The recent deaths of two members has left an unfillable hole in the makeup of the band and the scene as a whole, and that tragedy is writ large across their fourth album, Ascension Codes. There are some interesting choices; for one, the bass is played instead with a bass synthesiser, a respectable choice given the circumstances and one that adds an interesting texture to the parts on the album. What Paul Masvidal, with help from Dave Mackay and Matt Lynch, has crafted this time is not just a transcendent piece of progressive music, but one that’s deeply informed by grief, loss and sorrow. Those emotions permeate the record without ever dragging it down into despair, but nevertheless their impact is profoundly felt.
The nine full songs are interspersed with interludes often comprised of samples, effects or distorted spoken passages to tie them together; the main aim is that of crafting an immersive atmosphere. The end result is CYNIC’s most expansive album to date, one in which they shrug off almost all of their more metallic elements and dive headlong into the worlds of progressive rock and jazz. While they’ve always inhabited these worlds, on Ascension Codes they’re even more prevalent, taking up the majority of the soundscapes with only a few more metal flourishes. This isn’t a criticism in the slightest; in fact, it makes for an even more engrossing body of work than before.
Opening with Mu-54, there’s a sense of meditative peace as it moves into The Winged Ones, an instrumental track that’s no less impactful. Samples and the synth bass lead in and the track builds gradually to a bluesy, almost serene solo in the closing minutes. Though it ends abruptly, A’-va432 then segues it neatly into Elements And Their Inhabitants in which we’re given a taste of Masvidal’s melodic singing. It seems placed lower in the mix, acting more as an additional texture for the song than the centre of attention. It’s altogether a more technically-leaning song, especially in its closing moments that show where the djent leanings of bands like TESSERACT came from. There’s a very brief appearance of the harsh vocals of yesteryear in the opening moments of Mythical Serpents, though the focus throughout is very much on his singing. It’s a shift that’s been working for years and continues to pay off here. There’s an emotional intimacy that harsh vocals simply don’t provide, from the falsetto in Mythical Serpents to the serenity in Diamond Light Body.
The themes of introspection, light and spirituality are as present as ever, though here it’s perhaps with an extraterrestrial slant; the artwork and the interlude titles certainly hint at something beyond our ken. It all folds together into something that is perhaps best described as celestial; introspective but always looking upwards, to something higher and greater than the self. Ascension Codes is an ode to the future and progress as much as it is a eulogy for departed friends, an emotional and engrossing journey to the centre of the self and beyond.
Rating: 8/10
Ascension Codes is set for release on November 26th via Season Of Mist.
Like CYNIC on Facebook.