Ben Ratliff, the noted New York Times jazz critic and author wrote that "CYNIC should be understood not so much alongside any metal bands, but along with such radical harmonic progressives in the last 45 years of pop and jazz as Milton Nascimento, the Beach Boys or Pat Metheny."

In this one paragraph, Ratliff concisely explained the duality that is the essence of what makes CYNIC so unique in modern music. Combine the musical aggression and precision of the best of metal and jazz fusion with the harmonic and sonic expansiveness of progressive rock and pop and you have CYNIC. On their new EP Carbon-Based Anatomy, CYNIC have once again taken their natural interfusion of musical styles and turned it into something truly singular. Carbon-Based Anatomy is equal parts King Crimson, Tool, Muse and Allan Holdsworth. It's a 23-minute transcendent musical journey through the fertile musical minds of guitarist Paul Masvidal and progressive drumming icon Sean Reinert. Beginning with their much-venerated 1993 debut release "Focus", CYNIC have long been famous for pushing musical boundaries. Now in 2011, CYNIC have redefined themselves once again with a 6-song EP that combines diverse influences from 70s-inspired Prog Rock to cutting-edge Metal, tribal folk and futuristic alien shapes and sounds.

Since re-forming four years ago for their celebrated comeback album "Traced In Air", CYNIC have brought their hugely influential approach to fans and musicians the world over. Their all-too-human experiences have culminated in the fully- realized piece of art that is Carbon-Based Anatomy. A mini epic, CBA is both a philosophical as well as a musical journey, one that begins in the Amazon jungle on the lips of a shamanic wise-woman (as portrayed by Amy Correia) and ends in outer space on the luminous wings of songwriter and guitarist Paul Masvidal's electric guitar. Exploring concepts of "death", "the self" and "freedom," Masvidal shines a light with virtuosic playing that has been simplified to its most potent elements and performed with spontaneity and joy. Sean Reinert's visceral drumming creates a dynamic and pulse- raising energy throughout the action- packed 23 minutes of music. Primal and direct, at times haunting or anthemic, this is CYNIC's most immediate and urgent offering to date. It's an invocation and an offering to the legions of fans around the world who, like the band itself are truth- seekers and misfits, finding unity and transcendence in a new kind of modern tribal music.

On the opening track, "Amidst The Coals," waves of ambient sound and chordal movement create a sense of touching earth and space. From the ethereal mist, a shamanic wise-woman (as portrayed by Amy Correia), conjures a traditional Amazonian Icaro, or sacred song. A chilling piece, the opening track suggests the energy of Pat Metheny's 'Above The Treetops' from his classic 1992 record 'Secret Story'. On track two, "Carbon-Based Anatomy," a tribal bass and drum rhythm swirls up in a pool of ambient guitars and soaring vocals, evolving into a spare arrangement of the original melody. A sea of child-like voices join Masvidal to sing the chorus "Drop the knife/ Leave it all behind/ Just for a moment/ Calm the mind/ The longing never ends/ Not while you're human". On Track 3, "Bija," the listener is transported center stage into the realm of gypsies and mystic poets, where chants, tablas, and free- associated vocal sounds appear and disappear in a dense tapestry of sound. Track 4, "Box Up My Bones," is a dynamic journey that reflects classic Cynic, with adventurous production shifts and cascading twists and turns. At the end of chorus two, Masvidal sings the words, "I have everything I need/ Box up my bones I'm free." A bass solo from fretless wizard Sean Malone responds to this proclamation followed by a looping and angular reverse guitar solo. The pre-chorus bridge swells with a vocal section, climaxing at the final chorus. The unpredictable sui generis approach to arrangement is alive and well. Track 5, "Elves Beam Out" is a futuristic rock anthem, evoking 70's prog-harmony and odd time signatures, an apocalyptic vision that pierces the veil. The album closes with track 6, "Hieroglyph." As though one has just walked through the portal into death's door, ambient spacey guitars manifest. Featured vocalist, Amy Correia, reappears as the cosmic mother, gently guiding one through the great unknown, perhaps the sound of a DMT journey or death itself.

All of these diverse elements have been harnessed and carefully shaped by mixer John Hiler, into what is unquestionably the most open and expansive-sounding release of CYNIC's career. Carbon-Based Anatomy is retro, yet at the same time is unapologetically modern. It is respectful of the groundbreaking artists that have made musical evolution possible yet refuses to be stifled by that reverence. It is wholly appreciative of past musical landmarks but is unashamedly forward- thinking. Carbon-Based Anatomy is CYNIC's next bold step into the future and is a harbinger of the great music to come.

Lineup:
Paul Masvidal - Vocals, Guitars
Sean Reinert - Drums, Percussion
Sean Malone - Bass (Album)
Amy Correia - Vocals (Album)
Max Phelps - Guitar, Vocals (Live)
Brandon Giffin - Bass (Live)