Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This latest release from Cynic, 'Carbon Based Anatomy', is a short affair comprising of only 6 tracks, and only 3 of those are really songs (the other 3 being instrumental ambient sort of stuff that is fairly dull and acts as padding for the main tracks). This would not be a negative point if the quality was as high as on the two previous recordings, however I find myself drifting off in these songs and struggling to get as interested as I was in their previous work.
I suppose it's hard to keep writing music of such high quality, and they've certainly tried something a little different here, but the overall effect from the first nothing track to the last is one of boredom for me. 'Traced in Air'and 'ReTraced' both had some excellent songs, riffs, melodies, arrangements...everything.
CBA seems to be written in a more bog standard sort of way, with slightly more predictable chord progressions and melodies, and just a real lack of exciting rhythm. The songs are also slightly longer than average Cynic length, which is probably due to the fact that the music is slower than usual.
On a more positive note, the production and playing as usual is superb. Masvidal's guitar tone is really quite special, and that along with Reinert's drumming is the stand out feature of this EP. I would pick 'Box Up My Bones' as a favourite track, as it does have a fairly catchy chorus and some 'woah-ohs' that get stuck in your head, but it still isn't a patch on their other stuff.
The retraction of growled vocals was a good idea, they are certainly not missed here, but the addition of childish choir voices and the decision to start the EP with some very cringeworthy wailing ala every modern war/action film where something poignant is happening, only adds to the boredom and makes you wonder if we've already heard the best of this band.
It would be sad if it's downhill from here but it seems that way as songs like 'Integral Birth' and 'King of Those Who Know' feel like a long time ago now.
In all fairness though, I still like this more than most of the other tripe that's around these days, particularly on the metal/rock scene, and Cynic, despite in my opinion being below par on this release, are still way ahead of so many more popular bands and if nothing else, perhaps these songs will appeal to a wider audience than their prior releases.
I suppose it's hard to keep writing music of such high quality, and they've certainly tried something a little different here, but the overall effect from the first nothing track to the last is one of boredom for me. 'Traced in Air'and 'ReTraced' both had some excellent songs, riffs, melodies, arrangements...everything.
CBA seems to be written in a more bog standard sort of way, with slightly more predictable chord progressions and melodies, and just a real lack of exciting rhythm. The songs are also slightly longer than average Cynic length, which is probably due to the fact that the music is slower than usual.
On a more positive note, the production and playing as usual is superb. Masvidal's guitar tone is really quite special, and that along with Reinert's drumming is the stand out feature of this EP. I would pick 'Box Up My Bones' as a favourite track, as it does have a fairly catchy chorus and some 'woah-ohs' that get stuck in your head, but it still isn't a patch on their other stuff.
The retraction of growled vocals was a good idea, they are certainly not missed here, but the addition of childish choir voices and the decision to start the EP with some very cringeworthy wailing ala every modern war/action film where something poignant is happening, only adds to the boredom and makes you wonder if we've already heard the best of this band.
It would be sad if it's downhill from here but it seems that way as songs like 'Integral Birth' and 'King of Those Who Know' feel like a long time ago now.
In all fairness though, I still like this more than most of the other tripe that's around these days, particularly on the metal/rock scene, and Cynic, despite in my opinion being below par on this release, are still way ahead of so many more popular bands and if nothing else, perhaps these songs will appeal to a wider audience than their prior releases.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
So, plenty of reviews floating around the internet right now bemoan two things: a lack of length and a lack of 'heavy' on this EP. I would like to offer a different outlook. CBA fits together as one cohesive unit that flows through to it's final moment with great aplomb. It is better to think of this as one long piece IMHO than to try and throw away parts like Bija! or Amidst the Coals as superfluous filler. They make up a great deal of the fabric of the music. Seen as one piece this is an intriguing work which (as many have pointed out) demands a great deal of personal introspection. For me this is perfect; whenever I have listened to Cynic it is to use my mind.
The music is very well crafted and clearly the product of a great deal of effort. Certainly, it is an EP that will reward the time and effort of the listener as there is plenty of depth below the simple practical concerns of length and style. This is certainly worth buying.
Also, I have seen plenty of different interpretations of the vocals on the first track Amidst the Coals ranging from Oriental to Middle Eastern to Native American. It is in fact a song of the Shipibo who come from Peru (specifically along the Amazon river) in case anyone in wondering: a brief google of the words 'shipibo icaro' should be enough to convince you.
Happy listening!
The music is very well crafted and clearly the product of a great deal of effort. Certainly, it is an EP that will reward the time and effort of the listener as there is plenty of depth below the simple practical concerns of length and style. This is certainly worth buying.
Also, I have seen plenty of different interpretations of the vocals on the first track Amidst the Coals ranging from Oriental to Middle Eastern to Native American. It is in fact a song of the Shipibo who come from Peru (specifically along the Amazon river) in case anyone in wondering: a brief google of the words 'shipibo icaro' should be enough to convince you.
Happy listening!
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Cynic have followed through on their ground breaking debut release, albeit way too many years late. Thoughtful intelligent music that, although short in duration, is long on quality and mood.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
With this release Cynic have perpetuated the belief that they can do...
'Carbon Based Anatomy' is a short lived, but dense and considered endeavour. It's sound is idiosyncraticly Cynic, but with various other influences and generally less heavy, more... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Steve28
Short, but wonderful!
Although there are really only 3 songs on the album, they all shine with a unique new aspect of cynic's diversity. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mytherian
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
