CynthI play Cynthesis’s previous album “DeEvolution” (2011) a lot and am a great fan of Zero Hour, the band with which the talented Tipton brothers also play. I therefore had great hopes of a giant technical progfeast when “ReEvolution” came my way.

Sure enough, “ReEvolution” gets going with a trademark hypnotic high-pitched riff, thus carrying on from where its predecessor left off. This intensely dreamy melancholy is the Cynthesis way of reflecting on life. There’s a second intro in the form of the prog-driven instrumental “Convergence”. The atmosphere changes: “Here we are so far away, so far from where we began”. “Where we are” seems to be a leitmotif for Cynthesis. “For I am here watching the minds decline” is a line from “DeEvolution”. Vocally “The Grand Façade” reminds me greatly of Kjetil of Green Carnation and now Tristania in that personally-directed emotional but clear vocal. Beautiful melancholy is in the music and vocals. Not only is there balance between them but the combination act to pump the melodic sadness through our veins. The background rhythm is sheer magic. The riff is hypnotic. “The Grand Façade” breathes life and emotional energy. The drums pound heavily towards the end. After this breathtaking track, I thought something special was going to develop.

There was development. The nine minute “Persistence of Visions” is deeply gloomy and takes on a much darker edge. After a disturbed beginning reminiscent of Green Carnation, stylistically it becomes almost black metal in its tortuous progress, taking on an irregular progressive pattern as it heads towards its end. The singer wails plaintively. It’s an interesting track. The development I was expecting something more emotionally explosive, but this is quite downtrodden. After the addictive blood transfusion of “The Grand Façade”, I felt that the album lost its way a little in its self-introspection and gloom. The sad and meaningful narrative goes on and the backing instrumentals are delicate and subtle, sometimes strident, but it’s like a sky without bright stars. “The Noble Lie” opens up in an appetising way but again while exuding delicacy and technical quality is pedestrian. As I listened, I reflected that it would have been better as an acoustic track. It has the sort of ambiance where the meaning of the words seems to override the rest. “Release The Deity”, which closes the album, cannot be ignored not least for the fact that it lasts thirteen and a half minutes. Possibly more downbeat and sad than ever, the rhythm is intricate. The track is poignant and delicate, pausing for momentary harshness from the vocalist. Hypnotic as ever, “Release the Deity” builds up but in spite of the colourful guitar, the ending is drawn out and whilst reflecting the mood of the album as a whole, does not exude the power or nervous excitement that I might have hoped for.

I didn’t think that “ReEvolution” had the cutting edges of its predecessor. It has all the skill, the balance and the delicate touches but after “The Grand Façade”, it lacked the drama and at times was sleepy. There is much to enjoy and indulge in here but “ReEvolution” lacked the killer moments to make me stop, think and play it a hundred times over.

( 7/10  Andrew Doherty)

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