CYNIC - DEMOS (1988-91)

Cynic is well-known in nerdo music geek circles, a prog-death crossover band whose landmark release, 1993's "Focus", cemented their place forever in the freaky death metal lexicon. They regrouped in 2007 and '08 to record their follow-up album "Traced In Air", a strange jazz fusion sort of thing that I found a bit disappointing, as it showcased their technical skill but subtracted the BALLS from the equation. Anyhow, "Focus" is the TRUE classic, robot vocals and all, something I still listen to on a pretty regular basis.

Lesser known in the Cynic library are the four demos they produced before "Focus", 13 songs total released in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991. These recordings are heavy on the thrash and light on the prog, without the aforementioned robo-vocals or melodic singing of any kind. The production is a bit iffy on the earlier stuff, but improves (along with the music) as the years pass. Very shreddy stuff, these demos are a glimpse at a legendary band in their salad days, without pretension or over-production.

Download HERE