Hiya guys. I would to share a few of my musical discoveries from the land of the rising sun. These women are so awesome, the whole world should take note.

Aldious:

G∀LMET:

exist†trace　:

Rie a.k.a. Suzaku (guitarist):

DESTROSE:

Gacharic Spin (they have one helluva bad-arse bassist):

Koga (Gacharic Spin’s bassist):

After reading Angry Metal Guy‘s review of this EP, I decided to give this EP a go. He gave it a 3.5 out of 5. Personally, I’d give it a 4.

For all intents and purposes, this EP isn’t metal. Cynic seems to have ceased being a metal band since their last EP; Re-Traced. The distortion’s there, the intricate drumming is also there. But the metal riffs are gone. It seems that Paul Masvidal, the driving force behind Cynic have gone out of the metal headspace and into a meditative realm of thought. The biggest banner that indicates this is The Space for This; the second song off of Cynic’s second album Traced in Air.

Perhaps it’s deliberate that The Space for This’ chorus “can I be the space for this” is exactly the same as Eckhart Tolle’s philosophical utterance. Tolle himself is what I call a philosopher. After having been an intellect in his early adult life, Tolle suffered long periods of suicidal depression which led to his  epiphanous “inner transformation”. It is from this experience that he wrote several monographs on spiritual improvement which promotes peacefulness in spite of the frantic nature of (post) modern life. And, it seems that Cynic’s mastermind, Masvidal drew hefty inspiration from Tolle as well as all things spiritual. Come to think of it, putting the terms “Tolle”, “spiritualism” and “meditation” in one bracket doesn’t sound off at all.

With the above in mind, it’s easy to understand where Cynic (or at least Paul Masvidal) is heading in terms of music. It seems that Masvidal & Co. are intent on creating music that blends their past metal sensibilities and their newfound understanding of spiritualism (or perhaps Masvidal’s own personal mindset).

Musically, Cynic’s Carbon-Based Anatomy sounds very eclectic. The intro and interludes sounds as if they’re from Delerium’s Karma album. And some of the riffs are vaguely reminiscent of The Gathering’s The West Pole. Both of which are have intersecting soundscapes.

Having been familiar with “atmospheric” music since adolescence, Cynic’s Carbon-Based Anatomy fits right into my musical sensibilities.

The Haunted – Motionless

Lyrics:
Curse the day that you were born
Curse the god above for the sheer technicalities
That will keep us apart
(We will stay separated)

Everything you say’s been said before
By someone just like you and me
It’s a comfort can’t you see

Acting out your desperate solution
Because no one understands
(How could they ever understand?)
Once upon a time when you were strong
And you could see it clearly
(Now everything you once believed is gone)

Why does it all seem motionless?
A parody of what we could have had
I’m sick and tired of explanations
(Still blinded)
Find yourself another brick
To act out your delusions
Your fashion statement make-believe
Won’t change a god damned thing at all

Ain’t you got a better place?
Somewhere where you could be who you truly are?
Do you think anybody cares?
(Anybody at all?)
And if so would it matter?
If you lost just a little bit
Of this superficial claim to fame…

Resting on a slab cast on
The shaky graves of those who came before you
(Oh! So hollow)
Your name becomes a trademark
Set solutions for the things you never knew
(What do we ever know?)

Why does it all seem motionless?
A parody of what we could have had
I’m sick and tired of explanations
(Still blinded)
Find yourself another brick
To act out your delusions
Ten years from now you’ll wonder why
No-one was there to stop you…

You’ve got his eye
Are you ready for the next one?
It is appropriate exercise
And the correct way to ruin
What trust we may have had
As if you’re remote controlled
As if you run automatic

I… clay
Mould me into something new
(So) that I can finally be of use

Why does it all seem motionless?
A parody of what we could have had
I’m sick and tired of explanations
(Still blinded)
Find yourself another brick
To act out your delusions
Ten years from now you’ll wonder why
No-one was there to stop you…

 

Quite an emotive song in my opinion. It’s interesting to note that many metal reviewers have panned the album which this song is on. The Haunted themselves have commented in interview that with Unseen (2011), they’ve made a pop album.
I say, it sounds right at home with my 1990s-early 2000s  post grunge and “nu-metal” collection.

Yes people, I like nu-metal. Sue me if you want.

Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson: I just want to tell you, I’m the one who was supposed to take care of everything. I’m the one who was supposed to make everything okay for everybody. It just didn’t work out like that. And I left. I left you. You never did anything wrong. I used to try to forget about you. I used to try to pretend that you didn’t exist, but I can’t. You’re my girl. You’re my little girl. And now, I’m an old broken down piece of meat. . .and I’m alone. And I deserve to be all alone. I just don’t want you to hate me. [beat] Okay?

I feel the train of my life is passing me by
And the breeze of future’s past hits me while I’m standing on the platform
All those pieces of history that didn’t happen,
Memories that are puzzle pieces of saintly dreams

It’s only human that we make mistakes
It’s only human that she hates me

But it’s not stupid to think that I could change
It’s better than walking away

I see your face a thousand times
Every moment; both inches and miles
Each moment I speak to your shadow
Sowing empty words to the breathless void

There’s a tingle and a chime,
But we hold our sparks down

I know you’ve played this game so many times before
And you’ve been gentle, as it’s my debut
But in the ruinous firefight that is love
My base has already burnt down

As my soul speaks with a thousand words
My mouth clenches without a sound

When languages could not convey our emotions,
Let ourselves be still and speak through silence

Sweet sorrow is the call tomorrow..

 

What have I done? I wish I could run
Away from this ship goin under
Just tryin to help out everyone else
Now I feel the weight of the world is on my shoulders

[Chorus]
What can you do when your good isn’t good enough
And all that you touch tumbles down?
Cause my best intentions keep makin a mess of things
I just wanna fix it somehow

But how many times will it take?
Oh how many times will it take for me
To get it right
To get it right

Can I start again, with my fate again
Cause I can’t go back and endure this
I just have to stay and face my mistakes,
But if I get stronger and wiser, I’ll get through this

[Chorus]
What can you do when you’re good isn’t good enough?
And all that you touch tumbles down?
Coz my best intentions keep makin a mess of things,
I just wanna fix it somehow
But how many times will it take?
Oh, how many times will it take for me to
Get it right?

[Bridge]
So I throw up my fists, throw a punch in the air,
And accept the truth that sometimes life isn’t fair
I’ll send down a wish and I’ll send up a prayer
And finally someone will see how much I care

[Chorus]
What can you do when you’re good isn’t good enough?
And all that you touch tumbles down?
My best intentions keep making a mess of things,
I just wanna fix it somehow
But how many times will it take? Oooh
How many times will it take for me
To get it right, to get it right?

Something I wrote circa 2006-2007.

Still relevant to this day.

 

No matter what, I’m always here
Now and then
Awake through all the moons

I’ve now begun to hearThe unheard, unrelenting silence in my ears
Please let me tell you ..
The grass is tall enough for you to sleep onFeel within it’s comfort, like you’re in safe arms

Hear the breeze’s calming lullaby
Listen to the wisdom of the sky
And the gentle whispers of mother earth

These feuding feelings no longer contained
Left, a burning
Right, a yearning

No matter how far away your heart is,
I’ll be glad to reveal the truth
For the truth and our perseverance in friendship
Are shining over you

Will you be brave and look into my eyes, shapely?
When darkest doe of your eyes, wide enough to swallow the stars

A million shaded truth, not presupposed, but prefixed without harm
Seem to ignite a desire without rage, and a passion without end

How alight and adrift, my words like waterfall
And my mind alike in wanderlust

So it flutters
My mind, it flutters

Now my kinesthetics seem to fail me,
As I can only hear a fluttering of notes
Desperate enough in scale and without harmony
Yet just enough to flutter my senses

And then it asks,
Yes, my mind, it asks;
Is this a cantata or a sonata?
An amalgamation of words without sound,
Or is it the sound of words without song?

Alas, objectivity is out of reach
It merely shapes modalities stringent on faculties

What psychodynamics seeks to cure
Psychosomatics somehow endures

In this instance,
Will you touch me, shapely?

It’s three-thirty and the night’s nearing it’s close
The wounded wing has almost healed and the bird breathes a relief
It’s a sparrow, narrow, like twisting halls, passages between walls
As the felled marble is overshadowed by a sinewy hand
Resolve is not far from mind

This is not a complete picture
No, not yet