Excellent album, but way too short for it's own good...
Favourite track: "The Unknown Guest"

Unbelievable album, will be in my top 100 when i die, short yes but the feeling in this album and overall atmosphere is unique

No review and only 2 comments? I didn't know this album was that underrated...

Written by Panterica on 11.10.2011 at 23:08
I didn't know this album was that underrated...

Almost 300 votes with an average score of 8.5.

I don't know what you think underrated means.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 11.10.2011 at 23:11

Written by Panterica on 11.10.2011 at 23:08
I didn't know this album was that underrated...

Almost 300 votes with an average score of 8.5.

I don't know what you think underrated means.

Well, maybe underrated wasn't an accurate term, but I still have the feeling this album is unjustly overlooked.

The Browning >>>>>>>>> This Album

Written by [user id=4365] on 11.10.2011 at 23:30
The Browning >>>>>>>>> This Album

I have to disagree with that but I will say this album isn't that much better than The Browning.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.10.2011 at 00:51

Written by [user id=4365] on 11.10.2011 at 23:30
The Browning >>>>>>>>> This Album

I have to disagree with that but I will say this album isn't that much better than The Browning.

Come on Troy, you love those bleepy keyboards and delicious breakdowns! xD

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 00:54
Come on Troy, you love those bleepy keyboards and delicious breakdowns! xD

All they're missing is a vocoder.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.10.2011 at 01:00

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 00:54
Come on Troy, you love those bleepy keyboards and delicious breakdowns! xD

All they're missing is a vocoder.

If you want some autotuned Deathcore I was actually shown some today. Design the Skyline.... it's bad. Very bad.

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 01:03
Design the Skyline.... it's bad. Very bad.

Void Eater beat you to it. I think he was the first one to hate on them in the forums actually.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.10.2011 at 01:03


Void Eater beat you to it. I think he was the first one to hate on them in the forums actually.

Well maybe I'll just go beat Void Eater.

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 01:05
Well maybe I'll just go beat Void Eater.

Beat him while playing TIA in the background. That way nobody wins.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.10.2011 at 01:06

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 01:05
Well maybe I'll just go beat Void Eater.

Beat him while playing TIA in the background. That way nobody wins.

Dunno if you've seen it but here's DTS whinging about negative comments and about their "individuality":



Feel free to move it if your moderator-sense kicks in.

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 01:08
Dunno if you've seen it but here's DTS whinging about negative comments and about their "individuality"

The problem here is that the praise for Cynic outweighs the criticism.

We're just minority men.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.10.2011 at 01:13

The problem here is that the praise for Cynic outweighs the criticism.

We're just minority men.

But we carry great influence. You with your amada of reviews, moderating abilities and universal respect, and me with my, umm, Zoidberg emoticon

(V) (;,,;) (V)

Whoop.

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 01:16
But we carry great influence. You with your amada of reviews, moderating abilities and universal respect

I have but one of those three things, and it's a respect based on my willingness to partake in trolling.

How can anyone like this garbage? Nu metal prog bullshit for gayboys and preteen girls trying to fit in with the junior high alternative crowd. False metal.

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 01:08


Dunno if you've seen it but here's DTS whinging about negative comments and about their "individuality":

We're so original... so we're just going to ramble on with a few cliches while dressing like every other dime-a-dozen band out there to show our individuality.

I still have to review Design The Skyline for the upcoming Lords Of Metal, that will give them a reason to further whinge and whine A truly horrendous album released on the once good Victory Records label.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.10.2011 at 01:20

Nu metal prog bullshit for gayboys and preteen girls trying to fit in with the junior high alternative crowd. False metal.

If you will allow me I will use that line in my review for Lords

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.10.2011 at 08:13
If you will allow me I will use that line in my review for Lords

I'd be honored.

'Traced in Air' consists of many different layers, and in my view, listening to it more than twice is necessary to pick it apart and give your final 'judgement'. Naturally, tthis album is certainly not to everyone's tastes. There are those who despise the band's excessive use of keyboards and uplifitng melodies, which prove to be a highlight for me. I will admit that i am a big cynic fan, but 'Traced in air' is one of those albums you really have to listen to without distractions. And even then you may or may not like it. It just depends on personal taste i guess. Anyway, i believe cynic are going to get more melodic with everything they release in the future. 'Carbon-based anatomy' is a relatively brave starting point for that path...

I really like this album. It sounds soft and airy but that's appropriate given the themes they chose for their lyrics. Besides this sound is what makes them quite different from many other progressive metal bands and gives them individuality.
And those who buy the CD will get as a bonus impressive artwork made by Robert Venosa which compliments the music really well.

Interesting how the staff is picking on this whereas the atmosphere itself on TiA is just a tiny bit lighter than on Focus. A bit less intense, less sophisticated, but feels more earthly an calming than the precursor. Back then when this came out I also labelled this as a disappointment, but with time I came to like it pretty much.

This is not much better than Lulu.

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 01:03

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.10.2011 at 01:00

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.10.2011 at 00:54
Come on Troy, you love those bleepy keyboards and delicious breakdowns! xD

All they're missing is a vocoder.

If you want some autotuned Deathcore I was actually shown some today. Design the Skyline.... it's bad. Very bad.

I just reread what I wrote on DTS and used Troy"s quote hahahaha

http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/en/reviews/view/id/20271

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.09.2016 at 03:52

I just reread what I wrote on DTS and used Troy"s quote hahahaha

http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/en/reviews/view/id/20271

It's a quote worth remembering. Although now I'm reminded that DTS exists :'(

Thanks for making me aware of the existence of DTS!

So "funny" reading back years commenting as staff is bashing the record yet none had the balls to put out a score and therefore invoking the need to explain themselves for the tide of fans who just scroll through this section.

Certainly not a record that I spin often, I only touch it if I need some Focus. The Space For This, Integral Birth (the mix on the promo was better), Nunc Stans and Adam's Murmur are well written but in the vein very far from what they played back then. Evolutionary Sleeper, The Unknown Guest and King Of Those Who Know all became missed opportunities IMO, they show some shine of the old days but the mellowness, or quick variance of atmosphere totally killed them for me, or just simply abrupt ending (chose one for each).
Compared to the almighty debut it lacks the essence and sound that made that record great. Also to vocoder is definitely used to death.

And if you didn't expect Focus Pt. 2 you'll find it's still a good album.

Written by qlacs on 01.10.2016 at 12:24

So "funny" reading back years commenting as staff is bashing the record yet none had the balls to put out a score and therefore invoking the need to explain themselves for the tide of fans who just scroll through this section.

And if you didn't expect Focus Pt. 2 you'll find it's still a good album.

Nice presumptuous leap there. Was never a staff, but I was an official reviewer for a bit, and when I had scores (before nuking them all a year or so ago) I think this was the second lowest scored album in the 2000 and a bit scores I had given out, the first being Beherit's terrible failure than was Engram. This is still one the lamest, worst albums I've heard in my life and quite happy to shout that out whenever is necessary. Was never that into Focus either, although it was pretty decent, so nothing to do with expectations either.