Band:	Kalisia
Album:	Cybion
Style:	Progressive death metal
Release date:	January 11, 2009
A review by:	wrathchild

Disc I
01. Introduction / Domination
[Part I: Revelation]
02. Aspiration Above [Reception / Translation]
03. Arken Bringer [Union / Construction]
04. Alien Choice [Declaration / Revolution]
05. Awkward Decision [Division / Integration]
[Part II: Elevation]
06. Blinded Addict [Fusion / Rebellion]
07. Beyond Betrayal [Violation / Condemnation]
08. Blessed Circle [Education / Deification]
09. Black Despair [Isolation / Liberation]
10. Blurred Exile [Destination / Alteration]
[Part III: Regression]
11. Cast Away [Damnation / Seclusion]
12. Crisis Bleedings [Illusion / Desperation]
13. Confined Contender [Resolution / Protection]
14. Circuits Distortion [Reconstruction / Intrusion]
15. Contact Experience [Confrontation / Communication]
[Part IV: Extinction]
16. Devices Awakening [Activation / Production]
17. Down Below [Confusion / Resurrection]
18. Distant Chronicles [Realisation / Penetration]
19. Digital Disclosure [Disconnection / Comprehension]
20. Deserved Eternity [Salvation / Connection]

Disc II [Origins] [limited deluxe edition bonus]
01. Tower Of Vanities
02. Chimera
03. Lost Soul
04. The Mental Frames (Part I)
05. How Could I [Cynic cover]
06. A Fortune In Lies [Dream Theater cover]
07. I Am The Black Wizards [Emperor cover]
08. This Dazzling Abyss [Loudblast cover]

Disclaimer: this review might be long (and so is the album) but I couldn't do without the context and other explanations. If you don't care about reading this slab of a review, just go and buy the album straight away.


You may not have heard of French band Kalisia before but they've been among the most praised act here since they released the demo Skies about 15 years ago. I, myself, have discovered the demo back in 2003 I think, and was so blown by this progressive and somewhat death metal music that I was eager for more, for a full length. Back then Cybion was already in the works so everyone was expecting a release sometime soon...
But slowly, as years passed, we started to forget about Kalisia. It came back to our minds sporadically as we could hear news about what was doing the main man behind the band (Brett Caldas-Lima), news that included recording To-Mera's excellent albums, voicing a few sentences in French for Megadeth, joining Cynic live on some dates, etc.
I was starting to think that the whole Cybion project had been stopped... Just when I saw a double CD digipack in a store this March 2009. I couldn't believe my eyes, and I didn't need my ears to listen to it before my mind had decided to buy it (plus, it wasn't that expensive given the package, which included the Skies demo and some new covers in a bonus CD).
Once I got back home came the moment to get the CD out of the classy white package. Pressing "play" would put an end to all those years of waiting, just as if I was now ready to be told the meaning of life, the universe and everything...

The introduction track makes you understand that you're in for an epic. A science-fiction epic to be precise. It's nothing special actually, just a heavily keyboarded symphonic introduction drawing the listener to the second track, "Aspirations Above", opening the first part of the 71 minute long song that Cybion actually is. Cause of course, Cybion is a concept album, divided into 4 parts (A: Revelation, B: Elevation, C: Regression, D: Extinction), again divided into different tracks (have a look at the tracklist, you'll see how clever the listing has been made - all the song titles are written with 2 words that set them in the alphabetical order, so you know where you are in the story just by looking at the initials).

So after the intro you will discover the core of Kalisia's music, which is mostly progressive yet very melodic and exploring many metal genres. If the Skies demo was tagged as progressive death metal, you can't really call Cybion death metal, though it clearly has bits of that, it covers much more metal aspects, from power to industrial and atmospheric, with some not-so-metal moments that are really appreciated (the saxophone bit on "Blinded Addict" for instance). Still, it may come as something "Cynic-like", also "Dream Theater-like" (I'm thinking of their Awake album) but with an epic and electronic atmosphere. Any lover of complex music should try it although those who can't stand growls will have a hard time given that, of the many vocal styles on the album, the main vocals are Brett's growls.

Speaking of which, I shall tell you that the lyrics are also special. As you read them in the booklet, you realize it's more a text than a series of verses and choruses. In fact, there's hardly any chorus on the album: you're told a story mostly through dialogues between different characters so that the sentences are complete and natural for the most part, not only rhymes you see. And what is the story about, you ask? Well, all I will tell you is that it's set up in a future where humankind has reached quite a significant technological level and then meet the Arkens (aliens speaking the Kal language, invented for the album needs), and not all earthlings will follow them and their teachings so that some will set for another home. It's actually much more complicated than that but I have to admit it's a bit confusing and well, I can't permit myself to spoil everything for you!

A note on the bonus CD, starting with the whole 1995 demo Skies. The song "Tower Of Vanities" explains why they were referred to as a progressive/death metal band, "Lost Soul" is a bit quieter and features female vocals and "The Mental Frames part I" is somehow Kalisia's equivalent of Dream Theater's Metropolis part I, though it's an instrumental ending with a frustrating fade out...
After the demo tracks are a few covers, featuring many guests: "How Could I" (Cynic, with Angela Gossow and Christophe Godin), "A Fortune In Lies" (Dream Theater, with David Scott McBee, Tom MacLean and Charly Sahona), "I am Black Wizards" (Emperor, with Sonnm) and "This Dazzling Abyss" (Loudblast, with Ludovic Lopez and Paul Masvidal). My fav being "A Fortune In Lies" but this may be because I used to be a DT fan.

In the end, is Cybion fulfilling all the expectations that have risen from all those years of making? Certainly, if you're into this kind of ambitious adventure. If you don't like long stuff and can't figure yourself listening to a big song for 1 hour and 11 minutes (funny!), if you can't stand keyboards, or hate sci-fi, then you won't like it. But otherwise, you will probably love the first album of Kalisia and no doubt you will come back to it many times to enjoy it in details, as it is a very rich piece of work. I'm sure the guys have some more of it running through their minds and so I set myself in waiting mode once again... Even if I have to wait for another 10 years, if it's worth it like Cybion is, then it's perfectly alright.