Cynical Existence - Erase, Evolve And Rebuild

Cynical Exsitence return, as promised, with a new long play entitled 'Erase, Evolve And Rebuild'. With the last release being the E.P. Beholder (of which I was not entirely impressed with) I was a little nervous about what this album would sound like.

If you've already noticed the mark I gave, then its obvious I really liked it. More about that later. First as usual with my reviews, the stats.

The standard release of 'Erase, Evolve And Rebuild' is 14 tracks running at just under an hour. The "limited deluxe carton box edition" comes with a remix CD with remixes from Roppongi INC. Project, Psy\'Aviah, Junksista, PsioniC and Vicious Alliance.

I've not yet heard the remix cd so I can't comment on that (hint hint) but the artists involved in the remixes aren't disappointing so I am looking forward to hearing it.

I'm not going to go through each track because there are things you should discover for yourself when you buy this album. However, I can tell you, "Erase" is a noticeable step forward for Cynical Existence. A cleaner, fuller soundscape which in turn makes the vocal style (that I wasn't a fan of on Beholder) sit better within the songs. They feel more wrapped in the mix rather than on top of the mix sounding awkward.

Synths, strings, pads, basslines all sound crisp and clean. Percussion is, and I keep saying it I know, but clean and crisp with a punch. With the addition of guitar on some of the tracks, the sound of Fredriks' project really has come along in the proverbial leaps and bounds.

This is a standout album for me, not only because of the step up in quality from the 6/10 I gave the EP, but because you can't fail to hear the progression of ability and songwriting on this album. There's even a dubstep section in "My Decadence" which I can deal with considering my disdain for dubstep (angry responses in emails thanks).

I love this album. I can hear things that sound a bit like Hocico, a bit like Aesthetic Perfection and others besides, but as an influence not an imitation. All 14 songs have a "nod your head, tap your foot, air drum or air synth" quality to them. There are though, after 7 plays of the album, 4 "bang your head one foot forward body rocking back and forth" standout tracks. "Deus Ex Complex", "The Endless Stride', "Our Bright Future" and the previously mentioned "My Decadence".

Fredrik Croona has done very well with this album. I am not sure what he has erased but he certainly has evolved and rebuilt. Oct 02 2013