Cynic

Experimentation is the theme of this battle. Which of these discs will move on in our March Metal Madness search for the best metal album of the 21st century? When it comes to critical praise and undisputed originality, these two bands are ranked in the elite. Ahead of their time, compositionally complex and deeply imaginative, no acts on Earth sound quite like either of these sonic blueprinters.

Since the release of 'Focus' in 1993, Floridian technical death metal innovators Cynic have held onto the status of being an "elite" band. Few underground acts have been bestowed with such critical praise, but Cynic have always been ahead of their time. That sensibility is retained with the band's third full-length album, 'Kindly Bent To Free Us,' but the record is also certain to polari

Today (Feb. 18), Cynic released their long-awaited third album, 'Kindly Bent To Free Us.' The record is somewhat of a departure from Cynic's classic progressive tech-death style into more of an experimental rock realm, with frontman Paul Masvidal delivering perhaps his most spiritually based lyrical work to date.

Cynic will release their highly anticipated third full-length album, 'Kindly Bent to Free Us,' on Feb. 18. Any hardcore fan of the progressive pioneers will want to analyze every section written by frontman Paul Masvidal, drummer Sean Reinert and Sean Malone, so we interviewed Masvidal for a deeper look into the album and Cynic itself.

Great news to report for Cynic fans! The progressive and technical metal pioneers are set to release their third studio album, 'Kindly Bent to Free Us,' on Feb. 14, but in a way, the wait is already over. Cynic have unleashed the full album for streaming, so you can hear the entire thing right now!

We're incredibly excited to bring you this exclusive premiere from legendary progressive metal act Cynic. Having spent over four years crafting their third full-length album, 'Kindly Bent To Free Us,' the disc will finally become available on Feb. 14. However, we've got an early peek into the record with the album's opening track, 'True Hallucination Speak' (listen above).

Progressive metal giants Cynic are set to release their third studio album, 'Kindly Bent to Free Us,' on Feb. 14. The album is certainly one of metal's most anticipated releases of the year, and to help hold you over for the next month, Cynic have unveiled a lyric video for the album's title track.

The day is upon us! After a very long and somewhat painful wait, cult progressive metal band Cynic just released a new song. 'The Lion's Roar' has been revealed as the first piece of Cynic's full-length album, 'Kindly Bent to Free Us,' which will see a release on Valentine's Day 2014.

Cynic may be the most underrated technical death metal band since the genre's inception. The balance showcased throughout the band's 1993 debut, 'Focus,' has influenced countless bands, but no act has quite been able to replicate Cynic's sophistication.