The Classic Metal Album Reviews:

	Title: Focus Artist: Cynic Label: Roadrunner Records Release Date: 1993 Rating: 4 Skulls
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Reviewed by Solomon:
The word "progressive," when applied to rock/metal, almost immediately brings to mind a few choice examples, mainly that of Rush and Dream Theater, but with Focus, preconceptions of what "progressive" metal is supposed to sound like need to be set aside, if not blown completely out of the picture.
"Progressive" music should break boundaries and incorporate elements not normally found in a given genre, not merely copy the groundbreaking efforts of a few chosen heroes. Cynic delivers the goods by being a truly original act, a fusion group with a razor edge that has few equals in the history of metal. I like the way JK Penney describes Focus, saying the album "sounds like three Dream Theater discs playing simultaneously, if John Petrucci had six arms and a four-neck guitar" (www.chedsey.com, Cynic review). That's a good description, as Focus pummels the listener with an endless barrage of technique that takes any common notion of "talent" and beats the hell out of it. Despite the band's death metal pedigree, producer Scott Burns, and the use of Morrisound in Tampa, Florida, don't let the "death" tag throw you off. Sure, there are elements of that on Focus, but this is not death metal.
Focus is a difficult record to digest on any level. You don't come home from work and say, "Hey, I think I'll kick back with a beer and chill out to Cynic." This is more "Hey, let me grab a note pad and a strong cup of coffee. What was that part, again?" Make no mistake, even with more technical stuff, I like more traditional songs, songs with strong, catchy, identifiable parts, pretty melodies, blah, blah, so Focus didn't leave the kind of impression on me that I had hoped. For me, the experience of listening to this was more a total vibe rather than a gravitation towards any particular song or idea. The musicianship is a non-issue. Not only is Focus on technical overload, the variety of textures embraced on this album also reveal a strong level of creative sensitivity and open-mindedness. Some of the "prettier," weirder moments on the record are my favorites, especially the new-agey break early on in "Veil of Maya" and the swooshy, spacey synth outro to "The Eagle Nature." "Uroboric Forms" has a catchier metal riff in the beginning that sticks out, "Sentiment" has a cool cyber-bass line, and "How Could I" has some more normal "progressive" tendencies that I like, but "Textures" is the real winner here. This track really capitalizes on the band's blend of metal and jazz and can be appreciated by fans of both musical styles. The death vocals are probably my least favorite part about Focus. In fact, I have doubts as to whether vocals were even necessary on this record. I guess the vocals help give the tunes some cohesion, and the robotic voice manipulations give the music that special "astral" feel.
Focus may take a while to fathom, if that's even possible, but this record is a one-in-a-million example of grade-A talent, and any fan of progressive/technical metal should give this exceptional release a try. This is music for the 21st century that came about a decade too early.

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