Cynic / Chimp Spanner

When the doors of the Relentless Garage open up, fans of technical metal hurry inside as quickly as they are allowed to, eager to escape the freezing temperatures of December. Once inside, word travels that one of the opening bands, Hypno5e, has pulled out of the event and the only support band is set to hit the stage an hour and fifteen minutes after the doors have opened.

After a brief eternity, Chimp Spanner arrive on stage to a previously bored audience. The solo project of Colchester native Paul Ortiz is beefed up with live musicians to take the initially bewildered audience on a journey of modern prog metal ambiances muscled with heavy djent riffs. With two full-length releases to their name, Chimp Spanner are on the verge of releasing a new EP and this show is a good opportunity to raise awareness. The music is entirely instrumental but due to the complexity of the music, this is not a negative; vocals could prove too distracting. Ortiz skilfully works his eight-string guitar, occasionally with a tone not too dissimilar to John Petrucci of Dream Theater fame’s earlier guitar melodies. The music is not so brain-bendingly technical that it goes over the head but the focus of the music is on the fragile atmospheres. The djent passages always close the songs, which add an element of predictability in such an otherwise unpredictable style of music. The variation between each of them is meagre but heads in the audience nod more viciously. Like with most musicians handling technical music, Chimp Spanner's stage presence is virtually non-existent but with his closing speech of thanks and plugging the aforementioned EP, Ortiz comes across as a humble and likeable character.

Previously scheduled for the significantly smaller Underworld, Cynic must have underestimated their UK popularity. Having not played these shores since supporting progressive metal titans Opeth some three years ago, this well-attended show is the only UK date and the variety of regional accents in the crowd show that many have journeyed into London from all over the country.

Opening with the intro track 'Among the Coals' from the new EP 'Carbon-Based Anatomy', the arrival of Cynic prompts wave after wave of appreciation from the fans. The EP's title track airs out and despite receiving polarising opinions, the track devoid of any metal fares well live. Drummer Sean Reinert showcases his never-tiring capabilities beautifully on this prog rock track and it is difficult to stop staring. The familiarity of 'Evolutionary Sleeper' from Cynic's reunion album 'Traced in Air' attains a more impressive response than the previous song. The robotic decoder vocals of Paul Masvidal are lost in the mix but the audience are more than willing to sing along when they know the lyrics. The metal nature of this track ensures headbanging in the boiling hot congregation. Masvidal's guitar work is simultaneously gorgeous and technical, evoking cosmic sounds that compliment the animations on the projector screen backing the band. The taped introduction of 'How Could I?' from the Americans' debut album ‘Focus' summons rapturous applause from the audience.

The setlist is a healthy combination of tracks equally drawn from both albums and EPs. 'Adam's Murmur', 'Celestial Voyage', 'King of Those Who Know' and 'Veil of Maya', the latter number being a particular highlight of the set, are fan favourites on the setlist. The inclusion of 'Wheels Within Wheels' from the 'Retraced' EP comes as a complete surprise, with many unable to recognise it. When 'Integral Birth', from 'Traced in Air', is aired out, the introduction is that of the lighter 'Integral' from the 'Retraced' EP but it soon launches into its original heavy composition.

There is absolutely no stage banter until approximately half way through the performance when Masvidal breaks his silence, thanking the attendees and then talking about spreading the power of forgiveness. Of all the band members, Masvidal is the only one who makes an effort to move about the stage, occasionally approaching the edge of the stage to give those in the front row a great view of his soloing prowess. But technical music is not exactly drunken dancing music.

'Box Up My Bones' is the sole track from 'Carbon-Based Anatomy' that receives a notable applause when the first notes are executed. This stellar number (with taped female vocals) works best live out of the three proper songs on this EP and also closes the set. After insistent chants on Cynic, the band return with Masvidal explaining that only recently they had decided to leave the stage before their final song. He questions the audience as to whether they like the idea but the result is indifference – as long as they play the last song. The actual closing anthem is 'The Space for This' with the audience crooning along to the chorus. This is a fantastic way to end and Masvidal takes the opportunity to jump down from the stage and shake hands with those in the front row afterwards. Full marks for Cynic's performance!

FUTURE GIGS

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