Cyan new album review


Well I must admit this review wasn't easy for me as I don't like the uplifting side of things but I decided to do it myself rather than giving it to a friend as I originally indented to. First things first and the first thing you will notice on this CD is that some effort (and money) has gone into it as the flashy package showcases. Nice high quality paper and a sticker for the fans, pretty bad that the artwork is not that good approaching unoriginal territories. On the inside of things now, I will judge this CD track by track so here we go.

Track 1 "Menace"

Well this suppose to be a Transwave inspired track but I never liked Transwave so I don't like this either. It is the slower track on the album and has the best atmosphere of all with some classic trance lines setting the mood and a pitched down chorus sample that adds to it a somehow "out there" feeling although at times the track peaks which means it goes happy smiley people, nothing bad with it though but it is not my cup of tea. Finally this is the most European -if this means anything to go by- track of the album.

Track 2 "Freeze"

Things move on a faster pace with this cut which is somehow a hybrid between old school trance and bad new school trance. I am telling this because it starts off in a European way and ends up hands in the air. Classic trance lines, classic arrangement and that odd kickdrum...Mmmm Mike and Nick try to avoid the obvious melodies and in some degree they manage to keep it fresh but then Mike suggests lets do a 3/4 turn like the others and after that lets spoil it big time with a breakdown for the teens. Average but I like how the track kicks in.

Track 3 "A New Galaxy"

 And you started to getting anxious but this is no uplifting CD, do not worry dear listener this track is really an uplifting crowd pleaser, the lines are overall good for that kind of trance without getting too eastern and the crescendos are well arranged so are the dynamics but I don't like the vocal it is badly distorted and probably the guy that says those things about the galaxy is Greek...his accent (not slide dummy) is a bit bad. The introduction of the piano assisting the main lead line is good but the piano line itself is pretty basic (but overload doesn't always give good results). I think I like this track even I don't want to admit it.

Track 4 "CQ"

 Do you like Jodie Foster ? I believe she is a great actress and a beautiful source for sampling although the CQ sampling isn't from her but from the movie "Contact" if you haven't seen it yet do so it is a great movie. On the track itself well it is a classic trance track and I start to realise that Cyan like chorus lines pretty badly. The breakdown is a bit eerr you know the word I don't want to be the bad guy again. I don't like this track.

Track 5 "Toxic Threat"

 This sounds like the previous but it is more moody, it is bad by me to make formalised music it is boring for the listener. The lead line has somehow a sadness to it but I can't say I am touched. I like the piano line though but the lead that follows is a bit too much for me and using heavy delays to cover an uninspired leads may work for some but not for all. I don't like this I rate it as average.

Track 6 "Macedonia"

Despite its heavy name this track manages to keep it lowprofile just being an atmospheric trance track which you can easy listen to. One thing that does annoy me is the marching heavily reverberated claps and the bad ass line in some point during the track. Percussion loops are a healthy addition to the Cyan sound until we head for the lead line which seems to be rushed I don't like it but I believe that the guys could have come up with a better line (the second lead though is better). Fans will get up and dancing my mother would probably liked it but I don't.

Track 7 "Hindu"

Funny name, catchy intro with nice atmospherics and good use of percussion. This one is driving so you lose it to it rather than stomp to it (you know worm-dance) and this is good news. Funny track, no problem with me I can listen to it without turn my radio immediately off so this must be good although I suspect want be a success due to the fact that it is actually funky in some points and has no stupid lead line. The sitar is probably the most sampled physical organ in trance so this track makes no exception and samples a Sitar. I think I like it in some sections I don't in others but certainly it is the most progressive thing Cyan have done in their career.

 Track 8 "Thriller"

 This track has darker lines hence the name and keeps going strong but I am still afraid of its happy breakdown...which is good. Yes I do like the lead line of this track it reminds me of old school (Platipus) trance, it is happy not stupid and the dynamics are good. Good track I kinda like it, the balance between dark and light is well kept.

Track 9 "Alien(peacefull mix)"

 This is supposed to be a remix of an old Cyan track never heard the original so I will judge only the remix which is included here. Nice start kinda first wave of dark trance back in 1994. U-Turn and now we are happy like the smiley, a transpose down, a vocal sample, alien and human unity and...Now I remembered the original which was a pretty bad track, this one tries desperately to keep it more cool than the on the floor dynamics of the original, it is by far better than the original but by me they should have made a new track. Some lines are good and the usage of the original line is a -minus one point- by me. Not that bad and ends up floor pleaser.

Finally I would like to say some things about the overall sounding of this CD, Cyan have progressed, their sound is more mature and the production is by far better than their last work. Welcome addition are the percussion loops so are the piano lines but the leads seem unoriginal seem rushed to not sound Israeli but actually sound uplifting, this is a difficult task to do. Anyway good news (or bad news for others) is that Cyan are actually try to change direction which finds me positive, what they try to do know is a bit more commercial than the uplifting sound since stuff like this are selling by the buckets in the U.K. and Automatic is a big label...But making this kind of sound needs by far more skills than making uplifting trance so they need to polish their sound and drum programming (something that they didn't give much attention to their productions until know). I wish every luck to them if they actually do this turn. Finally about the album if you like uplifting trance you will probably like it and it is from Greece, why give your money to Israeli guys they don't do it in a better way I can assure you about that. If you belong to the so called European camp then avoid this not for you cos' you are too busy listening to progressive crap from France (Sibilant was doing this in a better way with much more style some years ago in a historic label called Symbiosis R.I.P).

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