What a breath of fresh air this new Cydemind single is! Ten to twelve years on from the rapid ascent of instrumental progressive metal, we’re starting to see bands who have learnt from the pioneers, and are beginning to stamp out their own niche sounds in the genre. Cydemind are a band with a plan, creating songs that actually progress into new and exciting sounds, and we’re very pleased to present to you all their new single “Hoax”, from their upcoming album The Descent.
Cydemind is a Canadian band, and as you will see from the video below, the cold part to boot. Sporting a debut album in 2017 along with a slew of singles, including a cover of Vivaldi‘s “The Winter”, their sound would better be compared to Plini (albeit they can write an interesting song), mixed in with Arcing Wires and other jazz-rock bands.
“Hoax” really caught my attention the whole way through the song, something I’ve found over years of prog metal saturation to be a very unique experience. Complimented by an exceptionally well-put-together music video, they deliver the whole package on the track. The way the violins and piano playfully set up the introduction of other instruments at the beginning is wonderful, feeling lightyears away from some of the faster, harder-hitting content found on their debut album Erosion. Here, as it is introduced to the track, the instrumentation feels much more delicately balanced, with instruments, motifs, and grooves ebbing and flowing into and out of the mix effortlessly. The Snarky Puppy t-shirt worn by the drummer Alexandre Dagenais is extremely pertinent to how this all sounds.
As the track hits its zenith the full arrangement of violins kicks in, lifting the atmosphere of the track to the clouds. With the band playing off each other with beaming smiles, you can’t help but have a great time listening and watching the video. The smooth transitions and edits really set this one apart from others.
Cydemind release The Descent on November 4, so there is still plenty of waiting to be done, yet we’re sure this and their back catalogue will tide you over till then. Video below, social media links further down. Make sure to click through and follow this exciting band as they look to take the genre by storm.
Good shit