Review Summary: Change, it's here.
Cyanotic received critical acclaim for their brand of crunching guitars and slightly distorted vocals, all wrapped in a somewhat danceable beat wrapper. While the band hasn't released anything since 2010's
The Medication Generation it seems that the time hasn't dulled their sensibilities;
MedPack Vol. 1 is surprisingly good.
Fans of the group will be at home, but there's a decidedly new direction in sound that should garner some new potential listeners.
MedPack Vol. 1 is full of ambiance, creating an atmosphere that almost has more in common with dark ambient bands than industrial noise acts, let alone the industrial metal of the groups previous endeavors. This is readily apparent on “Formless Memories (Part 1)” - a track that could easily have fit on Vangelis's
Bladerunner score in the more tense moments of the film. A subtle beat starts the track, building intensity until it is abruptly cut off; the sigh of steam and the mournful sound of horns wrap the listener in a film noir haze until the beat is brought back to the forefront.
Vocally the E.P is very subtle, a strong opening effort on “Monochrome Skies (Grey Version)” soon dwindles into the low hiss of that found on “Hibernol (Featuring Hulverhead).” The first three tracks have a slow rhythm that
just refrains from being ponderous, although the vocal effort on “Monochrome Skies” brings energy as well as accentuating this trait.
MedPack Vol. 1 was recorded, mixed, and mastered in a single week, and the result is almost an entirely new direction for a band previously known for its mixing of the more metal side of the genre. While some might be put off by the down tempo and ambient quality it would be a mistake to overlook such a strong effort; early 2012 has its industrial champion.
