ABYSMAL DAWN, CYNIC, ROTTING CHRIST, VREID (70,000 TONS OF METAL)

The world's biggest heavy metal cruise returns this year with a stacked lineup, which includes performances from American death metal legends ABYSMAL DAWN, progressive music icon CYNIC, Greek metal titans ROTTING CHRIST, and Songametal veterans VREID! The ship sets sail from Miami, FL on January 30 where it will venture to the Bahamas before returning to port.

CYNIC will be performing a very special 'Focus' anniversary set while ROTTING CHRIST will be commemorating 'Thy Mighty Contract' with a one-time only performance of the seminal record in full!

Meanwhile, ABYSMAL DAWN will be supporting their 2022 EP, 'Nightmare Frontier,' while VREID will be supporting 2021's 'Wild North West!'

ABYSMAL DAWN, CYNIC, ROTTING CHRIST, VREID:
01/30-02/03: Miami, FL @ 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise [TICKETS]

CYNIC to Perform 'Focus' at ProgPower USA + 70,000 Tons of Metal

Progressive music icon CYNIC is pleased to announce two very special live performances set for 2023, for which the band will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of 'Focus' by performing the seminal album in its entirety! In addition, CYNIC will also be paying homage to late members Sean Reinertand Sean Malone as these are the band's first live performances since the members' passings. More anniversary and memorial tribute shows will be announced in the near future!

The band will first appear on the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise, which sets sail from Miami, FL on January 30 through February 3. Later in the year, CYNIC will then perform at the illustrious ProgPower USA festival on September 6 in Atlanta, GA! The new live lineup will feature Paul Masvidal on vocals and guitars, Max Phelps (Exist, Death to All) on additional guitars and vocals, Brandon Giffin (The Faceless, The Zenith Passage) on bass, and Matt Lynch (Nova Collective, Intronaut) on drums & percussion! Lynch has been drumming with CYNIC since 2015 & appeared on the band's latest full-length, 'Ascension Codes,' as well as the 2018 single "Humanoid." Additionally, Phelps, having also appeared on 'Ascension Codes,' and Giffin have previously toured with CYNIC during the band's 'Carbon Based Anatomy' and 'Kindly Bent to Free Us' tours.

CYNIC guitarist/songwriter Paul Masvidal comments, "Eight years since Cynic’s last live performance, like a blink of an eye. In this chapter we explore perseverance, overcoming hardship, and the healing power of music."

CYNIC's latest release Ascension Codes is a remarkably far-reaching work, and if nothing else, a clear indication that they have landed in a place of mastery. The album, paradoxically, acts as both swan song and rebirth.

'Ascension Codes' can be ordered at the Season of Mist E-Shop, the CYNIC Bandcamp, and official CYNIC shop. The album can be streamed/downloaded HERE.

In addition, the band has recently released the fully instrumental version of the critically acclaimed 2021 full-length, 'Ascension Codes' via Bandcamp and all streaming services! Stream/download/order HERE.

ICYMI: Guitarist Paul Masvidal just announced a new signature .strandberg* guitar, the Masvidalien NX 6 Cosmo! More information on the model can be found HERE.

Moreover, guitar players can find the full guitar transcriptions for several of CYNIC's albums via Sheet Happens at THIS LOCATION.

Attainment

Cynic’s continual state of development has met its share of challenges over the years, hurdles that threatened to dismantle the entity’s forward surge. Yet through hurricanes, breakups, and assorted acrimony both personal and existential, it remains inspired to create.

Their name is synonymous with what it means to be truly progressive in music. Cynic’s top-tier performance acumen and cerebral/spiritual/yogic themes finds them inhabiting a corner of the musical spectrum all their own. Their Venn diagram shows intersections with death metal, prog rock, thrash metal, experimental, new age, jazz fusion, and a myriad of other sonic expressions.

Debut album, Focus (1993), is a certified classic. Although that era ended with transformation into the short-lived Portal, and then a further splinter toward Aeon Spoke, Cynic’s reunion-era has found them embraced in a way that proves how ahead of the times they were in the ‘90s. Through monuments such as the Traced in Air (2008) and Kindly Bent to Free Us (2014) albums, the Carbon-Based Anatomy and Re-Traced EPs, and a surprising rebirth with the “Humanoid” single of 2018, the Cynic legacy remains untarnished. Yet early in the creation cycle for their fourth full-length album, they experienced horrible events that tested the entity’s resolve.

Ascension

The year 2020 will go down in history as a tremendously difficult time for the global human population. For the Cynic family, the struggle was not restricted to a pandemic. It was two utterly senseless losses that threw the band’s immediate concerns into the background: the premature deaths of drummer Sean Reinert in January, at age 48, and bassist Sean Malone in December, at age 50, were shocking and unthinkable.

Reinert, a founding Cynic member since formation in 1988, was highly influential to a multitude of young drummers. His work on 1993’s Focus and Death’s watershed 1991 album, Human, found him sculpting extreme technical metal with a jazz fusion-inspired approach. Now taken for granted, that approach to the instrument and the genre was undoubtedly pioneered in large part by Reinert. Though parting with Cynic in 2015, his imprint on Cynic is inescapable.

The death of Sean Malone dealt another horrible layer of tragedy to Cynic’s 2020. In his many years with the band, Malone’s virtuoso playing meshed intuitively with Reinert’s. Together they formed a nucleus of kinetic, highly capable rhythmic dexterity that fueled Cynic’s celestial aims.

One of these deaths would have seemed unimaginable by itself. Both of them, in the same year, nearly broke surviving member Paul Masvidal. But the seeds of a fourth Cynic full- length existed long before the deaths, and the guitarist, through a haze of grief and disbelief, pushed forward. “I wanted to make this record right after Kindly Bent to Free Us,” says Masvidal. “I was raring to go, hyper-creative, in this total flow state. And then it all imploded.”

Parts of songs were in the gestation process as early as 2014. Masvidal says that Reinert and Malone heard elements of what ended up on the fourth album. Slowly, methodically, and with much careful deliberation, Masvidal eventually completed an album titled Ascension Codes, to honor the memory of his fallen band mates. And while the album honors the lives and contributions of Reinert and Malone, it also pushes Cynic forward for its own sake and through its own will to live. The album, paradoxically, acts as both swan song and rebirth. It is, throughout its 49 minutes, a vivid and highly cosmic journey into the very core of every impulse this band has ever explored.

Offering

As of 2021, the future of Cynic is unclear. Does Ascension Codes mark their final phase of growth? Surely the music finds them laying out a most ambitious trail of spiritual sonic travel, but to call any Cynic album “ambitious” is redundant. They are, by their very nature, an ambitious band. Yet Ascension Codes is a remarkably far-reaching work. Its nine main songs are infused with explosions of color and energy, and throughout these compositions are embedded the “codes”: “Mu-54*,” “A’-va432,” “Ha-144” and so on.

Though clearly an album best listened to in its entirety without distraction, for full impact, there are definitive Cynic songs here that stand strong on their own. “Mythical Serpents” is imbued with propellant adventure, exciting peaks and valleys that tug at the heart while its mathematical sequences challenge the head in a dizzying push/pull dynamic. It’s that quintessential Cynic approach of kaleidoscopic intensity and mannered discipline.

“Diamond Light Body” brings the album to a crashing close – heavy and celestial, with some melodic sequences that feel like new territory for Cynic. An incredibly dense song with inhuman patterns from Lynch, the song’s beautiful urgency and final moments push the album outward into the heavens: “I won't feed the fear / I’ll choose a different timeline / Ascend / All is flux, nothing stands still / Ascend.”

The expanded Cynic collective maintains focus on Masvidal’s vision, each human element adding to the compelling overall result. Truly, if this is to be the final artistic stroke by Cynic, then they have landed in a place of mastery. The stories told by Focus, Traced in Air, and Kindly Bent to Free Us are now completed with Ascension Codes.

Ascension Codes is perhaps the most ethereal sounding Cynic album to date, but also skews heavier than previous album Kindly Bent to Free Us. The expanded lineup is surely responsible for the album’s far-reaching scope.

After Sean Reinert’s exit from Cynic in 2015, Masvidal and Malone recruited drummer Matt Lynch. Found through a tip from Between the Buried and Me’s Dan Briggs, Lynch proved to be a perfect addition to the band. As Masvidal notes, Lynch’s “hybrid modern style is like a fusion of drum and bass electronic music influences combined with modern jazz/prog approaches. Lynch is a true original in that he's a fully realized drummer constructing his parts as carefully as any other compositional element always is on a Cynic record. Every single accent and note coming from him is birthed from a precise and inspired place.” We hear this throughout Ascension Codes, pushing the music along with finesse, adding shape and texture in ways only the most sensitive drummers can do.

But how to replace Sean Malone on bass? Masvidal’s answer: don’t even try. The lines of bass notes heard throughout Ascension Codes are performed on bass synthesizer by keyboardist Dave Mackay. A British pianist, writer, producer and Moog/vintage synth enthusiast, Mackay has toured with everyone from Art Garfunkel to Plini (the latter providing the initial introduction between Mackay and Masvidal). Based in Los Angeles and London, Mackay’s work is sensitive to Malone’s touch, while also adding a throbbing intensity that offers Cynic new low-end possibilities. “He's got a vast jazz harmonic vocabulary,” notes Masvidal, “which is what's needed in the context of Cynic's music, especially for bass lines. I knew that I could never replace Malone. Anyone I would find would be expected to play like him, and that's not fair to another musician. And things were too fresh for me with the loss of Malone, so I had to go somewhere new. With Mackay, I heard his groovy left-hand approach, and how musical he was across the board having played with a variety of musicians and styles. I realized he would bring something fresh to the table, and he provided a space for me to start again with a completely different instrument and forgo any traditional ideas I had about what Cynic bass lines should sound like.

Ultimately Mackay delivered above and beyond, with a real awareness of a bass player's role in a progressive trio context. First, by holding down the harmony and being “in the pocket,” while also creating an independent and dynamic voice within that space. Mackay has a rare combination of skills and the vibe he locked into with Lynch with sounds like a rhythm section from the future. Plus, his Moog synth tone offers a low-end depth that’s never been heard in our recordings.” On December 5, 2019, Dave Mackay shared the stage with Paul Masvidal for a performance of the guitarist’s solo material. On bass that evening was Sean Malone. After the gig, Malone told Masvidal, “We should bring Mackay in for the new record.”

Michael Berberian, president and founder of Season of Mist Records remained close to Masvidal throughout the 2020 losses of his bandmates. Michael states “I have, by now, released close to one thousand albums. None have been more dramatic, none have even been more difficult than this one. I can’t listen to Ascension Codes without goosebumps, a mixed feeling of pride – because it’s a musical milestone, but it also contains a lingering layer of sadness. I hear Paul’s pain on this record. I can feel it, I can touch it. But it’s transcended. ‘Art is to console those who are broken by life,’ said Van Gogh. Here is a demonstration of that.”

Ascension Codes was mixed and co-produced by Warren Riker, who worked with Aeon Spoke, Cynic in the Traced in Air era, and mixed Paul Masvidal’s solo acoustic trilogy. “Riker’s a wizard who gets inside the music and commits. He expands boundaries as a mixer, always finding new ways to push the sonic envelope,” says Masvidal.

Keeping things in the family, Martina Hoffmann’s original painting entitled ‘The Landing’ graces Cynic's new album Ascension Codes with breathtaking scope and presence. The visionary work inspired by Martina's time walking the beaches of Brittany, France after the death of her longtime partner, the artist Robert Venosa (whose artwork adorns all Cynic releases between 1993 and 2018) followed by the loss of her mother, the subject of the piece features the arrival of a great mothership made of light and flesh, not machine but an organic entity that has brought hope and infinite possibilities. Masvidal says of Hoffmann, “Martina’s art has always held a special place in my heart, and I'm deeply grateful for her love and support. When I first contacted Venosa as a teenager, it was Martina who encouraged him to lend his work to the band, because she heard something in our music. She is like the divine mother in this Cynic/ Venosa lineage," Masvidal says. "Her spirit and multidimensional talents are truly a gift to this world. I feel that she is one of the great artistic voices of our age."

The struggle to attain ascension is as important as ascension itself. And after much searching, Cynic have again achieved oneness with the numinous. At a time of possible exit for the entity, Ascension Codes is Cynic reaching a previously-unknown state of enlightenment.

Credits and Lineup:

With Masvidal, Lynch and Mackay at the core, Cynic utilized a variety of other artists to help achieve their vision for Ascension Codes, some of the key players include:

DARK (Roopam Garg) performs as “code worker” on the album, providing harmonic, harp-like guitar textures. DARK also known for his other works with “The Surrealist” is an experimental, ambient artist, pushing the avant-garde guitar envelope using extended techniques and consciousness inspired soundscapes.

Max Phelps contributes “holographic-reptilian-voices” on multiple tracks. Phelps toured with Cynic in the Carbon-Based Anatomy and Kindly Bent to Free Useras, and his own progressive metal band, Exist, have released music on Prosthetic Records. Phelps also took part in Death tribute band, Death to All.

Plini guest solos on “The Winged Ones.” Plini is an an Australian guitarist and composer, producing heart-fueled, progressive instrumental rock. He opened shows for Cynic in Japan, which happened to be their final live performances as a trio with Reinert/Malone.

Additional contributors:

Anrita Melchizedek is a renowned priestess, healer, galactic ambassador, among other pursuits, and provides vocals to the opening and closing code interludes (“Mu-54*” and “Ec-ka72”). Amy Correia and Joshua Leon vocalize light language and phrases on various code interludes. Amy appeared on Traced in Air and 2011’s Carbon-Based Anatomy EP,and plays with Masvidal in the Onward with Love (OwL) project. Michael Devin plays crystal bowls on some of the code interludes. Devin is also a bassist and has played with the Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Evening, George Lynch, and Whitesnake. Ezekiel Kaplan contributed a vocal harmony to the final track “Diamond Light Body.”

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/CynicPaulMasvidal
https://www.instagram.com/cynic_official
https://cyniconline.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/CynicOnline
https://www.youtube.com/user/cynicdocumentary
https://cynic.travelling-merchant.com
https://www.indiemerch.com/cynic/

Live Lineup:
Paul Masvidal – Vocals and Guitars
Max Phelps (Exist, Death to All) – Guitars and Vocals
Brandon Giffin (The Faceless, The Zenith Passage) – Bass
Matt Lynch (Nova Collective, Intronaut) – Drums & Percussion

Recording Lineup:
Paul Masvidal – Guitars, Vocals, Lyrics
Dave Mackay - Bass Synthesizer, Keyboards
Matt Lynch - Drumscapes

Guest Musicians:
Guitar Codes ^ Artifacts: Dark
Voice Code Activations: Anrita Melchizedek
Reptilian Collective: Max Phelps
TWO Soloscape: Plini
Crystal Bowl Attunements: Michael Devin
Light Language Teachers: Amy Correia ^ Joshua Leon
DLB MetaTerrestrial: Ezekial Kaplan

Mastering Studio & Engineer: Andrew Mendelson of Georgetown Masters (Nashville, TN, USA)

Mixing: Warren Riker

Production: Paul Masvidal & Warren Riker

Cover Art:
The Landing ^ Triptych ^ Martina Hoffmann

Biography: Jeff Wagner


Presales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Cynic

For more on CYNIC, visit their official FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, BANDCAMP, WEBSITE, YOUTUBE, and TWITTER.

Mudvayne, Atreyu, Crown The Empire & Afterlife Added To Inaugural VORAGOS: Destination Lunasea Beach; Jose Mangin To Host

Mudvayne, Atreyu, Crown The Empire & Afterlife

Added To Lineup For Inaugural Voyage Of

VORAGOS: Destination Lunasea Beach

Joining Previously Announced Rob Zombie, Mastodon & More

New Private Island Festival & 5-Day Rock Cruise

From Danny Wimmer Presents & Sixthman

Also Adds Jose “The Metal Ambassador” Mangin As Official Host

“That Space Zebra Show” To Launch “Battle For The Big Seas”

On DWPresents Twitch Channel This Fall, Giving One Unsigned Band

The Chance To Perform On VORAGOS

Held Aboard Norwegian Pearl Ship

Departing Miami & Heading To Harvest Caye, Belize

February 16-21, 2022

Cabins Are On Sale Now At www.Voragos.com

VORAGOS: Destination Lunasea Beach has announced several exciting additions to the lineup for the private island festival and 5-day rock cruise coming in early 2022. The list of newly added acts includes the recently reunited Mudvayne (who continues to partner with Danny Wimmer Presents for their first live performances after a 12-year hiatus), Atreyu, Crown The Empire and Afterlife.

Mudvayne will play both on board and at Lunasea Beach and will replace Chevelle who regrettably have to cancel their VORAGOS Lunasea Beach appearance due to a conflict with their upcoming touring schedule. All other previously announced acts will be appearing, including Rob Zombie, Mastodon and more.

“I still can’t believe I’m saying…MUDVAYNE IS BACK,” says Chad Gray of Mudvayne. “It’s been a long time coming. We are very excited to get back on stage in front of all the OG Oxygen Wasters and the New Ones that have NEVER seen us! We’re looking forward to being on the maiden voyage of DWP’s VORAGOS cruise. Let’s Go!”

The anticipated rock festival vacation experience – which takes place February 16-21, 2022 aboard the amenity-packed Norwegian Pearl Ship and will be docking for one day in Belize for a one-of-a-kind private island beach festival – now has an official host with SiriusXM’s Jose “Metal Ambassador” Mangin coming on board to emcee the event and host various activities with fans and bands.

“I’m far beyond stoked to be hanging and partying with so many friends and family on VORAGOS, and getting to host it is even better,” comments Jose Mangin. “This destination cruise is going to be one for the record books for sure! A festival on the beach, and concerts on board, it’s so badass! I can’t wait to throw down hard with you and my Metal shipmates in Mudvayne, Mastodon, Atreyu, my AZ homies DED, Rob Zombie and so many others!”

VORAGOS will also include special appearances by SiriusXM’s Shannon Gunz and the cast of “That Space Zebra Show,” who will be participating in special fan experiences throughout the cruise. This fall, “That Space Zebra Show” will launch the “Battle For The Big Seas” showdown on the DWPresents Twitch channel, where unsigned bands will compete for the chance to perform on the inaugural voyage of VORAGOS. Look for more details about how to submit and enter the contest coming soon.

In addition, VORAGOS is excited to announce the first on ship experiences that fans can participate in. The first revealed theme night is “Party Like A Rockstar,” where cruisers can dress up like their favorite artist. Confirmed cruise activities include: Pool Deck Party with DWP CEO Danny Hayes, Rock n’ Roll Trivia hosted by Jose Mangin, Show Us Your INK Mixer, Flip Cup Tournament, Beer Pong Tournament and exclusive to VORAGOS Founders Club Members, a Daily Bourbon Tasting with DWPTeam Members. Many more theme nights, activities, meet & greets, as well as additional exclusive Founders Club events will be announced in the coming months.

Bands performing on board Norwegian Pearl (February 16, 17, 19 and 20) are as follows (subject to change): Mudvayne, Mastodon, Black Stone Cherry, Atreyu, Tremonti, Saint Asonia, Crown The Empire, Escape The Fate, New Years Day, Fire From The Gods, Bad Omens, Jeris Johnson, Tetrarch, DED, All Good Things, Joyous Wolf, Plush and Afterlife.

The Lunasea Beach Festival (February 18) — available exclusively to cruise guests (no separate tickets will be sold to the public) — will include an exclusive headlining set by Rob Zombie along with performances by Mudvayne, Black Stone Cherry, New Years Day, Tetrarch and Amigo The Devil.

Additionally, the ship will be home to the VORAGOS Storytellers Stage, featuring intimate performances from Amigo The Devil, Kevin Martin (of Candlebox), Brett Scallions Aupervant Fuel and Austin Meade, as well as the VORAGOS Comedy Stage with multiple sets from Jim Breuer, Big Jay Oakerson, Rachel Feinstein and Shayne Smith. Each night will also offer a Midnight After-Party starring Brass Against, The Voragos Shut Up & Dance and more.

Departing from Miami, VORAGOS will be the ultimate vacation of every rocker’s dreams, with more than 45 performances across 5 total stages, both on board and on the beach. Most bands will be playing multiple sets throughout the 5-day excursion as well as participating in additional activities.

Cabins are on sale now at www.Voragos.com with pricing starting at just $898 per person for a 4-guest interior room (plus taxes and fees). Guests are able to make a deposit and pay the remaining balance in monthly installments over time leading up to the event.

VORAGOS: Destination Lunasea Beach is the creative partnership of Danny Wimmer Presents and Sixthman, merging the expertise of the best in rock festivals on land and the leaders of rock at sea. Like each company’s signature events, VORAGOS merges the signature world-class talent and unrivaled immersive festival experiences that each has become respected for throughout their decades in business.

The luxurious Norwegian Pearl will serve as the floating venue for this rock adventure. Guests will be able to enjoy Norwegian Cruise Line’s signature freedom and flexibility to choose between 11 onboard bars and lounges, 15 dining experiences, a casino, one outdoor pool, hot tubs and a full menu of spa treatments.

Harvest Caye in Southern Belize is the Caribbean's premier private island destination featuring an expansive pool with a swim-up bar, salt-water lagoon for water sports, exclusive 7-acre beach and exciting shore excursions ranging from zip lining across the island to snorkeling the world's second largest barrier reef.

Over the coming months, Danny Wimmer Presents and Sixthman will be working with Norwegian officials to assure the destination event conforms to then-current social distancing protocols.

For more information on VORAGOS: Destination Lunasea Beach, visit:

Website: https://www.voragos.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Voragos-103875058369457

Twitter: https://twitter.com/voragos1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voragos/

About Danny Wimmer Presents: Since 1995, music industry veteran Danny Wimmer has been producing concerts and festivals, both large and small. In 2011, he formed Danny Wimmer Presents, which now produces several of the largest rock and alternative festivals in the U.S. By combining A-list talent with local cuisine and culture, DWP has become recognized within the industry for delivering the highest-quality entertainment experiences to fans, artists, sponsors, partners and host cities. DWP creates memorable and all-encompassing festival experiences, leaving both consumers and partners with lasting and meaningful impressions. DWP will continue to add new music festivals to its already stellar portfolio, which currently includes Aftershock, Bourbon & Beyond, Epicenter, Hometown Rising, Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival, and Welcome To Rockville. Previous DWP festivals include Rock On The Range, Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion and more. In 2020, DWP launched the popular digital series Offstage with DWP and Beyond the Barrel, and ventured into the digital content curation space, promoting pay-per-view live streams.

www.DannyWimmerPresents.com

About Sixthman: Since 2001, Sixthman has set the stage for moments that make life rock, serving over 300,000 guests unforgettable vacations on sand and at sea with their favorite artists, athletes, actors, comedians and brands. These carefully curated, intimate events bring non-stop performances, artist collaborations, in depth panels and Q&As, fan-artist activities, museums and overall truly immersive experiences that celebrate community and change expectations of what a vacation can be. Sixthman’s domestic home port of Miami will bring escapes for guests to dream destinations in the Virgin Islands, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and The Bahamas. In 2019, Sixthman expanded their festivals at sea to Europe, sailing from Barcelona, Spain to exotic Mediterranean ports. 2021 will bring sailings through the Greek Isles. In addition to festivals at sea, in 2019 Sixthman brought their innovative vacation concept to world class, all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic. In 2020, Sixthman Services was launched to support other event holders with a suite of on-site and virtual event management services. For more information, visit sixthman.net and connect with us @SXMLiveLoud. LIVE LOUD.