Cynic is an American progressive metal band from Miami, Florida, formed in 1987 by Jack Kelly, Paul Masvidal, Mark Van Erp, and Sean Reinert. The group initially gained attention with its demo recordings, which include '88 Demo and Reflections of a Dying World. In 1993, the band released its debut album, Focus, on September 14, 1993, which established the group as pioneers in the progressive death metal genre. The album featured synthesizers, vocoder effects, and jazz influences. Following the release of Focus, the band embarked on a European tour with Pestilence. Despite plans for a second album, internal disagreements led to the group's disbandment in 1994. Members pursued various projects, which included Portal and Æon Spoke. In September 2006, the band reunited, and it released its second album, Traced in Air, on November 17, 2008. The group followed with subsequent releases such as the EP Re-Traced (2010), the EP Carbon-Based Anatomy (2011), the demo compilation The Portal Tapes (2012), and the studio albums Kindly Bent to Free Us (2014) and Ascension Codes (2021).
![Focus [Expanded Edition]](https://cdn-images.dzcdn.net/images/cover/668064a2f11f4cbd1bcd33304675619a/120x120-000000-80-0-0.jpg)
