Cynthesis "DeEvolution" Interviews and reviews.

ZHJ&T

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First something I felt needed to be said....From my Facebook page.

DINO ALDEN!!! I know he's not on FB but I have to say Dino is the best. He's done all the Zero Hour CD's.....Recorded the drums, played Bass on "Edifice Grin" (Which was amazing) and mixed all of DeEvolution. He's a great friend who put together amazing guitar, and bass tones for me to use in my studio and I can't thank him enough for that. I love what he does to our sound and Dino you're the man and so talented.



http://alternativematter.net/interviews/interview-with-cynthesis

Some weeks ago I received a promo from a band called Cynthesis. I've never heard of them before but I did notice the presence of the Tipton Brothers. They form the musical nexus of Zero Hour, a band I'm very familiar with. Reason enough to have a friendly chat with guitarist and main composer Jasun Tipton about his new band, working again with former Zero Hour vocalist Erik Rosvold, the surprising nature of DeEvolution and the current status of Zero Hour..
Hi Jasun, and thank you for doing this interview. Can you give a short introduction to your Cynthesis project and how it all came together?
Cynthesis is a band that features my brother Troy Tipton on bass, Erik Rosvold on vocals, Sean Flanegan on drums and myself on guitars and keys. I wanted to write more of a progressive-cinematic style of music. Letting the tones of the notes and chords transcend the material. When writing the music the voice I was hearing to sing over it was Erik's. This material was made for Erik. Troy contacted Erik and he said yes immediately to being the singer of Cynthesis. When I asked Troy "Who would you want to play drums over this? Without any hesistation Troy said "Sean Flanegan is the guy". I think we both knew right away even before I started the writing process that Sean would be the guy. I'm such a fan of his playing. He has such feel to his playing. Sean knows the language and has all the goods you could ever want in a drummer. I have to add that Dino Alden was huge for Cynthesis. He's an amazing producer and took us to the next level.
With Cynthesis you're working again with former Zero Hour singer Erik Rosvold. How was it like to reconnect and work with him again?
It's been amazing. Erik is an amazing singer, songwriter and person. He's truly one of my favorite singers on this earth. It was crazy because we hadn't seen each other in 5 years. Troy and I went to the Heaven and Hell show and all of a sudden we see Erik coming in the same row and his seats were right next to us. It really felt like a sign. We gave big hugs and were so happy to see each other.
Cynthesis' debut album, DeEvolution is about controlling and exploiting the weakness of men through religion, media, consumerism and government. Are these themes inspired by actual events and to what extent do they reflect your vision on the world around you?
I wrote all the music but all the lyrics you hear is Erik's. He's an amazing storyteller and yes these lyrics are deep with Erik.
The key difference between Cynthesis and Zero Hour in my opinion is that the music of Cynthesis is more about "feel" and emotion and less about technique. What was it like for you to work from that angle?
I wanted to write with more feel because it was a crazy time for me during the writing process. I felt change was very much needed and very therapeutic. Once I knew Troy was going to have the ulnar nerve submuscular transposition surgery, I knew the writing and recording process would be very different. This pushed me in the direction of building my own recording studio. I was now going to be the person who writes all the music and creating the material while tracking it at my house. ZH would be Troy and I coming up with material in the rehearsal room. So this was a very different process which creates a different sound, outlook and band.
How did the creative and recording sessions for DeEvolution go and what where you aiming for?
When my recording studio was up and running I wrote a couple instrumental tracks. This helped me out greatly as I didn't want to start writing the Cynthesis material until I had a good understanding of the (recording) system. I know I wanted the material to be very melodic and spacey. Almost letting the tones of the notes and chords transcend the material. Creating tones and sounds that would inspire me to grow the material to its fullest. I remember after writing the first 3 jams of music I wanted Erik's voice over the material. This material was made for Erik. We made the call and he said yes immediately to being the singer of Cynthesis. When I asked Troy "Who would you want to play drums over this? Without any hesitation Troy said "Sean Flanegan is the guy". I think we both knew right away even before I started the writing process that Sean would be the guy. I'm such a fan of his playing. He has such amazing soul and feel to his playing. There would be places I'd tell him to go a head and open it up. He knows the language and has all the goods you could ever want in a drummer. The recording process was so different than what we've done in the past. First it was click tracks, guitars and keys. Vocals, drums then bass. Troy would just listen to everything and never picked up the bass to practice. He was just listening and listening as his arms were very weak. One day he called me and said can we track it up tonight and I said sure. Basically what you hear (Bass) is all pretty much one take. I don't know how Troy does it.
To what extent is Cynthesis a real band in terms of touring, promotion and assorted activities?
Cynthesis is the priority. My brother hasn't played bass for over 7 months now due to straining the muscle while recording his bass parts. I don't see us playing out on DeEvolution as Troy needs time to get healthy. ReEvolution (next Cynthesis album.ed) will be the next step for Cynthesis. We also have a very intense instrumental band called Abnormal Thought Patterns that involves Troy, Mike Guy and myself.
Troy and you are identical twins and it's often said that identical share an almost telepathic connection with each other. Is this something the two of you has as well and if so, how does this work in terms of music, composing and playing together?
Troy and I understand each other without speaking a word. We have our own language and it's hard to explain.
You're also recognized as a guitar virtuoso, which is clearly demonstrated on any Zero Hour album you can listen to. How do you handle such a status and what are your own thoughts on your considerable musical and instrumental skills?
I'm just huge fan of music and I love playing guitar. It's a great feeling when people tell me they enjoy the music I create.
Talking about Zero Hour, it's been awfully quiet on that front since the release of Dark Deceiver back in 2008. What's going on and what's the status of Zero Hour?
Cynthesis and Abnormal Thought Patterns are my focus. I loved what we created in Zero Hour but at the moment I have no desire.
To me it seems that the music of Zero Hour never got the appreciation and recognition it sorichly deserves. All the albums got raving reviews, but the band never took off. How do you see things from your perspective?
It's a tough genre to achieve success and Zero Hour did pretty good considering. We went to Europe on 6 occasions to play some awesome events and shows. Played some amazing dates in the States. Put out 5 CD's. Would I've like to seen ZH go bigger….Absolutely.
Do see you the relative obscurity of Zero Hour and Cynthesis to lesser extent as a positive or negative thing and what are the pros and cons in your view?
All I can say right now is I'm very happy and pleased with DeEvolution. For that it's a positive and a success.
Time for the final questions. Nowadays the term "progressive" is slapped on any band which uses any off-beat time signature or jazz influences. What do you think of this and what means the term "progressive" to you?
Progressive to my ears is thinking outside of the box. It's music without limits and gives the musicians the green light.
Written by Raymond Westland

http://alternativematter.net/reviews/cynthesis-deevolution


Cynthesis – DeEvolution

by Raymond

Published on: April 11, 2011


Categories: Reviews


Tags: Cynthesis, DeEvolution, Progessive Metal, Sensory


Comments: No Comments




Cynthesis is the new band founded by the Tipton brothers of Zero Hour fame. Together with former Zero Hour singer Erik Rosveld and drummer Sean Flanagan they recorded DeEvolution, the band's debut album. It's a concept album of sorts about a group of powerful leaders controlling the unsuspecting masses through religion, the media, consumerism and government. The story has some eerie similarities with the state of many (Western) nations nowadays..
On DeEvolution the Tipton brothers opted for a less technical approach than what they usually would do with Zero Hour. This gives singer Erik Rosveld the chance to make good use of his considerable vocal capabilities. It also allows songs like "Shadow World", "A Song Of Unrest" and "The Ediface Grinn" to breathe and develop their own distinct atmosphere. Generally speaking it's more about feel and less about technique.
That doesn't mean that Jasun (guitar) and Troy (bass) do nothing on their instruments. There are still flashes of their virtuosity on "Incision", "The Man Without Skin" and "Divided Day." It's all just more restrained. Oddly enough, DeEvolution reminds me somewhat of Promised Land by Queensryche, certainly when it comes down the somewhat dark and melancholic vibe of this record. The overall diversity within the song material is another key feature of DeEvoluation.
The overall sound of DeEvolution isn't as polished as with many albums within the prog realm nowadays. To be honest I find this quite refreshing. All the instruments are clearly audible, but the production by Dino Alden and Cynthesis' own Jasun Tipton gives this album an unexpected rougher edge.
DeEvolution by Cynthesis is a very strong and convincing debut. The songs are varied and brilliantly executed and I really like the dark atmosphere of the album. It just keeps me wondering what will happen with the Tipton brothers' other band…
Written by Raymond Westland


http://myglobalmind.com/2011/04/13/cynthesis-–-deevolution/

cynthesis_coverart-150x150.jpg

Released by: Sensory Records
Release Date: April 19th, 2011
Genre: Progressive Metal
Links: http://www.myspace.com/cynthesisband


Line Up:
Jasun Tipton – Guitars and Keys
Troy Tipton – Bass
Erik Rosvold – Vocals
Sean Flanegan – Drums


Tracklist:
01. The Man Without Skin
02. Incision
03. Divided Day
04. Shallow World
05. Profits Of Disaster
06. The Edifice Grin
07. Twilight
08. A Song Of Unrest


One of the best kept secrets in the progressive metal genre has been the strong musicianship of the American Prog metallers Zero Hour. Sure to the hardcore progressive crowd this is not a surprise. These guys have been dwelling in the realm of superiority melancholy progressive metal since the early 200 when the band finally released their debut self title album.
The Tipton brothers Jasun and Troy both started the band together and has since have slowly laid down a plan for what was to come. These guys are not only excellent musicians, but have an enormous sense of making smart music, meaning a big focus on the lyrics have always been a strong priority. They returned here once more but to my surprise with a new project called Cynthesis, being handled by the respected Sensory Records under The lasers edge label. Along with the brothers, their original vocalist Erik Rosvold returns here as well to form this intricate progressive metal outfit.
Yes and you could also expect a deep concept intertwined within the albums writing, and I quote "tells the story of an elite group of leaders from a heavily industrialized city who find, brainwash and then exploit an indigenous tribes' shaman, believing he would be the perfect supreme leader". I don't know about you but it sounds like a bit of an George Orwell 1984 inspired stuff, I was down for it I mean why not once in a while I get into my old habits of just listening to some crazy and technical music that takes me eons to figure out just what the hell it really means.
One we get into the actual music there is a threshold of emotions and rhythm changes that you will find on this project. The instant bass playing of Troy Tipton carries the song "Incision", the writing here tells an interesting tale and it lifts the song higher. The other Tipton doesn't stray too far behind his brother as his shining guitar playing comes through in an erratic to melancholy way on the complicated puzzling groove of "Divided Day". The haunting piano intro of "Shallow World" is only surpassed by the clear and poignant vocal words of Rosvold.
I don't even know where to start by saying that this band in the clean vocal parts reminds of old material from the amazing prog rock band Eternity X, not a fair comparison because that was one hell of a band who defined a new meaning to emotional music, but in some elements here do bring out that side of things.
A few things jump out on DeEvolution, one is these guys can build a song structure just right no only with the music but more importantly with it's writing. The Zero Hour impressions can still be found here, but to a lesser degree. The concept of the album really takes a strangle hold on the overall feeling. Not only that but behind the music you have a great message, a shallow world we live in, materialism and question of power and control, something that is not always easy to tackle even with music as an avenue. Recommended for the smart listeners out there as there is much to digest here but luckily it goes down easy.
Written by Denys

Infernal Masquerade Interview and Review.


http://www.infernalmasquerade.com/?q=other%2F001654-interview-jasun-tipton-cynthesis


Interview with Jasun Tipton - Cynthesis

Posted April 11th, 2011 by Dark Emperor


American Progressive Metal/Rock hero Jasun Tipton is back with his brother and ex-Zero Hour vocalist Erik Rosvold in their new project Cynthesis. A few weeks before the release of "DeEvolution", we managed to have a conversation with Jasun about the inner workings behind this new project and release. To listen to this 20+ minute interview click HERE, or Right Click and select Save As to take it with you.

Read our review of "DeEvolution" here.
More info:
http://www.myspace.com/cynthesisband/

http://www.infernalmasquerade.com/?q=reviews/001651-cynthesis-%E2%80%93-deevolution-2011


Cynthesis – DeEvolution (2011)

Posted April 11th, 2011 by Dark Emperor


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Progressive wizards the Tipton brothers (Zero Hour) come together once more with vocalist Erik Rosvold (ex-Zero Hour) in this very ambitious project of Progressive Rock/Metal brilliance. Cynthesis debut album "DeEvolution" sets new standards for this gathering of musicians in a very trippy and atmospheric context.
With the quality of musicians in this project there is little doubt that the music will be extremely good, and this is immediately confirmed in the opening track "The Man without Skin". In this song we are treated to Jasun's wizard-like guitar skills and atmospheric elements that create a very futuristic and interesting atmosphere.
The first 'single' of the album comes with the name of "Incision" and on this song we can hear most of the elements that Cynthesis brings together in their debut album. The electronic elements give that futuristic feeling and the pace of the song indicates that this release is not something very hectic, but rather an enjoyable listening experience. The bass guitar line in this song is particularly cool and it nicely stands out here and there.
As the album progresses, the songs go up and down in both mood and intensity. This makes the release a very rich experience that will take a few listens to fully enjoy. But at the same time, during these 'trial' listens you will start to unravel all the little magical details behind the music. Songs like "Profits of Disaster" and "Divided Days" have multiple layers of elements that will take a few in-depth listens to fully enjoy.
The cinematic elements of songs like "Twilight" nicely encompass the album's concept and also blend into other songs like "A Song of Unrest". While this is one of the biggest differences from Zero Hour, this is also what makes Cynthesis a very enjoyable band and a completely different project.
In general, we have to say that Cynthesis is a very promising band and that "DeEvolution" is a very solid debut album. The progressive elements are very nicely mixed with the atmospheric aspect and create a very rich listening experience. While some people might be expecting something 'faster' and more 'progressive', we have to say that these elements don't really have a place on this project.




Band: CynthesisAlbum: DeEvolution

Label: Sensory Records Release: April 19th, 2011


Oficial Site

Genre: Progressive Rock/MetalCountry: USA
 
CYNTHESIS- Metal Pulse Interview-2011

1) Congrats on the long awaited return, What was the reason for Cynthesis? Why not Zero Hour as it has it's original singer?

Jasun: It all came together as a fresh start in the creating process. Once I knew Troy was going to have the ulnar nerve submuscular transposition surgery, I knew the writing and recording process would be very different. This pushed me in the direction of building my own recording studio. I was now going to be the person who writes all the music and creating the material while tracking it at my house. ZH would be Troy and I coming up with material in the rehearsal room. So this was a very different process which creates a different sound, outlook and band.

2) I have to admit being a Zero Hour fan the music was all starting to sound the same so Cynthesis was in my opinion as well needed change. Did you feel the same?

Jasun: I'm very happy with the change and I felt it was much needed. The material runs very deep for me as the music was very therapeutic.

3) Tell us the birth of Cynthesis. Was this going to be a ZH album but because "DeEvolution" has a more laid back melodic approach you felt this project needed it's own identity?

Jasun: When my recording studio was up and running I wrote a couple instrumental tracks. This helped me out greatly as I didn't want to start writing the Cynthesis material until I had a good understanding of the (recording) system. I know I wanted the material to be very melodic and spacey. Almost letting the tones of the notes and chords transcend the material. Creating tones and sounds that would inspire me to grow the material to its fullest. I remember after writing the first 3 jams of music I wanted Erik's voice over the material. This material was made for Erik. We made the call and he said yes immediately to being the singer of Cynthesis. When I asked Troy "Who would you want to play drums over this? Without any hesistation Troy said "Sean Flanegan is the guy". I think we both knew right away even before I started the writing process that Sean would be the guy. I'm such a fan of his playing. He has such amazing soul and feel to his playing. There would be places I'd tell him to go a head and open it up. He knows the language and has all the goods you could ever want in a drummer. The recording process was so different than what we've done in the past. First it was click tracks, guitars and keys. Vocals, drums then bass. Troy would just listen to everything and never picked up the bass to practice. He was just listening and listening as his arms were very weak. One day he called me and said can we track it up tonight and I said sure. Basically what you hear (Bass) is all pretty much one take. I don't know how Troy does it.

4) How was it working with Erik Rosvold again?

Jasun: I told Erik not that long ago that he's one of my all-time favorite singers. Erik laughed but I truly mean't it. I'm so very jazzed to be working with Erik again.

5) Going forward will Cynthesis be the main priority here or is ZH with Chris Salinas just on hold OR gone?

Jasun: Cynthesis is the priority. When writing the music for DeEvolution I kept moving forward writing all of the music for ReEvolution as well. All the music was written for both DeEvolution and ReEvolution in 2008/2009. As for Chris Salinas I nothing but great things to say about Chris.


6) Why the parting of ways with long time drummer Mike Guy?

Jasun: Mikey, Troy and I have an insane instrumental band called Abnormal Thought Patterns. The tracking process for that disc is complete. Mikey is a MONSTER and a brother to Troy and I. http://www.facebook.com/mr.e.the.drummer#!/pages/Abnormal-Thought-Patterns/160108597365964

7) What does the future hold in tour support of Cynthesis "DeEvolution"?

Jasun: Troy is still recovering and is in no shape to tour.


8) If ZH returns with a new album what can we expect musically?

Jasun: There's no signs at this time going back to Zero Hour so I have no idea. Our focus is elsewhere at this time.

9) Would you agree that even the die hard ZH fans will be open minded to Cynthesis and overdue (in my opinion) musical direction?

Jasun: Cynthesis has received a very positive response from Zero Hour fans. Here's a link to check out the song "Incision" from Cynthesis - DeEvolution.

10) Looking ahead, Can we expect another Cynthesis album? And if so, musically, are there any other styles you would like to incorporate into your writing that has never been done on any of your albums?

Jasun: Yes all the guitars, keys and drums have been tracked for Cynthesis "ReEvolution".

11) Was Chris Salinas insulted to take the back seat to Erik? How did that go down?

Jasun: Chris is an amazing singer and person. Again I will have nothing but great things to say about Chris. He made me laugh many times when I wasn't up to laughing. I have nothing but love for Chris and his family. He told me he checked out the Incision (rough-mix) track on myspace and thought Erik sounded amazing. Both Erik and Chris have great respect for each other as singers. I know Chris will have some announcements soon that people will be excited about.

12) Lastly, We at The Metal Pulse are happy for the return and are very positive and excited about Cynthesis and the future. The album is amazing and everything we could have hoped for. Please take the stage now and have the last word to the fans and supporters of you over the years........

Jasun: Just want to thank everyone who supports us. We have a couple pages for Cynthesis. http://www.facebook.com/mr.e.the.drummer#!/pages/Cynthesis/151408508214843
http://www.myspace.com/cynthesisband http://www.reverbnation.com/erikrosvold#!/cynthesis

This way everyone could check up on our updates.

http://www.seaoftranquility.org/index.php



Cynthesis: DeEvolutio​n

cynthesis_devolution.jpg
Cynthesis sees Zero Hour members reuniting with the original vocalist, Erik Rosvold, and enlisting former Enchant drummer, Sean Flanegan. In many ways, the music presented on DeEvolution can be compared to Zero Hour, but there are also some key differences, which will be highlighted in this review.
As can be assumed, the main similarity is in the riffing. Jasun Tipton's immediately recognizable style is fully intact here. Heavy and pulverizing, almost all of the tunes carry his unmistakable rhythm work, deftly complemented by Troy Tipton's deep, grave bass tone. However, overall, the guitar work is less intricate than on Zero Hour material, especially their last two albums. Tipton also branches out, hence the need for a side project. He utilizes beautiful blues-tinged guitar phrasings, best audible on the short instrumental, "Twilight." This is not something he would have experimented with in a Zero Hour context. His Gilmour-like touch and wonderful tone is the underlying force to the otherwise melodic and heavy songs. Tipton plays a lot of keys on the songs to achieve deeper atmospheres, underpinning Erik Rosvold's soul-melting vocalizations. Actually "Shallow World" is defined by an entirely synth-driven aesthetic.
Erik Rosvold is by far the most underrated vocalist in prog, or even metal. It is a dream come true to hear him sing after all these years. The last album he sang on was Zero Hour's quintessential masterpiece, The Towers of Avarice. Think of the song "Reflections," in which he delivers one of the most moving vocal performances ever atop acoustic guitars and synth inflections. Amidst the heavy and super technical material, that song stands out easily. On DeEvolution, Rosvold sings in this style on many songs, most notably the aforementioned "Shallow World" and "Divided Day." The latter belies its true charm with its searing opening riff -- it is so heavy and relentless that one has to hear it in full to see the whole picture. Tipton breaks it down at key points, allowing Rosvold to shine through with a powerful 'chorus' that is arguably the catchiest thing he has ever sung.
The album closer "A Song of Unrest" is also a personal favourite. It blends together all the Zero Hour elements with soft passages, amazing drumming (check out the fills in the finale), and some of the best singing ever. Fans have never heard Rosvold sing like this -- his vocals soar on eagle's wings, particularly during the "Fly, Fly, Fly" section of the song. His emotional intensity is indeed goosebump inducing and Tipton's run-out sweeps, where he pays homage to the great Jason Becker, make this one of his greatest songs. This album is actually almost entirely written by Jasun Tipton (with lyrics provided by Erik Rosvold), so kudos to him for putting this band together.
Dino Alden's production is stellar as always. On this album, the sound is warmer, compared to the more angular material of Zero Hour, and the mix is awesome. The synth tones are prominent and vocals are given a more central role. The riffs come through during the heavy parts, which is usually the intro or outro, but take a back seat to allow the conceptual lyrics to reach the listener more effectively. Whether DeEvolution surpasses the Rosvold-era Zero Hour albums remains to be seen. Personally, to me, albums like Metamorphis, The Towers of Avarice, and Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond (with Chris Salinas) are genre masterpieces, but to many who had a hard time getting into later-day Zero Hour, DeEvolution is the album they have been waiting for.
Track Listing
1. The Man Without Skin
2. Incision
3. Divided Day
4. Shallow World
5. Profits Of Disaster
6. The Edifice Grin
7. Twilight
8. A Song Of Unrest
Added: April 21st 2011
Reviewer: Murat Batmaz
Score:
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Related Link: Band MySpace Page
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Language: english