Carbon-Based Anatomy

Carbon-Based Anatomy is an EP by the progressive rock/metal band Cynic. It was released through Season of Mist on 11 November 2011.

Carbon-Based Anatomy
EP by Cynic
Released	11 November 2011
Recorded	2011
Genre	Progressive rock jazz fusion alternative metal[1]
Length	23:01
Label	Season of Mist
Producer	Paul Masvidal, Sean Reinert
Cynic chronology
Re-Traced (2010) Carbon-Based Anatomy (2011) Kindly Bent to Free Us (2014)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Metal Injection	[3]
MetalSucks	[4]
PowerLine	[5]

History

Carbon-Based Anatomy EP is composed of six previously unheard tracks. However, the song "Carbon-Based Anatomy" is a reinterpretation of an older unreleased Æon Spoke single, "Homosapien". This was also done on Cynic's LP, Traced in Air, as the track "Integral Birth" was an interpretation of Æon Spoke's "When Sunrise Skirts the Moor." The artwork was done by Robert Venosa, the artist who was responsible for all previous Cynic artworks. Venosa died shortly before the release of Carbon-Based Anatomy.^[6]

Three of six tracks are short, ambient-oriented pieces ("Amidst the Coals", "Bija!", and "Hieroglyph"), and represent an unprecedented musical direction for Cynic. Since the two previous hired musicians, Tymon Kruidenier and Robin Zielhorst, were let go by Masvidal and Reinert,^[7] all guitar parts for this EP were recorded by Paul Masvidal. Bass parts were composed and recorded by Sean Malone, who had recorded on every Cynic release until his passing in 2020, with the exception of 2010's Re-Traced.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Amidst the Coals"	2:11
2.	"Carbon-Based Anatomy"	6:24
3.	"Bija!"	2:27
4.	"Box Up My Bones"	5:32
5.	"Elves Beam Out"	3:59
6.	"Hieroglyph"	2:28
Total length:		23:01

Personnel

Cynic

• Paul Masvidal – vocals, guitar, guitar synth
• Sean Reinert – drums, keyboards
• Sean Malone – fretless bass

Guest Musicians

• Amy Correia – female vocals

Production

• John Hiler – mixing, engineering
• Josh Newell - engineering
• Maor Appelbaum – mastering engineer
• Eric Greif – legal
• Robert Venosa – artwork