jazz clubs. Few metal bands sounded like this in 1993, but many would begin to incorporate these elements after this album was released." - Darryl Wright (@punksteez), Lovechild Of The Music & Technology Marriage "There is so much that could go wrong on this Cynic album that its artistic success is a thrilling high-wire act. Sean Malone’s burbling, prog-jazz-fusion bass (somewhat reminiscent of Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s work for Ornette Coleman) would seem an unlikely playmate for the often serrated guitars of Paul Masvidal and Jason Gobel. Then you have vocals that alternate between sepulchral growls and robotic treatments seemingly inspired by the “Lord’s Prayer” section of Pink Floyd’s “Sheep.” The drums eschew a Bonham-esque groove for a busy polyrhythmic approach, with long fills that travel around what sounds like a big kit, which in hands other than Sean Reinert’s could be horribly distracting. Then they have the audacity to insert sections of limpid melodic beauty, arpeggiated layered guitars blending with synthesizers, creating a sense of yearning. But somehow it all works." - Jeremy Shatan (@anearful), Prescient & Appreciative Musical OmnivoreOn September 13, 2023, Focus will celebrate its 30th anniversary. In anticipation, blogger Into the Wells writes:"After years of being hailed as a promising act in Florida's Death Metal scene, Cynic recorded “Focus”. The result was an album combining their love of Death Metal with other influences, notably Jazz. Instead of choosing the brutal and hard-hitting approach to Metal like most of their contemporaries, “Focus” takes an experimental stance to music." Influence on other artists Atheist had previously fused death metal with jazz. Cynic itself has had a notable influence on some later bands. Echoes of Cynic's approach can be heard in the music of many later death metal bands such as Martyr, Aletheian, Decrepit Birth, Behold... the Arctopus, as well as some progressive metal bands such as Meshuggah, Spiral Architect, Sceptic, Between the Buried and Me and Continuo Renacer. Deathcore/metalcore band Veil of Maya and progressive metal band Textures were each named after a track from this album. Focus has been cited as an influence by The Dillinger Escape Plan, Scale the Summit, Obscura and Scott Carstairs of Fallujah. Track listing Personnel Focus album personnel adapted from the CD liner notes of the 2004 remaster. Cynic Paul Masvidal – vocals, guitar, guitar synth Jason Gobel – guitar, guitar synth Sean Malone – bass, Chapman Stick Sean Reinert – drums, keyboards Tony