Originally part of the prolific Florida death metal scene that spawned Morbid Angel , Obituary , Deicide , and Death , Cynic distinguished themselves by combining technically proficient death metal and experimental progressive touches that sometimes bordered on jazz fusion. Emerging in the late 1980s, the group issued a series of demos before releasing their acclaimed debut album, Focus, in 1993. Cynic ceased operations shortly thereafter, but reconvened in 2006 for a series of shows. Two years later they released the comeback effort Traced in Air that leaned harder into the progressive aspect of their style. They continued to develop that approach on 2014’s Kindly Bent to Free Us. 2021 saw the release of Ascension Codes with a new lineup, marking the band’s complete transition to progressive music.

Cynic was formed in 1987 by vocalist/guitarist Paul Masvidal, guitarist Jason Gobel, bassist Mark Van Erp, and drummer Sean Reinert. With the arrival of bassist Tony Choy, the band began recording their first demos, which, for the most part, contained the prevalent death metal/thrash tendencies typical of the Florida scene. Then, in 1991, the band went on temporary hiatus while Masvidal and Reinert performed on Death ‘s Human album and Choy departed to join Atheist . A year later, they reconvened with new bassist Sean Malone and signed with Roadrunner Records , which described them as “the most famous underground band yet to record an album.” This they finally did with 1993’s classic Focus, a groundbreaking release in the field of progressive thrash. Besides the band’s unquestionable technical prowess, the album also displayed their awesome talent for improvisation and inventive songwriting. Singer Tony Teengarden (who had contributed some vocals to the album) was brought on board for a European tour with Pestilence , but this was cut short when the latter broke up. Cynic, too, would decide to go their separate ways shortly after returning home to Florida.

The band eventually reunited in 2006, announcing a handful of tour dates and, eventually, a new album. Fifteen years after the release of their debut, they delivered their long-awaited sophomore effort, Traced in Air, in 2008, an album that found the band moving away from death metal toward a more traditionally progressive sound. Two EPs, Re-Traced and Carbon Based Anatomy, arrived in 2010, while the compilation The Portal Tapes was issued in 2012, and their third full-length effort, Kindly Bent to Free Us, followed in 2014.

The latter release would be the last Cynic outing for drummer and founding member Sean Reinert, who left the fold the following year. After using several drummers to fill in on tour, Matt Lynch officially took over the drum chair in 2017; he made his recorded debut with the band on the “Humanoid” single a year later.

In January of 2020, Reinert passed away suddenly; in December, bassist Malone died by suicide. In the late spring of 2021, Los Angeles-based British multi-instrumentalist Dave Mackay was recruited to play keyboards and bass; he made his Cynic debut on November’s Ascension Codes. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi

Arguably the ultimate progressive metal band of their day, Atheist’s impossibly Byzantine death-jazz proved too advanced even for committed metalheads to stomach. Over the span of three albums admirably recorded in spite of crippling adversity, the band’s inventive but inaccessible style has earned them a lasting respect, but likewise compromised their chances of attaining widespread success.

Atheist started out as typical ’80s thrash metal band. Founded in 1984 by vocalist and guitarist Kelly Shaefer and drummer Steve Flynn under the name of Oblivion and then R.A.V.A.G.E (Raging Atheists Vowing A Gory End), their shuffling lineup only stabilized years later with the arrival of bassist Roger Patterson and guitarist Mark Sczawtsberg. Settling on the name Atheist, the band suddenly began evolving at a fast clip, their gradual path towards an extremely complex brand of death metal documented in a series of compilations and demo tapes along the way. With the arrival of guitarist Randy Burkey in 1988, Atheist secured a deal with Mean Machine Records and issued their first album Piece of Time the following year (when the label went bankrupt, the album was picked up by Active Records). An amazingly dense and challenging record, it’s head-spinning arrangements and dissonant riffing stumped most casual listeners but wowed critics with the sheer audacity of the band’s death-jazz. Tours of Europe, Canada, and the United States would follow, and Atheist had already begun work on a follow-up when tragedy struck. Returning home from a road jaunt supporting Swedish doomsters Candlemass in February 1991, their van suffered a horrific crash, Patterson dying in Shaefer’s arms by the roadside. The trauma was almost too much for Atheist to overcome but they eventually decided to carry on, and with session work by Cynic bassist Tony Choy, the Unquestionable Presence LP was released later that year. Possibly their finest hour, it not only served as a tribute to Patterson, but also managed to perfect the debut’s seething intensity into an even sharper focus. Darren McFarland became their new touring bassist, but following just a few local dates, Shaefer decided to focus on his more rock-oriented side project Neurotica. But Atheist still owed Active Records one more album, so Shaefer, Burkey, and a returning Choy joined with guitarist Frank Emmi and drummer Marcel Dissantos to record 1993’s Elements. Rising to the challenge, Shaefer and company bolstered the use of melody and experimented with a wide array of different musical styles, resulting in a remarkably strong effort considering the band’s hand had been forced in the first place. Then, their responsibilities fulfilled, Atheist finally disbanded and Shaefer resumed his work with Neurotica, although 21st century re-formation rumors have surfaced on occasion. ~ Mike DaRonco & Ed Rivadavia, Rovi

Established in 2003, Hierarchy is a melodic blackened death metal band hailing from Long Island, just 40 miles east of New York City. Usually known for artists such as Billy Joel, Blue Oyster Cult, Dream Theater and Twisted Sister, Long Island has also produced a crop of homegrown extreme metal legends, most notably Suffocation, Internal Bleeding, and Pyrexa.

The brainchild of lead guitarist Vernon Boward III (Lucithor) and frontman Michael Goguey Jr (Tabotan), Hierarchy has spent years crafting and cultivating their unique sound which includes a mix of old school death metal, Norwegian black metal, and melodic death metal. Influenced by bands like Deicide, Amon Amarth, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Behemoth, Dark Funeral, Kreator, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, and Nile, their music has been described as both punishing and memorable, with lots of memorable hooks and catchy riff play.

After going on a lengthy hiatus, Hierarchy was reborn in 2018 and has been a relentless force to be reckoned with in the extreme metal scene. Having shared the stage with several legendary acts throughout their career like Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Goatwhore, Mortician, Malevolent Creation, Kreator, Kataklysm, Obituary, Suffocation, and Internal Bleeding, the band’s live show has only grown more intense.

In 2022, the band’s hard work finally paid off after signing a deal with one of extreme metal’s biggest and best management companies, Extreme Management Group, and together their goal is to take the band to new heights and greater audiences. And while the band may be celebrating its 20th anniversary since its inception, they show no signs of slowing down or letting up. Stay tuned, because the best is most definitely still to come. Ave Satanas…

Multifaceted guitarist/composer Kevin Hufnagel has been playing, writing, performing, and recording for over 30 years. In addition to his extensive discography of solo works, Kevin is guitarist for the bands Dysrhythmia, Gorguts, and Vaura. Past projects have included Sabbath Assembly and Byla. Guest appearances include work with vocalists Jarboe (Swans), Costanza Francavilla (Tricky), Genesis P-Orridge (Psychic TV), amongst others. In addition, Kevin has recently entered the world of composing for film, taking on a collaboration with director Natasha Kermani for the original score to her first full-length feature; the sci-fi/drama Imitation Girl.

Kevin’s solo career began in 1997 with his first release ‘While I Wait’. Subsequent recordings have seen Hufnagel shift fluidly from detailed classical/acoustic-based works (‘Songs for the Disappeared’, ‘Ashland’), hazy, texturally-immersive soundscapes (‘Transparencies’, ‘Polar Night’) to avant-garde/sound design glitch-guitar freakouts (‘Kleines Biest’, ‘Backwards Through the Maze’) to his latest full-length ‘Messages to the Past’, which features a return his earliest roots and influences as a guitarist.

Outside of touring and recording, Kevin also offers private guitar lessons in NYC, and online via video conferencing apps for those outside NYC.