Cynarae

More than many groups, Cynarae have a political and aesthetic genealogy that takes us into very different directions. The band's name comes from a relatively insignificant character from Horace, pointing to the craftsmanship and intention of an ancient poet. Like Horace, the band's task is to "sing" to a community of listeners. In Ernest Dowson's poem, "Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae," the speaker, captivated by the memory of Cynarae, asks only for this: "I cried for madder music and for stronger wine." This madder music and intoxication are exactly where we find Cynarae's more political side, playing extreme, and very good, crusty metallic hardcore that takes issue with the world's inequalities. From corporate greed to reigning political apathy, the band's goal is both artistic and political, building a philosophy of iniquity. Opening with "Peasants," their ambition for diagnosing the world's social ills goes as far as constructing the heady "The Phenomenology of Suffering." Cynarae are both smarter and more politically astute than most bands that take on these kinds of subjects, essentially making Cynarae the Das Kapital of metallic hardcore. Solid from start to finish, Cynarae create intelligent, pummelling heavy music and, to top things off, the album ends with "Earanyc," which, if you didn't notice from the title, is Cynarae spelled backwards. The track is 13 minutes of music played in reverse. As a band that see regression as the present political reality across the planet, "Earanyc" is a fitting finale. It shows that remaking the world's political consciousness may have a few false stops and re-starts along the way to something bigger.