THE COLOR OF CYAN “Agape”

Independent label, 2021

Music: Atmospheric Metal
Website: https://thecolorofcyan.com/
Duration: 49:00 (9 tracks)
Country: U.S.A

We are 18 days in 2022, yet, we are not done covering 2021 – Which tells how big the year was for Music, or Rock and Metal in specific. The Color of Cyan made their presence felt in the industry with one of the most illustrious releases of 2021, “Agape”. Based out of Chicago, the quartet plays a blend of atmospheric metal with a tinge of Post-Rock and Progressive music. It is hard to find any band that comes close to their sound, but I can tell for sure, “Agape” will be a treat for you if you like bands like Tool, Sigur-Ros, and Russian Circles.

The album starts with a very calm intro track “Inception” – which perfectly encapsulates the intent the band is moving forward with this album. Although the sound is pretty much the same with the pattern forming over it – the song sets the mood for the rest of the album. Just when you thought the intro track to be a bit stagnant in terms of layers, the next track “Summer Days” is all about forming different layers of music on top of one other to finally explode at the very end with drums providing a much-needed uplift. Altogether a brilliant track – I would say there is more emotion than music on the song.

“Sun in Leo” is a track that might please those who like a bit more tempo. Perhaps, a bit fast-paced compared to the first half of the album, the section towards the end has a great drum section that just opens up a window for the guitarist to play a darker tone. My favourite track, without a doubt – especially for the brilliant drum section it had! For those who want a more fast-paced track, “The Day We Met” is for you guys! Starts in a higher tempo with the ambience in the background and drum section forming the driving force. Sometimes it feels as if the album is driven by the drum parts, with the guitars setting the mood with ambience, and needless to say, the drummer has done an exceptional job!

The title track, “Agape” is an eight-minute journey through the musical inclination of The Color of Cyan, showing their interests in Shoegaze, Jazz, Atmospheric music and Metal. It is a rollercoaster filled with different layers of music, each distinct yet complimenting the next to offer continuity. The last section, in specific was beautifully done – almost as if bringing back the heaviness to end strong.

One thing is for sure, “Agape” is not for everyone. A person requires patience and an open mind to sit through and enjoy this album. Once you find time to do that, it would seem more like a journey and things would slowly become clearer to you. You will enjoy their slow build-ups to the culminating orchestra combining the rich guitar tone with pounding and driving drum parts. Personally, this was a strong release and I’m pretty sure these guys would go on to become one of the best within the Atmospheric Metal community – and I will be surely waiting for their next release!

Tracklist:

1. Inception
2. Summer Days
3. Little Stars
4. Sun in Leo
5. Moon in Cancer
6. The Day We Met
7. And One Will Fall
8. Agape
9. We Will Rise

Line-up:

Eduardo Cintron – Guitars
Henry Cole – Drums
Jorge Santana – Bass
Rene Torres – Violin