Gimmicks don’t excite us anymore. Trends swell and crest and wash away. Great bands possess power in the intangible space between competing forces—it’s there that Cylinder will take you and leave you for dead--a place where somber tones contrast with an uplifting power. Where raw aggression clashes with technical proficiency and gives rise to a massive sound. A place where lyrics avowing heart come from a voice that is simultaneously willing to tear yours out. In short, Cylinder’s music represents what we need: a complex soul and uncaged spirit. -Kevin Madness