Rocket Review : Not Over Yet

Album : Not Over Yet EP
Artist : Cyanide
www.cyanidemusic.com
www.myspace.com/worldofcyanide

The 1^st time I heard Cyanide was at the Launchpad Eliminations at Hard Rock Café, Mumbai. Rohan Kale’s brilliant riffing, Rohan Soloman’s melodious vocals, Bharat Bindal’s smooth bass lines & Srijan’s tight tempo’s certainly caught the eye of the Mumbai crowd & every judge on the panel. Cyanide became a force to reckon with.

Cyanide is a Delhi based alternative band which was formed 2001. They started out as a school band which won a couple of band competitions. After a couple of line – up changes later, Cyanide finally released their most awaited EP titled ‘Not Over Yet‘. They currently have the most perfect line – up which features Rohan Solomon on Lead Vocals/Guitar, Srijan Mahajan on Drums, Rohan Kale on Bass/Backing Vocals, Nikhil Malik - Guitar/Backing Vocals.

Living up to the “Modern Alternative Rock” genre, Cyanide has undoubtedly created a splendid 5 song EP which was recorded at the Grey Studios, Delhi & was mastered by the well - known Anupam Roy. The band has a very heavy yet melodic feel which has helped increase their popularity amongst the the heavy listeners as well. The signature sound created by Cyanide can be seen throughout their EP.

Let me break it down for you.

Cover Design: The cover isn’t very attractive at all. It looks very dull & its not something that I would purchase if hadn’t heard about the band before. The only thing I like about it is the “Parental Advisory” logo on it which makes you wonder what’s so explicit about the Cd.

Tracks:

1. Not Over Yet – This song starts off with an incredibly distorted riff which certainly is the most unforgettable riff on the entire EP. Srijan‘s excellent drumming skills can be heard throughout the song. Lyrically, the song speaks about liberating oneself from strife & uncertainties that appear in life. The best part about this song is the bridge where the song goes acoustic & then the tremendous build up after it. At the end of the song you’re hooked on the lyrics of the song “Cuz now it’s not too ......... Now it’s not too late”
2. Pretence – Pretence has a very thrash-metal intro. This song has a incredibly metal feel to it but at the same time there is simple melody which tends to stick in the minds of the listener. The bass line in the interlude of the song brings about a new variation in the song. The lyrics speak of the pretense of marriages. Lines like

“Infiltrating, Hyperventilating, Hypocrisy all in all
Illusive passions and pretentious actions, A leap which results in a fall
Inane reasons backed by pessimism, Always willing to fight”

make this the most well written song on the EP.

3. Holding Cell – Holding Cell is one of Cyanide’s older compositions. The timing in the intro is not your regular 4/4 beat. This is a song about a desire to overcome blinding depression. It has a simple melodic chorus. The short yet distinct lead at the end of the song is surely remarkable.
4. Untold Misery – Untold misery is the 1^st song written by Cyanide. The lyrics of the song are quite weak compared to their other tracks on the album. The song begins with mellow guitar picking & Rohan’s calm harmonious vocals. Srijan’s minute work with the cymbals in between the chorus adds a lot of details to the song. The chorus has an incredibly easy tune & anyone can sing along to it. The lead solo in the song is too short but awesome and it keeps you asking for more.
5. Tomorrow – This is probably the best way to end the Ep. The lyrics mainly speak about war .The song begins with a well panned out crunchy guitar riff on the left side of my headphones. The verse has a sudden drops every time the vocals come in. This not only creates a whole new dimension but also adds to the intensity of the song. The break down in the middle with just the bass & drums sounds extremely neat and well thought out. This is the best song on the entire disc.It has been released as a single in the compilation “Delhi Underground” by HMV Sa Re Ga Ma.
   You can even watch the music video made for the Delhi Underground Compilation: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=37136876
   

Overall, the Ep comes across as an excellent effort by a well – experienced band. The detail put into each song is easily recognizable. Even the variety within the 5 songs is quite commendable. Cyanide is indeed something to die for!!

Review by Jared