Masvidal's professional career began in 1991 when he was recruited by Death's Chuck Schuldiner to record that band's landmark death-metal album, Human. Two years later saw the release of Cynic's self-assured debut – Focus. Heralded by critics and fans alike as a work of dizzying brilliance, Focus wove elements of metal, progressive rock and jazz fusion into a bold new sound that challenged listeners as it defied genre restrictions.
The group reunited in 2008 after a 13-year break to record Traced In Air, their comeback opus. In his review, New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff wrote that Cynic "should be understood not so much alongside any metal bands but along with the radical harmonic progressives in the last 45 years of pop and jazz: composers like Milton Nascimento, the Beach Boys or Pat Metheny."
During the band's hiatus, Masvidal founded Æon Spoke, whose ethereal indie rock was heralded as "beautiful, exquisite destined for greatness" by Janice Long, BBC Radio. In 2004, the band received airplay on BBC Radio 2 and XFM for the single "Silence." The following year, the track "Emmanuel" appeared in the indie breakout film, What the Bleep Do We Know!?. Æon Spoke songs have also appeared on the Warner Bros. television series Smallville, One Tree Hill and in the motion picture Cry Wolf. Their self-titled debut LP came out in 2007 on SPV Records.
Masvidal has also written and performed music for television and motion pictures through Still Motion Music, the Hollywood-based composer collective he co-founded. Composing the main title for the Emmy nominated NBC teen series Operation Junkyard and has scored series for H2, National Geographic, Bravo, ABC and PBS, Paul also worked as a session guitarist for Carsey Werner sitcoms That '70s Show and 3rd Rock from the Sun. In 2014, Masvidal produced and played guitar on actor Jim Carrey's spiritually reflective children's book and accompanying soundtrack, How Roland Rolls.
Since Traced In Air, Cynic has released two conceptual records: Re-Traced (2010) and Carbon-Based Anatomy (2011). Rolling Stone music critic Hank Shteamer raved in his review of Carbon-Based Anatomy: "The title track is a perfectly paced stunner…Cynic sounds fully liberated, not just from their metal past but from any aesthetic concern other than assembling a great song." Cynic's third full-length album, Kindly Bent to Free Us, released in 2014, was hailed by PROG Magazine as "an album that transcends all the limitations of genre and era… There are few albums which can claim such a remarkable hold." The album rose to No. 4 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart in Feb. 2014 and was No. 1 on CMJ's Loud Rock Chart the following month.
In 2015, Masvidal ventured into the performing-arts world with masked duo Onward with Love (OwL), a musical collaboration with acclaimed singer-songwriter Amy Correia. The pair's singular points of view make for an intriguing synthesis of Eastern-influenced philosophy, symbolist poetry, American blues, jazz and experimental rock. OwL has performed in concert venues, hospices and art galleries around greater Los Angeles.
Since the release of the album Kindly Bent to Free Us in 2014, Cynic released a single in 2018 called Humanoid from an upcoming new album, along with a remix of the album Traced In Air.
Over 2019, Masvidal began releasing Mythical Human Vessel a trilogy of acoustic, therapeutic, ambient records. Bram Teitelman of Billboard magazine described the work as "Masvidal at his most vulnerable, often with just a guitar and vocals, while experimenting with brain entrainment, a series of pulsing sounds that are said to lead to enhanced neural perception and memory.” The first collection, Mythical, dropped May 31, 2019, following with Human, October 4th 2019. The third album Vessel will drop March 6th, 2020, with global touring plans throughout 2020, 2021. Cynic will release their 4th full length, November 2020 via Season of Mist records
End of Days
Masvidal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to give and not receive
A single thing
I′ve now reached the end of my days
Cause I've lost the world that I chose
I chose to create
I′m still holding on to the tiniest things
La la la
Where will I go
Who will I be
Will I still dream
I'm stripped bare
And the wind keeps blowing
Bending the branches that I once reached
Maybe this time I'll get it right
It won′t be long
Soon I′ll lose this fight for life
Without the weight, without the pain
I will dream
In Masvidal's song End of Days, the lyrics reflect on the end of one's life and the thoughts and emotions that come with it. The first verse expresses a desire to give rather than receive, indicating a sense of fulfillment and contentment in one's life. However, the following line reveals that the singer's life has come to an end, and they are reflecting on the world they have created for themselves. The choice to create their own world implies a sense of control and personal agency in their life.
The second verse continues to explore the singer's thoughts on their impending death. While they hold on to the "tiniest things," a bird continues to sing, symbolizing the persistence of life even in the face of death. The singer questions where they will go and who they will be, suggesting uncertainty and fear about what comes after death. The chorus offers a glimmer of hope as the singer imagines a future where they can still dream, freed from the weight and pain of life.
Overall, the lyrics of End of Days convey a sense of reflection and acceptance in the face of death. The singer acknowledges the joys and struggles of their life, while also grappling with the uncertainty and fear of what comes next.
Line by Line Meaning
If tomorrow comes
If I am given another chance at life
I want to give and not receive
I want to be selfless and not expect anything in return
A single thing
Nothing in return for my good deeds
I've now reached the end of my days
I feel like my time is up
Cause I've lost the world that I chose
I have lost the world I created for myself
I chose to create
It was my own doing
I'm still holding on to the tiniest things
I am holding on to little pieces of hope
While the bird is falling it still sings
Even in tough times, there is beauty to be found
La la la
Mistakes were made, but I have to continue on
Where will I go
What is next for me?
Who will I be
How can I grow from this?
Will I still dream
Will I still hold onto hope?
I'm stripped bare
I am vulnerable and exposed
And the wind keeps blowing
Challenges continue to arise
Bending the branches that I once reached
Obstacles are blocking my path
Maybe this time I'll get it right
Perhaps I will learn from my mistakes
It won't be long
I don't have much time left
Soon I'll lose this fight for life
I'll soon be gone from this world
Without the weight, without the pain
When I am gone, I will be unburdened
I will dream
My spirit will continue on
Writer(s): Paul Masvidal
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
robbienapalm
Energetic greetings, Paul. I wanted to give thanks and gratitude for everything your music has brought to me. Blessings.
Amapola Rock
Gracias Maestro por su música
Peter Abud
Beautiful song, wonderful trilogy (MHV) and very touching video ♥
Ibrahim Rahman
Hey Paul, keep making music like this. I'm so in love with your work. - Gretings From Indonesia
Surveil
I love how psychedelic sounding are your vocal layers 🤤♥️
Jonathas Pereira Chaves Pinto Pereia
Your music is my motivation master!👽❤
Junga J
Your an inspiration to us all Paul! Sounds great !
Bastian Viscarra
Love this!!!
Night Hawkin'
so beautiful Paul. Thank you
Leonardo Román
Amazing video and beautiful Song