Paul Masvidal
| Paul Masvidal | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Albert Masvidal |
| Born |
January 20, 1971 Puerto Rico |
| Origin | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Progressive metal, technical death metal, alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, music publisher |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, keyboards, guitar synthesizer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Roadrunner Records, Warner Bros. Records, Season of Mist |
| Associated acts | Cynic, Portal, Death, Æon Spoke, The Devin Townsend Project, Gordian Knot, Onward With Love |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Steinberger guitars Strandberg guitars |
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Paul Albert Masvidal (born January 20, 1971) is the guitarist, singer and a founding member of the progressive metal band Cynic and previously led the alternative rock band Æon Spoke. As of September 2015, the status of Cynic is in dispute.
Paul Masvidal was born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American civic and business leader Raul Masvidal. Masvidal's early days were spent in the Miami area where he studied classical guitar from an early age with Carlos Molina. Guitar teacher Dave Weissbrot was a major influence and spurred Masvidal's love of jazz, Steinberger guitars, and Eastern philosophy; he became an initiate to Kriya Yoga in his late teens and has been a Buddhist practitioner since 2000, although he has more recently gotten in touch with his roots in Judaism. Masvidal met drummer Sean Reinert in 1984 at Gulliver Academy and immediately started jamming with him, forming the pre-Cynic Crypha and Seaweed.
Masvidal talked in detail about his experiences in his early life in some posts in his "Mettā Mind Journal" series, which he published on the music blog MetalSucks.
Cynic released four demos from 1988 though 1991, with Masvidal developing a reputation in the Florida metal scene for his musicianship. In 1989, when Masvidal was in high school, he toured Mexico as a replacement guitarist for the band Death but declined an invitation to permanently join the band in order to remain committed to Cynic. This had many journalists curious at the time, since Death were emerging as an influential and popular underground act, but Masvidal stuck to his guns and claimed to firmly believe in Cynic. However, Masvidal returned to the Death fold replacing guitarist James Murphy for dates on the international Spiritual Healing tour in 1990, leading in 1991 to Masvidal and fellow Cynic member Reinert being recruited by Death to record the "groundbreaking"Human. In addition, in 1991 Masvidal helped Chicago band Master to record their album On the Seventh Day God Created... Master. Masvidal handled all guitars duties on this album. After finishing their world tour with Death, both Masvidal and Reinert returned to Cynic in 1992.
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