Paul Albert Masvidal (born January 20, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist, singer and a founding member of the progressive metal band Cynic.

Masvidal co-founded Cynic with drummer Sean Reinert in the late 80s, having released four demos from 1988 to 1991 that circulated in the underground tape trading community.

[6] Masvidal toured extensively for Human, in addition to appearing in the music video[7] for "Lack of Comprehension", which debuted on MTV's Headbangers Ball.

During Cynic's hiatus, Masvidal founded Æon Spoke, whose ethereal indie rock was heralded as "beautiful, exquisite [and] destined for greatness" by Janice Long, BBC Radio.

Couple this with layered, acoustic guitars, haunting, rusty synths where needed and drumming which ties the whole thing into a neat, digestible package and you get Aeon Spoke.

In his review,[11] 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."

Rolling Stone music critic Hank Shteamer raved in his review[13] 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."

The album's opening track "Amidst The Coals" features artist, Amy Correia singing an adaptation of an Amazonian Icaro, inspired by Masvidal's work with the South American entheogenic brew, Ayahuasca.

– AllMusic.com"The alchemy of front man Paul Masvidal (vocals, guitars & keyboards) combined with rhythmaniac Sean Reinert (drums) and the technically divine Sean Malone (bass), make Cynic one of the finest Prog Rock bands to have ever of landed on Planet Earth" – burningfist.co.ukIn 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.

Music writer Jeff Wagner, in his book Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal, stated that "any viewer of 3rd Rock from the Sun, That '70s Show, The Price Is Right, Queer as Folk, and any number of random television programs has probably stumbled across Cynic's core members without even knowing it."

The artwork features a detail from the painting "Ayahuasca Dream" by Robert Venosa, Cynic's longtime collaborator and celebrated artist who died in 2011.

Drawing on influences from musicians John Lennon, Brian Eno and Elliott Smith[29] to visual artists – Mark Rothko, Cai Guo-Qiang, Hilma af Klint, the songs embrace concise forms and catchy melodies in spite of their often painful subject matters of loss, depression, and heartache.

Billboard described the work Mythical Human Vessel, finds 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.

[31] Other press related to MHV: Human[32] / Vessel[33] Ben Ratliff of the New York Times referred to Masvidal's "philosophic lyrics",[34] stating that he is "a musician who can expand his own sense of calm into an aggressive, extravagant art".

Masvidal's influences are quite diverse, as described in an interview with Metal-Fi.com[36] "I grew up playing classical guitar and listened to American folk and Cuban music as a kid growing up in Miami.

Certain guitarists like Pat Metheny and Ben Monder opened up new vistas and even classic jazz guys like Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery blow my mind every time I listen to them.

For me, inspiration is everywhere and always a reflection of where I'm at as an artist..." In another interview[37] with TheGearPage.net, Masvidal spoke about his influences from classical music, jazz, ambient and experimental music:"I've always been greatly inspired by composers like Bach, Ravel and Jazz pianists, Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, and Glen Gould who's [sic] Bach Goldberg Variations are some of my all time favorite things to listen to.

Some of John's solo records like 'My Goals Beyond' were huge for me, Robert Fripp and The League of Crafty Guitarists, King Crimson's Discipline record is one of my all time faves... Jason Becker' s Perpetual Burn, TJ Helmerich, Steve Vai, Warren Cuccurullo (Missing Persons, Duran Duran), Eric Johnson, Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech), Guthrie Govan, Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine)..."As an inventor, Masvidal filed a successful patent (Vidatak[38] EZ Board US Patent No.

In May 2014, the Los Angeles Times did a front cover story on Masvidal's coming out as a homosexual along with fellow Cynic member Sean Reinert.

We oftentimes wore very colorful clothes, so we were just a little more eccentric and kind of outside the box..." In an interview for Tricycle magazine, Masvidal elaborated on the origins of Cynic's name, Buddhism and his creative process.

[43] Masvidal began work with his brother, Maheshananda,[44] an established and influential teacher of Yoga and Ayurveda in 2018, offering Ayurvedic and CBD-based products with company More Life Market.

[46] Masvidal used a Gibson SG and a Martin acoustic with Æon Spoke, radically departing from the headless Steinberger instruments people had associated with him in the past.