Cynic (British band)
| Cynic | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Heavy metal |
| founding | 1979, 2003 |
| resolution | 1989 |
| Website | cynicuk.com |
| Founding members | |
| Shaun Grant | |
| Dom Heptinstall | |
| Timothy Batkin | |
| Current occupation | |
Vocals, guitars |
Shaun Grant |
Guitars |
Dom Heptinstall |
Drums |
Timothy Batkin |
| Gary Curtiss (since 2003) | |
| former members | |
singing |
Tony Eyres (1980-1983) |
bass |
Barry Pedlingham (1980-1983) |
singing |
John Ridsdale (1983-1987) |
bass |
Neil Orgee (1983-1987) |
Cynic is a British heavy metal band formed in Malvern , Worcestershire in 1979 . It was part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal during the early 1980s .
Band history
Foundation and beginnings (1977–1981)
In 1977 guitarist Shaun Grant played with drummer Timothy Batkin in a school cover band called Renegade . After leaving school in 1978, Shaun worked with his best friend and former lead guitarist for Health Warning , Dom Heptinstall. They teamed up with Timothy Batkin and founded Cynic. The trio was joined by Tony Eyres (vocals) and Barry Pedlingham (bass) and together they played their first concert in December 1981 for a motorcycle gang. In and around Worcestershire they played with bands like Grim Reaper , Wrathchild , Tyga Myra and Virgin Star .
First successes (1982–1987)
In 1982, Cynic recorded the Do or Die demo . This demo found its way to numerous download sites, but only three of the four titles were available - the opener Killroy was missing.
In 1983 the band produced their first single Suicide / No Time at All , which they financed themselves. This resulted in the single Suicide being played on BBC Radio, and later referred to in Malc Macmillan 's book The Encyclopedia of British Heavy Metal as " defining the genre " and " at the top of the hierarchy for ultra-rare collectibles "was settled.
After the release of Suicide / No Time at All , Tony Eyres and Barry Pedlingham left Cynic and were replaced by John Ridsdale on vocals and Neil Orgee on bass. With this line-up , Cynic returned to the studio in 1987 and recorded the demo Rebel Eye , which was distributed as a cassette with a simple picture cover at concerts.
Separation (1987–1989)
Later in 1989, John Ridsdale announced he was leaving the band. In the early 1990s it was decided to split up for the time being and each individual pursued personal and musical interests.
Shaun Grant continued to play guitar and even worked with his bandmate Gary Curtiss in bands like Bad Attitude and Sons of Spock (later Slack Granny ). Timothy Batkin teamed up with Simon Fraser-Clark and Neil Orgee in 1995 to form a Rush association.
Reunification (2003-present)
Only in 2003, due to the increasing popularity of the music of the NWoBHM , and thus also that of Cynic, they reunited. From then on, lead guitarist Shaun Grant took over the vocals, while Gary Curtiss acted as the new bassist.
Cynic decided to re-record a selection of their previous material, master it and release it on CD under the title Right Between the Eyes . This compilation included some tracks from the Rebel Eye demo and the Suicide / No Time at All single, but not a single one from the Do or Die demo.
In October 2006, Cynic returned to the recording studio, this time in the legendary British Rockfield in Monmouth, Wales - where bands like Rush had already recorded their albums Hemispheres and A Farewell to Kings . The result was the album Suburban Crisis , released on June 30, 2008, which contains old tracks by the band that have been re-recorded. It was the band's first studio album.
Discography
- 1982: Do or Die (Demo)
- 1983: Suicide / No Time at All (single)
- 1987: Rebel Eye (demo)
- 2003: Right Between the Eyes (Best of)
- 2008: Suburban Crisis (album)
Others
The song No Time at All is also part of the compilation CD The Roots of Metallica which was included in Rock Classics magazine in 2010 about the history of Metallica .
Web links
- Official Homepage (English)
- Rateyourmusic.com: Cynic (UK) (English)