Cynic (band)

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Cynic
From left: Sean Malone, Jason Gobel, Sean Reinert, Paul Masvidal
Background information
Origin Flag of United States Miami, Florida, USA
Genre(s) Progressive metal
Technical death metal
Fusion
Years active 1987 – 1994, 2006 – Present
Label(s) Roadrunner
Website Official Website
Former members
Paul Masvidal (Guitar, Vocals)
Jason Gobel (Guitar)
Sean Malone (Bass)
Sean Reinert (Drums)

Cynic was a progressive/technical death metal band from Miami, Florida, USA that was founded in 1987 and dissolved in 1994. Their only release, except four demos, was the album Focus from 1993 (see 1993 in music), a groundbreaking album that combined death metal, jazz fusion, New Age, thrash metal and electronica[1].

Contents

[edit] Biography

A product of the prolific Florida death metal scene, Cynic distinguished themselves for their unique experiments in combining technically proficient death metal with progressive rock touches, bordering at times on jazz fusion. Cynic was formed in 1987 by vocalist/guitarist Paul Masvidal, guitarist Jason Gobel, bassist Mark Van Erp, and drummer Sean Reinert. With the arrival of bassist Tony Choy, the band began recording their first demos, which, for the most part, contained the prevalent death metal/thrash tendencies typical of the Florida scene.

Then, in 1991, the band went on temporary hiatus while Masvidal and Reinert performed on Death's Human album and Choy departed to join Atheist. A year later, they reconvened with new bassist Sean Malone and signed with Roadrunner Records, who described them as "the most famous underground band yet to record an album." This they finally did with 1993's classic Focus, a groundbreaking release in the field of progressive death metal. Besides the band's unquestionable technical prowess, the album also displayed their awesome talent for improvisation and inventive songwriting. Singer Tony Teengarden (who had contributed the extreme vocals on the album) was brought on board for a European tour with Pestilence, but this was cut short when the latter broke up. Cynic, too, would decide to go their separate ways shortly after returning home to Florida.

Ex-members went on their separate ways. Gobel, Masvidal, and Reinert, with bassist Chris Kringel (who had toured Europe with Cynic while Malone attended school), and vocalist/keyboardist Aruna Abrams formed the short-lived Portal. Sean Malone and Sean Reinert performed session work on Aghora's debut CD. Currently Masvidal and Reinert perform in the band Æon Spoke, and Kringel has also played with them, touring the UK in 2005.

The members of Cynic loosely reunited (playing with Bill Bruford, Steve Hackett, and Jim Matheos on various tracks) on Gordian Knot's second album, Emergent.

On September 6th 2006, Blabbermouth reported that Cynic would be making a comeback in the spring/summer of 2007, beginning with possible U.S. warm-up performances including the Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore and culminating in a number of festival appearances across Europe. Supposedly Cynic's planned reunion lineup will include Paul Masvidal (vocals, guitar) and Sean Reinert (drums, keys) alongside Tony Teegarden (vocals, keyboards), Chris Kringel (bass) and Santiago Dobles (guitar). [1] On November 27th, 2006, it was announced that Cynic would appear at Maryland Deathfest in May 2007. Later, in 2007, they withdrew from the Maryland Deathfest, but were announced to appear at Hellfest Summer Open Air in June 2007, and a few more shows in Europe.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Demos

  • Cynic (self-titled, (1988))
  • Reflections of a Dying World (1989)
  • Cynic (self-titled, (1990))
  • Cynic (self-titled, (1991))


[edit] Album

[edit] As Portal

  • Portal (demo, self-titled, (1995))

[edit] Members

[edit] Appearing on Focus

[edit] Other / Former members

Jack Kelly - vocals

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gabriel Gose. THE METAL OBSERVER - Review - CYNIC - Focus. The Metal Observer. Retrieved on 2006-08-17.

[edit] External links

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