Cynic formed back in the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days around 1980 give or take a year either way. In true NWOBHM style they joined the legion of other bands at the time by putting out a self-financed single (the excellent Suicide) and tried hard to bag a record deal recording a demo and hawking it around.
Unfortunately the record deal didn’t materialise, probably due to the sheer weight of numbers of NWOBHM-era bands all trying to do the same thing, and Cynic sort of faded away probably to be never heard from again………or did they………….?
A good few years later the band’s drummer (Tim Batkin) received an email asking about Cynic which resulted in the band getting back together again a bit like the Blues Brothers did. Perhaps Cynic were on a mission from God too.
There’s even a tale that the band got booked to play at the huge Wacken festival after being mistaken for the American band of the same name. Hence our Cynic now becoming known as Cynic (UK).
Anyhoo – this interest must have reignited the creative fires and our reformed heroes set about recording an album, which Tim says is the album they would have made had they got a record deal back in the day.
And they set about that recording in fine style decamping to the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales with the mixing taking place at none other than Abbey Road and the magnificent artwork by none other than Hugh Syme best known for his work with Rush.
The resulting album in 2008 – Suburban Crisis being a proper belter of hard-hitting yet skilfully refined New Wave of British Heavy Metal with a bit of a progressive edge. Most (probably all?) of the songs being reworkings of the single and demo from the early days of the band.
It’s a killer album with a top class clear production and a big sound. My thanks to Tim Batkin for getting in touch and sending me a copy.
That early single –Suicide- starts things off in fine style. Typical NWOBHM. Big pacey riffs in a brooding style bursting out in to a dark rocker throbbing along in frantic style and a great solo. Ten Years from Now another chunky, meaty song which punches hard and wastes nothing in a frantic three minutes.
Dark December comes next and is a proper epic clocking in at eight oh so enjoyable minutes. The gentle intro you know will give way to something special – and then it does. It speeds up, it slows down again, it changes pace, it’s a bit proggy, it’s menacingly broody. Biting vocals, huge riffage and chords, spectacular solos and comes back a few times to the central bridge/chorus. I’d say this is Cynic’s Beyond the Realms of Death or Rock Bottom.
The title track has more of those huge slashing riffs though here the bass is to the fore with a funky feel and the guitars stabbing in and another memorable solo midway. Then Faithless One hits with a tasty throbbing, jangling riff and a big hook/melody.
Rebel Eye another monster of a song with the riffs alternating with the biting vocals and more superb fretwork and the end section.
Do or Die comes next. I won’t tell you how good this song is. Listen to it instead.
The Eight Below closes out the album with yet another top notch rocker.
Make no mistake – Suburban Crisis is a huge album. With songs like these in their armoury back in the NWOBHM days you’d have though either the Suicide single or their demo would have landed Cynic a recording contract.
Full marks to the band for going to no doubt some considerable expense to record Suburban Crisis at first class facilities and recruit Hugh Syme to take care of the artwork. The output being superb.
Whilst the spectacular guitar work is whey your ears may be most drawn to, the vocals are on point delivered powerfully, the bass is nicely up in the mix adding that bit extra and throwing in some fine lines – and Tim’s drumming glues things together. Not a beat is missed in a drumming performance of quite some poise.
Do check the album out. A proper piece of New Wave of British Heavy Metal in a style accessible to all.
>> CYNIC (UK) SUBURBAN CRISIS ON AMAZON HERE <<
If you’d like to read Cynic’s back-story here’s a link to an interview Tim Batkin did with Axe Craxy:
http://axe-crazy.blogspot.com/p/tim-batkin-cynic-uk.html
My thanks again to Tim for sending me a copy of the album– most appreciated.