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12-13 Cynic record new album
10-17 Cynic US/European Tour
10-11 Cynic Stream New Track
12-15 Cynic lineup changes/status re
05-19 Cynic Announce American Tour
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Progressive, Jazz Fusion, Death Metal |
Cynic was formed in November of 1987 in Miami, Florida by Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert . Paul and Seanwere elementary
school classmates when they first started making music together. After a series of mini-projects and explorations, they
decided to seriously seek out other musicians. For junior high, Paul was sentaway to boarding school in upstate New York
where he found bass player Mark Van Erp. Mark eventuallymoved to Miami along with his friend Jack Kelly who was added on
vocals thus completing the first official Cynicline-up. This early incarnation of Cynic was focused on making brut ...read more
Cynic was formed in November of 1987 in Miami, Florida by Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert . Paul and Seanwere elementary
school classmates when they first started making music together. After a series of mini-projects and explorations, they
decided to seriously seek out other musicians. For junior high, Paul was sentaway to boarding school in upstate New York
where he found bass player Mark Van Erp. Mark eventuallymoved to Miami along with his friend Jack Kelly who was added on
vocals thus completing the first official Cynicline-up. This early incarnation of Cynic was focused on making brutal death
metal with primary influencestaken from bands such as Venom, Possessed, Slayer, Kreator, Destruction and Dark Angel. It is
this lineupthat would later be featured on the release of their first, self-titled demo in 1988.
Cynic parted ways with Jack in 1988, and Paul took over vocal duties. Jason Gobel (whom they met at a showthey performed
at) was added on guitar and and in 1989, they cut their second demo, entitled Reflections OfA Dying World, consisting of four
songs. All of the songs on this demo were of the speed metal/thrash genre,with even some punk elements incorporated. This
lineup soon began touring the south Florida area andbootlegs exist of them as far back as May of 1988. Soon after, Mark was
out of the band and Tony Choy wasadded on bass. In 1990, Cynic released their third demo (also self-titled). This helped to
gain them a largefollowing throughout southern and central Florida, as well as their constant touring and cameo
appearances(opening for national acts) in the South Florida area. This new lineup would remain intact until 1991.
During this time, the bands' influences were beginning to dramatically change. While they were still listeningto contemporaries
like Atheist and Death, and enticed by the sheer intensity of these extreme forms of music,their musical and creative abilities
were growing, and consequently, they began listening to more complex andeclectic forms of music. Classic jazz, bebop and
fusion groups such as Mahavishnu Orchestra and AllanHoldsworth began influencing their work. Artists such as Pat Metheny
and Frank Zappa, 20th Century classicalmusic and even certain forms of pop were expanding their record collections. This
change in technical andcreative skill had already made its way into their songs as the band took a great leap forward in
musicianshipfor their second and third demos.
By the early part of 1991, Cynic had evolved into a progressive death metal band, although the bandthemselves didn't
consider themselves to be death metal. The music had the technicality of progressive metalwith the brutal vocal qualities of
death metal. They cut a fourth and final demo in 1991 (financed byRoadrunner Records) consisting of three tracks. Two of
these tracks would, in a drastically different form,make it onto their debut album. In April of 1991, Paul and Sean played on
the groundbreaking Death albumHuman alongside the band's mastermind Chuck Schuldiner and Steve DiGiorgio of Sadus. They
describedtheir relationship with Chuck as "very laid-back", and were able to help Chuck with the writing by giving himinput,
which had been missing on the earlier Death records. The result was a classic record, and Death evengot some MTV airplay
for their video "Lack Of Comprehension". At the same time, Tony Choy was filling in forthe late Roger Patterson on Atheist's
Unquestionable Presence, also a great album in its own right, andguesting on Pestilence's Testimony of the Ancients. Paul did
guitars on Master's On The Eighth Day, GodCreated Master, and Jason worked with Monstrosity (whom Mark Van Erp joined),
playing lead on theirImperial Doom album. All of this guest work helped to enlarge the fan base for Cynic, making them,
accordingto Roadrunner Records, "...the most popular underground act to never record an album..
Cynic was planning to record their first full-length album on the Roadrunner label after recording the Deathrecord, but Paul
and Sean decided to complete the tour cycle for Death's European tour through the rest of1991. These and other delays
were part of what expanded Cynic's popularity and also gave them more time todevelop their sound. Immediately upon Sean
and Paul's return from Death's European tour, they scheduled togo into the studio in October of 1992 with Scott Burns to
record their debut album , when catastrophe hit.Unfortunately for everyone, Hurricane Andrew destroyed Jason's house along
with the band's rehearsalfacilities. Their plans to record were put on hold until March of 1993. Incidentally, this also
interrupted ChuckSchuldiner's plans for the next Death release, Individual Thought Patterns, for which Sean Reinert was his
firstchoice as drummer. Sean decided to put his energies back into Cynic. Chuck hired ex-Dark Angel drummerGene Hoglan
(whom he met through writer / long-time associate Borivoj Krgin) to fill in. During this time,Cynic was working with ex.
Viogression vocalist Brian DeNeffe. Also around this time, a track of Cynic's wasfinally released on CD. "Uroboric Forms"
appeared in demo form on the Roadrunner compilation At Death'sDoor II in 1992 with a note that Cynic's debut album would
be released in May 1993.
May 1993 came and went and no album appeared. The band mutually parted ways with Tony Choy who wenton to become
Atheist's full time bass player. Soon after, Chris Kringel joined the band, whom they metthrough Brian Deneffe (Viogression).
Chris played with the band for a while (and eventually with Portal), butlogistics and stylistic differences led to Darren
Mcfarland (from Atheist) whom went into the studio with theband. When things didn't work out with Darren, Cynic were back
in Miami with all tracks recorded minus bass.Days after their return, Steve Digorgio was at Morrisound recording Death's
Individual Thought Patterns. Oneday in a phone conversation with Paul, Steve passed the phone to Sean Malone who
happened to be anemployee at Morrisound. Steve learned of his bass playing skills during the Individual recording sessions.
Aftersending his bass demo to Cynic and meeting shortly after, he recorded bass tracks at Morrisound Studios(where the
band had recorded their previous demos), and they finally mixed the record. September 14, 1993,Focus was finally released.
With over two years since their last demo, Focus was a remarkable change from thestyle of any of their previous material,
and quite different from anything else in the music world as well.
After the release of Focus, Cynic went on a European tour supporting Pestilence. For their live shows, theyadded a fifth
member, lead singer/growler Tony Teegarden, who had actually sung the death vocals on Focus,(since Paul was in danger of
losing his voice at the time). Note: Paul sang the ethereal computer voice for allthe live shows. Tony also played keyboards
live. Due to his schoolwork, Sean Malone could not tour with theband so Chris Kringel came back and replaced him. The tour
was cut short, however, when Pestilencedisbanded. Returning to the states in January 1994, Cynic did a few shows in the
Florida area, playing thestates for the first time in over two years. Malone's only European appearance with Cynic was at
their DynamoFestival appearance in the summer of 1994. Next, Cynic toured the States during the summer of 1994supporting
Cannibal Corpse. Their tour stretched over 3 months and covered most of the United States.Malone rejoined the group for
this tour. Tony was unable to participate, so they borrowed Dana Cosley (fromlocal Florida band Demonomacy) to do the
death vocals and the keyboards. Tony did rejoin the group for ashow in West Palm Beach which was the only show to contain
all the original Focus members.
After the tour, Cynic began work on a new album. In the early stages of working on their upcoming album, theband parted
ways with Sean Malone. Soon after they reunited with bassist Chris Kringel who moved back toMiami and worked with the
band to write and record the Portal demos. Sean Malone's split with the band wasamicable, however, and has continued to
work with Sean R., Paul and Jason to this day. Part of the musicalshifts at this time, were the band's decision to add a female
vocalist. Aruna Abrams was found through a lettershe wrote to the band while a student at Berkeley College of Music. After
the band received her audition tape,she was asked to join Cynic. She moved to Miami and worked closely with the band for a
year writing andrecording what would eventually transform into Portal. Sometime during the fall of 1994, while working on
thenew album, Cynic shifted. New directions and sounds led to a name change. Cynic was complete and finishedit's work
under that name. The band felt urged to rebirth into a new musical concept that was born out ofthese changes. Portal was
born.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/cynic.
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Similar Bands: Portal (Cynic), Death, Violent Dirge, Atheist, Sadist
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