The Cynic Megathread

[GenghisCoyne]

Wow, this is one catty post. Next maybe we can get some like "Omg, look at how bad his MAKEUP and SHOES are!! NO fashion sense at all!!1" or "DId you hear what Paul said about Khloe?!! OMG!!"

commenting on a musician of this this presumed calibers lack of preparedness is hardly "catty". A massive part of cynics appeal is their technical proficiency.

 

[putnut77]

I'm in the process of watching this, but...

At the best of times Paul was only ever playing 50% of the guitars, and about 80% of his vocals are processed.

So far he's playing all his parts and singing all his vocals. His solos are a bit sloppy, but that's it.

I mean...there is also 1 person playing guitar in this performance...versus...the 2 there normally is.

 

[wankerness]

commenting on a musician of this this presumed calibers lack of preparedness is hardly "catty". A massive part of cynics appeal is their technical proficiency.

Yeah, I suppose. I guess it was the "LOOKS LIKE THE NASTY QUOTES I READ ON A GOSSIPY ARTICLE ON THE INTERNET WERE ALL TRUE!!" first line that got me. Knee-jerk response here! I don't think that video sounds good, it just seems like this thread in general is such a snipey gossip-fest, largely thanks to the involvement of the prior musicians in it. Everyone is taking so much interest in the personal issues that led to the band's break-up and it's polluted all the legit musical interest stuff that could have been here. I doubt I'd have reacted that way to DLG's quote if there hadn't been 5 pages of Perez Hilton. In fact, if I'd paid attention to who made that post I also wouldn't have, he's a very solid poster!

 

[cip 123]

Personally I thought it was fine. Sean and Sean's playing was both spot on, Pauls was good plus he was in time with the backing track I think thats a testament to both him and the rest of the band to be able to play the songs so tightly to the backing tracks...It requires a good bit of skill from everyone in the band.

I'm disappointed about the growls a little but I don't think Paul has ever done the growls so thats fine.


I was more interested in both Seans playing than Pauls.

 

[Thorerges]

Both Focus and Traced in Air are perfect, timeless albums and Traced in Air is probably the single greatest comeback album of all time in metal.

Have to second this, traced in air is an incredible record.

 

[Veldar]

I would of loved to hear a stripped down live version of cynic without a backing track.

 

[Bucks]

I'm disappointed about the growls a little but I don't think Paul has ever done the growls so thats fine.

Paul actually did do all the growls pre-focus.
you can here this on the 1991 demo, for instance.
I saw Cynic a few times in the early 90's in Hallandale, Paul did everything - this was before the vocoder

 

[Static]

I thought the performance sounded fine despite the backing tracks, but then came along "Integral".

 

[DLG]

yeah that was just awful.

if anyone needs further proof that paul is truly a bad singer without the processor, look no further.

love cynic, saw them a bunch of times, even had that old live VHS that was floating around in the 90s after they broke up, so I know what his voice sounds like when he's singing the vocoder parts. on this performance the processed vocals sound too much like they are on the album.

 

[rewihendrix]

Man, you guys are super picky.

Integral was pretty bad, but that sounds like the vocals weren't mixed in his monitoring headphones or something - even if you're not a good singer, someone who's been a musician his whole life isn't going to sing a quarter tone flat the whole song without attempting to adjust his pitch.

 

[works0fheart]

 

[ArtDecade]

^ Nothing says "We're Back!" like playing the 4 foot stage next to the shipping and receiving door.

 

[eaeolian]

I went to the tour last year. It was...underwhelming.

Edit: Also, what happened to Max?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I went to the tour last year. It was...underwhelming.

Edit: Also, what happened to Max?

Phelps is on tour with Exist, supporting Gorod and has a bunch of dates with DTA later in the year. Dude is busy.

 

[iamaom]

I went to the tour last year. It was...underwhelming.

Yeah, the set sounded live exactly like it does in the video: it's like the entire band is being put into a single compressed track then played through a mono speaker. I legit couldn't tell if they were actually playing or miming to a recording despite being 4 feet away from Paul.

 

[works0fheart]

I guess I had a different experience then. I saw them in Florida a few months ago and they sounded perfect. Who knows though.

Also, super hyped for Mike Gilbert on guitar. Dude is such an incredible player.

 

[Sammy J]

Pretty wild that Cynic has Travis from Cattle Decap and Mike from Severed Savior in the lineup at the moment lol

 

[Velokki]

The thread title gave me a heart attack

 

[Hollowway]

The thread title gave me a heart attack

Same. I was halfway through page 1 of this thread before I realized I was reading posts from nine years ago, lol.

 

[eaeolian]

Well, I mean, the thread title is true. Cynic was always about the interplay of the Seans with Paul's weirdness over the top. So, in that regard, Cynic *is* dead.

As for new music, we'll see? After the "Re-Focused" cash grab (because those drums sound like total crap), and the last record being...not Cynic sounding, well...