Cynic (UK) - Suburban Crisis

Cynic is a band that was formed in 1979 by lead guitarist Shaun Grant. So the band played around with the bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that means that this band was definetely a part of it.Recording demos, singles and a 4 track EP the band unfortunetaly couldn't make it that succesful as other bands in that time, caused of a couple of changes in the line up. But the band reformed in 2003 and started recording of this full length album in 2006.

And here it is.

Suicide starts with a slow riff intro, really old school, rough vocals that remember to bands like Motörhead or the italian Bulldozer, dirty. The song is getting more speed in the middle, good hooklines and a first solo in 80's style like early Leatherwolf did. Nothing is always as it seems...this statement ends the track. Wow, a nice journey back to the times, when bands played real true music. Guitars, Shaun Grant's rough vocals, easy but directly coming to the point. Ten years from now opens with a cool riff, drums set in and the dirt in the vocals becomes one of the trademarks of this band. There are more guitar breaks in this song, a little touch of Eddie Van Halen I hear. Ooh yeah !! The hooks could be from Saxon in their Power & Glory time. But Grant's vocals make the sounding very unique. First class back to the roots. The next song, Dark december, surprises with an acoustic start. A ballad? A kind of...yes. The vocals are getting higher, nearly clean. It remembers to semi-ballads of Accept from their fist albums. But it is leading to a faster part. A clean played solo in Fifth Angel style and a more sentimental one after that brings that song a sad and tragic touch. This 8 minute song has its strength in the lots of breaks ending furious and a little hectic. An epic that Manilla Road couldn't arrange better. Suburban Crisis, the title track, starts with nearly spoken words, underlined by bass lines, short before the guitars start which remember me a bit to Judas Priest in British Steel times. A straight song with no breaks in it. This is easy but brilliant, it is Rock'n Roll. Is their a hair metal intro in the song Faithless one? Maybe..but the vocals take no prisoners. Any sleaze will be deleted cause of the whiskey and smokey sound of the voice. A midtempo banger. Not bad, but not the best song of the album. The guitars are not spectacular enough like before to make this song a killer. But it is a short song, so...no problem. Another slow start in Rebel Eye...again in the tradition of Accept. Acoustic guitars with silent vocals. After the first minute the song changes to a real Riffmonster. I would like to see the band playing that song on stage, with a whiskey in my one hand and a cigarette in the other. Again a clear solo in the middle, like Omen did a lot in their music. Another one ends the song. A very straight start begins Do or Die. Another banger...no compromise, no strange sounds. Rock'n Roll as we loved it 25 years ago. After 2 minutes a longer hookline leads to the first solo, a little chaotic but fantastic played. Short vocalpart, next solo...this is the guitar song, for sure. A six minute smasher full of pure energy. This song breathes the dirt from the street. Any new dirt'n roll band....go back to your rooms and practice. This is the song you should better listen to. The last song, Eight Below, is another midtempo rocker, straight forward interrupted from a speedy Wah-Wah-solo. So the album ends like it started...direct dirt in your face. In this album I could find out a lot of well known sounds, like Accept, Omen, Motörhead and a lot of other 80's US Metal bands. This album is an exciting flashback into the glorious time from the start of the NWOBHM to the end of the metal 80's. So....is Cynic influenced from all this bands, or were they the influence for all that bands? If you take a look when the band was founded, I think this question is answered. You better should risk your ears if you are interested in true and pure rock music in its dirtiest style.

And don't forget to take a look at the fantastic cover art work of Hugh Syme.

Points:  7/10

Review by Kerb