A few questions - interview with death grind band from USA - CYNICISM.
Answered Matt O'Dette, thank you!
Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play , etc.?
Certainly, Cynicism is really an idea that had been in the works for as long as I can remember. The project started as a vision founding members Bill Denehy (guitar) and I had since we were kids in the early/mid 90’s. The Cynicism name dates back to the mid 90’s and some of these riffs & lyrics were actually written decades ago. We’ve always been active fans in the Death Metal scene and were especially drawn towards to more raw and extreme sides of the genre. We wanted to create something that took influence from the gore style started by Carcass but in a way that brought in our own personalities and approach. Our take had to be authentic and extreme but never at the expense of memorable riffs and song writing. We always knew what we wanted this project to be but we never really had the time to focus on actually getting it there. It wasn’t until 2012 that we finally decided to focus all of our energy into making Cynicism a reality. Mark Gibbons (drums/Art) & Shaun Andruk (Bass/Vocals) joined the fold around 2014 and that’s when things truly connected. They were the missing links that brought this vision to life. At that point, we were really under no time pressure so we spent the time required to work through ideas and dial in the songs the way we wanted. We were also having a damn good time just playing the songs together and drinking an absurd amount of beer. We played our first show in 2016 opening for a Phlegm reunion show with Untombed, Possessed Entity, and Leukorrhea in Providence, Rhode Island. We really owe Juan from Untombed all of the credit for helping us out to get on that bill which really jump started things for us.
Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?
It’s a great question. We had tracked some demo versions of the songs earlier but never released anything since it wasn’t fully representing what we were trying to do. We officially began tracking in late 2017. I handled the pre-production, production and tracking of everything from the garage. I bought some microphones and borrowed some others. It was literally death metal as fuck, no studio or setup. I had studied audio engineering and had done some live sound and production work in the past so I had a basic idea but really didn’t have any experience in tracking or producing an album. It helped we had the vision and knowing exactly what we wanted so we just went for it. We actually tracked all the drums in one day for the whole album, just two takes of each song and that was it. Mark’s really an incredible drummer, musician and artist, he just nailed it. Guitars, Bass, and vocals were tracked in a studio room at my house. It’s basically just a spare bedroom that I made into a makeshift studio. Bill is a talented guitarist and really helped make sure all of the parts were played correctly. Shaun nailed the Bass and was an absolute beast in his vocal performance. He really brought a whole new dimension to the songs. We had a ton of fun tracking the vocals and just did whatever felt right in the moment. We couldn’t have been happier with how they came out. From there, I literally spent years working on the mix in little pockets of free time I had, so much time was spent just trying to learn how to use the software and find the right settings for everything. It was experimenting and learning as I went but didn’t really know what I was doing. I spent a lot of time on the vocal layering and panning which is something very important to our sound. In the end, we just couldn’t get the mix to sound the way we wanted. We are forever grateful that Matt O'Rourke (Brain Famine / Satanic Sweatshop Studios) offered to step in and give the mix a go. He’s a great friend of ours and we had played shows with Brain Famine over the years. He knew EXACTLY what we were going for in terms of matching our live intensity & rawness with a mix that sounded authentic, energetic, & real. It had to be pure underground Death Fucking Metal. He was beyond patient & absolutely nailed both the Mix and the Mastering. The guy is incredible!
How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?
Shortly after the mix was complete, we were asked to open for General Surgery, Birdflesh, and Galvanizer in May hosted by Codex Obscurum. We intended to do a full album release around that show including CDs, Vinyl, cassette, and Digital / Streaming. Unfortunately, that show was canceled due to Covid. We decided to release Limb Hymns as a limited Digipak and Digital album on July 3rd and we’ll be releasing as Vinyl and Cassette at a later date when we are able to do a proper release show.
Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?
Lyrics were written by Bill and I depending on the song. We are Gore Metal so on the surface the lyrics are mucus filled and rotting serial killer obsessed themes. However, if you dig 6’ below the surface they actually go deeper than that. At its roots, it’s actually a cynical look at reality and human psychology through a vile and decaying gore metal lens.
Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?
The logo was created by Connor Fitzgerald. He was a graphic designer at the place I work at and a metal fan. Aside from that, all of our imagery is hand painted by our drummer Mark Gibbons. He creates really dark and uniquely personal art that’s also a window into psychology and the darkness that exists within all of us. He showcases his art under Dark Recollections Art and does some incredible stuff. I manage all of the social, networking, media, etc. It’s a labor of love as we do everything ourselves for the passion of extreme music. Social networks are a necessary evil as it’s not easy to get music out there without them but we also don’t let it consume us. It’s been a great tool for us to meet and connect with different people all over the world that we wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise.
Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?
We don't currently have a label at this point. Limb Hymns was completely self-financed and self-released. It’s all DIY in the vein of the old school. We’re not opposed to being on a label for future releases, we just haven’t had that opportunity yet.
Which bands do you idolize and where do you get your inspiration?
Everything Death Metal! We all grew up in the old school Death Metal scene so most of our inspiration comes from there and Grindcore but we also find plenty of inspiration with all of the incredible new bands out there. There is so much intense music to be explored. Our biggest inspirations are Carcass, Impaled, Exhumed, Gorerotted, General Surgery, Impetigo, Haemorrage, and Suffocation. You may find some nods to these bands in our lyrics ;)
Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?
We did send to a couple of labels and never heard back. We are fine with that as we really wanted this first release to be independent and free from any constraints as well as not delay any longer. We had put so much into it that we just wanted to get it out there finally.
How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?
We’ve played around 15 gigs across 4 states in New England so far. We’re happy playing anywhere or type of gig really and are really looking forward to playing again when the pandemic is over. Our favorite gig were when we opened for The Chasm, Cruciamentum, and Zealotry at Ralphs Rock Diner in Worcester last year. It ended up being a sold out show. The other notable show for us was an outdoor camping festival in the wood of upstate Maine called Doom Days of Summer 5. The venue was a small barn with unlimited beer, bonfires, incredible bands, and hanging / playing with our buds in Scaphism and Garroted. There are incredible bands in our scene here that have been so good to us like Brain Famine, Untombed, Hell Bent, Horrible Earth, Matriphagy, and so many more. Check them out!
What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?
We plan to continue spewing out intestinal bile as long as we feel inspired and it remains fun. We already have 4 songs written and album art done for our next release and be assured it won’t be another 10 years before we get that out.
How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?
Absolutely, please follow us on Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram and share with your friends to help spread the word. You can also email us at CynicismGrind@Gmail.com We really appreciate any and all support. It means the world to us that anyone actually cares about what we are doing.
Thanx for the interview.
Thank you and keep up the great work with Deadly Storm!