Cynical Protest

Hey, just thought I'd make the first post in this forum...

Check out my band, Cynical Protest, Punk Rock band from Stoke-on-Trent, England. Critisism is always welcome, but don't be to harsh - the recordings are old and are not a fair representation of the quality we are now (since the drummers upgraded to double bass pedal playing, we've added a second guitarist, the songs are a bit faster these days and my vocals have changed a bit to be more bassy and rougher).

If you are going to give one track a listen, DO NOT make it Kitty Genovese, Fluff or the Live one... Fluff and the Live track are just there for the sake of it and Kitty Genovese was recorded really badly (and my vocals are worse here).

My Sweet Ego and Shy though - go for it. I'm the only guitarist and the vocalist on them recordings.

Oh, just so you know if you should avoid it completely, we've been compared to bands like The Misfits, Bad Religion, Anti-Flag, The Clash, early AFI and even Black Flag once.

I really love the misfits , not into punk at all but I really dig your music , keep up the good work;)

Listen to your music. Not the kind of thing I am into but will give you feedback

Guitar playing very good and the drummer is good as well
Just hard and mean it! I hope you understand best to listen to Metallica lead singer. Right songs that come from within that I think you are already doing. Apart from that sounds good and good luck with whatever life deals you

I'd like it better if the voice would be stronger.. more juicy.. Now it brings me a little association with crackers.. But in every other way, sounds good. Keep up the good work. ;)

@mightdave: thanks

@simon73: yeah, most of our members are really good for their age, I'm 17, but the rest are 14, just turning 15. We do try to only write things that we believe in, but we try to be more political than anything and it's hard for me to find the time to write lyrics at the moment. Thanks

@zete: as I said, my vocals have come along quite a bit... and we'll actually be getting new recordings done sometime in the near future (which I'll keep you guys updated on)... my vocals will be a bit more powerful since now I've learnt a better technique to sing and now some of tehe rights and wrongs. Thanks.

you should try travelling for inspiration... when you write a song cause you are inspired you feel it in your soul, you are comfortable w/it. trying to write music by force might make you think: wow, this sounds cool, people will like this, and that kinda stuff. you should write first only the things you feel without thinkin ... for a more political kinda lirics its more important you know what youre saying and youre sure you agree or disagree with it and comunicate it w/out saying it directly but leaving the message clear, first write what you feel and then adapt it to how you think
da vinci used to have a notebook in his bed to catch the best inspiration he had, which mostly comes around at night.

hope this helps, it does with me

Erm... sorry, I can't see your point. I didn't say that I don't know how to write... it's that I don't have the time. So obviously, I haven't got the time for travelling.

Plus, I said that I do only write lyrics I believe in anyway... so I can't really see why I should be doing anything in your post.

Not snapping or anything - I'm just a little confused as to why you posted that, it's completely out of place.

I really liked your stuff, good in keeping with the style you're after, but not being generic. I don't really have any criticism, and I'll keep an eye out for you guys.

Cool, thanks for the input anyway. I'll repost again in the future... since we're going to have better recordings than those up.

Not bad, I'm into that kinda punk, so i liked it. Impressive for your guy's ages.

Hey Doz, I was just looking through some of the old posts and I found this. I like your stuff, sounds like you put in a lot of time practicing together. Very solid!

link?

I just typed "Cynical Protest" and it took me to their myspace.

Sounds like a typical 3 chord punk band. Still, I like some of the tunes.

Haha, a bold statement to make for an Oasis fan. Ironically, I don't think there's a progression that stops on the third chord... but yeah - I get what you mean. We do play simple music as it is, it doesn't help that those tracks are from when we started out. These days we have more complex updated basslines, new parts in songs, a new drummer with more a energetic sound and stronger vocals. Plus, our current works in progress are sounding a lot better in terms of song writing.

Cheers for the comments anyway guys, I really appreciate it when someone revives my interest in something we've been doing for quite a while (playing the same songs every week gets boring quick, as a lot of you guys probably know). I'm pretty sure I had the MySpace link on here... but here it is anyway for anyone else who looks in this thread: Cynical Protest

Haha, and oh yeah - just playing on the Oasis comment, I like a lot of their stuff too.

@doz

OH NAW YOU DI'INT!

Doz,
Nice work! Looking forward to hearing your new stuff. clean playing and good timing.

Cool.

And I like how next to your picture it says Norrin Radd. "Surfing With the Alien"?

Nahh, just a Silver Surfer referance... as whatever referance Surfing With The Alien has will be.

Phip: yeah, even though we were a really new band when we recorded them the guy we recorded with made sure we got the recordings clean and quite tight.

hey doz ive a new member but ive been going to this site for a while, i saw your bands page and i love your music good work

Ahhh, cheers, glad you're into it. :D

I was listening to this and Anti-Flag, I though you were anti-flag at one point :o
I would love to see you lot live! One day, one day!

Oh God - I missed that comment. That's one of the best compliments you could have given. :D

Haha, I'll let you know if we're in Wales.

Well, I'm not too into it. Just sounds like some of the old brit-punk (the ORIGINAL punk), which I don't really like.

As I've already told you, I'd like to be able to hear the lyrics. I mean, if you guys are just trying to get by with the tunes, then ok - every band that makes it now plays basically the same stuff. But, you guys could get farther, and more respect if we could hear some good lyrics.

yes Doz you will =] you will *Threatening look*
And your welcome boss, it scared the hell out of me when I realised.

Skold: Yer, that style of music is a lot similar to old british punk, just with modern punk influence... but our new songs have a much more modern sound to them and well, those recordings are almost 2 years old now anyway.

I think I know what you mean with the vocals not cutting through to great - but I think it's more to do with the EQ mixing rather than the volume. Any louder and it'd be a bit too much I think, maybe if the mids on that track were turned up it'd be better - but yeah, those recordings are in the past and we don't intend to re-record them songs since we have much better, less simple, punk songs.

Well, I'd love to hear some of your new stuff. I've decided to be a bit more open-minded to all forms of music (even metal).

Haha, even metal?

But seriously, yeah... we've been saying we'll get in the recording studios again for a long time... then something gets in the way. Hopefully, the end of this year we will.

How much would that cost you lads?

Well, the first time we recorded at a place called the Lizard Lounge and it cost £100 a day. After that we recorded at somewhere called the Madhouse which cost a little more maybe £10 more a day. We're probably going to the first place next time but now he charged a little extra for the mixdown...

So... say we want to do 8 or 9 songs it'd probably be 3 or 4 days depending on the cash we have (4 preferably so we can take our time and work on them good). So maybe like £450, that's around $900, I think, a little more I think.

wow.... that aint expensive at all.... id like there were more places like that on mexico...

Ive heard tons of punk on radio that been much worse than Cynical Protest stuff. Sweet Ego was favorite ^_^

You have very personal style to sing, ill think that when your band grows...its no utopia that I might soon read some interviews ^_~

but do not wreck hotelrooms xD

If you do get famous will you hit me up for a drink and maybe a jam? hahaha =D

Yeah I do love you sound, what amp you running the guitar through? Really like the sound, oh and uh you got humbuckers or single coils? I'm guessing humbuckers...

-.- Really wish I could get my bad together but uh don't think it's going to happen fallen out massivley with the singer, the lead guitarist is being iffy and were still out a drummer..*sigh*

Soy: Nah, it's quite cheap and it's good because it doesn't come out of our pockets... after a gig we split the money four ways (three members then a quarter into the band) so we pay for stuff like that with the band money.

Empirism: Thanks, I get worried my vocals don't cut it sometimes so it's nice to hear a compliment. However, the vocals now are probably a lot stronger. And we're not the out of control rock and roll type so the hotel rooms are safe, haha.

Nutter: That amp is actually the Spider 2... but it's at a really low volume (which it's best at) and the EQ was sorted out with the recording equipment. It's also double tracked so it's not as thin as the amp would normally sound. Pickups are humbuckers, on my old Epiphone. I'm looking forward to recording again with my new amp and guitar.

Just keep trying with the band, keep looking. Think of it this way: at least until then you can practice and prepare yourself eh?