Synical
Encyclopedia
Synical are an alternative rock
act based in Hollywood, California, formed in 1989 and continuing on today. Guitarist
Eric Griffin
later went on to play in the Murderdolls
as well as Racci Shay
who went on to play in Dope
.
based instruments. Haught was heavy influenced by English acts New Order
and Depeche Mode
as well as North American acts Ministry
, Nine Inch Nails
and Skinny Puppy
. The project began to flesh out with various local musicians as Brian began to shape the musical output into something much more original.
Haught toured as Synical for many years before moving to a new band in Atlanta. Racci Shay
(later of industrial rock
band Dope
) joined as the bands new drummer.
During 1998 looking to reach an even wider audience, Synical relocated to Hollywood, California, Racci left the group and joined the Genitorturers
. Ivan DePrume of White Zombie
briefly stepped in to replace Shay.
Two Boston
natives were discovered in Hollywood by Brian and joined the band - Eric Griffin
on guitar, and Ben Graves on drums, and the band was completed by art school
student and bass guitarist Brent Ashley. Synical played several sold out Hollywood shows and began to attract more attention. In 2002 Griffin and Graves left to concentrate on Murderdolls
commitments and Brent Ashley left and joined the Dreaming
with Chris Hall of Stabbing Westward
. The band took part in several compilations released via Cleopatra Records
, including:
Eric Griffin is once again involved with Synical and the band are recording “Quit While You’re Behind” during the summer/fall of 2007. The project will be released as a Dual disc release featuring a DVD filmed live in Hollywood at "the King King" including a new video for "Low Quality Guy". Synical are finishing work on the matching album/DVD to be released Spring 2011. SYNICAL are touring internationally fall 2008 starting in Milan, Italy.
In September 2011, Synical announced their signing to french record label Deadlight Entertainment (Undercover Slut, Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel)for the release of their debut album "Quit While You're behind" to be released on spring 2012.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
act based in Hollywood, California, formed in 1989 and continuing on today. Guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Eric Griffin
Eric Griffin
Eric Michael Griffin is an American rock guitarist. He is most famous for playing bass in the horror punk band Murderdolls and guitar in Wednesday 13...
later went on to play in the Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
as well as Racci Shay
Racci Shay
Racci Shay is an American rock drummer. He is most famous for his involvement with the Genitorturers, Dope, Wednesday 13 and is currently the touring drummer for Murderdolls...
who went on to play in Dope
Dope (band)
Dope is an American rock band from Villa Park, Illinois, formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois.To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.-History:...
.
History
Synical was formed by Brian Haught as a solo project in Georgia, United States during 1989. It started out as a musical project using state of the art electronics with limited rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
based instruments. Haught was heavy influenced by English acts New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
as well as North American acts Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
. The project began to flesh out with various local musicians as Brian began to shape the musical output into something much more original.
Haught toured as Synical for many years before moving to a new band in Atlanta. Racci Shay
Racci Shay
Racci Shay is an American rock drummer. He is most famous for his involvement with the Genitorturers, Dope, Wednesday 13 and is currently the touring drummer for Murderdolls...
(later of industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
band Dope
Dope (band)
Dope is an American rock band from Villa Park, Illinois, formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois.To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.-History:...
) joined as the bands new drummer.
During 1998 looking to reach an even wider audience, Synical relocated to Hollywood, California, Racci left the group and joined the Genitorturers
Genitorturers
The Genitorturers are an industrial metal/industrial rock band from the United States, with influences extending into the 1990s hardcore punk and electronic music. They proclaim themselves to be "The World's Sexiest Rock Band".-History:...
. Ivan DePrume of White Zombie
White Zombie
White Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound...
briefly stepped in to replace Shay.
Two Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
natives were discovered in Hollywood by Brian and joined the band - Eric Griffin
Eric Griffin
Eric Michael Griffin is an American rock guitarist. He is most famous for playing bass in the horror punk band Murderdolls and guitar in Wednesday 13...
on guitar, and Ben Graves on drums, and the band was completed by art school
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
student and bass guitarist Brent Ashley. Synical played several sold out Hollywood shows and began to attract more attention. In 2002 Griffin and Graves left to concentrate on Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
commitments and Brent Ashley left and joined the Dreaming
The Dreaming (US band)
The Dreaming is a rock band in the Hollywood area founded in 2002 by Johnny Haro and Christopher Hall, former lead singer of the band Stabbing Westward.-Biography:...
with Chris Hall of Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
. The band took part in several compilations released via Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
, including:
- A Gothic-Industrial Tribute to The Smashing PumpkinsA Gothic-Industrial Tribute to The Smashing PumpkinsA Gothic–Industrial Tribute to The Smashing Pumpkins is a 2001 tribute album, featuring a variety of artists covering songs from the American alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins.-Track listing:# "Rhinoceros" – Günter Schulz & En Esch...
- Shout at the Remix Tribute to Mötley Crüe
- Recovered in Nails Tribute to Nine Inch Nails
Eric Griffin is once again involved with Synical and the band are recording “Quit While You’re Behind” during the summer/fall of 2007. The project will be released as a Dual disc release featuring a DVD filmed live in Hollywood at "the King King" including a new video for "Low Quality Guy". Synical are finishing work on the matching album/DVD to be released Spring 2011. SYNICAL are touring internationally fall 2008 starting in Milan, Italy.
In September 2011, Synical announced their signing to french record label Deadlight Entertainment (Undercover Slut, Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel)for the release of their debut album "Quit While You're behind" to be released on spring 2012.
Current
- Brian Haught - vocals, programming, producer, main songwriter
- Eric GriffinEric GriffinEric Michael Griffin is an American rock guitarist. He is most famous for playing bass in the horror punk band Murderdolls and guitar in Wednesday 13...
- guitar, bass, songwriter
Past
- Racci ShayRacci ShayRacci Shay is an American rock drummer. He is most famous for his involvement with the Genitorturers, Dope, Wednesday 13 and is currently the touring drummer for Murderdolls...
- drums - Ivan DePrume - drums
- Melvin Davis - guitar
- Brent Ashley - bass
- Christian Burdett - bass