Your Cynical Sanity Stuns Fans with Surprise New Project

In a surprise release on Monday, December 30th, 2025, Durban-based heavyweights Your Cynical Sanity dropped their latest project, 'Anhedonic.' This album delivers a dark and aggressive exploration of deathcore, born from the harsh realities and struggles faced by many during the COVID-19 lockdown. Nasiphi Zwane had a chat with the band’s founder and vocalist, Myke Taylor, to shed light on their journey, inspirations, and hopes for the future.

Durban Influence

Given that YCS has long been one of Durban’s standout musical exports, it's intriguing to consider how their experiences as a local band have influenced the music on this album.

Myke opens up, ‘The concept of this album started in the midst of Covid, maybe a week or two into the hard lockdown when we all started getting comfortable at home and off work. Dylan Macdonald had taken the role of lead guitarist at this stage and presented what is now Doom Town to myself, Blake Merchant (guitar), and Rohan Myburgh (former drummer). The name Doom Town comes from two things, the first being a nickname for small cities that were built in the US filled with mannequins and used to test nuclear bombs, and the second is sort of a reference to Durban at the time, with a lot of people struggling without work in a city that has famously been known for being laid back and ‘less alive’ than other cities in terms of lifestyle; the lyrics to that track tend to play on the fact that in Durban we get stuck, watching ourselves becoming stuck in life. This song sets the tone for the whole album forward as we expose pessimism in a dark and aggressive expression of deathcore.’

Where It Fits

Anhedonic as a standalone project, is as solid as they come, but Myke shares some interesting thoughts on where the project fits in the current music landscape both locally & globally. 

‘Honestly, I think because of all the changes we've gone through, member-wise, we have had so many ideas and influences run through the album's concept that it's hard to say who you could put us next to globally and say, ‘It sounds like this band or that band,’ and locally I feel like most of SA's bands are writing uniquely right now, and whenever we play shows, we have the pleasure of playing with a wide range of genres all the time, and we are happy to be considered a heavy or extreme band amongst them.’

Message & Emotion

Creating a comprehensive work like Anhedonic is a time-intensive endeavour, and it often leaves listeners with a profound message or a resonant emotion. This album is no exception.

Myke explains, ‘I think if you had to take an emotion away from the album, it would be something along the lines of letting go of things you hold in, insecurities, shame, anger, resentment, the kind of things we mostly repress and ignore. And the message would be to expose these sorts of feelings and not let them attach themselves to the good parts of you.’

Solid Advice

Creating a complete album is no easy feat; it’s a journey fraught with both rewarding and difficult challenges. Myke offers valuable advice to aspiring musicians based on the band’s experiences crafting Anhedonic.

Myke says, ‘If I had to give advice to aspiring musicians, as cliché as it may seem, if you really want this, then don't give up. I guarantee every SA band knows what it's like to have a life so busy that they are sacrificing more time after work and on the weekends to be the best band they can be, and it isn't easy, but when you love doing this, even the hard times make it that much more rewarding to put your work out there.’

Marketing

No album is truly complete without a robust marketing strategy. Myke shares insights on how the band plans to promote their work in the upcoming months.

Myke shares, ‘We're kicking off 2025 playing in Cape Town for the METAL4AFRICA summerfest. This is not only a bucket list event for us to be a part of, but it will also be our first album release show, and we hope to gain some new fans that haven't heard of us. We also have plans to shoot a music video for one of the tracks on the album shortly after that to promote this further.’

Insane Production

Anyone who has experienced YCS live knows how exceptionally tight they are as a band. This translates to a solid delivery on their album, just as expected. However, what binds the album together is the stellar production.

Myke reveals the mastermind behind it, ‘We are extremely lucky to have worked with our sound engineer Fredrik Erlingsson of Audiosphere Recordings in Sweden. As fate would have it, I was going through old emails on the YCS account at the time we started recording Doom Town and came across an email from Fredrik in 2014, I think, offering his services way back when we released our very first EP, Put To Rest, on YouTube. I hit him up asking if he would still be interested in working with us, and the rest has been nothing but awesome work with him; he's been the best.’

The Artwork Is Wild

An iconic piece of artwork accompanying a stellar body of work serves as the perfect finishing touch, especially when the artwork conveys a coherent message. Myke reveals the artist behind the striking cover art and explains its significance.

Myke reveals, ‘The artist’s name is Michael Dos. He works for Mr. Price. We gave him full sort of creative leeway and just wanted something from one of Durban's sick illustrators. We just told him to make it dark. But if we had to say what's cool, it is the fact that he is balancing power and struggle. A demon with a sword in one hand, a scale in another, smothering people with two other hands, with evil on his shoulders.’

Conclusion

Anhedonic stands as a testament to Your Cynical Sanity's resilience and creative drive amidst challenging times. Through aggressive deathcore, the album brings to light the emotions and experiences that many endured during the COVID-19 lockdown. As the band gears up to promote their project with live performances, they offer a beacon of inspiration for aspiring musicians who strive to make their mark in the industry. With a unique sound shaped by their Durban roots and the expert production of Fredrik Erlingsson, Your Cynical Sanity invites listeners to embrace and confront their inner darkness with raw, unfiltered music.