They say that the backbone of any band is their bass and drums, and the first thing you’ll pick up on when you listen to Caustic, the 3rd EP release from Buffalo’s On the Cinder is the big focus on drums. Tyler Rzemek’s quick burst of drums leads you right into “Brothers and Fools,” the first song on their new 3-track EP. The band cites bands like Authority Zero, A Wilhelm Scream, and The Lawrence Arms as some of their influences, and I wouldn’t argue with that on their earlier releases, but this release is definitely on the harder side.
Keep reading below to get our take on the EP.
“Cleaned Out” gets off to a more melodic start, and is arguably a bit easier to get into than “Brothers and Fools.” I dig the quick starts and stops, and this would’ve been my choice for the first track on the EP, as it gives a little bit better introduction to this band’s all-around solid musical skills. On the Cinder does a great job of highlighting each of the band members’ talents, and in this song you can hear the firm bassline from Mike Jacobs. In a genre where the norm is a tendency towards more distortion, the guitars come out really crisp, which is a nice surprise.
“Displaced” tells the story of a woman who is leaving home to escape domestic violence, and the lyrics are very descriptive and rather haunting. I wish they had added in some gang vocals to add a little meat to the song, but the words really speak for themselves. Guitarist Jason Wright’s skills are highlighted in this track, with big lead guitars and a nice bridge.
One of my only complaints here is that 3 songs aren’t really enough! Once you get into it, it’s over, and it definitely left me wishing I could hear a few more tracks. All in all, this is a really solid take on what hardcore punk should sound like, and I’m looking forward to hearing lots more from these guys. You can find the EP on Between the Days Records (release date is 1/31), and you can preorder it here.
On the Cinder will be touring the East Coast and Midwest this spring, with more dates to follow in the summer.