On The Cinder Releases New Album: “Heavy Handed”
I first saw On the Cinder at a Prefest show I did with them at Uncle Lou’s in fall of 2022. It was a great night filled with fun and punk rock at it’s best. Despite me filling their bellies with burgers and beers at my house before the show, they put on a killer show. And then I saw them a day or two later at Fest and it was even fucking better. So to say that I’m a fan of On the Cinder is an understatement. Even before their new album Heavy Handed was released, I’ve spent the last several months jamming out to “This is American Spirit”, the first song and single off the album.
What I love most about On the Cinder is that I can’t really pigeonhole them. I can say they are melodic hardcore, but that doesn’t fully do them justice. And I have a pretty deep knowledge of hardcore and punk after 30+ years of it being the central focus of my life, but I can’t really come up with a single band that they remind me. Their unique song writing and song structures and their empathically honest and earnest vocals/lyrics are their own.
If I really had to stretch, I might say that musically they sound akin to PEARS, but only in the sense that their songs are often filled with more changes than a new born baby’s diapers. And their vocals/lyrics remind me a bit of De La Hoya a NY band that rocked my world in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. But neither of the comparisons really capture the sound, energy and emotion of this band. The best thing for you to do is do what I did and got their Bandcamp, and buy their album. I got the translucent green one.
You can also check them out on Spotify or on my Punk Playlist or check out one of their two official videos from the album:
Follow them on their socials: FB, IG, and Website
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also suggest you check out the Episode of Stage Banter with Mr. P featuring On the Cinder on Spotify or watch it on YouTube:
Also make sure to check out DCxPC Live’s store where I have vinyl release of live albums by amazing hardcore, punk, ska and metal bands! We are a small DIY record label doing our best to document the scene we love in the way we love it most—LIVE!
