
It’s no secret that the Chicago Pop Punk scene is killer, so of course Cliffhanger’s new EP will leave on the edge.
Cliffhanger is a five-piece Pop Punk group from Chicago’s western suburbs. A lot of noteworthy Pop Punk these days comes from the throws of suburbia, so Cliffhanger is already off to a great start. Cliffhanger is rhythm guitarist Mike Centracco, drummer Mike Licari, bassist Matt Meindl, lead guitarist Dan Rickert, and vocalist Evan West.
Cliffhanger is dropping a new EP called “Old Wounds”. This new EP is the beginning of a new era for Cliffhanger. After playing the 2015 Vans Warped Tour, the band got a new vocalist (West) and began writing new music.
The band’s last two EP’s, “Just Ignite” and “Cut the Ties”, were described as “angsty, catchy, and aggressive”.“Old Wounds” definitely is angsty and catchy, and it packs a mighty aggressive punch.
A standout track is ‘Barbed Wire Bat’. ‘Barbed Wire Bat’ was the first song the band wrote with their new vocalist. It’s evident when listening to the song that Cliffhanger was trying to refocus and get back out there. ‘Barbed Wire Bat’ hits the ground running. Cliffhanger released a music video for the track in March of this year.

Lyrically, the EP is smart and contains all the right Pop Punk themes. The instrumentation is outstanding. ‘Out of Line’, the opening track on the EP is an instrumental intro that showcases Cliffhanger’s strong musical ability. West’s vocals get slightly lost in translation in a few spots. At times he was overpowered by the instruments, but overall “Old Wounds” is a solid EP.
“Old Wounds” is generic, but in a good way. It has the standard Pop Punk vibe and feel. Listeners know exactly what they are getting. The EP is also very consistent. There is an obvious and greatly appreciated flow between the tracks. Some EPs feel like bands just slap together whatever few songs they have recorded, but “Old Wounds” was clearly created with thought and purpose.
“Old Wounds” drops October 13. It will be available on Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes, Youtube, and Bandcamp. Support local music and give it a listen.
Cliffhanger Tracklist:
Out of Line
Lost Cards
Chicago Sunroof
Barbed Wire Bat
Dead Weight
Cliffhanger’s Social Media:
Facebook: @cliffhangerpoppunk
Twitter: @cliffhangerpunk
Instagram: @cliffhangerpoppunk