Recently, we were contacted by frontman/guitarist Brendan Hoare of The Rifts about reviewing “One Too Many”. After having reviews and interviews stacked on top of each other, I finally got around to this gem. We proceeded to check their Facebook page and they are going on hiatus soon. The Rifts, out of Buffalo, New York, are going to play several more shows, then going on a hiatus in order to pursue other projects and other musical endeavors. After listening to their EP “One Too Many”, this was too good not to do a writeup about it.
The Rifts are composed of Cory Clancy on lead guitar, Brendan Hoare on vocals/rhythm guitar, Dylan MacDonell on drums, and Ryan Donohue on bass guitar. They bring their rock with classic rock and blues elements while taking away all the negative vibes and reminding the listener that rock can be dirty and filthy once again.
Overall, this EP is filled with monster riffs, whether it’s the anticipatory buildup in “Intro”, to the stripclub inducing riffs in “Can’t Quit You”, to the roadhouse smoke-filled room bluesy riffs in “Don’t Turn The Lights Off”. This band showcased a lot of potential, whether it’s how the guitars intertwined with one another, Hoare showing his diverse vocal range, or when the rhythm section becomes the driving force of the band.
“One Too Many” is just a fun listen that makes people long for the classic rock of yesteryear and the southern-fried blues while drinking sweet tea on grandpa’s porch. Madness To Creation gives this a solid 8 out of 10 stars. Check out the track listing below.
- Intro
- Lemme Be
- Can’t Quit You
- Don’t Turn The Lights Off
- Flirtin’ With The Law
- Walls
The Rifts have a couple of final Buffalo, New York shows coming up. Check out the dates below.
Saturday, September 29th- Molly Maguire’s in Buffalo
Friday, October 19th- Mr. Goodbar in Buffalo
For tickets and further information on any shows listed above, click here.
Fans can find The Rifts at the following locations:
