Plague Years, Lich King, Throne, Mutilation Barbeque, Toxic Ruin and Reducer
Rustbelt Rock Reviews
By: Z.M. Delgado
Zackolantern.com
Volume 3: Concert Review: Plague Years, Lich King, Throne, Mutilation Barbeque, Toxic Ruin, Reducer
March 26, 2022
Parts and Labor; Melvindale, Michigan
This story more or less begins back in 2017, when an accidental encounter on social media led me to the discovery of a band called Lich King. They were promoting their most current album “The Omniclasm” and I gave them a quick listen. Suffice to say I was immediately hooked. I am a child of the 80’s and was about eleven years old when Thrash Metal took over the globe in the early 90’s. So when I stumbled upon Lich King and discovered that there was a very real and vibrant underground “Thrash Resurgence” growing, I was obviously stoked.
Fast forward to the world of 2022. Here we find our music scene. It tentatively steps out from the shadow of COVID, and its crippling restrictions; restrictions that hit few people harder than our beloved touring musicians. Here I am as well; you’re enthusiastic narrator, doing what he does best: stalking metal bands online.
Naturally among my many obsessions, Lich King is always on the radar. One, because as I said: I love their particularly brutal, yet tongue in cheek brand of my favorite subgenre. Secondly, I keep a close watch on their activities because (as I frequently give them shit for) they rarely come to Cleveland. I monitored the current “March Radness” tour and was so happy to see the boys back out on the road, doing the good work of Saint Baloff, and preaching that holy Thrash. I was bummed though because the dates were posted and once again Northeast Ohio was not on the list. None the less I was happy. These dudes, and their compatriots on this tour, were out there! Metal is back, and even if I can’t be there in body, I like millions of us worldwide am, always there in spirit. And then…!
“What sorcery is this?!” I asked myself as I saw a new date added to the end of the tour: A little bar called Parts and Labor in Melvindale, MI. A scant two and a half hours west of my home, on a Saturday night… on my birthday weekend! After a few feverish logistical discussions with my wife, and wingman, we cleared all barriers and I was set: I was finally going to see Lich King live.
We were on the road by 1 pm the day of the 26th. Behind the wheel as always was my partner in crime and fellow Metal enthusiast: Chen Killingsworth. As his first introduction I suppose he deserves a preamble of sorts. We first met in that time I mentioned earlier: When Thrash ruled the world. This dude is probably the biggest Metal Head I know, and far exceeds myself in all facets of fanhood except perhaps for my undeniable propensity towards self destruction. In general Chen is the guy who has my back, keeps me out of jail and the E.R. and makes sure I make it home to my family in (mostly) one piece. Since our first show together in ’97, we’ve crossed the country, and back again, in pursuit of all things heavy. With an 18 of Coors Banquet to start us off and the stereo up, we headed west.
After a few hours on the road and a few more at the hotel, we worked through most of our beers and headed over to the venue. This was our first time at “Parts and Labor.” We did a little research before hand, and could tell it was going to be intimate. Online photos clued us in, and limited capacity warnings from the acts were a clear indication as well. This place is a hole in the wall, and I mean that in the most reverent and enduring of ways. One room: stage is straight ahead and maybe one foot off the floor, at best. Bar to the left; the right wall, lined with hastily cleared away cocktail tables. One end of the bar has a nook for merch sales, and at the other end are the bathrooms: All in all a pretty simple layout. The house speakers were playing a steady stream of Pantera, mixed with a spattering of other metal classics, which is always a nice way to enter a room.
As soon as we walked in, we found a spot at the bar and ordered up. For what it’s worth, I had a killer Rueben sandwich and a pile of beers, my tab ended at just under 30 bucks for the night. It would have been a hundred dollar tab a House of Blues or any other large venue. This is one of the many reasons why underground music is so amazing. To close on the venue: the bar staff, security and sound was all exemplary. I could go on about it, but this is a review of a show, not a restaurant. Suffice to say, Parts and Labor kicks ass. I highly recommend and will definitely return.
While we waited on our food, I was quickly spotted by Chris Maggot, front man of Mutilation Barbeque. Of course, he didn’t recognize me, but rather my vest and T-shirt; more specifically that both bore the logo of Assault, Cleveland Thrash heavy weights. Marking me out as fellow Clevelander, he naturally came over to say hello. We talked for a while as he sent a friend off to track down their Bass player, Mr. Dylan Andras, who doubles as the driving force behind Assault’s technical ferocity. Dylan and I have been acquainted for a number of years at this point, and driving all the way to Michigan only to be greeted by home town boys and an old friend was a really great way to start the night.
Mere moments later, who happened by? None other than Brian Westbrook: drummer of Lich King. I introduced myself and he happily spent some time with Chen and me. Sharing road experiences, talking about my kids, accepting my compliments and of course, thanking me for the time and money we had put in to being at the show. This sort of respect and community is so special in the Metal underground, I can’t ever say enough about it. It hardly stopped here though. I am thrilled to inform you that I got to meet ALL of Lich King over the course of the show, either at the Merch table or side by side on the floor, and every one of them was cool, kind and appreciative.
Reducer started the whole thing off with a bang. I always give the first band a little extra credit for having to warm up a cold room, that’s normally short on attendee’s. This scene we wandered into that night didn’t suffer from this problem nearly as much as I’ve experienced in the past. For one, the turnout was very nice, even this early in the night. A good amount of headbangers were like Chen and I, and got there early to take in all the bands. As such, Reducer was greeted warmly and took it from there. They opened with a pounding instrumental that kicked the room into high gear almost instantly. If I counted correctly they followed up with three more songs with vocals, all very tight in delivery. What can say about Reducer? They were heavy, that’s for sure. Like many bands of the new Thrash movement they are more Exodus than Metallica in sound. By that I mean, heavy as opposed to melodic, particularly in regard to their vocal style. Their particular singer was not exactly my cup of tea, but I feel I was in the minority in the room. The crowd seemed to eat them up. As they were from the area, many in attendance were familiar with their material and by the time they were finished, the vibe was in full swing.
Up next was Wisconsin’s Thrash monstrosity Toxic Ruin, supporting their new album “Nightmare Eclipse.” These guys were new to me, and I’m going to level with you: They were intense. Toxic Ruin took the stage and absolutely owned it. Savage, fast and technical they had the crowd in the palm of their hands from the first note. My first thoughts on how to describe their style is reminiscent of Children of Bodom, sans the keyboards. They have a similiar brand of high speed, aggressive delivery. Toxic Ruin impressed me thoroughly. Following their set I decided I needed a deeper look, and made my way over to the Merch table. There I was fortunate enough to meet Bass Player and Vocalist Stephen Behrendt. We talked about their set and sound. I picked up the new album, and Stephen was kind enough to sign it for me. He then asked me to wait, while he rounded up the rest of the band to do the same. Again, these bands really know how to treat their fans.
Third in the onslaught, was my Cleveland boys, Death Metal demons: Mutilation Barbeque. To the casual observer, you might dismiss these gentlemen as mere kids. They are young to be sure, their drummer having only recently turned 18. Yet, it is said that age is just a number, and never more so in Heavy Metal. Death Angel was playing at 14, and Judas Priest is still going strong as Halford pushes into his 70’s. So any illusion that these were, just kids, would be folly to begin with. But if you were to cling to that judgment, it would dissolve the second Chris Maggot put the mic to his lips. This guy might weigh about as much as my right leg, but he has the voice of 50 story tall Japanese Kaiju: A pure monster. If you are a fan of Death Metal, that is every bit the unholy offspring of Cannibal Corpse, Obituary and Death, then Mutilation Barbeque it exactly what you need in your ears. I have to throw these dudes one extra shout out for pulling off a legit Wall of Death in a club as wide as my living room. As underground shows go, moments like these are what it’s all about. (Follow up note: I have since learned that Chris broke two toes in that W.O.D. Did I forget to mention he joined his fans in the pit for that?)
Following Muti-BBQ was Throne from Jackson, MI. Picking up where the prior act left off, they brought another Death Metal onslaught to the stage. While M.B. has a much more American style, Throne categorizes themselves as Blackened Death and there music reflects that. I definitely felt the European influences here. While they lack the pageantry and atmospheric qualities of Behemoth, their sound is just as strong. Aggressive riffs, blast beats and vocal swings from guttural death to black metal screeches: Throne is a very solid act and the crowd in Parts and Labor couldn’t get enough.
After Throne came the moment I had been waiting for, Lich King was plugging in. Being an obnoxious ass, I made my way immediately to the corner of the stage and began heckling the band to play “Predator.” (They didn’t. Brian said they wouldn’t. I had to try.) Anyways, they opened with (*deep breath) “The Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast,” and with that fury, took off into an absolutely blistering set. While they failed to play my three favorite songs, they still unapologetically savaged their available time slot. What followed for me was mostly a blur of headbanging and trying to out scream the band. I had my beer knocked from my hand by the second song, sending it shattering to the floor. I was too enthralled in the moment to even care. For me the set was highlighted by “In the End, Devastation,” my fourth favorite track overall. At some point a rogue mosher flew loose of the circle pit, colliding with me and sending me sailing; taking out a mic stand. Another visceral memory I have is front man Zack Smith grabbing me firmly by the vest and screaming his vocals into my face. The whole set climaxed with Smith scaling the bar and leading the crowd in a chorus of “Murder in the circle pit!” from their classic track “Combat Mosh.” The whole set was over in a blink of Thrash-tastic joy. Pure, Heavy Metal, elation. It is glorious moments like these that have always made live music such an important facet of my life.
Plague Years closed out the show to thunderous roars. This rising star in the underground originated from the Detroit area. The word floating around the club was it had been more than two years since their last hometown show, and boy did it show. The crowd was electrified to see their triumphant heroes return from a long absence, and the band matched that energy in kind. I had never seen Plague Years before and had heard only a few tracks prior to this night. What I saw on the stage impressed me completely and convinced me of their quality. Dark, menacing and strong, Plague Years are truly a force to be reckoned with. With hints of Crowbar, Lamb of God and early Cavalera era Sepultura, they are every bit the poisoned spear point of this new wave of American Thrash. Since then I have listened to their album “Circle of Darkness” and I highly recommend you do the same, it is worth it.
So what can I say about my experience at Part and Labor on March 26th, 2022? A lot apparently; and yet I feel like I have somehow done the whole experience a disservice. I suppose it’s because I’ve more or less left out the most important aspect: The crowd. These people were incredible. As you know, I’m a Cleveland boy, and we have a great scene. My experiences in Detroit in the past have always been larger shows in much bigger venues. A show at an arena, or a franchise venue, is like a Big Mac: the experience is largely the same, wherever you go. A show like I attended this weekend was unique. It wasn’t a production put on by promoters with staffing in the dozens. This was DIY, word of mouth, old school underground Metal. We were outsiders, and the local metalheads welcomed us with open arms. I was fortunate enough to talk to a lot of the people in the crowd, and they were… well, just cool. They thought it was great we made the trip for the gig. We swapped stories and talked bands. I met a young woman named Summer, who had drove almost as far as we had, from some place north of Detroit. I watched her get absolutely steamrolled by a guy, and sent flying into the bar. She hit the floor like a bag of rocks and I certain she would be leaving on a stretcher. I was wrong. Little Miss Summer popped up like a spring, grinning from ear to ear. There is no way to describe it other than, Metal as Fuck. Another she-wolf I encountered was a lady named Hannah. I first noticed her because of her “Creeping Death” T-shirt. Her male companion (His name slips my mind. I blame the Coors.) was rocking a shirt from FTA Open Air, and so between the two, I had to pick their brains. (I’m a sucker for festival stories, what can I say?) They also were very nice, and a pleasure to speak with. Their openness is not the reason I bring them up though. They make their way into the narrative because I have to say, Miss Hannah may be one of the most hardcore chicks I’ve ever met. This girl was the boss of that pit, undisputed. Every band, damn near every song, she was in there. Tossing men twice her side with absolute disregard for physics or accepted laws of momentum. After the show ended, I told her “You own this pit. Never give it back.” Now, I don’t even know what that means, but I meant it. It’s worth mentioning, Hannah and Summer weren’t alone. This scene we stumbled into had a surprising and refreshing amount of women present. In a community that is so often male dominated, it is really great to see the ladies of our scene coming out and taking their rightful place on the floor.
I have been to a lot of concerts over the decades. From my first show in ’94, all the way to the eve of my 42nd birthday, I have seen a lot of bands. I’ve bought a lot of merch, been tossed around many a mosh pit and built a lot of incredible memories. I’ve seen first tours and farewell shows. When it comes to live music, I’ve done most of what is achievable from a fan perspective. Obviously, there are few people who can claim to have been at Ruthie’s in The Bay, to witness Thrash Metal’s birth. I feel like that spirit was there with us Saturday night. I’ve seen the Big Four. I’ve seen phenomenal two hour sets, with full stage arrays and pyro. Don’t get me wrong, those acts earned their place and their shows are worth the price of admission...
That being said: I have rarely had a night so incredibly complete and passionate as I got for 12 bucks at Parts and Labor. Six great bands, giving it their all: performing their art with passion and excitement, for a room of devoted fans, ready to celebrate. That’s what it was really: A celebration. It was a family reunion. After years separated we were throwing an absolute rager of a party, in our own honor. It was Metal for Metal’s sake, and it was beautiful. Yes, I checked a box on my mental Metal to do list: I have finally seen the mighty Lich King, but I gained so much more. I have discovered five other bands of incredible power. I have found a club that is open and supportive of my community. I met people that renewed the strength of belief in this family. Thank you to Parts and Labor. Thank you to Plague Years, Lich King, Throne, Mutilation Barbeque, Toxic Ruin and Reducer. And thank you Metal Heads of Detroit. You all gave this old Thrasher one hell of a birthday party. I woke up on March 27th, very sore and hungover; feeling every bit of 42… but for one night, thanks to all of you, I was a fucking kid again watching Headbangers Ball.
Find these bands. Buy their merch. Spread their music.
Support local music. Every Metal God had a first tour. Every headliner was once someone’s opener.
-Z.M. Delgado
March 28th, 2022
Hhtps://ffm.bio/plagueyears lichkingmetal.com thronemetal.bandcamp.com
mutilationbarbecue.bandcamp.com toxicruin.bandcamp.com reducerband@gmail.com
