Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Volume #100: Crowbar, Primitive Man, Body Box and Fistula

September 29th, 2023

Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

Good evening my friends. I am pleased and humbled to welcome you to the 100th installment of the Rustbelt Rock Review. This edition also marks the official launch of the new website Rustbeltrockreview.com, of which I am extremely proud. I want to take a moment to thank my friend and cohort, Mr. Chen Killingsworth, for all his hard work and dedication helping bring this event to fruition. Without his assistance, none of what I do would be possible. All that being said, I do believe we have a show to discuss. This week I am happy to report I got to see one of my all time favorite bands, from New Orleans, Louisiana, the mighty Crowbar! (Fun Fact: Crowbar was also the subject of the very first RbRR!) With them in support they brought with them Primitive Man, Body Box and Fistula. Chen picked me up around 6:30 and we headed west toward the Grog Shop with all haste. Arriving shortly after doors we entered a room that was already beginning to fill up. We perused the merch and hung around taking in the scene. I ran into my friend Mr. James Fedor aka The Dook from Roxxxstarradio. (It’s and awesome free music streaming app that you should download right away.) We shot the shit for a while and discussed upcoming projects. Shortly after that I bumped into Ethan and Josh from Ignominious as well as Greg and Jonah of Atomic Witch. With a band of Crowbar’s caliber performing it was no surprise that so many of the scene’s heavy hitters were in attendance. We socialized and worked on catching a buzz as we watched the clock. Soon enough 8 o’clock struck and soon after the music began.

There was a very nice sized early crowd in place as the first band took to the stage. Kicking things off was Fistula. This is a four piece, female fronted, band consisting of Guitar, Bass, Drums and a Vocalist. They play a slow, dirty sludge style that was as equally heavy as it was abrasive. Without any introduction, they opened up slow and hard; their riffs chugging along at glacial speeds. The vocal attack was extremely harsh and raspy and was delivered in an aggressive ranting cadence. In a typically Sludgy style they would crawl along at a snails pace then slam down on the accelerator. The tempo would pick up for a time, before hitting the brakes and knocking us back into the utter slowness of it all. I noticed a lot of headbanging and felt like Fistula garnered strong applause from the fans. I think it was their fourth song when some light intermittent moshing turned into a big wild pit for a time. Their fifth song started out fast and nasty. It was a mess of distortion and shouts of rage. Here I noted that their singer had solid stage presence. She headbanged and rocked out, wild eyed and with her teeth bared like an untamed predator. It was a fiery performance that got a lot love from the crowd… and then it was over. They finished their last song and just ended the set. No goodnight. No thanks for coming. Nothing. They just closed out their final track and started off loading their gear. It was kind of strange. They never introduced themselves or shared any kind of stage banter. They just got up, played and left. I don’t know that any of that is relevant, but it definitely had me scratching my head. Anyway, Fistula was pretty good. I am a big fan of Eyehategod, and that is the band I would most compare them to. If you like EHG or Sludge bands like them, I would say check out Fistula, they may be right up your alley.

Second on the evening agenda was Body Box. This is a three man outfit made up of Guitar, Drums and a Vocalist. I would categorize them as some sort of Death Metal, though I’m not going to delve into which specific subgenre they may or may not fit into. Suffice to say they opened up extremely heavy and extremely energetic. Their singer utilized deep guttural vocals that rattled the room. His stage presence was off the charts as he moved continuously about the stage, headbanging all the while. Early in the set I noted that they had some pretty good Guitar work going on. The sound was very full, and I assume the Guitarist was using some sort of split line to fatten up the sound in the absence of a Bassist. I could be wrong about that, either way he had a great tone. The crowd apparently agreed and a Moshpit quickly formed. As a prelude to their second song they had a sample of what sounded like some sort of NASCAR commentator. I don’t know what it was all about, or why they chose it, but that’s the bands prerogative I suppose. The moshing continued, frenzied and unabated throughout the set. By their fifth song they had worked the crowd up sufficiently to cause a Wall of Death to erupt. I witnessed a lot of bullshit Karate in the Pit as well; Kids doing high kicks and swinging closed fists. I even saw one dude doing cartwheels. I don’t like that sort of shit. I am always convinced I am about to get clocked in the face by some jackass, who thinks he looks cool punching the air. But I digress… Body Box’s final song was a killer. With a nasty ass riff and some pounding kick drum they drove the fans crazy. The tempo was off the charts and one more wild pit erupted. Body Box left the stage to strong applause. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really dig it... but I have to admit, the fans seemed to eat it up with gusto. They had a sort of strange redneck vibe to their set. Their stage banter was a weird blend of Metal pep talk and trailer park boys-esc hi-jinks. I couldn’t figure out if they were legitimately a group of good old boys gone Metal, or if they were just drunk and screwing around. Either way, the fans did seem to love it, and while they weren’t necessarily for me, I have to admit they put on a good show.

Third on the evening agenda was Primitive Man. Here we go another three person act, this one built from Guitar/Vox, Bass and Drums. They also had a pair of boxes on stage that were littered with knobs and wires. I think they were some sort of effects processors, and I wasn’t exactly sure what they were for. They took to the stage cast only in red lights, and began with loads of distortion. The music started slow and heavy. The singer roared in a deep resonant growl. A pit started up and almost immediately some sort of altercation broke out. There was a tussle and two dudes went down to the floor. There was a scrum and quickly the two men were separated. There was a good amount of pushing and finger pointing, but a few moments later the two men shook hands and apparently all was forgiven. With that battle at an end, I was able to return my attention to the show. Initially I was really feeling it. Primitive Man has a slow a Sludgy style, with rage filled monstrous vocals. As the first two songs played out I banged my head along with the rest of the crowd, taking in all that Primitive Man was putting out. I made a note that the Bassist had excellent stage presence, headbanging hard along with the sloth like music. Their third song picked up the pace a bit. It’s not that they were playing fast by any means, it simply seemed fast in contrast to their normal speed. This was around the point when things went off the rails for me. I believe it was between the third and fourth songs when Primitive Man started playing with their effects processors. Here we entered into a long period of noise and distortion with no other music playing. They twisted knobs and messed around with their equipment making… sounds. Not music mind you. Mostly just static and feedback and well… noise. And like I said it went on for a long time. It stretched out into many minutes; so long that I took about a page and half of notes about being bored and frustrated. It completely killed the momentum of the set and more or less put the crowd to sleep. All across the room I saw people talking, looking around and playing on their phones. Very few people seemed to be paying attention to the set any longer. Eventually a series of slow drum hits began and we eased our way into an actual song, that ended up being their closer. They received what I would call “polite applause” as they left the stage. So what did I ultimately think about Primitive Man? Their songs were long, which is something I normally enjoy, but after a while they started to drag. I felt like I was watching one long track play out for the entirety of the set. While their sound was good there wasn’t enough diversity in the song writing to keep me interested. They utilized a lot of distortion and noise and with the slow pace of their music, it was hard to tell when one song ended and the next began. All of that would have been salvageable, if not for the unfortunate noise portion of the set. I don’t know what the band was going for there, and as I said before, it killed their momentum. Primitive Man has a good sound, but their use of their time left something to be desired.

With the opening acts now behind us, it was time for the main event. Sludge Metal legends, Crowbar, were taking to the stage. This band is made up of Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. This tour marked the 30th anniversary of the release of their self titled album, and as such, they had promised to hit the album extra hard in the setlist. The crowd was buzzing in anticipation as the band set up. A roar of applause surged through he room as frontman and band founder, Kirk Windstein, stepped up to check his gear. Soon enough all four members had assembled and the set began. Opening with “Conquering” Crowbar set the room ablaze with pure power and authority. Their music expertly slides from the most brutal of heaviness to absolutely gorgeous melodies. Seamlessly flowing from one portion to the next, the songs are pure Sludge perfection. “High Rate Extinction” came next followed by “Negative Pollution.” The crowd surged forward as fans battled for position before the stage. It was a pile of bodies, fighting to watch the show and simultaneously avoid being swept off their feet. I found it increasingly difficult to make any notes as the shoving down in front ran rampant. “I Feel the Burning Sun,” “Chemical Godz,” and “To Build a Mountain” ran by in quick succession and the energy in the room continued to grow. On “Cemetery Angels” a wild pit broke out that sent the room into madness. Next I got a treat as they played my favorite cut from the new album, “It’s Always Worth the Gain.” I love this song and it’s incredible drum work. On the record it has a very improvised feel, and I was happy to see how visceral it was when translated onto the stage. The moshing continued on into “Fixation” and when Kirk roared “You won’t… You won’t break me,” the crowd echoed it in kind. “Bleeding From Every Hole” gave the moshers no time for a breather and the ferocity on the floor never slackened. The room shook through the cataclysmic breakdowns of “All I Had I Gave.” Next Crowbar laid out what may be their best and most beloved song, “Planets Collide.” The room was filled with raised voices as the crowd sang along to every word. When the song reached it’s climax and Kirk wailed “Now watch the planets collide” it was as epic of a moment as any Metal fan could ask for. The crowd began to chant “Crowbar! Crowbar!” in appreciation. Proclaiming it to be their last song, they broke out “Broken Glass” and sent the room into fits of passionate violence. Obviously not finished, the crowd screamed until Kirk was satisfied and only then did they break out one final offering: “Existence in Punishment.” Saying goodnight, Crowbar left the stage to thunderous applause. The room howled in the pure elation that one can only feel after an amazing Metal set. Once again Crowbar had done it. They had showed up and completely kicked my ass. From the first note to the last echo from the amps, they were phenomenal. Playing their own beautiful brand of Sludge Metal they are the epitome of the expression “Slower is heavier.” I have seen them before, and I will see them again. Crowbar is a band that I never miss, and with good reason. They are one of the most respected and influential bands in their genre and quite simply put, they rock. With a huge back catalog to choose from and a live show that can always deliver, Crowbar is without a doubt one of the best in the business.

With the show at a close, Chen and I said our goodbyes, headed out and began our trek back into the east. The ride home flew by as we discussed the night with all it’s ups and downs. While at times the opening acts may have left something to be desired, it was still cool just to be out in the scene and watching live music. Put aside the support acts and you still have Crowbar, and that’s all I will ever need to have one hell of a night. Over the course of their 14 song set, Crowbar made me forget all my complaints and allowed me bang my head without reservation. They came into the Grog Shop and threw down, showing the Cleveland Metalheads how they do it down in NOLA. With that I think I will bring this issue to a close. Once again I want to thank you for reading. From RbRR #1 to #100 you have been here with me. I hope you have enjoyed this journey as much as I have. If not, too bad, because I’m just getting started.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt!

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

9/30-10/1/2023

Links:

Crowbar

www.crowbarnola.com

Primitive Man

www.primitivemandoom.com

Body Box

https://bodybox.bandcamp.com