Vol. #103: Exciter, Whitespade, Wraith, Spike Pit
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Rustbeltrockreview.com
Volume #103: Exciter, Whitespade, Wraith, Spike Pit
October 14, 2023
No Class 11213 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102
Good evening my friends and welcome back tot he Rustbelt Rock Review. This past weekend I got to check out a serious banger of a show. It was a SOLD OUT event, hosted by No Class and featuring some incredible talent. Headlined by none other than Speed Metal legends, Exciter; the bill also boasted a performance by Cleveland’s Whitespade, Indiana’s Black Speed power house Wraith and local Crossover monstrosities Spike Pit. With a bill like that I had high hopes going in, but as always we had to wait for it all to shake out. I was flying solo early on, arriving at the club about a half hour before doors opened. Almost immediately I ran into the boys from Wraith and we shot the shit for a while. We discussed their current five date run with Exciter, as well as their upcoming album progress. (Keep your ears open next summer for that beast!) I also bumped into Vic Stown (Guitar/Vindicator) as well as Jake and Tyler from Necroprophecy and Jesse and Louis of Wyld Timez. Soon enough my friend and frequent accomplice, The Swamp Donkey (Bass/Vandalizard) arrived and my solo act became a duo for the remainder of the night. While the Donkey and I were chilling out with our Vape Pens we encountered a man dressed in full MIDNIGHT regalia; we’re talking black mask, leather jacket, bullet belt and steel chains… the whole deal. We found out that he is a die hard MIDNIGHT fan who traveled all the way from Milwaukee to see the Whitespade set. Now that, my friends, is some serious fan-hood if I have ever seen it. It was during this early waiting period that I observed they had set up Exciter’s gear ahead of time. Their drum kit and amps were already on the stage and draped beneath a black drop cloth. This I was sure would leave little space for the opening acts to utilize for their own gear and subsequent performances. I was certainly interested to see how the bands would react to this space shortage. Well, I was about to find out. The clock on the wall struck the appointed hour and the lights dropped accordingly. The show was beginning and our first offering of the evening was ready to Rock.
Spike Pit
Starting things off was Spike Pit. This is a four man act, made up of Bass, Guitar, Drums and a Vocalist. They took to the stage, well, three of them did. The band stood upon the stage while their singer, stood on the floor among the fans. The room was already packed, even before the first notes had been struck. As such, the fans were crowded around close when the music began. Spike Pit opened up fast and nasty. Their vocalist’s voice was rough and savage. They have an aggressive Punk/Thrash Crossover sound that nothing short of “in your face.” Their second song, which had a great riff, saw the genesis of the nights first Moshpit; led by the boys from Necroprophecy. The third track started off slower and more melodic, but then broke open with terrible force. It was very Thrashy and had some nice lead licks that really spiced up the main riff. This song also had a brief, but very nice, guitar solo and at this point I noted simply: “This band lives up to it’s name!” The crowd was really feeling it, that much was apparent, as the motion down in front continued. Swamp Donkey and I moved to a set of steps in the rear of the room, and from their peak, I had a birds eye view of the action. I got confused about the track count but I suppose that doesn’t matter. What I can say for certain is their was loads of energy in the room. My notes read: “Spike Pit is pure aggression. Like a violent storm of noise; Ripping and raging.” Their final song was pure Thrashing Rock n’ Roll containing a vile edge. With a fantastic riff and another great solo, Spike Pit closed out their set with fury. By the consistent amount of Moshing, dancing and headbanging I saw down in front I can definitively proclaim that Spike Pit rocked No Class Saturday night. For their time, they held the room in the palms of their hands and pummeled listeners mercilessly. If you are a fan of Crossover Thrash or are just looking for something to pin your ears back to, then I would recommend Spike Pit. They are definitely worth a listen.
Wraith
Next on the agenda was a band that surely needs no introduction to my regular readers. I believe this is Wraith’s fourth time gracing the Review and I am glad to have them back. For those of you who have not read those prior issues, here are the stats: Wraith is a four man Black Speed Metal band from Indiana. They are made up of Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They are currently touring the US in support of their fantastic album “Undo the Chains,” and as I said earlier, they have another in the works. They packed themselves onto the shortened stage, and without much preamble, blasted into the set. Playing with pure fire, they erupted into the song “Dominator.” Following that with “Gatemaster,” the crowd chanting the chorus along with the band. With no room to move on stage I was amazed by how much energy Wraith still exuded as they played. On their third track, the Pit started up again and on their fourth, “Heed the Warning,” the first crowd surfer of the night took to the sky. Soon after a circle pit opened up. The crowd chanted “Ay! Ay! Ay!” to the tempo of “War of Aggression” as the band astounded us all with their shredding solos. Next they broke out a song that 100% lives up to it’s name: “Absolute Power.” The crowd was losing it’s minds as they fired up my personal favorite, “Cloaked in Black.” The drums hammered, the Pit continued to rage and the crowd roared in approval. Closing out the set with “Devil’s Hour” Wraith handed out one last dose of fantastically angry, devastating Heavy Metal. The room burst with gratitude. From the front to the back, fans screamed their throats raw in appreciation of the fire set. Once again Wraith had come into Cleveland and ripped our world down without mercy and we thanked them for it. Without a doubt one of our regions most impressive live acts, Cleveland is fortunate that Wraith has made us a priority stop on their tour rotation. I have seen them before, and I will see them again. I highly suggest you do the same. Wraith is worth the price of admission each and every time.
Whitespade
Third on the evening’s bill was pretty rad addition to the line up. Performing live in Cleveland for the first time, it was Whitespade. This band, the alter ego of MIDNIGHT, is in it’s essence, a Motorhead tribute group. However, rather than do covers, they perform all original songs in the Motorhead style. They are a three piece act made up of Bass/Vocals, Guitar and Drums. They took to the stage wearing black masks, lending a mysterious mystique to the band. With a pure electric jolt they launched into the lead track from their album: “Thundercharge.” From here I am fairly certain that they played through the entire album in order, but I could be wrong. What I do know for certain is the crowd was packed in tight; fists pumping, heads banging, simply Rocking out with glee. When they hit “Wired in Red,” more crowd surfers emerged, flying the friendly skies above No Class. This song has nice guitar work and along with it came some light moshing down in front. Maybe, moshing is to strong of a word. Perhaps good-natured jostling would better describe it. Whatever we want to call it, the crowd was definitely Rockin’ and the energy was running rampant. On “Fast Lane to Nowhere” the fans began clapping along with the beat. Here I noted what an excellent Bass tone the band was working with. It was that classic sound that we always got from Motorhead, recreated to perfection. The Bassist’s play held no slack, as he flawlessly navigated his fingers up and down the neck. That light moshing and crowd surfing continued through “On the Loose,” “The Strangler” and “I’m the One to Blame.” I particularly enjoyed “No Limits” which has a slower cadence and a wickedly smooth Bass line. Their closing song, “Leatherbound Glory” came with shredding speed. My notes read, “The Bass hums while the rhythm pounds... the riff tantalizes and the club moves.” This song packed in a wicked Bass run and a vicious guitar solo. They finished it up with the outro to Motorhead’s “Overkill,” which put a nice capstone on the set. Whitespade had thoroughly spanked the crowd of No Class. With speed and precision they seemed to channel the spirit of Lemmy from beyond the grave and summoned his legendary energy for us all to partake in. There is and can only be one Motorhead. However, in their absence it is refreshing to me that there is a band like Whitespade out here carrying the torch and making sure the legacy lives on. Suffice to say, if you love Motorhead as much as I do, then check out Whitespade to hear what the next generation can create.
Exciter
Finally we reached our headlining performers: Exciter. In from Canada, this legendary Speed Metal band is on the road in celebration of the 40 year anniversary of the “Heavy Metal Maniac” album. The three piece is built from Drums/Vocals, Guitar and Bass. I loved the fact that the drummer, Dan Beehler, takes the lead vocal duties on. It’s a cool dynamic that you don’t see very often and I was stoked to watch it go down. Opening with “Stand Up and Fight” they broke into some ripping classic Speed Metal. I really liked Allan James Johnson’s Bass tone, as well as the Guitar work of Daniel Dekay. Immediately the crowd started moving and another crowd surfer took to the air. Breaking into “Heavy Metal Maniac” they had the crowd singing along. I saw a stage diver leap into the fray, and wasn’t surprised when I realized it was Jake from Necroprophecy. Having the entire stage to work with did Exciter well. They made full use of the space and exhibited excellent stage presence. This was very apparent on “Iron Dogs” as the Guitarist rocked out hard. “Die in the Night” had a great beat and a killer riff to boot. The song came hard and fast and the crowd began losing their minds accordingly.
Exciter
“Evil Sinner” had a beat that was simply contagious, summoning more crowd surfers and inspiring a mosh pit to form. The epic “Black Witch” started out slow and melodic, then broke like a dam bursting with hammering Drums and throbbing Bass. The moshing continued through “Feel the Knife” and “Rising of the Dead.” On “Pounding Metal” the crowd began to chant “Ay! Ay! Ay!” in time with the music. Here we got a nasty Guitar solo by Daniel Dekay. The crowd shouted in appreciation as the master shredded through his impressive exhibition of skill. Following the solo, Exciter let loose “Beyond the Gates of Doom.” Here the Pit opened up with fury and we saw the violence down in front reach a new pinnacle of intensity. I detected the unmistakable aroma of burning reefer as “Violence and Force” came pouring down from the stage. Here my notes read only “Exciter is the real deal.” Closing out the set they busted out “Long Live the Loud,” which in short is a total ripper. The crowd absolutely screamed themselves hoarse as the song came to a close… and then the room went black. We were left in the darkness to wait in dire anticipation. Soon enough the stage lights came back on and Exciter treated us to one final assault. In true Speed Metal fashion they chose to end the set with a cover by the masters: Motorhead’s “Iron Fist.” The crowd dredged up enough energy to throw down one last time; going ballistic for the time honored track. Here Daniel Dekay did a stage dive himself, launching himself over the crowd. He was bounced around a bit before being returned to the stage to finish the song. “Iron Fist” wound down, and just like that the set was at an end. The fans howled with passion as Exciter said goodnight. The lights came up and the crowd began to disperse.
With the show at a close I headed out and made my way through the chilly October air. I hopped in my car, turned on the Whitespade album and headed home. Wow! What a show! It is not often enough that I get to see such a stacked bill. Each band was excellent in their own right. Spike Pit was intense. I loved their aggression as well as the way their Vocalist performed down on the floor among the fans. Wraith was a true beast, as always. Their Black Speed barrage is among the best in the genre and their live intensity is not to be missed. Whitespade truly kicked ass. From their romping cadence to their plucky Bass tone, they are a fitting tribute to the undisputed kings of the genre. Finally Exciter was simply fantastic. They are legends of Speed Metal and rightly so. The forty years of “Heavy Metal Maniac” tour has proved to me once again that age is just a number, especially in Heavy Metal. Exciter may be on a four decade run, but their play is a fast and driving as any band I have ever seen, regardless of age. What Exciter brought to the table was experience and veteran prowess. With that they performed an unforgettable set to a sold out house, and rocked it without question. All in all it was an evening that will stick out in my mind for some time. With that thought I will bring this edition of the Rustbelt Rock Review to a close. As always, wear your ear plugs and thank you for reading.
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
Rustbeltrockreview.com
Exciter
Instagram/X: @exciterband
https://dragonproductions.eu/artist/exciter/
Whitespade
Instagram/X: @midnightviolaters
https://midnight-ohio.bandcamp.com/album/whitespade
Wraith
Instagram/X: @wraiththrash
https://wraith219.bandcamp.com/music
Spike Pit
https://spikepit.bandcamp.com/
