Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #119: Pillärs, The 3rd Pyramid Band, Kill the Hippies & Skwerm

January 6th 2024

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

Good evening my friends and welcome back to the Rustbelt Rock Review. This week I had my first official sortie of 2024 and I have to say it was a good one. On the evening in question I found myself at the Grog Shop on a misty Saturday night. I was flying solo when I arrived on the scene, about fifteen minutes after doors opened. I made my way inside and found myself a nice corner to camp out in with my vape pen. There I sat and rode out the time until the show started. During this time I ran into Mason from Fuzzy Vandelay which was cool. We shot the shit for a bit and before too long 9 o’clock rolled around and it was time for the show to begin. With a very nice sized crowd already in place, I slid up toward the stage and prepared for the music.

First on the evenings agenda was Skwerm. According to their Instagram this band is “NE OH black femme early punk and true 80’s hardcore.” What that means is Skwerm is a power trio comprised entirely of young black women. They are set up like so: Guitar/Vocals, Bass/Vocals and Drums. They opened up with some very cool stuff, that was Rockin’ with some funk smeared across the Bass line. The vocals, delivered by the Guitarist, were harsh and gravelly. The second song was Bass driven, but had some wild guitar riffs to go along with it. It was like listening to trippy, Funk Rock with Sludge Metal vocals. I was really into it, and I’ll tell you I was not alone. The crowd was truly engaged from the get go, and the enthusiasm grew as the set progressed. On their third number we got a change of pace, when we received our first dose of vocals from the Bass player. Her delivery was clean and melodic and honestly quite pretty. It stood in stark contrast to the savage growls of the Guitarist, as the two went back and forth at times. Steadily throughout the song the intensity built. The vocals of the Bassist rose incrementally in sync with the music. Together they peaked and there was a stunning moment of pure Rock N’ Roll magic as the song climaxed. Accordingly, the crowd went wild; screaming with sheer madness at the power of the music. The fourth song was much slower and my notes say it was “almost a ballad.” This song also had some clean vox from the Bass, and started out as a fairly mellow number. All in good time the tempo picked up and that funky Bass line returned to the sound. This had the crowd moving to be sure. All across the room people were dancing or banging their heads along with the rhythm. As they introduced their fifth and final song, entitled “Bitch, buy me some fries,” they warned us that the song was “dare I say… moshable.” Skwerm then broke into a hard and Rockin’ rhythm that was exactly as advertised: moshable. Immediately a pit broke out and those hard, gravelly Vocals returned. Some guy pulled out a can of silly string and began to hose down the moshers. The song ripped along for a time, then slowed to a snails pace, before slamming back into overdrive. The pit followed along as the flailing bodies responded to every note Skwerm produced. They ladies of Skwerm finished strong and the Grog Shop responded in kind. The room absolutely exploded in appreciation and fans screamed their lungs out after seeing what Skwerm had to offer. It had been a wickedly fun set and I for one could not have enjoyed it more. With a sound that I found to be fairly unique and excellent live energy I can say in all honesty the Skwerm is a band I am happy I got the chance to check out.

Around this time I ran into Jake from Necroprophecy. He and I caught up, and discussed some upcoming gigs in the Scene, while we waited for our second band of the night: Kill the Hippies. They are a three piece act constructed of Bass/Vocal, Guitar/Vocal and Drums. They took to the stage and immediately opened up hard and fast with a solid old school Punk sound. The initial vocals were handled by the Bassist. She belted out her lyrics in a high pitch and at high speed reminding me a good bit of the Dead Kennedy’s. On the second song they switched over and had the Guitarist sing the lead. He also used a rapid fire delivery and held his voice at a higher octave. Regardless of which musician was singing, Kill the Hippies displayed some great energy and had the crowd dancing. On the third number a mosh pit formed, sending bodies flying. The silly string returned and the moshers got doused yet again. Strong applause followed each song, one after another… and there were quite a few. In true Punk Rock fashion the songs were short and sweet and came in plenitude. Moshers joined hands and began to spin round and round, like a run away wrecking ball. It was most excellent. Kill the Hippies rolled along and the crowd response never slackened. As each successive song played out, the energy in the room never seemed to die down. The music was strong and the dancing was constant. Over the course of about twelve songs, Kill the Hippies threw down and Rocked the Grog with sufficient force. The crowd response was excellent and consistent for the entirety of the set. For fans of old school punk, Kill the Hippies is a band I would definitely recommend.

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of the RbRR
@ericstevensonart

Up next in the lineup was Columbus, Ohio’s The 3rd Pyramid Band. This is a four member, female fronted, Hard Rock act built from Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. The band opened up with a solid Hard Rock sound. The vocals were clean and delivered with great energy. I was immediately impressed by the stage presence of the singer. She flailed about, rocking back and forth, headbanging and just in general moving to the music. Her constant motion was for sure a spectacle to behold. The first song contained a nice Guitar solo as well, which I greatly appreciated. The crowd response was very positive and by the second song they had the floor moving. People were dancing and headbanging all around the club as some excellent riffs and another slick guitar solo played out. Their third song had some nice tempo changes, starting off slow, then picking up dramatically. Groovy, trippy, dark and moody with an explosive finish is how my notes describe this song. The fourth number in the set had a chugging riff with some serious hard noise behind it. The vocals came with an almost hypnotic cadence. Their fifth song was ominous, slow and soulful. It was really cool the way it would build up to these big breaks, where the song would explode, before slowing down again. By this point I was picking up a near Danzig-esc vibe from The 3rd Pyramid Band and I was loving it. The sixth song in their repertoire had a truly bad ass riff that was both slippery and smooth with some vicious solo action. Their 7th and final track was really cool. It was exceedingly danceable; upbeat and grooving. It built up and up, developing into a rip rocking jam that finished out the set with an abundance of energy. The crowd went wild. With their outstanding musicianship and their vocalists over the top delivery, The 3rd Pyramid Band shook the Grog Shop right down to it’s foundation. If you are a fan of Danzig, or female fronted acts like Witch Mountain, or Bonded by Darkness, I would suggest you check out The 3rd Pyramid Band right away.

At long last, it was time for our headlining performer: Pillärs was taking the stage. This monster is constructed from Guitar/Vocals, Bass and Drums. Their bandcamp page describes them as a “Molotov cocktail of Sludge, Crust and Doom,” which is just about as close as I could come to identifying them. As the saying goes, If you know, you know. In this case, you’ve either heard Pillärs or you have not. If not, then my friend you are missing out... now let me tell you why. Pillärs opened up with their song “Gnar” which is arguably the hardest and fastest track on their album “Failed State.” Immediately a mosh pit formed as the song burst from the speakers like a tidal wave crashing. The play was intense and the vocals simply ROARED the line “This is a War!” at the song’s climax. Next they broke into “War and Plague,” which is one of my favorites. Starting off slow and heavy, then tearing forward at breakneck speed, this song inspired yet another mosh pit. The Bassist exhibited excellent stage presence, rocking and headbanging, his long dreads swirling around him. On “Something’s Wrong” the moshing continued and the Grog Shop became a turbulent sea of violence. My notes here read “Pillärs slams so hard. So passionate.” On their fourth song, Pillärs played us a new one which I believe was titled “Occupation.” This track ripped; raging and roaring, with absolute hammering heaviness. The pit went beyond nuts, as the fans delighted in the power of the new material. Pillärs wasn’t through yet. No, they decided to treat us to yet another new song, this one called “Blood for Blood.” This track packs a slow, grinding opening that leads to a raw eruption of speed and aggression. The “wrecking balls” returned to the pit, spinning in impossibly destructive spirals. They circled the floor, colliding with spectators and each other, sending bodies rocketing in all directions. Up on the stage “No Future” was next on the agenda. The pit continued to rage through it and into the next track, “What is Left?” This is my favorite Pillärs song by far and it is always a pleasure to see it performed. When it’s climax hits it does so with pure force and unparalleled levels emotion. Closing out the night they told us, “I’m sick of cops killing kids! Fuck the police!” They then went on to play, “Will it Ever End?” The moshers went bananas and a huge, wild pit appeared. The crowd screamed in appreciation as Pillärs brought their phenomenal set to a close. Without a doubt they had shaken the earth, rattled the rafters and destroyed every other imaginable cliché I could dream up right now. Their time on the stage was nothing short of an awe inspiring display. Pillärs has the chops to send the room into fits of violence, with the socially conscience lyricism that will have you thinking long after the show. They are exactly the kind of band we need at exactly this time in the world: A band with balls, brains and heart. It is not often you get all three in one package. Check out Pillärs, and their album “Failed State” right away, I promise you will not be disappointed.

And as so often happens, the show came to a close. I said my farewells and headed out to the car. Driving home I thought my many thoughts and came to the conclusion it had been one hell of a night. Skwerm really impressed me. They had a cool unique sound that I dug from the first note. Kill the Hippies was high speed and high energy. They amped up the room and helped catapult the energy to the next level. The 3rd Pyramid Band was killer. I really liked their guitar work and their singer was on hell of a performer. Finally Pillärs brought the house down as only they can. With pure, raw intensity Pillärs proved why they are among the very best live acts in our Scene. Yes, one hell of a night indeed. On that note I will sign off for this week. I want to thank you for reading, remind you to wear you earplugs and wish you a fantastic day. Keep your horns up!

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

1/7-1/8/2024

Links:

Pillärs
https://pillärs.bandcamp.com/album/failed-state
https://www.facebook.com/PillarsOHIO/
https://www.instagram.com/pillars_ohio/

The 3rd PYRAMID band
https://www.thethirdpyramidband.com/
https://www.instagram.com/the3rdpyramidband/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5wlDUZyHqXwnFrV8NRNJQS

Kill The Hippies
https://www.facebook.com/p/Kill-The-Hippies-100041290425573/
https://phoenicianmicrosystems.bandcamp.com/.../kill-the...

Skwerm
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzRdqsVpxYh/