Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #122: Shotgun Bowl II feat: Olathia, Rip Ryde, Idol Throne, Wyld Timez, Destructor, Punching Moses, Wrath Icon and Dyspläcer

February 4th 2024

Beachland Ballroom and Tavern 15711 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, OH 44110

Hello, my friends. Welcome back to the Rustbelt Rock Review. Today I have something special for you. I am fresh off of my visit to one of the most talked about events in the local scene this season: Shotgun Bowl II. This mini festival was a matinee scheduled to run from 1 pm (doors), until shortly after 7pm. With 8 bands on the bill it was a lot of Heavy Metal packed into not a whole lot of time. This meant fans had to be on their toes, shuffling from Tavern to Ballroom and back again, to make sure they didn’t miss a note. This was no problem, as there was a five minute break between sets, which was enough to avoid a frantic stampede.

With me on this venture was my cohort: Chen Killingsworth. He picked me up sometime after noon and we hit the road with all haste. We arrived at just about 1pm on the nose, checked in at the door, got our complimentary Shotgun Bowl II CD’s and made our way in and around. We bumped into Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. As usual he was cruising the Scene talking to musicians and scouting the talent for new additions to the radio station. I ran into a lot of the usual faces in the crowd. Shotgun Bowl has become a really big deal in the Scene and it seemed everyone was there to celebrate. As we mingled we met with three of the four Bessemer Saints. We talked about my recent review of their album “This is BS Too” and it’s upcoming Release Party (March 2nd/Maple Grove Tavern). I also came across Nick Lewis of Galactic Reptile, who set me up with a copy of their newest EP, “Conjure.” Which I have to say was pretty cool of him. Anyway, we made the rounds and before we knew it 1:45 was upon us and the first band was set to play. Our M.C. for the evening, Jay Stone, got on the mic and hyped the crowd for the beginning of the event. Then he proceeded to introduce the first band and just like that Shotgun Bowl II was off and running.

Opening up the show was a band we discussed back in RbRR #104: Dyspläcer. This is a five man act out of Rochester, New York. They are made up of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. They have a style that they call “Kung-Fu Metal,” which is essentially Traditional Heavy Metal with a Martial Arts sort of theme. The band took to the stage adorned in Japanese characters and images of the “Rising Sun.” They fired off immediately with an enormous bang. Great riffs and epic song structures, searing solos and an enormous vocal range were the main hallmarks of their style. While their music was excellent, it was their over the top stage energy that was most impressive. Led by their electric frontman, the entire band seemed to be constantly in motion. Their singer left the stage and ran throughout the room interacting with fans as he sang. He head banged, jumped and climbed the speakers all while never missing a note. The rest of the band followed suit and you would frequently see the Guitarists and Bassist engaged in synchronized headbanging and tandem swinging of their Guitar necks. With a killer sound and truly impressive stage presence Dyspläcer wowed the crowd in the Tavern and won over seemingly everyone in the room. For the remainder of the day the question most frequently asked was “Holy shit, did you see Dyspläcer?!” And rightly so. They put on an absolutely killer set and opened up the show in fantastic fashion. I would have loved to have seen what they could have done with the space available on the main stage. You can catch Dyspläcer live at the Maple Grove Tavern on March 15th.

Heading over to the Ballroom, it was time for Wrath Icon. This is a five man outfit from Akron built from two Guitars, Bass, Drums and a Vocalist. This act was also featured in RbRR #104, for those of you who were reading along at home. They have a style that walks the line between Thrash and Traditional Metal. The music in hard charging and power packed. With heavy riffs and intricate solo work, they enthralled fans from note one. Their vocal sound is really exceptional; like a blend of Testament and AC/DC. These guys picked up right where Dyspläcer left off and kept vibe rolling along. I can’t type this loudly enough: Wrath Icon kicks ass. Their music is driving and soaked in power. The crowd response perfectly reflected this and it seemed Wrath Icon held us in the palm of their hand for the entirety of their time. They got a really noteworthy crowd response, with a lot of cheers and some synchronized hand clapping. Closing out the set they brought out a spot on cover of Anthrax’s “Antisocial,” which had the whole room singing along. Wrath Icon finished strong and left the stage to enthusiastic and appreciative applause. They had made the most of their time and really impressed me with the strength of their music. They are a band that I will happily check out again and I look forward to their next release. Yet there was little time to reflect on such things as the show must go on and Shotgun Bowl waits for no man. So I spun on my heels and made my way back to the Tavern for our third act of the day.

Next up was Punching Moses. This is a five man group made from a Vocalist, two Guitars, a Bass and Drums. Their style was hard as nails. They had a lot of punk elements with a fast and driving sound. They served up some very coarse Vocals, similar to a band like EYEHATEGOD. Opening up heavy and fast, I immediately made a note about the sheer intensity of their Vocalist. He had a look of derangement on his face as he screamed like a demon. His voice was like a living bullhorn, shouting in a harsh timbre. The guitarists played heavy riffs like jackhammers. Pounding away at their six strings, all while delivering scorching solos left and right. The drum work was a melee of destruction; savage and quick. I think their set can be best summed up by one specific line from my show notes. It reads as follows: “This music is like a meat grinder. It just chews and chews.” Punching Moses was impressive and strong in their presentation. Their vocals were forceful; the music like a chainsaw. The energy they exuded was incredible and palpable in the air. Probably the heaviest band on the bill, Punching Moses plowed through the fans in the Beachland Tavern and earned some hearty applause along the way. We cheered Punching Moses one last time, but it was all the time we had. The exodus had begun and we all turned on our heels and headed back to the Ballroom for the fourth act of the night.

Destructor was next on the hit list. They are a four man old school Thrash act built up from Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They took the stage clad in leather and ready to rip. With forty years of experience under their belts, Destructor knew exactly what to do. With a fast attack, they opened up hard and aggressive. Their music is definitely Thrashy to it’s core, with a big vocal presence over laying it. They served up solo upon blazing solo in song after song. The Bass lines were grooving or galloping; depending on what the song demanded. With thunder and fury Destructor rolled through their set like a wild juggernaut on the loose. A memorable moment emerged when, at the climax of the set, the front man began to saw his mic stand back and forth across the neck of his Guitar. This inspired piece of showmanship was greatly appreciated. The crowd, who seemed to have lost their minds for the duration of Destructor’s set, let loose an extra burst of adrenalin. Headbanging, dancing, and pumping their fists in the air, the fans in the Ballroom were feeling Destructor for sure. The band finished up to thunderous cheers as the fans sent Destructor off like conquering heroes.

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With an 180 degree spin we redirected our attention to the Tavern end of the building. There we would encounter our 5th group of the evening: Wyld Timez. They are a three piece, Black Speed Metal band sewn together from Guitar/Vocals, Bass/Vocals and Drums. They broke into the set with extreme velocity and aggression. Ripping fast, hard and in your face Wyld Timez was nothing short of nasty. The Vocals were bestial in tone and their delivery was constantly shifting from the Guitarist to the Bassist and back again. With the majority of their lyrics being about horror related subjects, we got our daily dose of terror. In addition to speed and horror we also got stellar musicianship. Wyld Timez produced wicked solos throughout the set that really punched up the songs. With the crowd thoroughly fired up, Wyld Timez had heads banging and fists pumping in the air. Fans danced and Rocked out and chanted “AY! AY! AY!” in time with the music. The band closed out their set with not one, but two, G.G. Allen Covers: “Drink, Fight, Fuck” and “Bite it You Scum.” For this the crowd went even wilder than before and Wyld Timez finished up to absolutely mad applause. The fans screamed as Wyld Timez said good night. But there was no time for reflection. Out the door in a flash I was on my way back to the Ballroom for our evenings next offering.

Up next, our 6th band on the bill, was Idol Throne. In from Indiana, this is a 5 piece Metal band born from two Guitars, Bass, Drums and a Vocalist. My opening notes on Idol Throne are short and to the point. They read as follows: Clean Vox. Fast Riffs. High Energy. Nice Bass work. Kind of Thrashy, kind of Heavy Metal. I remember being blown away by this bands intricate play. There were blistering solos delivered by both guitarists. The bass player was good… and I mean really good. I loved the slippery smooth play this dude put forth. The band seemed like a well oiled machine, just pumping out music. There were periods of time when the frontman would leave the stage completely and just let his band play on. They would shred, rip and tear their way through insane compositions. In time the singer would return and amp the crowd up with his incredible stage presence. He was all over the place, from one end of the stage to the other, banging his head all the while. They finished up with their powerful single, “Unholy Warrior” and proceeded to blow the doors off the tavern. Idol Throne absolutely set the Ballroom on fire with their blend of Thrash infused Heavy Metal. The enthusiasm that the band put forth on stage was contagious and it easily spread into the crowd. With their horns in the air the fans sent Idol Throne off with loud applause. They said their goodnight and we were once again on our way back to the Tavern.

Closing out the Tavern stage was Rip Ryde. This is a five man Traditional Heavy Metal band made up of two Guitars, Bass, Vocals and Drums. The first thing I noticed about Rip Ryde was that their Bass player was wearing a Godzilla shirt. This says nothing about their performance, but showing respect for the King of the Monsters will always earn you bonus points in my book. Now as for their music… They opened up their set with charging chords of fierce power which pushed the sound forward in a great wave. Based on the early reactions I could immediately tell that the crowd was feeling it. I noted that the instrumentation was incredible across the board. The Guitarists impressed me with their excellent riff and stunning solos. My notes praise the drummer as well for his unabashed punishment of the kit. The percussion was thunderous and pounded relentlessly. Throughout the entire affair, as Rip Ryde befuddled our minds with their unbelievable playing, the crowd boiled. It seemed to swell against the sides of the stage. Fans crowded in on all sides, packed in tight, all eager for a better look. And they roared. At the conclusion of every song the fans absolutely roared. It was amazing to me the outpouring of support that Rip Ryde received. From their first note up until their final chord the Metalheads packed into the Tavern rocked out for Rip Ryde. The band finished up and said their farewell. With heads banging and fists in the air the crowd sent them off with an appreciative cheer. With Rip Ryde now finished, it was time for our final trip back to the Ballroom.

And at the end of it all we packed into the Beachland Ballroom and waited patiently for Olathia to take the stage. Though to say patiently might be a stretch. The crowd was actually raucous in it’s anticipation of the set to come. Fans were screaming for Olathia before the band even took to the stage. When they finally did the room exploded in cheers. The entire space was electric with excitement. Now, for those of you who do not know, Olathia is a four piece, female fronted powerhouse of an act. They are assembled from Joe/Drums, Terry/Bass, Dylan/Guitar and Chris/Vocals. As this fearsome foursome took their places on the stage, and the crowd howled, there was a palpable power to the moment. All the pieces were in place. The scene was set. Then with a few pulse pounding chords it began. Breaking into “Insatiable” Olathia exploded. Chris mesmerized and hypnotized as she swayed to the music, her voice a siren song. Terry took command with his over the top stage presence. He thrust and hoisted his Bass above his head all while stalking the stage like a tiger. Dylan shredded, his skills on the six string unquestionable. All the while Joe thundered from the rear of the stage, pounding like one of hell’s own blacksmiths. Next came “Who’s The Devil?” which set the room on fire. The fans were nothing short of amped as this song moved toward it’s climax. From behind the kit Joe tore the place down to the foundation with his thunderous play. Olathia’s ultimate party jam, “Shotgun” followed and the vibe in the room went wild. The whole club was dancing, headbanging and singing along to this beloved anthem of the Cleveland Scene. Following that I got a real treat, because Olathia dug into their back catalog and pulled out two classics that I had previously never seen performed. First was “Seven Deadly Sins.” This one ripped plain and simple. It also had a really special moment during the chorus when Chris sang the line, “Show me your hands…” seemingly everyone I could see raised their hands into the air. It was an awesome scene to watch unfold. Following that they broke into one of my all time favorites: “Snake Charmer.” This song killed live and I am so happy that I got to see it go down. The rest of the fans were feeling it as well, as they had their hands clapping and chanted “Hey! Hey!” in time with the music.

Next Olathia attempted the herculean task of covering the legendary “Painkiller” as written by the mighty Judas Priest. Surely this is one of the most beloved and difficult songs in all of Metal history. I watched in awe as Olathia performed it to perfection. The crowd went wild after this most excellent display... but Olathia was far from done. Returning to the new album they tore into “Fight” followed by “The Forest Witch.” Dipping back into the catalog the treated us to “RoToG,” before dazzling us with the epic “Last Breath.” Another cover hit the stage, this time it was “I Wish I had an Angel” originally by Nightwish. This went down really well, and I was particularly impressed but the stellar backing vocals of Terry. Closing out the evening Olathia finished up with their take on Savatage’s “Hall of the Mountain King.” This cover is always a killer and Olathia delivers it with style and fury. With that song the set finally came to a close. The fans exploded in one final outpouring of elation. Olathia took a bow and just like that, Shotgun Bowl II came to a close.

Chen and I said a few quick goodbyes before slinking off into the night. We pointed the car east and headed home. I had a lot to compile after such an epic display of Heavy Metal. Eight bands in five and a half hours is a hell of a lot of music. It had been magnificent! Each band brought their own flavor and unique sound to the stages and over the course of the day we got a diverse and Rockin’ line up. We have Olathia to thank for that. They organized the entire affair and, together with their crew, pulled off what will go down as one of the most fun events of the season. I for one can attest that I had an absolute blast! With that I will bring this edition to a close. Wear your earplugs, hoist your horns and thank you for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

2/5/2024

Links:

Olathia

https://olathia.bandcamp.com/music

https://www.facebook.com/olathiametal/

Rip Ryde

https://ripryde.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Rip-Ryde-100082961943319/