Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #123: Bittersweet Revenge, Inducing Panic, Southbound Beretta & Psycho Plantation

February 10th, 2024

The Asylum at Masonic Temple, 3615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115

Hello friends and welcome back to the Voice of the Underground: The Rustbelt Rock Review. This week I was fortunate enough to check out a new venue and take in some bitchin’ Rock N’ Roll. I arrived at the Temple early and opted to kill some time in the parking lot rather than to head immediately inside. I puffed my pen and listened to the radio while I watched cars steadily arrive. Soon enough 7pm hit and doors officially opened. I headed over to the box office, cleared security and began my search for the stage. I initially went to the main theater, but was run off by security. They directed me to the actual venue, on the second floor, via elevator. Finally finding my way inside I surveyed the scene. Red carpeted floors, with matching drapes, the room had a classy feel. I made my way around, scoped the merch and got caught up in a long, albeit an interesting conversation, with a rambling old man. Soon enough I bumped into my friend and colleague Mr. Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. With him was his buddy Jay who rode out the show with us and for all intents and purposes was a pretty cool guy. We also crossed paths with Eric from Lower 13/Pagan Impaler. We said hello and then kicked back, relaxed and waited for the show to begin.

Eight o’clock struck and the first band of the night took to the stage. Psycho Plantation is a four man group, made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They dove right into their set, heavy and hard. The Vox were coarse, grating and delivered in a scream. The first song had a very chugging rhythm that gave the song a killer edge. Next Psycho Plantation added a guest vocalist, the frontman of Inducing Panic. Together they tore through a song exhibiting excellent stage presence. This track seemed to be a Metal mashup of other songs including “Oh where has my little dog gone” and “Surfin’ Bird.” Their song “We the Bullet” invited a second guest vocalist as well as some audience participation. A call and response of “We the people! We the bullet!” was initiated by the band and taken up by the fans. With a nice guitar solo and a brutal chorus, “We the Bullet” was a crusher. Throughout the remainder of the set Psycho Plantation kept me interested. This was largely due to the animated performance of their frontman. He jumped, stomped and paced showing passion and energy. He even left the stage for a time and moved among the fans. I also enjoyed their Guitar work; their solos were impressive. All in all I have to say Psycho Plantation played a good set and received a great response from the crowd. Strong applause and many cheers were there to greet them as the exited the stage.

Next up was Southbound Beretta. Visiting our fair city from Indianapolis, Indiana they are a four man outfit made up of Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. The Vocal style was primarily clean, with a gritty edge no doubt picked up from miles of road work. They play hard and fast Rock N’ Roll, plain and simple. They came out and opened up with a severely bitchin’ track. It sported some great backing vocals from the Lead Guitarist and Bassist, a sick Bass break and a wicked Guitar solo. Southbound Beretta showed off some nice stage presence as well, which can be hard to achieve when everyone on stage is playing an instrument. They kept it moving though, pacing the stage and headbanging appropriately while never missing a note. The crowd was immediately sucked in. Southbound Beretta continued to roll and they drew us in with each subsequent song. There was something about his band that I loved, but I couldn’t quite place. It finally hit me around their 5th song, that they reminded me of, a much heavier version of, Z.Z. Top. Straight Rock N’ Roll with a slight southern twinge, that’s what I was hearing. On their sixth song they had the crowd waving their hands in the air. On number seven I noted the song was extremely danceable; upbeat, energetic with a fun vibe. They rattled this one off, then transitioned into the time honored “Domination” breakdown by Pantera. Closing out with their eighth track the stage energy reached new peaks. They entire band was moving and grooving. The Bass player left the stage and paced the floor. Then the singer hoisted the Lead Guitarist up in the air and held him there while he played his final solo. It was amazing. Southbound Beretta left the stage to uproarious applause. The fans in the Asylum room seemed to have become quite enamored with them over the course of the set. I for one was impressed. Southbound Beretta came to Rock, that much was clear, and they succeeded completely. They Rocked so damn hard and they Rocked us as they did it. If I had to wager a guess, I would say without a doubt that Southbound Beretta earned quite a few new fans at this gig.

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

We took a brief break and headed outside to burn a doobie. Along the way we bumped into Terry from Bessemer Saints/Olathia. We smoked our joint and returned to the venue with all speed. We didn’t want to miss a moment of the music, as our third act of the night was just getting ready to Rock. Up next was Inducing Panic. This is a three man group made from Guitar/Vocals, Bass and Drums. They opened up with a mellow number, in which the Guitarist played a Ukulele. They ran through this and he stowed the tiny instrument away. They then broke into the next track: hard, fast and with a Punk feel. On the third song they switched gears and went from Punk to some pretty heavy Metal stuff. The vocals switched to a guttural growl and a small moshpit formed briefly. On their fourth song they began to play what we used to call “Loungecore” back in the day. Light strummed guitars, grooving bass and smooth vocals; which was another big change of pace. This was more or less the story of the remainder of the set. They were Punks, they were a Metal band, they were a Lounge act. They were all of these things and all points in between. They switched styles every time they switched songs and it made it kind of hard to get into a proper vibe. Around their sixth song the frontman of Psycho Plantation started going nuts, running around the stage and rushing into the crowd trying to get people riled up. While I applaud his enthusiasm, he did nearly decapitate me when I was looking down at my notebook. In the end I believe Inducing Panic played 11 or 12 songs, of varying styles. From what I could tell, the crowd seemed to like them. I for one found them to be confusing, yet entertaining. After all there is no rule that says a band has to stick to one definitive style. If the creative journey that Inducing Panic takes leads them down many different roads, then I say, more power to them.

And at long last, the men of the hour were heading for the limelight. Bittersweet Revenge was finally taking the stage. I last checked out this band back in RbRR #106, when they opened up at the Mushroomhead Halloween extravaganza. They impressed me then, but in an opening role we got a limited view of what the band has to offer. This time, as the headliner, we would get a much better look at BSR. For those of you who are unaware, Bittersweet Revenge is a five man Hard Rock band forged from Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. (It is also probably worth noting that they were the recipients of the Cleveland Music Awards Best Hard Rock Artist for 2023.) They opened up Hard Rockin’ and with absolutely phenomenal stage presence. The Vocals are clean, with some excellent, gritty screams for emphasis. The crowd was feeling it, right from the get go. Dancing, headbanging and singing along at the tops of their voices; the BSR faithful were in full swing. In absolute party mode they drank and moved to the music as Bittersweet Revenge did their best to cultivate that vibe. Three songs into the set they played my favorite cut from their “Turmoil” EP: “Control.” This song showed their lead Guitarist stepping to the forefront of the stage, shirtless, and soloing. Here I also noted the top notch performance by the Bass player, who is always a blur of activity. He dances and spins on stage while laying down the fattest of fat tones on the low end. Five songs deep into the set they performed a portion of Pink Floyd’s “Hey You.” It is a delightful little teaser that always leaves me itching for more.

Their seventh song was a brand new number titled “Pablo.” This one had a very hard edged opening and was slow and brooding at times. The chorus was good and heavy and it had a big finish. The crowd and myself included really enjoyed it, and it was cool to be there for the debut. Next up they played another one that I love, in which the singer screams defiantly, “I’ll never be sober again!” It’s a banger of a track. For their 9th song, the Last One, the crowd went bananas. All around me people danced and sang. Head banging and rocking out, the crowd was enthralled. I noticed a lot of people filming the set and a number of folks “going live” to share the moment with their social media chums. The song had a big, powerful finish which showed the band reaching new heights as far as their stage presence was concerned. With a huge cheer, Bittersweet Revenge left the stage, only to return a few minutes later to give us… One More Song! No surprise, but a welcome event, BSR reemerged. They passed a bottle of rum around, before addressing the crowd and laying out one final jam. The fans went nutzo and rightly so. The final song was every bit as Rockin’ and raucous as the preceding set had been. Together we danced our way through this final number and then Bittersweet Revenge said goodnight. The fans roared… I tell you they absolutely howled like mad beasts beneath a full moon. I have to say that BSR has one of the most loyal and rowdiest fan bases I have seen. But considering the quality of their music, that is not surprise. Bittersweet Revenge had played an outstanding set and left all who stood watching in awe of their power and passion. They Rocked hard, with authority and passion. Laying it all out there, heart and soul. Memorable performances like these are why we come out to the show in the first place. Bands like Bittersweet Revenge leave ringing in our ears and echos in our very souls.

With the show at a close, we said our good byes and made our way outside to burn a finally doob. Once done we parted ways and headed to our vehicles. I hopped in the ride and turned it east. It had been one hell of a night. Bros, bud and bands makes for a pretty fun little Saturday to be sure. Of course the crux of the thing is the music; which had been stellar. Psycho Plantation opened things up right with a lot of energy. Southbound Beretta was very impressive, both in skill as well as in performance. Inducing Panic was wild. From one song to the next, you never know what you were going to get. And finally Bittersweet Revenge was fantastic. They are a top tier band playing at peak skill. You can see that they are having nearly as much fun as the fans on the floor and the vibe comes across at the show. The end result is a concert that is nothing short of a celebration. That in and of itself cannot be overlooked. After all, first and foremost, Rock N’ Roll is supposed to be a good time. On that note, I believe I will bring this edition to a close. Keep chasing Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Heaviness. And as always, Thank you for reading!

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

2/12/2024

Links:

Psycho Plantation

https://www.facebook.com/psychoplantation/

Inducing Panic

https://inducingpanicband.com/home

Southbound Beretta

https://www.facebook.com/southboundberettaband/