Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #124: Ringworm, Assault, Cyadine & Chain Ripper

February 16, 2024

No Class 11213 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102

Good Evening Rustbelt Rockers and welcome back to the Review. This week I took in a really excellent show with what looked to be a very promising lineup. It was Cleveland's Ringworm and Assault with support from Michigan’s Cyadine and Chain Ripper. Joha picked me up at about 6:30 and we headed west. No Class was the destination, and doors were allegedly set for 7pm. I say allegedly because some dingus posted the wrong start times on social media, and as such our asses ended up at the club a looooooong time before the music started. But all was not lost. There was a guy selling BBQ, which smelled delightful and kept many a Metalhead well fed. There was a nice sized early crowd there, and so we had plenty of Metal friends to talk to. First and foremost I bumped into my homie and constant accomplice Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. Other notable sightings included Chris Maggot of Mutilation Barbecue as well as Terry and Tom of Bessemer Saints. We hung around the bar, or rather were corralled within it, by a very stern young woman who was working the admissions counter. Like I said, doors were erroneously posted to be at 7pm. In reality they were set for 8pm, but not everyone got that message. As such, a number of eager fans, myself and Joha included, arrived at 7 looking to rock. All that is fine, except for the fact that the grumpy door attendant wouldn’t let anyone into the “club” side of No Class until 8pm. She even went so far as to slide her little podium desk thingy over into the door way to create a make shift barrier. By the time 8 rolled around it was asses to elbows in the bar and we were all desperate to get into the club, just to have some breathing room. Still she refused to let us pass, insisting that soundchecks were still incomplete. It wasn’t really a big deal, though it did get a little claustrophobic there for a while. Eventually she was instructed to let us in and there was a bit of a scrum at the desk as multiple lines formed in front of the podium desk thingy. It worked itself out and soon enough we were inside and all was well. At this point we still had the better part of an hour to kill before the music started up. So we took the opportunity to slip outside and blazed a joint. Once that was finished it was back inside to mingle and enjoy our high.

All in good time the lights dropped and our first band of the night took to the stage. There was a very nice early crowd in place as Chain Ripper plugged in and stepped up to do their thing. In from Grand Rapids, Michigan, they are a four man Thrash Metal outfit made up of Drums, two Guitars and Bass/Vocals. They came out hard, fast and heavy, and my first note on them simply reads: “Pretty bad ass.” Their singer’s voice was very raspy, dry and abrasive. They have a nice Bass heavy sound that I really dug. I could tell right away that the crowd was feeling it too. That suspicion was confirmed on their second song when the floor absolutely exploded into a violent moshpit. That moshing would continue on and off for the remainder of the set. It would erupt suddenly and rage for a time, before slowing to near stillness. Then just when it seemed like it was finished it would fire up again; resuming its prior force. The simple fact was that the fans were digging Chain Ripper and they were throwing down in kind. Over the course of an 8 song set we were treated to solid riffs, blazing solos and some very nice Drum work. The fans danced, moshed and screamed their lungs out in appreciation for the entirety of the set. When they finally said good night they received a strong crowd reaction and were sent off atop a wave of applause. I for one really enjoyed the set. I thought Chain Ripper was pretty good. Based on what I saw I believe it’s fair to say they impressed the Cleveland faithful Friday night. Considering this was their first time performing in Cleveland, I would wager that they picked up quite a few new fans this weekend.

With more joints to smoke and more friends to chat up, we passed the time between sets in relative ease. It wasn’t long before the lights dropped again and our second offering was set to begin. Up next was Cyadine. They are a four man outfit made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. In from Detroit Cyadine was cocked, loaded and ready to fire as the fans packed in tight around the stage. They opened up hard as nails, leveling the room with a chorus of “Fuck around! Find out!” It was obvious that the fans were immediately engaged as a Moshpit formed almost instantaneously. On their second song I noted that there singer had excellent stage presence, jumping about and stalking the stage. The Guitarist delivered solid backing vocals and a heavy chugging riff to boot. He followed this up with a ripping solo that really impressed the room, myself included. In fact it seemed as though Cyadine already held the crowd in the palms of their hands. It was then, midway through their second song when things took a hard turn for the worse. The Vocalist, mad with energy leapt from the stage and dove into the pit. There he disappeared from view for a time, before reemerging on stage clutching his arm, in obvious distress. Based on what I was seeing from my perch in the corner, his right shoulder looked all wrong. There was a bone jutting upward strangely and he appeared to have limited range of motion. A young woman emerged from the crowd, possibly an off duty nurse, and attempted to correct the issue, but to no avail. He winced and grimaced in obvious pain. I can tell you this whole gruesome display was painful to watch. (I can’t even imagine how badly it had to have hurt.) In time he left the stage, leaving his band mates to figure out what to do with their remaining set. Fortunately, in a time long forgotten, the Guitarist of the band had once been the vocalist as well. They decided to try to take the set forward with him singing, rather than abandon the set. And so they did. They broke into the song “March or Die,” and never looked back. I honestly thought they sounded pretty good and Joha went so far as to say he preferred the Guitarist vocal over that of the regular singer. They went on to perform two more numbers, both were heavy, fast and in possession of some blazing solo work. I have to make a note here to tell you that the Guitarist in Cyadine is not fucking around in the slightest. This dude has some serious chops and solos like a monster. It’s worth the price of admission just to see this dude rip. They closed out with a song called “Waste of Skin.” It was a beast of a track that had a lot of people headbanging. They finished up to strong applause and a big cheer from the crowd. You had to give them credit. Losing their frontman on the second song, Cyadine went on to deliver a solid set none the less. I really enjoyed what I saw and I hope their singer’s injury in not a severe as it looked. Here’s to a speedy recovery and a healthy return of Cyadine to Cleveland under better circumstances.

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of the Rustbelt Rock Review
@ericstevensonart

With another band down, we consumed more ganja and returned to the stage in time to catch the mighty Assault. For those of you who have been living under a rock, Assault is a Thrash Metal monster constructed from Guitar/Vocals, Guitar/Backing Vocals, Bass and Drums. This is a band that I have always followed closely and one that has graced the pages of the RbRR many times. The room was packed to the gills as Assault took to the stage. They opened with their usual lighthearted banter with the crowd then began the set by playing a few bars of a brand new song. We didn’t get much, but from what we heard, I can say it certainly seems like Assault has picked up right where they left off with their phenomenal debut album, “A Blind Eye.” With that completed and the crowd hungry for more they finally broke into the meat of the set with “Death Solution.” The boys sounded great as they tore through scorching riffs and solos of immense testicular fortitude. Up next came the title track from the album, “A Blind Eye.” A big Pit manifested, bodies flying in all directions. Hear I noted that the newest addition to Assault, lead Guitarist, Zeke, was absolutely killing it. His fingers were a blur as he absolutely owned the neck of the Guitar on solo after blistering solo. Next they dropped “Leech” which sent the crowd into fits of violence. “Obey/Decay” kept the Pit rolling with vicious speed and adrenaline. Here Zeke broke a Guitar string, and while he swapped and tuned Guitars, Assault broke into a Funk interlude to keep the crowd grooving. With that tiny issue rectified, it was time for Assault to put the pedal to the floor. Cranking up the speed the dove into “Antebellum.” They followed that with their magnificent cover of Black Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe,” which predictably brought the house down. For their seventh number they played their newest single “Pinnacle of Suffering.” I love the way the lyrics on this song’s Chorus roar! “Die! Slow!” echoed through the room as the crowd tore themselves to pieces on the floor. Closing out the set was the impossibly heavy “Obliviate.” Here the Pit hit heights of rage that we’d yet to see that night. Bodies bounced like pinballs and ricocheted back and forth. In the full rapture of Rock N’ Roll a group of Metalheads linked arms and began a synchronized headbang. It was a glorious sight to behold. The fans threw down, Assault finished up and all was well. The lights came up and the mad shuffle to swap out the gear on the stage began. We did what we do best... that is we smoked another doobie and tried to stay out the path of busy musicians.

Finally it was time for the main event: Ringworm. This is a band who first rose from the Cleveland scene more than 30 years ago. They are a Deathcore quartet built from Vocals, Guitars, Bass and Drums. The Vocals were brutal, grating and terrifying. They opened up with fire and pulled no punches when they attacked. It was savage and intense as they rolled through the first song. They showed great stage presence and that energy immediately transferred to the crowd who began Moshing at once. Next they broke into a number called “The Cage.” The room was alive with headbanging and the Pit continued to roll. This song was ultra heavy and the vocals held a somewhat chaotic feel. I also made a note here about the absolutely sick Bass work that was going down. “No Solace, No Quarter, No Mercy” brought some killer Drum work to the table and a nice Guitar solo as well. Ringworm was raging as they moved forward. I made a notation here that read: “Moshpit is fire. Energy is insane. Crowd is amped.” The fifth song had a slower melodic intro that led to an explosive break. The Pit went bonkers and the crowd absolutely roared upon it’s completion. For a song that I believe was titled “Optimist” things only got better. The crowd and the band seemed to go back and forth, feeding off each others energy. The harder the band played, the more vigorously the fans moshed. Simultaneously the harder the crowd went on the floor, it seemed to inspire the band to play even faster and with more vile energy. Over the course of thirteen songs, followed by a two song encore, Ringworm and the fans of No Class formed a symbiotic relationship of pure destruction. Looking back now, I don’t know that the Pit stopped for a single song. The crowd that wasn’t moshing remained active, headbanging and screaming at the tops of their voices. It was a great ending to the evening. When Ringworm eventually had to bring the set to a close, the fans bellowed in appreciation. Applause and shouts for more filled the air as Ringworm said goodnight.

The lights came up and we said our goodbyes. Out into the frigid night we walked and made our way back to Joha’s ride. Heading east we discussed the show in all of it’s glory. Chain Ripper had been pretty damn good and had opened up the show with an explosive blast. Cyadine taught us a valuable lesson about the perils of the moshpit, while showing the very meaning of perseverance. Assault Thrashed us severely and brought solo upon solo until our ears bled. Finally Ringworm brutalized No Class without the slightest hesitation. With veteran confidence and unquestionable power they devastated all they surveyed. It was a night worth remembering. And so here we are, and there we were, and I believe that that is that… If you take my meaning. In short, it’s time for me to bring this edition to a close. Bang your head! Hoist your horns! And always wear your earplugs!

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

2/18-2/19/2024

Links:

Ringworm

https://ringworm.bandcamp.com/album/seeing-through-fire

Assault

www.assaultcle.com

Cyadine

https://cyadine.com/home