Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #132: Olathia, Assault, Voices of the Damned & Tundra

March 30th, 2024

The Winchester Music Tavern 12112 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107

Good evening my friends and welcome back to the rambling nonsense otherwise known as the Rustbelt Rock Review. This week I got a particularly excellent shot of Heavy Metal blasted into my veins. It was a Saturday night and I was celebrating my birthday, more or less. Of course I also had a show to review, but that didn’t stop good ole Chen Killingsworth from feeding me Corona’s all night. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. Our evening first began when Chen scooped me up, probably around 6:30pm. We rode the highway west on our way to the Rustbelt Rock Review’s first sortie into The Winchester Music Tavern. We found parking down the street and around the corner, and made our way quickly to the club. Once inside we bumped into Dylan of Assault and Olathia and he gave us the low down on Assault’s upcoming tour. We chatted for a bit but soon enough we left Dylan and moved further into the club, paying the cover and receiving our wristbands along the way. From there we surveyed the scene and took in the room. Sliding up to the bar, Chen procured the first of many beers that would pass my lips that night. We headed over to the Assault merch table, where we preordered our copies of the new tour shirts. With beers in hand and as always my trusty vape pen by my side, I was feeling all the good vibrations as we drifted through the Winchester. The room had a nice amount of people in place well before the first band took to the stage and all indicators were pointing toward an excellent evening ahead of us. Our close associate, the German and his son joined us shortly after and together we strapped in as the first of our evenings performers took to the stage.

First on the docket was Tundra. For those of you who have been doing your homework, you’ll remember them from RbRR #120. It was that edition when I reviewed them at their debut performance. As I recalled they were good… not great, but very solid especially considering it was their first show. Well, low and behold… here I was, at Tundra’s second show and I was excited to see how they had progressed. For those of you who missed that previous edition, here are the basic stats: Tundra is a four piece act made up of Vocals, Guitar/Backing Vocals, Bass and Drums. They play a style that I would file under Traditional Heavy Metal. They opened with their brand new single, “Grim Reaper.” With some tight little lead licks and an impressive solo they quickly grabbed the attention of all in attendance. Without a doubt it was an energetic and hard driving way to kick off the festivities. With smoke billowing up from behind the Bass player Tundra broke into their next one, “King of the Barbarians.” This one was another Rocker, with a lot of backing “Whoas!” coming in from the Guitarist. Their third song, “The Voices are Calling” opened with some quick Bass action. It packed another killer guitar solo and I also noted that there was some intense drumwork going down. On their fourth song, “Napalm Bomb” Tundra got hard, fast and Thrashy. This was their heaviest song yet, and again I noted that the drums were impressive. They dove into the next one without preamble or warning. I would find out that this was a song entitled “Sword and Shield.” Showcasing some technical Bass work and exceptional lead licks, it was during this track when I began to realize that this band is clearly highly talented at each position. With the smoke machine again pouring out a fog, Tundra fired up “Tried and True.” The Bass ran wild on this one as did the Guitar, who finished out the song with a blistering solo. “Hell’s Heroes” came next and it was a banger. With a great riff and savage drum work, this track is packed with an energetic romping action. Closing out their set they elected to perform a cover of “Thunder on the Tundra” by Thor. They wrapped up that song to uproarious applause, screams and cheers. All in all I have to say Tundra played one hell of a set. They were heavy and powerful, but still precise. They seemed to receive a lot of love from the crowd and I can tell you for certain that my companions and I really enjoyed them. They played an excellent set of slamming Heavy Metal that I was really impressed by. And this was only their second show. Chen and I had a discussion about where this band will be once they have a years worth of gigs under their belt. With the quality of their play already being so high I can tell you that I feel the sky’s the limit for Tundra.

Grabbing another round of brews we settled in for the second band on our evenings hit list: Voices of the Damned. This is a band I caught at the Sunshine Live Benefit show a few years back, and I seem to remember digging them then. They are a five man operation made up of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. They opened up their set heavy… and I mean severely heavy. With some nasty Death Metal Vocals and an abundance of stage presence Voices of the Damned frontman stole the limelight. They also had these cool boxes set up on the leading edge of the stage, which produced massive puffs of white smoke, adding a professional edge to their performance. On their next song I again made a note about their stage presence. The guitarists flexed their muscles here exhibiting excellent lead licks and a beast of a solo. I suppose it’s worth noting that by this point the beers were working on me. My notes become… difficult to decipher at times. Yet we must soldier on… Here I say something about the song having guts. I’m not sure what I was getting at, but none the less I wrote it down. Their third song was some extremely energetic, fast Death Metal with another ripping solo. For their fourth song they played “Never Alone” which is dedicated to the victims of human trafficking. This is a seriously bad ass song with a cool riff and some exceptional drum flourishes. The fifth song was a new one, called “Hell Chose Me.” Heavy, fast and with another great solo, this song had the boys down in front of the stage headbanging with glee. Sixth was another new one entitled “Mouth of Madness.” This one was very good and loaded with energy. The band as a whole rocked out and showed off more of that stage presence I so enjoyed. The smoke boxes began churning out their fog as they moved into their 7th and final song. This song had a visceral riff that seemed to chug and chew it’s way into my ear. It had people all around the club headbanging and hoisting their horns skyward. We also got another great solo in addition to some clean vox from the guitarist. With that Voices of the Damned called it a night. The crowd cheered fervently as the band took their final bows and accepted some well deserved compliments. While Voices of the Damned tore down their gear, we made our way back to the bar and picked up another round of tall cans. With those secure I snuggled up to my vape pen and settled in at center stage.

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

Third on the evenings bill was none other than the Thrash Kings of Cleveland, the mighty Assault. For those of you who live under a rock, in the middle of wasteland half way between here and nowhere, I suppose I will need to explain. Assault is a four man Thrash Metal band made up of Vocals/Guitar, Guitar/Backing Vocals, Bass/Backing Vocals and Drums. They are a fiery hellstorm of a quartet, known for breakneck tempos, blistering solos and riotous crowds. With their normal drummer, Owen, out on tour with 200 Stab Wounds they had Grady (The Brakes/Ringworm) filling in on drums once again. After a brief preamble and some chit chat, Assault began with there classic opener, “Death Solution.” The smoke machine started up again as the stunning Thrash Metal sound exploded from the speakers. My notes read, “Sick as sick can be” and my memories line up with that statement. Hammering power and lightning quick notes erupted and washed over the crowd driving all who listened mad with Metal fury. Yet Assault was just getting started. Up next they broke into “A Blind Eye” their environmental anthem and title track of their debut album. With ripping guitar solos and incredible presence, Assault ravaged the Winchester stage. Next came the chugging powerhouse track known as “Leech.” This one has a great energy and a real facemelter of a solo. I became utterly lost in the moment. In fact I was so busy banging my head and rocking out that I sort of stopped taking notes at this point. Following “Leech” came “Obey/Decay.” Fast and merciless with searing solos, this is surely one of one of Assault’s premiere tracks. “Pinnacle of Suffering” was next in the lineup and it was a savage affair. A brutal cadence coupled with goretastic lyrics, this song is without a doubt one of the heaviest in the bands arsenal. Next we got a real treat when the band leveled the club with “S.H.O.T.S.” aka “Second Head of the Snake.” With a voice like a hacksaw, Dylan led the band through this, one of the bands oldest and most loved songs. Fans cheered and headbanged as the song played out. Two women even went so far as to have a battle at center stage. One clutching a plastic sword, the other clinging to a shield and a muppet, they fought it out to the brutal sounds of Assault. They closed S.H.O.T.S. with Pantera’s “Domination Breakdown” which sent the room into another bout of relentless headbanging. “Antebellum” was the next song Assault would summon forth and it pounded. My personal favorite track from the album, “Antebellum” rips from start to finish. Closing out the set they delivered their most savage song of all: “Obliviate.” With pure power and absolute authority Assault shook the rafters and rattled the windows of the Winchester. The crowd roared. Saying goodnight, Assault unplugged their gear and went about tearing down. What a set it had been though! The boys had blasted through eight songs and done so with fire. With a ripping tempo and blazing solo’s Assault had once again proven why they are among the finest bands in our scene. Yet our evening was not yet over. We still had one band left in the onslaught. Heading to the bar for on last beer, I did all I could to prepare for what was to come: Olathia was gearing up to rock.

In the headlining position, we had one of the premier performers in Northeast Ohio. Olathia is a four piece Heavy Metal group which is forged from a Vocalist, Backing Vocals/Bass, Drums and Guitar. It is also worth noting that their Guitarist was pulling double duty, having just completed his set fronting Assault. They began the set with a melody playing over the PA. When this concluded the band broke into “Snake Charmer” and the set was off and running. I was super excited by this song choice, as it is a rarity for it to make it into the setlist. As one of my favorite Olathia songs it was really cool to see it hit the live stage. I wasn’t the only one excited as the song inspired a rousing bout of “Ay! Ay! Ay!” to emerge from the crowd. Up next was “Insatiable,” the opening number from the bands newest album. This song has a big, hammering riff that hits with sufficient force to blow the listeners hair back. This was followed by the title cut from the new record, “The Forest Witch.” Here I noted that the band had absolutely incredible stage presence at every position. Dylan headbanged while tearing notes down on his Guitar. Bass man, Terry, hoisted his ax to the sky like a conquering barbarian. Joe’s drum work was on point and his endless flourishes behind the kit did not go unnoticed. Ahead of them all was the leading lady, Vocalist Chris. Her presence cannot be measured. She moves to the music, conjuring with each note and entrancing all who watch. “Hellhound” was next and with it Olathia brought forth another batch of nasty solo action. The Vocals soared and the crowd cheered as “Hellhound” rocked the house. Next it was time to party as the band broke out the anthem, “Shotgun.” Here the stage performance reached a new peak where the Bass man climbed the monitors and the Guitarist shredded uncontrollably. The crowd sang along word for word as the beloved track played out to perfection. Things got mellow after that, as the soft and smooth sounds of “Fight” filled the room. Of course that was just the intro. Once the song built up sufficiently, it broke wide open with cutting chords and soaring vocal notes. Here my notes read, “Dylan shreds and Chris shines like the star she is.” That shit right there is as true as it gets as “Fight” is without a doubt one of the most special moments on the new album. Following that the band brought forth the epic “Last Breath.” Long, strong and without a doubt excellent, “Last Breath” is what it’s all about. Containing one of the bands most impressive Guitar solo’s it is a feat to witness live. Moving on the band delved back to their first album and dug up “Seven Deadly Sins;” one of their fastest and most ripping songs of all. Next they kicked out “Who’s the Devil?” with it’s incredible breakdown which always has the crowd dancing. Closing out the set they played their newest cover, a flawless rendition of Night Wish’s “I Wish I had an Angel.” With some noteworthy backing Vox from Terry this one was fantastic; closing out the set with thunder. I had been amazing. As always Olathia had rocked completely and the crowd response reflected it. They put on a show like no other and once again solidified their place at the top of the Cleveland scene.

With the show at a close Chen and I said our goodbyes and headed for the door. We turned the car east and headed back the way we’d come in high spirits. It has been one hell of a night. Tundra had been awesome. In fact they’d been so good that they legitimately surprised us. I’ve seen them before and I will no doubt seen them again. I can’t wait to see how this band continues to grow as they gain further experience. Voices of the Damned had also been impressive. They had great stage presence and some visual effects that were really cool. More important than that, they rocked hard and brought some extremely heavy shit to the stage. All of which I enjoyed. Assault was intense as always. They put on one hell of a set, showcasing their one of kind brand of Thrash that Cleveland has grown to love. I wish them safe travels and much success on their upcoming tour. Finally, Olathia had done the job of the headliner to the fullest. They took the momentum built up by the openers and carried it forward with ever increasing power. They shone brightly and brought the house down in the way that only they can. Olathia has never disappointed me and I believe they never will. With all that Heavy Metal majesty behind me, I arrived home and I fell heavily into my bed. There I slept the sleep of the satisfied Metalhead, ears ringing slightly and with my mind at ease. On that note I shall bid you a fond farewell. Keep your horns up, your neck sore and your ears plugged and thanks for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

3/31-4/1/24

Links:

Olathia:

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

Assault:

https://www.assaultcle.com/

Voices of the Damned

https://voicesofthedamned.net/