Vol. #150: Gluttons and Assault
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Rustbeltrockreview.com
Volume #150: Gluttons and Assault
Thursday, August 15th, 2024
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1100 E. 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114
Greetings Rock n’ Rollers and welcome to the one hundred and fiftieth installation of the Rustbelt Rock Review! This week I have an interesting one for you. It went down at a new venue for me and the show was oddly on a Thursday night. The event in question is of course Gluttons with special guest Assault at the Rock Hall. It was a free gig, which was cool and it was a beautiful evening which is always an added bonus. My friend and accomplice, Joha, picked me up around 6:30 for doors at 7pm. We rolled out with the tunes turned up and my vape pen set to stun. We parked in the lot attached to the Science Center and hoofed it over. Once we got inside the gates we entered the plaza and approached the stage just as Assault was finishing up their soundcheck. We waved hello to the boys, when I noticed something that was somewhat strange: One Mr Joe Lowrie (Nunslaughter/Olathia) was seated behind the drum kit. I caught up to Joe after sound check and he told he was filling in with only about a weeks notice. That meant he had very limited opportunities to jam with the band prior to the evenings gig. I was interested to see how the sound might differ with a new man behind the skins. Joha and I hung about the plaza for a while before we got itchy feet and decided to take a stroll around the harbor. We puffed our pens and enjoyed the weather for a while before returning for the show. Once inside we began to run into friends from within the Scene. Of course we saw Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. As always The Dook was out supporting the Scene and hunting for talent for the station. Together the three of us mingled throughout the crowd and talked to a lot of righteous Metal heads. I ran into Terry from Bessemer Saints/Olathia as well as Chris of Olathia. The boys from Tundra were in attendance and I spotted Damien of Great Iron Snake and Eric of After the Apocalypse.
Assault
Soon enough 8 o’clock struck and Assault hit the stage. For those of you who are new to The Review, I’ll break it down for you. Assault is a four piece Thrash Metal band from right here in Cleveland, Ohio. They are made up of Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They are currently gigging around the Midwest in support of their devastating debut album “A Blind Eye.” As Assault plugged in and stepped forward the meandering crowd stopped meandering and moved toward the stage. It was an impressive sized crowd especially considering it was a Thursday. With a sharp strike of the drums Assault broke into their jaw dropping opener, “Death Solution.” In the past I have called this number a perfect Thrash song, and I’ll stand by those words today. It rips and roars in all the right ways and it is the perfect way to kick off a show. Next they broke into their albums title track, “A Blind Eye.” Here I noted that Joe was killing it on the drums. In front of him the twin terrors on Guitar were throwing down with vigor. Following that came “Leech,” which had the entire crowd headbanging, Rocking out as well as many folks filming the set. Assault was in top form as they jumped into “Obey/Decay.” They delivered this one with blazing speed and cold mechanical efficiency. Both Guitarists laid out stunning solos, and the sound of the Bass was a plucky attack.
Assault
Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of the Rustbelt Rock Review
“Second Head of the Snake” was the next track to emerge and it gained a strong fan reaction. All across the crowd people could be seen clapping in time with the music and shouting “Ay!” rhythmically. Following that Assault produced their Thrashing interpretation of Black Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe.” This is something I always like to check out. “S.O.T.U.” is such a bitchin’ song, and it is often overlooked by casual Sabbath fans. To see Assault bring the song to life in a new and heavier way is always a treat. Next they broke into their most recent track, the punishingly savage “Pinnacle of Suffering.” Ripping speed, bone saw riffs and a Bass line like thunder this song kills. Finally, in closing, Assault delivered their heaviest song: “Obliviate.” This song is simply nasty. With absolutely crushing riffs it is pure aggression and raw power. The Guitar work was impressive and my notes read, “I can watch these guys solo all day long.” When the song concluded the crowd roared in approval as applause rose all around me. Assault had done it again. It had been and amazing set. They had kicked in the door on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and unleashed hell upon all who stood looking. It is sets like this one that reminds me why exactly Assault is such a respected member of this Cleveland scene. With their set now finished the crowd dispersed and moved back out into the plaza. Meanwhile, Joha, The Dook, and I took a stroll down E.9th street and smoked a fat doobie along the way. Once that was concluded we returned to the plaza to settle in and wait for our headlining act.
Gluttons
Closing out the evening was Gluttons. These Cleveland Rockers have a sweet sound that is a blend of Thrash, Punk and straight up Rock N’ Roll. The band is built from Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. They kicked off their set with some ripping fast, bitchin’ Rock N’ Roll that I think was titled “I’m a Stranger.” The band had great stage presence, particularly their frontman who was a blur of activity. He was moving and grooving, his dreadlocks swirling around him, for the entirety of the set. Their second song, I believe, was called “Man in Black.” It had a solid groove that built toward an explosive finish. Third in succession was “Shaker.” This song has a fitting name, as the track really makes you want to get up and move. Their fourth song was Fast and Aggressive. My notes describe it as “A little bit punk, a little bit Metal. 100% Rock N’ Roll.” The crowd was eating it up at this point as they jumped into “Sewer Dog.” This one had a sweet Bass intro and as the other instruments joined in, it built toward a phenomenal break. The Guitar work was exceptional, impressing me numerous times throughout the set. The singer took some time to baptize the crowd in Pabst Blue Ribbon before they jumped into their next number: “Do What You Do.” This song was fast, driving, aggressive and packed a killer Guitar solo. They summoned forth a flurry of songs that earned notes like: “Great lead licks,” “Pure Energy,” and “Heavy ass throw down.” In fact by the time we hit “Power Play” I was floored.
Gluttons
Gluttons was delivering the goods, hot and ready to be served. Next they broke out an absolutely killer cover of Aerosmith’s “Toys in the Attic.” This went over great and had the crowd singing along on the chorus. Their next number was hard and fast and very Punky. It also had a lot of great energy and it had people rocking out left and right. During this song the singer tried to pass the mic into the crowd, but accidentally dropped it. It landed with an hilarious thump, before being quickly retrieved. The set continued. On the next song the band threw out a number of large beach balls. They bore the logo of Gluttons, as well as the logos of numerous other bands. These balls bounced all around the crowd hitting people left and right turning the pit into a giant game of volleyball. Finally Gluttons closed out their set with a cover of Motorhead’s classic “No Class.” The balls continued to fly as a party atmosphere permeated the plaza. The fans bellowed wildly as Gluttons finished up with style. With amazing energy and scorching Guitars Gluttons had just brought the house down. The crowd roared and sent Gluttons off in style.
And just like that our Thursday night Heavy Metal excursion had come to a close. We said our goodbyes to friends and headed toward the gate. We walked to the car and soon enough found ourselves on I-90 East, bound for home. But at least we had something great to talk about. It had been an exceptional show. Both bands were really incredible and I mean that sincerely. Assault was killer. Their hard fast Thrash style is as gritty and raw as it is technically proficient. I have seen them many times and there is a reason why I keep coming back. Assault is just that good. Gluttons was equally impressive. They walk that line between Metal and Punk and their style is exciting to say the least. They play with no short supply of energy, and their Guitar work was simply scorching. They are a band that I greatly enjoy and will always check out when I have the opportunity. I also have to say I enjoy my first trip to the Rock Hall to take in a show. Security was cool enough, the stage setup was solid and the sound was pretty good. On a whole, it was a positive experience. On that note, I will bring this edition to a close. Bang your heads, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs.
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
Rustbeltrockreview.com
08/18/24
Links:
Gluttons
https://gluttons.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/gluttons13/
Assault
Voice of the Underground
