Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #161: Like Murder… A Tribute to Acid Bath, Infalling, 10,000 Rambos

November 1, 2024

The Foundry Concert Club 11729 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107

Good day to you, my fellow Heavy Metal aficionado. It is I, Z.M. Delgado, your guide to the world of the Cleveland Underground. This week I have an incredible show to discuss with you. But before we get to the show, let me paint you a picture. Imagine if you will, it is nearing the turn of the century, that is, somewhere near the year 1999. I was known for hanging around at the house of a dude named Kinney. Now the thing you need to know about Kinney was his parents allowed all forms of partying to go down under their roof. So as it came to pass, my crew and I spent a good amount of time at Casa Kinney, smoking dope, dropping acid and listening to Heavy Metal. The reason I bring this up is that Kinney also was the first person to turn me on to Acid Bath. You see he had a copy of “When the Kite String Pops” and we used to play that shit on the regular. As the album is uncannily creepy, to the point of being borderline terrifying, we would often use it to scare off posers and hangers on who were only there to try to mooch our drug supply. The horror that is Acid Bath’s music usually did the trick and kept the guest list down to the true Metalheads.

In the roughly 25 years since then, my love for Acid Bath has only grown; while their untimely demise has always saddened my soul. Now fast forward to the year 2024 and the unimaginable has occurred: Acid Bath has announced a reunion. The news was amazing and sent me to the moon with pure excitement. All of this happened in the weeks leading up to the show I have sat down to discuss with you. Like Murder… A Tribute to Acid Bath, was coming to town. The world’s foremost Acid Bath tribute band was playing The Foundry. Not only that, but they were bringing with them Acid Bath’s two founding Guitarists, Mike Sanchez and Sammy Pierre Duet!!! This was too much! I mean it was an incredible turn of events. Fairly certain that the event would sell out (It did), I reached out to my associates and we secured our tickets immediately. Then we waited. Soon enough the day of the show arrived. Joha and Chen Killingsworth picked me up and then we were off. With my vest loaded with party supplies we were set for and epic evening. Chen and I each munched down a bag of mushrooms, and I puffed on my vape while we rocked out to Acid Bath all the way Lakewood.

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of Rustbelt Rock Review

We arrived early and saw a sizable line had already developed outside The Foundry. We waited in the car, vaporizing and biding our time. When the line finally started to move, we headed over. There we ran into one of our oldest and dearest friends, Assylu. Now Assylu is our homegirl from back in those by gone years that I described. She was there with us in Kinney’s room when we all discovered Acid Bath more than 20 years ago. We fell into line and headed into the club. We got inside and I felt the first tinglings of the mushrooms beginning to take hold. We folded ourselves into the crowd and mingled with friends while we waited for the first band. Among those friends was my now constant concert companion, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. Jimmy had eaten some mushrooms as well and thus he joined Chen and I on our trip to the stratosphere. Once again The Dook was wearing a Halloween mask, this time a monkey, which made it very difficult to take him seriously as the shrooms worked their magic. We had some laughs and passed the time in hilarious conversation. Soon enough though it was back to the stage, as the music was set to begin.

Taking up position in the rear of the room, we addressed the stage and strapped in. Up first was the Grindcore foursome known as 10,000 Rambos. This group is made up of a Vocalist, Guitar, Bass and Drums. Their vocals are deep and guttural, often including sounds that were not unlike pig squeals. Overall the sound was noisy and aggressive. In true Grindcore fashion, the music was heavy as a pile of bricks and loaded with abrupt tempo changes. At times the songs would develop a solid groove then suddenly shift to a calamitous cacophony of clashing sounds. While the guitarist hammered out chords, I was beguiled by the light show The Foundry was providing. Shifting colors and flashing beams painted the room, melding sight and sound into one fantastic sensory experience. Meanwhile 10,000 Rambos was crushing it. They had excellent stage presence; the entire band throwing down with vigor. My notes describe the show as “dark and monstrous” as the crowd really began to respond. Strong applause rose after each song and down in front I saw dudes headbanging and rocking our hard. As the set proceeded, the fan reaction strengthened. The intensity grew leading to a fierce, yet short lived, circle pit. At this point, I feel I have to mention they had a song described as being about “a pedophile priest getting shot in the dick.” (A fate truly deserved.) On there final song the Bass player descended from the stage and joined the fans on the floor. He took a fan by the hand and used it to pummel his own Bass strings. I believe 10,000 Rambos played 13 songs before calling it a set. The crowd cheered and applauded sending them off in style. The fans dispersed and the boys and I headed out into the evening to burn a doobie.

Back out in the night, we broke out a doobie to spark. We began to blaze but the night air was too much for my mushroom addled body. I caught a chill, got a nasty case of the shakes and had to run back inside to warm up. The boys finished the joint and soon came to find me. Once inside we joined up with Assylu and her bestie, Ash. Together we headed over to the stage and prepared for the second band of the night, Infalling. This is a four man group, constructed from Vocals, Bass, Drums and Guitar. If I had to nail them down with a label I would say they were something close to Groove Metal. They opened up their set with a blacked out stage and orchestral music played as an introduction. Then in dramatic fashion the lights came up, the music exploded and the set began. They opened up heavy as fuck and immediately I was impressed by their stage presence. The band was moving from note one and they didn’t stop. They had two large tapestries on stage that displayed a sort of “Visible Man.” It was a cool image for your tripping narrator to enjoy. The vocals came in a strong shout that was rough yet articulate. The crowd was into the set very early with a lot of motion on the floor and some light moshing. I was really into the low end of their set, describing the Bass play as “Punishing” and “Bottomless.” I also noted the exceptional Drum work as the man produced a seriously hammering cadence. At one point air raid sirens were pumped in via the P.A. followed by and explosion of sound. The power behind the moment was not lost on the crowd, who continued to Rock out with reckless abandon. (I saw one guy lose his shoe in the pit.) I believe they played a total six songs before calling it a night. All in all I have to say that Infalling killed it. Their set was filled with tight drum work, excellent Bass, raging Vocals and chugging Guitars. The crowd was into it from the get go, and I for one really enjoyed the set. The lights came up and again the fans began to drift apart.

I proclaimed I was not going back outside to smoke and instead ripped my vape within the warm confines of the club. Together the group of us slid up to the side of the stage and watched as the sold out crowd packed in tight. Soon enough the room was shoulder to shoulder with Metalheads waiting in dire anticipation for what was to come. Up on the stage Like Murder was getting ready to roll. What assembled was a five man group, made up of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. Now I will admit, I was a tad bit skeptical at this point. I was seriously wondering what this tribute band could produce. How would it sound? Could they pull it off? Well, I was about to find out. Opening with “Dope Fiend” Like Murder began and much to my delight, they sounded completely on point. Materializing seemingly from thin air, balloons appeared and began to bounce around the room. Off the heads and hands of the crowd they rose and fell in an eerie display. Almost immediately a mosh pit erupted as the fanatics were drawn into the moment. So it began. “Toubabo Koomi” was second and third they broke out “God Machine.” Those they followed with “The Mortician’s Flame” and “What Color is Death?” Next they bust out one of my absolute favorites, the terrifying “Finger Paintings of the Insane.” The crowd surged and screamed along with the words as the creepy Bass line dragged us through a world of sheer madness. “Jezebel” caused the crowd to come unhinged, and lose themselves in the music. It was magnificent the way the fury overtook the crowd. Then, just when it seemed the fans were about to rip themselves apart, Like Murder slowed it down a bit and broke into some of Acid Bath’s more melodic material. First came “Graveflower,” followed by an entrancing rendition of “The Scream of the Butterfly.” As if this wasn’t enough, next we got an incredible performance of “Dead Girl.” With dual acoustic guitars Like Murder recreated the song masterfully. This was a truly amazing moment. The entire crowd sang along word for word, our collective voices raised in pure elation. A chorus of hundreds together sang out the timeless line, “When Death sleeps, it dreams of you.” It was, simply put, beautiful. The song ended and honestly they could have quit right then and there and it would have been a fitting finale to the set. Fortunately, Like Murder was far from finished and things were about to go from amazing to utterly epic.

Like Murder feat. Mike Sanchez and Sammy Pierre Duet

At this incredible moment in the set Like Murder welcomed Mr. Mike Sanchez to the stage. The crowd roared as they welcomed him. With the band he produced a gorgeous version of “Bones of Baby Dolls.” Another singalong ensued as the haunting melody drifted over us. As if that wasn’t enough, now Mr. Sammy Pierre Duet joined the band as well. Again the crowd burst in an ovation of welcome. With both founding Guitarists now on stage it was time to pull out the big guns. The unmistakable Bass line of “The Blue” began to rumble through the club, sending the pit into a fit of rage. The room simply exploded and bodies began to fly in every direction. Next they made my night, when they played MY SONG! Not just my favorite Acid Bath song, but one of my absolute favorite songs, period. It was time for the unforgettable “Bleed me an Ocean.” This time it was me singing at the top of his voice, drinking in the magic of each note. The smell of weed wafted around the club as Like Murder produced “Tranquilized.” “Venus Blue” was next, followed by “Cheap Vodka” and then “Paegan Love Song.” After this Sammy gave heartfelt farewell to the crowd. With his voice racked with emotion, he said “Thank you… for remembering.” It was a beautiful sentiment. Mike and Sammy left the stage, but Like Murder wasn’t done. Next they unleashed “Cassie Eats Cockroaches,” which again sent the room into fits of violence. Finally, closing out the set they summoned “Dr. Seuss is Dead,” which brought Sammy back to the stage to do some backing vocals. The room shook, then Sammy repeated his prior sentiment, thanking us “for remembering.” Then the band took their bow and brought the set to a close. The lights came up and the crowd dispersed.

We chose to hang around for a bit, so we could meet Mike and Sammy. They were both really nice and took time to talk to us and to pose for some pictures. Sammy was great and kind of funny as he chatted with us. What stuck with me most however was Mike’s honesty as we discussed the upcoming festival gigs. He admitted he had some nerves about getting up in front of a crowd numbering in the tens of thousands. It was a truly humanizing moment. After our time with the legendary Guitarist’s of Acid Bath, we headed out to the car and turned East. Homeward bound we went, off into the night to bring our adventure to a close.

But what a night it had been. 10,000 Rambos was an explosion of heaviness that gave it their all. They opened the show with fury and set the bar very high. Infalling was excellent. I really loved their style and found their stage performance to be exceptional. Finally, Like Murder was nothing short of magical. They really brought Acid Bath’s music to life for me in a way I have always begged for. Music I love, that I never thought I would see live. And I was far from alone. The room was full of fans in the throes of sheer madness. The pit raged violently for the entire set. The crowd never ceased in singing along. I saw one girl crying! No joke, she was weeping with joy. I can’t impress upon you enough what a cathartic experience this was.

Yes, the Acid Bath reunion is real and it is very exciting. Alas, there are only two gigs so far, they are expensive and seats are limited. The simple fact is we won’t all get to be there. But there is hope! For anyone who loves the music of Acid Bath but can’t make it to the big festivals to see the reunion, fear not! Like Murder is the real deal! I got to see 19 of Acid Bath’s best songs for like 20 bucks. That’s a serious value. If you are an Acid Bath fan, then I cannot recommend Like Murder enough. They carry the torch with pride. They do the music justice. They keep the dream alive. With that being said, I will bring this edition to a close. Bang your heads, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs. Acid Bath Forever!!!

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

11/4/2024

Links:

Like Murder… A Tribute to Acid Bath

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ANi3XqNDk/

Infalling

https://www.facebook.com/Infalling

10,000 Rambos

https://www.facebook.com/10krambos