Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #163: Blood Coven, Avowal, Dark Secret, Tundra & Bessemer Saints

November 15, 2024

Maple Grove Tavern 14832 Pease Rd, Maple Heights, OH 44137

How do you do, my friend? Welcome back to the wild world of Rock N’ Roll otherwise known as the Rustbelt Rock Review. This week I have a banger of a show to talk about. It was a toy drive put on by OHDM (Ohio Death Militia) featuring the music of some of Northeast Ohio’s best and brightest talent. Topping off the bill was Blood Coven with support from Avowal, Dark Secret, Tundra and Bessemer Saints. I was flying solo as I made my way to the Maple Grove Tavern, arriving shortly before doors. I was immediately greeted by my friend Shaggy (Bass/Bessemer Saints, The Rick Ray Band). Seeing a sizable group of people gathered I approached and made my hellos. With several doobies burning, I fell into rotation and conversation with ease. I saw my dude Hunter (Drums/Tundra) who gifted me a fat joint from his personal arsenal. I thanked him heartily and promptly sparked it. The weed circulated and soon enough Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor from Roxxxstarradio appeared. Naturally he fell in beside me and proceeded to join in on the dope smoking. Time passed and eventually we had to head upstairs to get ready for some music.

I wandered the club, which was already filling up, saying hello to friends from within the scene. My most notable encounter during this time was with Chris E. (Vocals/Olathia). My mingling ways were brought to an end as I saw a foursome of musicians taking to the stage. Opening the show was the unstoppable Bessemer Saints. For those of you who don’t know, The Saints are a Blues Rock group is made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. Along with The Dook I slid up to the stage and took a position with an ample view. There was a healthy crowd in place at the Maple Grove as Bessemer Saints fired up the evening. Opening up with a pure Rockin’ sound the immediately kicked the show off with a bang. Now, I’ve seen The Saints before, so I know what I’m talking about when I tell you: They sounded great! The music was strong and their stage show wasn’t far behind. Each member of the band was seen moving and grooving. Most notably was, of course, Shaggy. This master of the four string is known for his onstage antics almost as well as for his stellar play. On the ax, Tommy was in top form. He delivered smooth riffs and slick solos all while kicking ass and rocking out. Terry’s work behind the kit is not to be missed. He lays down solid rhythms with flawless precision; his play both nuanced and hard hitting. Corey’s vocals always steal the show as he croons and wails. Suffice to say Bessemer Saints kept busy producing jams that simultaneously blew minds while soothing souls. To put it plainly, it was excellent. I grabbed my pictures and took my notes, all while puffing on my vape and dancing to the rhythm. On unforgettable tracks like “Find a Way,” “Waste of Space” and “Shockwave” Bessemer Saints rocked the Maple Grove down to its floor boards. Each taking a shot on stage, they closed out the set with the fan favorite, “Another Night With Whiskey.” I believe they played a total of six songs before they called it a night. The crowd howled as the set came to a close and The Saints took their bows. In my notes I proclaim them “The most fun band in Cleveland” and dammit, I stand by it! I challenge you to find a better time than a good old fashion Blues Rock throw down by Bessemer Saints.

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of Rustbelt Rock Review

With The Saints set now at a close, it was time for a break of our own, so it was outside to the patio of a smoke session. This would become the repeated migration of the night, a band would play, then we would relocate to the patio to smoke ourselves stupid, then repeat. I met a guy named, uh, Rick. Sure, let’s go with that. “Rick” was smoking me down pretty heavily and by all accounts he was a pretty cool dude. He was high energy, kind of intense and was packing some killer homegrown. While we were blazing up joint of his own design, he got to telling us about his time in jail. As it turns out “Rick” killed a guy. Once upon a time there was an altercation at a gas station and Rick felt threatened. He punched a dude, who went down hard and… whelp… that dude died. So my new friend “Rick” killed a guy. Granted it was in self defense and wholly accidental, but still… that’s a wild story to hear on a Friday night over a doobie! Sheesh… anyway. Once “Rick” got done beguiling me with his tale of accidental homicide, The Dook and I parted ways with him and returned to the club for the nights second band: Tundra!

Now for you, my regular reader, Tundra is no new news. However it has been a while since we’ve checked them out and they have recently made some lineup changes... so pay attention. Tundra has added a second guitarist, making them a five man operation. Constructed from Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums Tundra is known for their high energy Traditional Heavy Metal style. The crowd at The Grove continued to swell and soon people were packing in. I found myself a nice vantage point just in time for the action to begin. They opened up with “Hell’s Heroes” and immediately they started ripping! Right from the get go, I immediately could feel the addition of the second Guitarist. Everything felt fatter and more full. The sound was thickened in such a way that it felt completely natural; like it had always been there. More than that though, it added cool new two part melodies and harmonics as the two axes played off of each other. The second thing I noticed was the bands stage presence has improved considerably. There seemed to be a lot more motion on the stage that I didn’t detect in the past. Moving the set forward they busted out their cover of Thor’s “Thunder on the Tundra” which has become a staple of their set. Following that they erupted with the ultra heavy “Napalm Bomb,” followed by the galloping “Sword and Shield.” On “Tried and True” the band invited some fun audience participation with a sing along on the chorus. Following that they played my personal favorite, “Grim Reaper.” Closing out the set they put forth “The Voices Are Calling,” which brought down the house. All in all they played us seven songs, each one a blast of Heavy Metal fury. With soaring vocal notes and absolutely scorching lead guitar work Tundra crushed… plain and simple.

With Tundra now behind us, it was back to the patio for another smoke session. I won’t bore you with the details. Once we found ourselves sufficiently stoned, we returned to the club and parked our asses in front of the stage. Third in our evening line up was Dark Secret. This is a five man Traditional Heavy Metal band made up of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. They opened up hard, fast and Rockin’ with “Lying Eyes/Mind Pollution.” This song had some heavy ass riffs and a very nice Guitar solo, setting the bar high for the remainder of the set. Next Dark Secret unleashed “Extremist” which brought with it a chugging riff and some nice lead licks. Following that they summoned a piece entitled “Chronicles of Sara.” My notes on this song read, “Excellent musicianship,” “Big vocals,” and “a really well written song with a lot of changes.” From what I recall I particularly enjoyed this one. Next was “Paradox” which was heavy, driving and had the crowd pumping their fists in the air. Closing out the set they brought “Seal the Deal” which packed in a great Guitar solo and left the crowd screaming for more. In total they played five songs, all of which were solid. I really dug their sound, the size of their vocals and their excellent Guitar work. With Dark Secret now finished it was back outside for another joint.

Stoned to the bone and ready to go we returned to the club and I was stoked. You see, up next was Avowal. This is a band that I have only seen once before and as I recalled, I really enjoyed them. So now with my second opportunity to check them out, I was itching for the set to begin. For those of you who don’t know, Avowal is a four piece, female fronted band, welded together from Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They play a style that I would categorize as Sludge Metal with touches of Thrash. They opened with a heavy, droning wall of feedback and distortion. “Temperance” began the set with vocals that were a gritty, vicious snarl. On “Justice” another helping of fiery Metal was served up for us. My notes primarily focus on the vocalist at this point stating “She roars!,” “Her voice is raw power” and “A shrieking goddess.” Later I made some notes on the Bass player about how he hoisted his Guitar while slapping the strings. “Magician” was “fucking brutal. Hard, fast punishment” in which she wailed defiantly “I’m not a princess. I’m a fucking high king!” Next they served up “Death” which I described as a “ripping fast brutal cacophony of aggression.” Next, I believe, was a cover of “Sisterfucker” by Eyehategod. Following that the drums came with “devastating” power on “Devil.” “Judgement” was next and it was savage. I describe this portion of the set as “mesmerizing noise.” In my stoned up state it was exactly what I needed. Finally closing out the set they delivered “World.” With it’s rapid fire vocals and savage riffs, this song is a monster. In total Avowal hit us with eight songs, each one a testament to their enduring heaviness. The crowd roared as they finished up what was undeniably an excellent performance. The band said goodnight, and the fans dispersed. Naturally I found myself with The Dook back on the patio. This time we were smoking a pair of blunts with “Rick” and a nice girl named Laura. That whole operation went swimmingly and with our buzzes now pushed to new heights we returned to the club for the final act of the evening.

Closing out the night, and celebrating their 31 year anniversary, was Blood Coven. This is a four man band made up Guitar/Vocals, Guitar/Backing Vocals, Bass and Drums. Due to my blunt consumption we arrived back in the club midway through the first song. Blood Coven was already kicking ass and taking names, as the expression goes. The Maple Grove was awash in red light and drenched in a bloody soundscape. Next they broke into a song called “Plagued by Faith”. This was a pounding wall of Death Metal driven by deep guttural roars. The riff was very cool, creating a dark and menacing vibe. Following that they hit us with a wicked Guitar solo putting an exclamation point on the track. Next came “Godless and Wicked,” a truly malicious composition. This song had vicious vox that were “pushed out with a violent vibe.” “An Angel’s Rage” was fully developed and nothing short of brutal. It was packed with excellent Guitar work and some nice drum action as well. “That Which Will Not Die” was followed by “Ashes of an Autumn Burning,” both thunderously heavy and packing huge roars. “Battalions Devour” had the crowd totally enthralled; screaming, hoisting their horns and banging their heads. Their final song, a track listed as “12 Gage,” was a ripper. The Bass hit hard here. Add that to the killer lead licks and rapid fire vocals and you’ve got yourself a devastating piece of Death Metal. Blood Coven finished up and the crowd screamed in approval. They had played a simply bone splintering set. The took their bows and the crowd separated for the last time. I said my goodbyes and headed out into the night.

I listened to Acid Bath’s “When the Kite String Pops” the whole way home, while thinking back on my evening. My night had begun with the gift of a free doobie, so things started out on a high note. (No pun intended.) and I was surrounded the whole time by good friends and fellow Metal heads, which is always a plus. Then there was the music, which of course was top notch. Bessemer Saints kicked off the show like Bruce Lee! They brought their trademark Blues Rock sound to the party and they got it started just right. Tundra was phenomenal. As they move from their position as “young bloods in the scene” into the realm of veteran performers, Tundra only continues to improve and to impress. Dark Secret was a blast of Heavy Metal fury. They kept things rocking with their remarkable skills. Avowal was frighteningly on point. They played a savage and spot on set of devastating songs. Finally Blood Coven wove a massively heavy tapestry of Death Metal that left us with our throats hoarse and our necks broken. With these profound realizations meandering around my skull I coasted into my driveway and dragged my ass up into my bed. That is where I will leave you for this week. Always wear your earplugs! Never stop banging your head! Horns up, my friend!

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

11/18/2024

Links:

Blood Coven

https://bloodcoven.bandcamp.com/music

Avowal

https://avowalband.bandcamp.com/music

Dark Secret

https://darksecret.bandcamp.com/album/dark-secret