Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #182: (216), Ringworm & Bittersweet Revenge

No Class 11213 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44102

3/23/2025

Welcome back my friends to the ongoing Rock N’ Roll adventures of I, Z.M. Delgado. Once again I have returned from the underground and I have a fresh tale to tell. This week I had the pleasure of attending a rare matinee show, with an absolutely stacked lineup. Opening the show was none other than Bittersweet Revenge. This is one hell of an opener considering they are the winners of Cleveland’s best Hard Rock band for two years running. Following them was Cleveland Metal veterans: Ringworm. With more than three decades of experience Ringworm always brings it hard. Finally headlining this event was legendary Cleveland artists (216). This is a band who I saw many times back in the late 90’s. After that era (216) seemed to go on some kind of hiatus; at the very least they dropped off my radar for many years. Recently they have seemingly risen from the grave, and have taken the Scene by storm. Their reemergence has caused such a stir that I jumped on my tickets as soon as they went on sale. No Class is a small club, and with a line up this stacked, well let’s just say I had a funny feeling. That feeling wound up paying off, as the show sold out the very next day. Now in possession of the hottest tickets in town, I sat back and waited for the day to arrive. As I said, it was a matinee show, with doors opening at 2pm. Joha, Chen and I rendezvoused at my place before departing for No Class. We arrived mere minutes after 2, to find the room already swarming with people. We entered and I immediately ran into the boys from Bittersweet Revenge. We exchanged hellos and on we ventured into the club. Shortly there after we were joined by the fourth member of our party, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. With time to kill and doobies to burn, we adjourned to the rear patio. Soon enough the appointed hour crept upon us and we migrated toward the stage. The lights dropped and the show began.

Kicking off the matinee was Bittersweet Revenge. They are a five man Hard Rock act Built from a Vocalist, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. There was a very healthy crowd in place as BSR fired up their first track; the new single “Silver or Lead.” Immediately I was impressed by the bands stage presence. They moved and grooved about the stage; Rocking out as they performed with fervor. The crowd threw out a big cheer, clearly enjoying the new material. Next they dropped into “Hair of the Dog” and proclaimed they’ll “Never be sober again!” This song set the theme for the remainder of the set, as song after song was introduced as “this is a song about doing drugs.” They delivered a Rockin’ rhythm and some smooth Bass work on “Rack’em up.” The riffs on “To The Moon” absolutely slammed and the song ended on some big nasty screams. The heavy Vocals continued on “Trump Face” and was accompanied by some very nice Guitar work. On “Blackout” the Bass Player jumped down from the stage and jammed out on the floor. This was followed by the Singer jumping into the crowd and becoming a one man moshpit; rushing about colliding with fans. For their seventh and final song, they invited up their friend, Sam, frontman from Psycho Plantation. Together the two vocalists jumped into a powerfully heavy cover of an old Integrity song (I didn’t catch the title.). Whatever the title was it was a backbreaking track that had heads banging all throughout the club. With the completion of their final song the crowd bellowed in approval. Bittersweet Revenge slammed! They dug into their catalog, pulled out the heaviest songs they could find and then played them with absolute fire. I have seen BSR quite a few times at this point, and never have I seen them play such a fundamentally brutal set. Playing the hardest and nastiest tracks at their disposal, Bittersweet Revenge Rocked No Class. With BSR now complete it was time for another patio interlude.

Soon enough we found ourselves back at the foot of the stage, preparing for the next promised onslaught... the impending destruction… the assault on the senses, better known as Ringworm. For those of you who don’t know, Ringworm is a four man wrecking crew with better than thirty years under their belts. They are made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. With the club blacked out and the stage illuminated in only red lights, the room seemed washed in blood. The mood was one of menace and there was a trepidation in the air as we waited for what was to come. Then, in a devastating explosion, Ringworm began. They opened heavy and fast; their Drums a savage attack. The Vocals were a vicious snarling roar that raked our eardrums. A moshpit erupted sending bodies flying from wall to wall, ricocheting around the compact space. Solos ripped as the Guitarist delivered hacksaw riffs. On their third song, “The Cage,” the frontman was flicking his tongue like a serpent. Next to him the Bassist was applying some excellent action to the mix, and issued a killer drop. Mass Headbanging erupted across the room as their fourth song summoned a vicious vocal cadence. “Psychic Vampires” had a stomping rhythm as the Drummer pulverized the kit. The moshpit raged throughout the sixth track, and my notes read: “Bad ass stuff, right here” and simply “This kicks ass.” Their seventh song was a blazing attack and their eighth was a full blown assault both of which earned the band huge applause. The Pit continued unabated as Ringworm churned out one monster track after another. Playing a total of eleven songs they, in no uncertain terms, devastated No Class. The crowd roared, sanctifying the affair. Ringworm said goodbye, and the lights came up. The crowd began to dissipate and the boys and I drifted back to the patio.

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

Once our latest excursion into mind enhancement concluded, we headed back inside and prepared for the main event. I was gearing up to see a band, I’d not seen in better than 25 years. Like stepping out of a time machine and returning to my senior year of high school, I couldn’t believe I was about to watch (216). This four man war machine is made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They play a style that is hard driving and heavy to the bone. The fans were packed in tight, as the sold out crowd battled for position. The lights dropped and the crowd roared in dire anticipation. There were a few tense seconds, where the band and the crowd sort of stared each other down, in some sort of standoff. Then the beloved chords began to ring out as the band broke into their classic track “Step Up.” Bedlam ensued. The room exploded in violence as a crazy energy overflowed and the crowd went wild. The pit didn’t slow as the band jumped into “This Resistance.” Vocalist, J Mann, danced and paced the stage while delivering raging screams. (216) was in complete control at this point, holding the crowd in the palms of their hands as they broke into “Knock You Down.” Here is when the first of the crowd surfers took to the sky. This continued into “Withdrawn,” when stage diving began as well. The crowd began to chant “(216), (216), (216)” just before the band broke into “Without a Fight.” Pandemonium ensued and the pit raged on. The sixth song was one I was not familiar with, but both I and the crowd loved it. The chant for (216) began again, just before they busted out my favorite song from their album, “Hands Bound.” This was incredibly intense and it earned a huge cheer. Next they summoned “Used to Be.” The pit rolled on in creeping devastation, as this song personifies the mantra that “slower is heavier.” Their ninth song was another one that had me scratching my head, as to the title. Whatever it was called, it had a bonecrushing, stomping riff and it was undeniably kick ass. Closing out the set they dropped into the backbreaking track, “Ten Fingers.” The pit whiplashed one final time, sending bodies in all directions. Fans threw up both hands, displaying “ten fingers” in time with the lyrics. When finished this song earned the biggest cheer of the day, and (216) said good night with reason to have their heads held high.

With the music now at a close, we readied to leave… but not before I hit the merch table and picked up a (216) T shirt. That shirt is something I have wanted since back in the day. Of course back then I was broke and rarely had disposable funds. Now that I finally had a chance to get one, I wasn’t about to let it slip by. With my new shirt secured, the boys and I said our goodbyes and headed for the door. We walked back to the car, loaded up and headed east. All the while we were chattering away like mad apes; excited by the spectacle we had just beheld. Bittersweet Revenge killed it. Pulling out their heavy barrels they blasted us with a high energy set. Ringworm throttled us completely. They’re deadly vibrations shook the club and absolutely devastated all who stood watching. Finally (216) was… well, they were and still are (216). That is to say, they were everything I remember from the glory days. They were just as hard. Just as intense. Just as powerful. They still had that old fire and they still knew how to command a crowd. You could accuse me of being overly nostalgic, and maybe I am, but that doesn’t change the fact that (216) absolutely slayed. So here’s my advice to you. Dig out your old CD books. Find that copy of (216) and dust it off. Then pop it in and turn it up. (216) is back and that means it’s time for the Cleveland Metal Scene to STEP UP!!! Thanks for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

3/23-3/24/2025

Links:

(216)

https://www.facebook.com/216Official/

Ringworm

https://www.facebook.com/Ringwormofficial/

Bittersweet Revenge

https://www.facebook.com/@bittersweetrevenge216

Vol. #182: (216), Ringworm & Bittersweet Revenge

Vol #179: Myth & Company w/ Bessemer Saints