Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #201: Trash Bash 2025

August 2nd, 2025

Mercury Music Lounge 18206 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107

Good morning Rustbelt! I hope this edition of the RbRR finds you well. I sit here at my computer, still shaking the cobwebs from inside my head. You see, last night was Trash Bash and we all know what that means! Suffice to say, it was a wild night of smokin’ and drinkin’ and Rock N’ Rollin’. I left the house shortly after four and headed west. With me I had an energy drink, my trusty vape and a large bag of RbRR T-shirts, that I had to distribute. I arrived on the Scene at or around 4:45. I parked my car and began my mission: to hand out the damn shirts and get on with my night. I made my way inside and found the evenings host and MC, my good friend, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. We made the rounds, greeting friends and of course handing out shirts left and right. Along the way I found Corey from Bessemer Saints and our homie Shaggy the Younger. After some devious strong arm tactics by Corey I was corralled into doing a shot of Jack. Down the hatch it went and then I was right back onto my vape, as we waited for the show to begin.

It wasn’t long before our host The Dook climbed up to the stage and welcomed everyone to the event. He introduced himself and the band and then he climbed on down. The first performers of the night, Dead East Garden, took to the bar stage. Now for those of you who have never been to the MML, let me explain. You see, the bar stage is located both behind and above the bar. Placing the band on high, they are easily visible from any point in the room. It’s a pretty cool set up. As for Dead East Garden, they are a three piece Hard Rock act built from Guitar/Vocals, Bass and Drums. This is a band that I know I have seen at least once before. They brought a smooth yet Doomy Bass sound, dirty Guitar style and some on point Drum work to the stage. The Vocals were clean and hung out on the higher end of the octave scale. They played a diverse set, with songs of varying intensity. I dug their Bass play a lot and overall thought they put together a pretty bitchin’ set. While I failed to catch the name of the track, I really dug their fifth number. It had a nice trippy intro, haunting vocals and while largely low key, it did get pretty heavy at times, which I loved. Upon completion of their sixth and final song, they broke into a portion of Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave.” Using it as an outro, they closed out their set. Their Bass player pointed to the sky, in a salute to Ozzy, I believe. The crowd gave up some strong applause and said good evening to Dead East Garden. And just like that Trash Bash 25 was officially off and running. I grabbed my stuff and hurried into the back room, where the much larger Main Stage was located.

The Dook again took to the stage and introduced our next act, Irewyrm. They are a three piece band, made up of Guitar/Vocals, Drums/ Vocals and Bass. As for their subgenre… I am still trying to figure that out. As I was about to learn, Irewyrm was a very unique band with an eclectic sound. They opened extremely heavy, with what I would have called some sort of strong Death Metal. The Vocals roared, while simultaneously using some type of strange sound FX, giving them an almost Sci-Fi feel. In my notes I describe this early music as “Thunderous” and “Monsterous.” Yes, I was definitely digging it. Then the music abruptly shifted gears and took on sort of a Funk feel. These sort of seismic sonic shifts would come often as the set proceeded, keeping the listeners always on their toes and me very interested. The music was very experimental and had an artistic edge that was undeniable. On their fifth song the music stopped and the drummer stood up behind his kit and began to recite poetry. Dark and twisted lyricism unfolded as the room stood silent; hanging on every word. He finished his piece, then sat back down and they began to Rock once more. In addition to their dual vocals and wild FX, the Bass player really impressed me. His skill on the four string was essential to holding down their sound. All in all I have to say I really dug Irewyrm. They had a radical and very artistic approach to making heavy music. I appreciate the guts it takes for an artist to paint outside the lines, so to speak. In many ways their approach reminded me of ultra unique acts such as Faith No More, Primus and System of a Down. However you want to slice it, Irewyrm rocked. I believe they played a total of ten songs and the crowd ate it up. The Dook saw them off and then it was back to the bar stage.

Third in our play order was one of Cleveland’s premier Punk establishments: Saints of Lorain. This is a five man act made up of Vocals, Bass, two Guitars and Drums. I was stoked to see The Saints again, as I am a big fan of their music. I was also excited because their Guitarist was sporting one of the new RbRR Tshirts I was peddling. (Thanks for the support, boys!) They opened with a slower number, which built toward a ripping finish. From that finish on, the name of the game was speed. Saints of Lorain brought forth a blistering set of blazing Punk Rock energy. On tracks like “IO,” “Be Here Alone,” and “Running Out of Time” they blew my mind with their force. By the mid point of the set the boys were in full command of the room and showed no signs of slowing. Hilariously, part way through “Midlife Crisis” their Guitarist, Dill, abruptly put down his ax, ran off the stage and out the side door. He returned soon enough and revealed he had broken a guitar string. The band soldiered on without him, and he did eventually rejoin the performance. Twelve songs into the set the singer jumped from the stage to the bar, before leaping down to the floor and running about the room. The fans danced and clapped and cheered as The Saints tore up the club. Playing a total of eighteen songs they thoroughly rocked the MML. The crowd loved them, screaming their lungs out in appreciation of the Punk Rock frenzy. I was in awe. They played many of my favorites from the demo, as well as some new ones that kicked ass such as “Pens in Your Jugular.” The Dook bid The Saints a fond farewell and then we all headed back to the main stage for act number four.

Following another grand migration of people, The Dook introduced us to Youngstown, Ohio’s Neighbor Dan. This is a four man operation made from two Guitar/Vocalists, Bass and Drums. If I had to nail down their sound I would put them somewhere in the Stoner, Doom, Sludgy world. (On a side note, it was around this time that our home girl Laura of the Blunts arrived.) Neighbor Dan started out trippy and heavy and utterly bad ass. Their lead vocalist delivered big clean notes followed by some nasty dirty screams. I made several notes eluding to the fact that I really dug this guys voice. The second Vocalist had a great voice as well, though far less dramatic. The band served up heavy jams with good instrumentation. I was impressed with their writing, as the songs were all well developed. Each track packed in a huge portion of intensity. They had heavy riffs, pounding Drums and nice Bass work. The songs had a force behind them and they were performed with fire. They played a total of eight Sludgy monster tracks before calling it a set. The crowd applauded heavily, with some fans actually howling. Neighbor Dan killed it, without question. They laid down a monumental set and blew the doors off the MML. I would recommend them to all fans of Sludge, Stoner and Doom Metal, particularly fans of early Mastodon. With Neighbor Dan finished we all spun on our heels and headed to the Bar stage. Up next I was about to get a real treat.

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

Now kicking of the second half of the set it was time to bring out the big guns. And who bigger or better to launch the back half of our festival than my favorite Cleveland Punk band… the mighty Beast Killer! This unstoppable two piece is forged from a Guitar/Vocalist and a Drummer. They opened with their self titled track and immediately to bar seemed to erupt. Everywhere I looked people were throwing their horns, dancing and singing along. Next came “Wolves” which garnered a huge round of applause. When they broke into “Violent Creatures” I noted, in great big letters, that their drummer “Kris is a force of nature!” Next they did their cover of Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge,” followed by their newest single, “It Cycles.” Here they picked up the intensity as well as the pace, when they broke into “Broken Glass,” at what felt like double the recorded speed. The crowd went wild. Singing word for word, the fans reveled as Beast Killer threw down. With some killer opening Drum action, they whipped out “Bitter.” This was followed by “Pixels” and “Comet” which simply fucking rocked. These tracks are pure rippers; the kind of songs that really put the balls into your set. “Fairytale” was nothing short of passionate and powerful; intense and amazing. Then they hit us with a second cover, this time it was “Manic Depression” by Jimi Hendrix. Then came “The Curse” followed by one of my personal favorites: “Synapse.” Finally closing out the set they dropped “Sparks.” With complete authority Beast Killer brought down the house and ruled the Bar stage. With a blistering finish they delivered an amazing ending to their set. In a fit of hilarious, sweaty, exhaustion, Kris slid from his drum stool, and fell into a pile on the stage. The crowd roared! Beast Killer had unquestionably slayed. They had killed it. They destroyed. I could have walked out right then and there and I would have been satisfied… but this was Trash Bash! And our night was far from over yet. The Dook bid Beast Killer goodnight and sent us all packing back to the main stage for our next performance.

Our sixth act to hit the stage was the unstoppable, indestructible, undeniable Olathia! Made up of four of Cleveland’s finest talents, (Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums) this super group is known for their masterful musicianship as well as the phenomenal vocal range of their leading lady. The Dook, now deep in his cups, gave another enthusiastic introduction before exiting the stage… via stage dive. He was caught and successfully lowered to the floor without dying, which was a good thing. With our MC safely back among the fans, an orchestral score began to play and Olathia made ready. When the music ended they blew their tops. With a vicious roll of the Drums and a wicked riff they broke into “Who’s the Devil?” without mercy. The band had amazing stage presence. Each member Rocked out, headbanged and interacted with the crowd in their own way. That is one thing about Olathia, they know the meaning of the word “showmanship.” Up next was “Shotgun.” This fan favorite always electrifies the crowd, as frontwoman Chris led us all on a sing along. Fittingly, it was during this song the Corey from Bessemer Saints fed me yet another shot of booze, even as Laura of the Blunts handed me her vape pen to rip. My head was spinning, and yet I maintained, while up on stage Olathia was firing on all cylinders. Dylan’s Guitar solo’s were burning! I mean they absolutely scorched. Opposite him on the stage stomped Terry the Bull, pummeling his Bass like a man possessed. Behind the kit Joe was working like a blacksmith at the forge. He hammered. He shaped. He crafted the beats and laid them out with ferocious power. “Fight” began with soft notes and drifting vocals. However once the song broke, it did so with the force of a bomb. It devastated. “The Forest Witch” was the next offering, and it was all riffs and savage screams. Following that we got the band’s newest single, “The Beast in Black,” followed by “Insatiable” with it’s brutal breakdowns. The horns were in the air for “Seven Deadly Sins”, as Chris ran up and down the length of the stage giving fist bumps to all those who rode the rail. Finally, with a dedication to Ozzy, they performed a cover of “Over the Mountain.” The band nailed the music and, minus a little snafu with the first verse vocals, the song went over great. The crowd sang along and brought the set to a close with and excellent energy. The fans chanted “Ozzy!, Ozzy! Ozzy!” as the music faded out. Then they cheered… LOUD! The applause was long and loud. With some parting words from The Dook we said good bye to Olathia and made our way back to the bar. However Laura of the Blunts had other plans. True to her name, she proclaimed it “Blunt Time” and so we walked past the bar stage and headed out to the patio.

We blazed that blunt, and all was well. Well almost all was well. The one thing was, while we were puffing away, we did hear the tell tale signs of the next band starting up their set. We did what we could to hurry things along but you can only do so much. Once the blunt is lit, it cannot be unlit. We puffed away and soon enough we were walking back into the bar to check out Black Spirit Crown. This is a three man band made up of Guitar/Vocals, Bass/Backing Vocals and Drums. They play heavy ass shit that I would categorize as Doom/Stoner. Their lead vocalist was largely clean notes, while their backing man would deliver some growls. The music was hard charging, and Bass driven. The Drum work was exceptional, possessing a savage energy. Around 10:30pm two cops came in and there was some sort of exchange near the bar before they went back outside. I was sure the show was about to be shut down, so as the set progressed I kept one eye on the band and the other at the door just in case something of interest went down but nothing ever did. Up on the stage Black Spirit Crown was producing long songs with haunting vocals and atmosphere to spare. When these lengthy compositions would end the crowd would roar in approval; demanding more. On track, after slamming track Black Spirit Crown brought fuzzy tones, chomping riffs and jackhammer percussion. I really dug their music. It was pretty incredible. Despite coming in late, which I regret, I feel like I got a healthy dose of Black Spirit Crown. I dug their whole vibe and so did my fellow concertgoers. The fans went wild for Black Spirit Crown and deservedly so… they played one hell of a set. And with that The Dook saw them off and directed us to the Main Stage. It was time for our headliners.

Closing out our evening was Cleveland’s “Best Metal Band” for the past two years: After the Apocalypse. This four man Nu Metal band, made up of Vocals, Guitars/ Backing Vocals, Bass and Drums, has been making significant noise in the Cleveland Scene for some time now. Their Vocals are a blend of cleans, screams, raps and harmonies. The Dook introduced them and they fired off without mercy. Opening with “2020” ATA exploded into their set. The band had incredible stage presence. Each member threw down with enthusiasm, setting a new standard for performance energy. Next up was my personal favorite jam the band plays, “Kingdom Come.” this song is nothing if not intense and driving. On the chorus the crowd joined in on the “Whoas!” raising their voices to the sky. “Pet” was next, followed by “Shadows” and then “Alpha/Omega.” Each song drove the fans further and further into a sort of frenzy. They were so obviously into it, they were practically frothing at the mouth. This mania came to a head on “Rapture.” As the band chanted the word “Rise!” the whole crowd joined in. The energy boiled over and pandemonium broke out. Across the entire floor people began to go nuts. They danced and sang, pumped their fists and headbanged like mad. It was a fabulous spectacle to behold. On “AAA” After the Apocalypse held the fans in the palms of their hands. The intensity didn’t slack throughout “Meddler” or “Used,” but it wasn’t until “Gag Order” that the ferocity of the set jumped up to the next level. This song features Tommy of HAMS on guest vocals and it is a show stopper. Next came “Broken Fingers” followed by their new song, “Goliath.” Finally closing out with “Enemy Mine” After the Apocalypse set the club on fire one last time. Lead Vocalist, Eddy, left the stage and began run wild among the fans. The crowd rocked out hard, and screamed themselves hoarse at After the Apocalypse brought the house down in a final blaze of glory. It was fantastic. And then it was over. The fans screamed, and cheered and wailed with delight. The Dook got up and said some parting words, officially bringing Trash Bash 25 to a close.

We said our good nights. We drifted toward the door, then the streets and parking lot and out into the night. I loaded up and headed out. It was a long drive from the Mercury back to my homestead and I was longing for some sack time. I got home, had a snack and fell into my bed like the proverbial sack of bricks. And that was that. That was my Trash Bash 2025 experience. I have to say it was a good one. What a show! Good friends, eight awesome bands and a great club to host it. I couldn’t have been more pleased with how my Saturday unfolded. I supposed there isn’t a whole lot left to say on the matter. So I suppose I leave it at that. As always, thank you for reading, for rocking and for always wearing your earplugs.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

08/03/2025

Vol #201: Trash Bash 2025

Vol #200: Pantera, Amon Amarth & SNAFU