Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #206: Olathia, Lady Beast & Vicious Blade

September 7th, 2025

Beachland Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, OH

Good evening friends and welcome back to the intergalactic media phenomenon better known as the Rustbelt Rock Review. As always I am Z.M. Delgado, your tour guide into the doldrums of Cleveland Metal. This week I was fortunate enough to check out a really good one. It was a matinee show at the Beachland Tavern, with doors at 4:30. Joha and I arrived right on time and found premium parking directly across from the club. We each threw back a couple gummies as we exited the vehicle. The doors were still locked, so we lined up with the other miscreants and waited patiently. During this time we ran into our friend, Shaggy (Bass/Bessemer Saints), and we shot the shit for a few. Eventually the doors opened, we paid the man and made our way into the Tavern. Inside we ran into many friends, cohorts and associates. Among them was my partner in crime, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. We made the rounds, chatting with our tribe and waiting for the eventual striking of the chords.

First to the stage was Pittsburgh, PA’s Vicious Blade. This is a five piece, female fronted, band consisting of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. If I was to lock them down into a subgenre, I would place them somewhere in the vicinity of Death Thrash. They came out strong, with heavy ass chords and vocals that were...well, vicious. And I mean that sincerely. This chick was a beast, straight up. Her voice was pure brutality. Varying in tone from a low growl to a high end shriek, she dazzled the crowd with her monstrous pipes. In addition to packing a Vocal wallop, she had incredible stage presence. She jumped, headbanged, rocked out and high kicked throughout the entirety of the set. Her energy was impressive, and she kept the crowd engaged to say the least. Behind her was a band that was not fucking around; not one bit. They played some ripping Thrash that was hard charged and grooving. They exhibited bitchin’ tempos, pulsing Bass and crushing riffs. I made multiple notes praising the music in all it’s different facets and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the set. I was far from alone. The crowd loved Vicious Blade, that much was obvious. They banged their heads, hoisted their horns and screamed wildly at the completion of each song. I believe they played a total of nine cuts before calling it a night, but they could have gone on much longer. The fans were engaged and Vicious Blade was on a roll. Alas all good things must come to an end. So we bid Vicious Blade goodnight and adjourned to the patio to smoke a joint.

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

With our doobie consumed, we returned to the stage to check out the next band of the night. Also in from “The Burgh” was the mighty Lady Beast. This is yet another five piece, female fronted band constructed from Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. While on paper these two bands might seem similar, sonically they couldn’t be more different. For our second performer we stepped away from the world of Death Thrash and firmly into the realms of high energy Power Metal. Lady Beast is a band I have checked out once before, and I remember being impressed. I recall being stoked their frontwoman’s powerful voice and the skill of their Guitarists. They opened up and immediately lived up to all my prior expectations. With operatic Vocals, nice tandem Guitar notes and ripping solo’s they kicked off the set with a concussive shock. Their leading lady was energetic, animated and beaming with positivity. Similarly the Bass player was a spark of life. She jumped and headbanged while delivering strong backing vocals. The crowd was into it from note one, feeding off Lady Beast’s energy and the strength of the music. They blew our hair back on tracks like “The Gift,” “The Inner Alchemist” and “Starborn” then went on to finish strong with their flagship song, “Lady Beast.” They delivered a total of ten thrilling tracks of Heavy Metal thunder before taking their bow. The crowd roared in approval letting Lady Beast know they have a home here in Cleveland. With our second performers now concluded, we again returned to the patio and smoked a pair of fat doobs.

While we were still puffing away on our second jay, we heard the tell tale sounds of Olathia firing up. For those of you who are unaware, Olathia is a four piece female fronted super group based here in Cleveland. They are made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. One could perhaps best describe their sound as Power Thrash. They play an amalgam of styles that is hard to pin down, yet is undeniably bad ass. They opened with their powerhouse track “Snake Charmer.” We hurriedly finished the joint and raced into the club. Inside we found the room awash with fog and in the throes of Heavy Metal majesty. Olathia was just hitting their stride as I slid up to a vacant piece of floor. Chris led the way, swaying to the music as her voice soared to earsplitting volumes. The crowd was chanting “Ay! Ay! Ay!” in time with the music and pumping their horns in the air. Smoke jetted up from the stage, emerging from Olathia’s fancy FX boxes. Next, with a buzzsaw riff, they broke out “Insatiable.” Terry was seen hoisting his Bass in the air and picking frantically at the strings. Some creepy sounds filled the club and cackling drifted through the air as an introduction to “The Forest Witch.” Joe’s Drums were a calamity of tight, heavy percussion. Things slowed down for the intro to “Fight,” but not for long. This song hits like a hammer once it finally breaks open and lets loose. It also contains a particularly potent solo, which Dylan delivered with style and skill. The crowd shouted mightily as he laid out the notes in a feverish display. The band’s newest offering “The Beast in Black” came next and the crowd ate it up. That was followed by the beloved single “Shotgun,” which always gets the crowd hyped. The horns were pointed to the sky for “Seven Deadly Sins,” as a fresh shot of fog clouded our view of the stage. “Who’s the Devil” came hard and fast, proving why it is one of the heaviest songs in the bands catalog. In the break between songs, Olathia took a few minutes to acknowledge their friend and Roadie, Tim, on his birthday. They had a cake and we sang the “Happy Birthday” song. After that Olathia kicked out one final jam, their cover of Ozzy’s “Over the Mountain.” The crowd got deeply into this one, singing and dancing as the band threw down hard. Most impressive was Dylan shredding like a master; slaying the notes one by one. The crowd devoured it! They screamed and applauded throwing horns in a frenzy. Olathia said good night, and then in a flash, it was over.

Joha and I said goodnight to the fam, and headed out to the car. It is a short shot home from the Beachland, and so I was back at the crib not long after 9. It was an early night, but it had left me with plenty to think about. Vicious Blade was amazing. They kicked so much ass, I can’t even quantify it. I will definitely check them out again. Lady Beast lived up to their own legend in my head. They were everything I remembered them to be and more. Finally, Olathia was… Olathia. They were heavy, passionate and overflowing with talent… and they put on a great show. They are the cream of our scene and they deserve every ounce of praise that we, as Metalheads, can heap upon them. So there you have it, my friend. That was my Sunday evening. It was a banger worthy of remembrance. I suppose on that note, I will call it a night. Hoist your horns, bang your head and always wear your earplugs. Thanks for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

9/8-9/9/2025

Links:

Olathia

https://www.facebook.com/olathiametal/

Lady Beast

https://www.facebook.com/ladybeastofficial

Vicious Blade

https://www.facebook.com/viciousbladepgh