Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #216: Honervah, Vandalizard & HAMS

222 Ormsby at 222 Ormsby Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA

November 22nd, 2025

Greetings, Rustbelt Rockers! Glorious new! I have returned yet again with a tale to tell, and it is quite a tale indeed. One that sees me leaving the sacred cradle of Northeast Ohio and taking to the highways on a Rustbelt Road trip. I was fortunate enough to be invited to follow two of our areas finest Punk bands: Vandalizard and HAMS. Together we would venture forth into unfamiliar waters to spread the glorious gospel of Cleveland Rock N’ Roll. It began around 2pm, when I arrived at the Vandalizard practice spot and we loaded up. Piling into two vehicles, we turned southeast and set a course for Pittsburgh, PA. It was a long road to the Burgh, but we made it in good time. Eventually rendezvousing at an Airbnb where we unloaded. It was at this time that I made the uncommon decision to start drinking. I doesn’t happen often, but every now and then you will catch me with a PBR in my hand. Saturday night was one such event. In addition to that, the Vandalizard boys had brought sizable stashes of premium reefer, so by the time we reached the venue I had a considerable buzz on. We arrived and found ourselves at an interesting locale. 222 Ormsby appeared to be a nondescript residential building on the corner of an average neighborhood. We initially couldn’t find it at all and ended up at a bar across the street. Once we tracked it down and made it inside, all things came into focus. It was a small space, riddled with stickers and graffiti. It had a low stage, some decent overhead lighting and an adequate sound system for it’s size. It also had two free arcade games, which was a huge plus. As it was a DIY venue, it was also BYOB. So we acquired some brews from a beer distributor and dove in with gusto. In due time the boys from HAMS also turned up and we proceeded to party. The stage was set. The players were in place. All we had to do was wait, and wait we did. Hours passed of us drinking and hanging around. We shot the shit and smoked doobies and played video games. We even skipped to the bar across the street just to check out the scene. Eventually 8pm struck and it was time to start the show.

Up first was HAMS. This is a four man Punk Rock wrecking crew made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. With their Bass and Guitar Players both wearing animal masks, they are always a sight to behold. By the time they hit the stage I was thoroughly shitfaced. My alcohol tolerance has gone way down in the passed few years and I was straight silly by the time the show kicked off. HAMS opened up with “Oh Yeah!” and they never looked back. With their signature Bass sound driving the jams, they ripped into action and unleashed an all out assault. Next they broke out a cover of an old song called “Southside.” This one was all raw energy and blistering speed. Dill went wild as he tore up the floor, Guitar in hand. He ran amok as he soloed relentlessly. “Broke Forever” came next and it was pure fire. I fed Dill a dollar as they kicked it out hard. The Cleveland fans mobbed the stage and sang along word for word. “Bang Up” was next followed by “Suicide Pact.” The riffs were flying left and right. Tommy was in my face, mic in his hand, screaming his lungs out. “Bad Things” is slower compared to their other songs, but is still smooth and hard Rockin’. Then Tommy dropped his mic and ran to the fridge, grabbing a round of beers for the band. Once he returned they proceeded to break out “Kill It.” This song always drive home a pure Punk Rock sentiment; a love for the music, for fun and for motion. The blue collar anthem, “Suits” was a beast that had the fans moving. “Trouble” was next followed by their closer, a Punkified version of CCR’s “Bad Moon Rising.” HAMS brought down the house for sure. Their energy and power was undeniable as they shook the rafters in 222 Ormsby.

Now the Cleveland bands switched places and Vandalizard took to the stage. They are a four man, Punk outfit made up of Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Guitar and Drums. They opened up with “Heartless” issuing an instant shot of adrenaline to the room. “Jenny Destiny” was next, and it was a banger. Their Bass player, Swamp Donkey, was Rocking out hard as he ripped through the notes. While their Vocalist, Pua, delivered some nice lead licks. “Walk the Earth” was a special event, as the song’s inspiration was present. The legendary traveler, Babalouie, was among us as Vandalizard busted out his theme song. He stomped around the floor dealing out elbows to all he encountered. Guitarist Noah jumped about the stage as they broke into “Dissonant Dude.” Hams were on the dance floor, tearing it up, as Vandalizard ripped through the notes. “Bad Influence” was dedicated to the OG dope smoker “Uncle John,” who blessed us with his presence and many a joint over the course of the night. Next they broke into my personal favorite song by the band, “Roaches.” This song was, is and always will be, incredible. I sang and danced like a fool and I wasn’t alone. All around me my fellow Clevelanders were getting down and grooving. On “The Thing From Railroad Street” they ran us down with aggressive, fast, raw riffs. This song also has some unreal Drum work, served up by Danny J. He had hard hitting and precise strikes intermixed with outstanding rolls and fills. The classic sea shanty, “Show Me The Way To Go Home” was constructed into another ripping Punk explosion. This was followed by the always blistering and brutal “On The Trax.” The Vocal performance was passionate as the wicked riffs played out. The southwestern anthem, “Coyote’s Teeth,” was next. There’s not too much I can say about this song other than this: it is damn good. I absolutely love the vibe and the way it all plays out every time I hear it. Next came “The Grove” followed by “Good Deeds.” Both of these bangers blew by in a whirlwind, leading up to their colossal closing number, the always emotional, “Ramona.” With heart and balls Vandalizard brought their set to a close and in the process, brought down the house.

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

Closing out the evening was Pittsburgh’s Honervah. This is a three man band, made up of Bass/Vocals, Guitar/Vocals and Drums. If I had to choose a genre for these guys, I would place them somewhere in the vicinity of Stoner Metal, with a lot of Grungy Alternative influence. Their music was midtempo, droning and held a kind of grooving, trippy quality. They used a lot of pedals to enhance their sound, including a Bass-Wah which I thought was cool. Things would often pick up and the Vocals would rise to a feverish ranting pitch. They had a lot of cool riffs and nice melodies at times as well. Vocal duties switched from Guitar to Bass and back again many times, adding a diversity to their sound. They had some great Bass lines too. I believe in the end they played a total of eight songs before calling it a night.

And then it was all over. Apparently the club has a hard stop time of 11pm, so the show was done with at a reasonable hour. We loaded up and headed back to the Airbnb, where we continued to drink and smoke copious amounts of ganja. I got caught up in a quest for a gyro, which had myself and Babalouie hitting the streets in search of a mythical lamb roll. We wandered Pittsburgh’s Southside until our mission was fulfilled. Then we feasted and I passed out. I believe it was around 4am when I awoke and regurgitated the entire greasy affair. I awoke early, and in a bad way. I drank a lot of water, swallowed some ibuprofen and smoked a joint. Then, together with Danny J and Swamp Donkey, left Pittsburgh behind and returned to the comfortable confines of Northeast Ohio. There I rested and regained my strength… and wrote this article. So there you have it. My Saturday night in Pittsburgh; there and back again. It was a wild night filled with laughter, dancing and lots of music. In short: it was a blast. That’s all for this week. I want to thank you for reading this account and for continuing to support underground art and artists. Your commitment is our lifeblood. Bang you heads, hoist your horns and always wear you earplugs.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

11/23/2025

Links:

Honervah

https://www.facebook.com/honervah/

Vandalizard

https://www.facebook.com/p/Vandalizard-100092590599377/

HAMS

https://www.facebook.com/hamsusa2022/