Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #225: Crucigen, NightDrive, Death & Exhale and Demise Eve

January 10th, 2026

The Foundry Concert Club 4256 Pearl Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109

Good evening Rustbelt Rockers and welcome back to the review. This week I found myself back at The Foundry. I had decided to take in this gig sort of on a whim. I’d never heard any of the bands on the bill, but I was looking for a show, so I decided to roll the dice. I hit the road shortly after six and made my way west. I arrived found a parking space and walked to the club. Once inside I posted up and awaited my homie’s arrival. I had managed to coerce Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor into joining me and little did I know he had passed the word along to Chris (Drums/Nightmare Empire & MEV). Once they’d arrived we made our way to the stage.

The night’s first band, Demise Eve, was just plugging in. They are a five man band made up of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. Their sound is what I would describe as Metalcore, which I know can mean a lot of varying things. They opened up with some melodic notes which quickly led to some heavy riffs. The singer almost immediately left the stage and began to stalk the club. His Vocals were an extremely powerful growl which instantly intensified the sound. Meanwhile, their Guitarist added some clean Vox occasionally for effect. While their Singer moved about the room, the band showed significant stage presence. They were always moving; headbanging and Rocking out continuously. The sound was one of crushing heaviness and it immediately grabbed me. Most impressive about the whole thing was the incredible skills exhibited by the Guitar duo. They delivered blistering riffs, sure, but also gorgeous melodies. The icing on the cake was the solos though. These two dudes can shred, no question about it. They went back and forth, trading blazing notes with fury. I can’t express just how awe inspiring it was. The crowd howled in approval as the twin terrors swung their axes with precision and ferocity. Demise Eve blew my mind with their skill and passion… and folks, that was all just the first song. They played a total of four lengthy tracks before calling it a night, all of them excellent. It was fantastic. In fact the only downside the set was the announcement that one on their Guitarists would be departing the band after this gig. I feel it’s a pity to break up such a dynamic team. Sigh. These things happen and all I can say is I hope Demise Eve has a plan for the future, because they are some seriously heavy hitters and it’d be a pity to see such a talented project disappear from the landscape. Anyway, with our first band finished we drifted over to the “food hole” and ordered some grub. This came up with relative speed and we found our way into a second room: The Unhinged Lounge. Inside we found a second bar and a wall stacked with video game console’s; free to play. Chris got down on some Tekken while The Dook and I tore into our food. Once we were done eating, we headed back to the stage for band number two.

Second to stage was Death & Exhale. This is a four man Deathcore act made up of Vocals, two Guitars and Drums. In addition to the band, they had a laptop, which added a whole melee of additional instruments and Vocals to the mix. The set began with some epic sounding samples, while the singer ran through band introductions. The first song was called “The Sacrifice.” It packed some calamitous Drums, with nice double Bass. The Vocals were nasty and raspy; what I would describe as “Blackened.” When they fired up, immediately two drunk guys started attempting to start a mosh pit. No one else was really feeling it, but I applauded their tenacity as the two throttled each other. Meanwhile, Death & Exhale delivered some amazing stage presence. I’m telling you these dudes threw down with fire! They jumped around, Rocked their bodies and headbanged like men possessed. Such raw and unbridled energy was a thing to behold and was absolutely appreciated by yours truly. One their third song they were joined by a guest Vocalist, who brought his own brutal growls to the mix. He stayed on for two tracks, adding additional weight to the already heavy sound. They played a total of six bone crushing songs before calling it quits. The crowd cheered vehemently and sent Death & Exhale off with much to be proud of.

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Third to the stage was NightDrive. This is a four person, female fronted, band made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They were a big change of pace from the first two acts. From Metalcore we switched to a more Hard Rock sound. The Vocals were clean and strong; delivered with passion and force. They had some nice riffs, grooving Bass and good stage presence. A fun fact about NightDrive is that their Bassist plays a six string which naturally leads to some interesting Bass lines. The crowd loved them, dancing to the music and applauding heavily after each song. On their fourth track they even had the crowd pumping their fists and chanting “I will break!” It was a pretty cool moment. They played seven total songs, including “Porcelain” and “Had Enough,” closing with a track called “Mischief and Mayhem.” This hard rocking jam has a great melody and a bitchin’ Vocal pattern. With soaring notes from their leading lady, this song climax’s fantastically. The crowd loved every minute of it and unleashed some uproarious applause once they had finished. NightDrive had killed it without question and really impressed me. For any fans of female fronted Metal, I promise NightDrive is something you can really sink your teeth into.

Our final performer of the night was Crucigen. This is a three piece act made up of Vocals, Guitar and Drums. They too employed the use of a laptop for sonic enhancement. They opened up very heavy, with Guttural Vocals. Soon the Gutturals were replaced with Cleans and then back again they switched. This was the dance that the singer would play throughout the set. His range was impressive as he seamlessly changed from bestial growls to smooth melodic notes instantaneously. The music was melodic and heavy, jumping back and forth as frequently as the Vocals did. One moment we were in a beautiful melody where the singer was crooning, then the next we were in the bottom of a devastating breakdown. The changes were amazing and frequent, always keeping the listener on their toes. The band had great stage presence, getting down, and headbanging as they played. I looked around and noticed a large amount of people, not only dancing, but also singing along with every song. They played songs like “Complacent,” “Bleed” and a brand new song that they didn’t name. They served up an amazing set, but what was perhaps coolest about it was on their final song, when they all switched instruments. The Singer hopped behind the Drums, the Drummer picked up the Guitar and the Guitarist got on the Mic. They then proceeded to kick out an intensely heavy song that was just as good as anything else they had played. It was wild. The crowd loved it and they cheered with mad affection and pure Metal madness when it all came to a climactic end. It was excellent. Crucigen was fantastic. I found their sound to be well honed and emotionally charged. However you slice it, they drew a large crowd and held them in the palms of their hands for the entire set.

Then it was over. The lights came up. The house music began to play. The crowd dispersed. The amps ceased to hum. At long last, the night was at an end. Chris had vanished at some point during the last set, so it was just The Dook and I making the cold trek out to the cars. We reached the corner and there we parted ways. I fired up my car and searched my streaming app. Once I got my car up to temperature, and I had fired up some NightDrive, I braved the highways. In good time I arrived safely at home and collapsed into my bed, exhausted yet satisfied. It had been another great night of Rock N’ Roll. I had scratched my weekly itch and now I sit here with you, recounting it all. I suppose that this is where we too shall part ways. Thanks for reading. Thanks for Rocking and thanks for supporting the Scene.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

1/11/2025

Vol #225: Crucigen, NightDrive, Death & Exhale and Demise Eve

Vol #224: Bessemer Saints, Inducing Panic & The Storms of Tomorrow