Vol. #254: Down, Helmet & Spirit in the Room
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Volume #254: Down, Helmet & Spirit in the Room
August 19th, 2026
House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Hello, hello. How goes it, my fantastic friend? I hope this installment finds you well. This week we have a really great one to recount. The evening began when Joha and Chen Killingsworth scooped me up sometime before 6 PM. We headed west, toward Cleveland, Downtown and eventually House of Blues. We arrived and found an acceptable parking garage. Then it was over to the club with all speed and with a significant spring our steps. You see, despite the fact that is was a Wednesday, we were extremely excited. The obvious reason was of course that we were seeing Down. This, my generations most revered super group, has finally returned with a new tour, single and an album on the way. I was vibrating in anticipation as we cleared security and entered the club. We hit the bathrooms and grabbed drinks before climbing into the sizable merch line, where we passed a nice slice of time. While we waited, our German Ally arrived and at last our party was complete. Once t-shirts were successfully purchased we headed to the floor and waited for the first band to start.
Spirit in the Room
Starting off the show was Spirit in the Room. This five piece act is made up of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. They took to the stage and opened up with a solid groove. They had clean Vocals that got pretty intense at times. Their style was up and down in tempo, often slow and plodding, then leading into much heavier and faster transitions. They had a sort of Hard Rock/Southern Metal thing going on with a touch of Stoner Metal. All in all it was pretty Rockin. While they definitely had their own sound, I would recommend them to fans of Corrosion of Conformity and Crobot. If my notes are correct they played seven songs before calling it a set. I believe the crowd really dug them and they received some strong applause along the way. I thought they were pretty damn good and a well chosen act to kick off the show.
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Helmet
Up next was Helmet. Made up of Vocals/Guitar, Guitar, Bass and Drums, Helmet are a band I have dug since back in the day. With that being said, if I had to wager a guess I’d say it’s been a decade or more since I last caught them live. So naturally I was stoked to check out the set, which felt like running into an old friend after a long hiatus. They came out with “Swallowing Everything.” Delivering heavy and pounding chords, they shook the room. They Vocals were clean, the distortion was heavy and the crowd was enthralled immediately. My heart leapt when they dropped into “Renovation,” which was always a favorite of mine. It was on this track that I noticed the first moshpit of the night emerge. The fans went off, and understandably so. Up on the stage Helmet was crushing it, serving up a heavy dose of hard driving, no frills attached, Heavy Metal. The pit continued, and didn’t seem to stop for the remainder of the night. The crowd was amped, the music flowed and the show rolled on. In front of me, on the edge of the melee, I saw a father and son duo, the kid probably 10 or 11 years old at best. The dad was running some all pro defense, deflecting rogue moshers and keeping his boy safe. It was admirable. Meanwhile Helmet wasn’t making it easy for him. They kept the crowd foaming at the mouth with jams like, “Wilma’s Rainbow,” “Just Another Victim,” and “Milquetoast.” They played 13 total tracks, finally closing with “In the Meantime.” The crowd roared, but it was bittersweet. Helmet had played an awesome set, layered with killer jams, however they neglected to perform their classic hit “Unsung.” This really bummed me out, as it is a long time favorite of mine. But hey, them’s the breaks, am I right? We, as fans, don’t get to pick the set lists. We take what is given and we say “thank you” to the gods of Heavy Metal. That’s the way it goes.
Down
And then at long last, it was time for the big show. The mighty Down was taking to the stage. The crowd stood in dyer anticipation as the lights fell. Immediately the room exploded in cheers as the five living legends walked onto the Stage. Phil, Kirk, Pepper, Pat and Jimmy each took to their places and then it began. With absolute power and authority they dropped into their new single: “Blood Oath.” In it’s live debut, the song launched the set into orbit. I was amazed. They sounded fantastic. Kudos to the sound crew at H.o.B., they did an excellent job. More to the point however is that Down was playing incredibly tight. Every stroke of the pick and strike of the Drums was produced with precision. Over it all was Phil’s voice which was a simply… perfect. He hit every note and held the soul of the music in a flawless timbre. The pit raged on and on. It was continuous and merciless and unrelenting. It wasn’t just moshing either. There were crowd surfers by the dozen, including one dude in a wheelchair. The crowd was wild from note one, and it only continued as Down dropped into “Lysergik Funeral Procession.” The next track, “Lifer,” was dedicated to the memories of Dimebag and Vinnie Paul, which drew a huge crowd response. “Hail the Leaf” was followed by “Ghosts Along the Mississippi.” On “Pillars of Eternity” Kirk laid it the notes down thick and had the crowd pumping their fists while chanting “Ay, Ay, Ay!”
The chants continued into “Temptations Wings,” which sent the energy in the room through the roof. Jimmy launched the next song, a little ditty entitled “Losing All.” Pepper shredded without mercy letting the solo fly. They tore through “Rehab” and “Swan Song” on their way to “Stone the Crow.” At this point Down left the stage and took a breather. They returned a few minutes later and treated us to an encore. First was “Eyes of the South” with it’s incredible riffage. They followed this with their bone crushing closer, “Bury me in Smoke.” Pepper soloed. Kirk Soloed. They went back and forth in a sort of uncontested, dueling dopeness. The song played out and as it did the band passed off their instruments to other musicians. I believe it was the opening act Spirit in the Room who stepped in, keeping the jam going while Down took their bows. They began throwing out picks, sticks and setlists to the rabid fans. A Drum stick came up short and got stuck on a lighting rig near the balcony. I watched a dude climb over he railing and almost plummet to the floor while retrieving it. It was a bold move that I applaud. He risked his life for a little slice of that “Bower Power” and all can say is, my brother, I get it. Eventually the lights came up and we were swept into the horribly slow trudge out of H.o.B..
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Then we were back in the car and headed East again. Along the way we raved about how great Down had been. It was a fantastic show. The bands sounded amazing and the crowd was wild. The vibes were good all around, and hell, even the t-shirts designs were sweet. All things considered it was an evening well spent. Joha dropped me off and it was in and to bed with the quickness. I knew the AM would be calling my name sooner than I liked. So there you have it my friends. Another night spent at the show. Another night of Heavy Metal and another unbelievable notch added to my great concert belt. It was a good one. On that note I believe I will call this edition closed. Thank you for reading and for Rocking. Raise your Horns, bang you Heads and always wear your earplugs.
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
8/23/2026
Voice of the Underground
