Volume #94: Wraith, Raider, Atomic Witch & Invicta
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Rustbeltrockreview.com
Volume #94: Wraith, Raider, Atomic Witch & Invicta
Aug, 27th, 2023
The Foundry Concert Club 11729 Detroit Ave, Lakewood Ohio 44107
Good morning, my beloved reader and welcome back to the Heavy Metal anomaly that is the Rustbelt Rock Review. I have once again ventured deep into the underground and returned with tales to tell. Last night I was fortunate enough to be able to check out a devilishly delightful gig at one of my favorite haunts. I was at the Foundry to check out, Indiana’s Wraith. With them in support were Raider and Invicta, both from Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. In addition they brought out local heroes, the mighty Atomic Witch. I arrived just as doors were opening and headed to the ATM to grab some cash. It was then that I realized I had forgotten my debit card and was unable to pay the cover. I was dismayed by the thought that I might be heading home over such a stupid oversight. Luckily that was not the case. I was rescued by Mike from Wraith. Remembering me from my interview with them last year (RbRR #16), he covered me at the door until I could send him money with my phone. Thanking him profusely, I entered the club and began my observations. I met up with the guys from Atomic Witch and we shot the shit for a while before I headed over to introduce myself to the boys from Raider and Invicta. Soon enough 7:30 hit and the music was set to start. I planted myself firmly at center stage and the show began.
Invicta
Up first was Invicta. They are a four man act made up of Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. Based on what I heard I would characterize them as Death Thrash. They opened up hard and fast. Their vocalist brought forth a deep and resonant growl, while the tempo was delivered mercilessly. They impressed me immediately with their fantastic Guitar solos delivered by both Ax-men. On their second song I took notice of the amazingly fast, pickless play of the Bassist. He also delivered some deep guttural Backing Vocals, which really punched up the lyrics. The lead Vocalist absolutely roared, his voice fittingly matching with his tattoo of a tyrannosaurus rex. The band had great stage presence, headbanging and pacing the stage as they played. Over and over again I was blown away by their Guitar work. It was pretty intricate and reminded me of the saying that “Classical music was just Heavy Metal before electricity.”
Invicta
The style Invicta exhibited had a very “Classical feel” and the kids in the room seemed to really dig it. Delivered both solo and in tandem, the two guitarists operated in perfect sync. They continued with speed and savagery as they dealt out chords that were pure punishment. I think it was their fourth song that really blew me away. It had this excellent, big, melodic intro riff that drew the listener in. Then the song seemed to explode as the verse began and the chorus was undeniably intense. In this song I detected the unmistakable influence of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. My notes read “Melody out the ass beneath heavy devastation; magnificent.” If my notes are correct, I believe Invicta played a total of 6 songs. I found them to be an excellent opening act. They played really hard, with passion and aggression and showed off considerable skill at every position. Invicta shredded their way through their time slot and in doing so opened the show up just right.
Atomic Witch
Next to the stage was Cleveland’s own Atomic Witch. This is a band that surely needs no introduction, but for those of you who are new to the review, well go over the basic stats again. Atomic Witch is a 5 man outfit made up of a Vocalist, Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. (Check out RbRR #41 & #43 for my review of their album and full interview with the band.) Their sound is a shocking amalgam of Heavy Metal disciplines, that in the past I have classified as Blackened Death Thrash. (Though any attempted classification of Atomic Witch falls miserably short of what their sound entails.) Opening with “Funeral Lust” The Witch broke into their trademark sound of madness. Mind melting Guitar chords filled the club and fans began to headbang accordingly. This began the set with explosive force; slapping the room across its collective face. “70,000 Skulls” was second in line and I noted just how tight The Witch sounded. Recreating their songs with utter precision and added intensity, Atomic Witchdazzled the still growing crowd. The kids screamed in appreciation, and I joined them, as the band broke into my personal favorite track, “Leather Noose.” This song is all murder and mayhem and feels like the climax of a horror film. On the title track from their most recent record “Crypt of Sleepless Malice” the intensity continued to rise. The Bass line was delivered pickless by the infamous “Rolling Thunder” McJunkins, as he relentlessly pummeled the crowd with a low end onslaught. The frontman, Greg, collapsed in a fit, draping his limp body across a monitor while snarling inarticulately. He then rose to his feet and began to strangle himself with his mic chord, as the band plowed through “Too Rotten to Die.”
Atomic Witch
Second Vocalist, Jesse, has a voice that pierces the night and soars without question. The combination of the two men, playing off each other, is unique and spine crunching combination. Next the band broke out their newest offering “Skelecidal.” This, I believe, is my third time hearing the song and I have to say I love it. It is heavy as fuck and has all the typical hallmarks of an Atomic Witch track: Snarling and falsetto Vocals, a psychotic riff and a punishing tempo. Throw in an excellent Guitar solo and you’ve got one hell of a piece of music. The whole room was headbanging to the swinging sounds of “Spooky Technology.” Finally closing out with their now classic track, “She Drifts,” they set the room ablaze. I found myself lost in the riffs, my mind floating upon the music as Atomic Witch drove home their twisted sound one final time. They finished up to very strong applause and screaming across the room. As always the Cleveland fans ate up everything Atomic Witch was serving. The calls for more continued long after the lights had come back up and the stage was mobbed my appreciative fans. Once again Atomic Witch had rocked utterly and impressed the hell out of this author. As the only local support on the bill, I have to say we were well represented. Yes, Atomic Witch did us proud… and blew the roof off of the Foundry in the process.
Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of the Rustbelt Rock Review. @ericstevensonart
Raider
Third in line on our evening agenda was our second band from the far North: Raider. This stop in Cleveland was the bands final gig on their first US tour run. This is a five man outfit, made up of Vocals, two Guitars/Backing Vocals, Bass and Drums. (Helping out on Guitars for this tour was the frontman from Invicta.) Their style was a mixture of disciplines, most prevalent was Thrash, Death and Black Metal. They opened up very fast, with Thrashy music set behind some Blackened Death Vocals. They delivered some nice solo work and kicked off their set with a bang. The second song continued where the first let off. Pounding double bass drove on the malicious and mechanical riffs. I was really feeling Raider at this point, as they delivered more delicious guitar work. Their frontman, an enormous, barbarian of a man, had an intimidating presence. He loomed monolithic on the front edge of the stage, like a prehistoric apex predator. Their third song was fast and driving and the Guitar work continued with wicked precision. There was a sick breakdown tucked away in there that had the room breaking their necks with passion.
Raider
Their fourth piece had a nice melodic intro and the drums thundered as the song built. When it finally broke open, it went incredibly hard with a pulse pounding, driving rhythm. There were horns hoisted and heads banging all across the room as Raider absolutely laid waste to all they surveyed. I noted the band had great stage presence and that the solos kept coming throughout. Their last song, which I believe was called “Ravenous Hydra,” was a lesson in throbbing brutality. The drummer really wowed me on this one with his fast handed cymbal work. This song was like a sonic pulse, crushing the listener with concussive waves of sound. There was a real and palpable pressure in the room; I could feel the actual heaviness of the music as it passed over me. The crowd erupted in cheers as the set concluded. Raider had blasted through their set and rattled the brains of all who stood looking. With their blend of styles they created a marvelous soundscape which was profoundly hard edged while sporting some serious technicality. I have no doubt that Raider earned many new fans with this visit to the Northcoast and deservedly so.
Wraith
Closing out the evening was Wraith. This is a four man, Black Speed act made up of Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. This evening also marked the four year anniversary of their album “Absolute Power,” which they would be performing in its entirety. The band began with their backs turned to the crowd, as ominous church bells tolled across the club. With the finally note of the bell, distorted chords echoed through the club and Wraith turned to face us. Opening with the chainsaw ripper “Devils Hour” they exploded into their set with power and fury. Playing at reckless speed they hammered into “Acid Mass” and then followed with “Meaningless Planet.” The solo’s came shredding and at unfathomable velocity as Wraith pulled no punches and showed no mercy. “The Curse” inspired a small group of diehard fans to start up a moshpit. This concerted effort slowly began to draw in more and more people as the set continued. “War of Aggression” saw this energy increase and a rogue mosher clipped me. This sent me flying and I collided with the wall, wrenching my old man back. Despite this irritation, I persevered and as I did Wraith belted through “At The Stake.” Up next they hit us with “The Hunt,” which was cool, as it was the first time it had ever been performed live.
Wraith
Moshing continued with increased energy as Wraith plunged into some of my all time favorite songs. “Eyes of the Sacred Ram” was on point and savage. “Absolute Power,” introduced as “the slow one” by the band, has an incredible chugging cadence. It demanded, and received, horns in the air and heads banging. The vocals were a savage animalistic snarl, rasping out every word. Concluding the album, the brought their brutal cover of “Death Comes Ripping” by the Misfits, but Wraith wasn’t done yet. Pausing briefly they raffled off an autographed copy of “Absolute Power,” then started up again. Breaking into “Dominator” the pit emerged again immediately. This continued into the spleen rupturing “Gate Master.” Next they played my personal favorite Wraith song, “Cloaked in Black,” which predictably kept the pit moving. Digging deeper into the back catalogue they broke out a couple of old ones to finish the set. “Heed The Warning” enthralled listeners and sent bodies flying in all directions and then “Dogs of War” put the pedal down for one final burst of Black Speed. The crowd roared. The fans mobbed the stage and high fives and fist bumps were distributed all around. The kids were ecstatic and with good reason. Wraith, as always, was amazing. They overwhelmed the room with their fantastically driving tempos. Their chords were like hatchets splintering bone with each successive strike. Their stage presence and energy is passionate and their songs are pure fire. You hear this sentence uttered from time to time and with this band in particular it is very true: they are so much better live. Not to be critical of their recordings, because those are really good. I’m simply saying is to fully appreciate Wraith, you have to see them perform. They are a band that absolutely shines on the stage. If you love bands like Midnight, Motorhead or Bewitcher, then you must check out Wraith today. They are a four man wrecking crew who wants to kick in your door and leave your ears bleeding.
With the show at a close I said some fond farewell’s and headed out. I made my long trek home. I was exhausted, and with good reason. I had just headbanged my way four excellent sets. Along the way I discovered two stellar acts from our neighbor to the North. Invicta and Raider had both thoroughly impressed me. They both brought technicality and aggression to the stage and played with passion. I for one found them both to be exceptional acts. I wish them safe travels home and I hope they make it back to Cleveland soon. Atomic Witch once again astounded me with their delirious intense sound. As always they put on one hell of a show and represented Cleveland well on our home soil. Finally Wraith is as good an act as you can find out there. They play so hard, so fast and so precisely that it is difficult to process just how good this band is. Suffice to say Wraith hits like a punch in the gut. They knock the wind right out of you and leave you gasping. They are just that good. On that note, I suppose that’s all I have for you this week. As always, thank you for reading. Wear your earplugs and keep your head banging!
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt!
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
Zackolantern.com
8/28/2023
LINKS
Wraith
https://linktr.ee/wraiththrash
Raider
Atomic Witch
Invicta
