Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #109: Bessemer Saints, Rip Ryde & The Great Iron Snake

November 11th, 2023

No Class, 11213 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102

Hello my friends, and welcome back to the Rustbelt Rock Review. This week I took in a fantastic show over at No Class. It featured Bessemer Saints, Rip Ryde and The Great Iron Snake. I arrived at the club shortly before doors opened and immediately ran into Bessemer Saints standing on the patio in front of the club. We caught up for a while, before I headed inside to pay the cover. A measly $10 later I had my wristband and my evening was set to begin. Soon enough I was joined by my accomplice James “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. As usual Roxxxstarradio was on the scene, scouting talent and looking for new music to play on the station. (They do such a good job of hunting down the best artists in the scene to promote. All Cleveland area Metal artists should be connecting to them!) Not long after I met up with the one and only David “Rolling Thunder” McJunkins (Assault/Atomic Witch), who I always enjoy taking in a show with. Somewhere in here I ran into Nick Lewis (Galactic Reptile) as well as Dylan Andras (Assault/Mutilation Barbecue/Olathia). It was rad seeing so many prominent members of the scene turn out to support this gig. In due time, the show began. The lights dropped, the crowd cheered and The Great Iron Snake took to the stage.

There was a nice sized crowd in place as The Great Iron Snake prepared to begin. They are a three man act consisting of Guitar/Vocals, Bass and Drums with Backing Vox coming in from both the Bassist and Drummer. They play a Hard Rock sound that flirts with the edges of Metal to be sure. In fact one could call them a Metal band, if one was so inclined. I don’t know how to categorize them other than as bad ass. That is exactly what they were as they opened up their set with a lot of energy. They had this fuzzy sort of sound that I really dug. Clean vocals, nice Bass work and a killer Guitar solo filled out their first song and I was into it from riff one. For their second track my notes simply read “Fucking excellent song.” I also scribbled down a mention of another excellent solo, as well as a slow, heavy “gut punching breakdown.” The third track, which I believe was called “Steel You Can Trust” had a stomping Bass line that absolutely pounded. With some Bluesy lead licks and nice drum work this song truly hammered. Fourth in the set came a song with “a nasty Bass line and a kick ass riff.” Here I noted again about the Bluesy component to the bands sound, which is something I always enjoy. The Great Iron Snake showed considerable musicianship across the board and the crowd response reflected that. The fans lost it for their fifth offering. I wrote down that it was “Another kick ass, Bass driven, Riff fest” with a “driving rhythm and shredding solo action.” Their sixth song had a slick opening riff that really gnawed on my ear. The Guitarist showed a lot of energy; rocking out whenever not singing. His vocals took on a rough edge that bordered on a snarl at times. The crowd continued to Rock as The Great Iron Snake broke into their seventh and final song. The drums thundered and the cymbal cracks came like gunshots. This one was hard and fast and the crowd fed off of it in kind. Fans in front were dancing and singing along as the rest of the room banged their heads and held their horns high. The song evolved into the outro of Megadeth’s “Wake up Dead,” to which the crowd roared in approval. The Great Iron Snake finished up to a strong bout of cheers from No Class. I for one was floored. Hard Rockin’, Bluesy, and Sludgy at times The Great Iron Snake performed with energy, intensity and passion and I appreciated every minute of their set. They were a very good act and they certainly kicked the show off in the right way.

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

Second on the evenings agenda was a band called Rip Ryde. This is a five piece Heavy Metal act that is comprised of two Guitars, Bass, Drums and a Vocalist. It is worth noting that the drummer was pulling double duty. He was the same dude as in The Great Iron Snake and it was impressive to see him perform two full sets back to back. Rip Ryde opened up with a song called “Cryptnotized.” It was hard and fast with a ripping Heavy Metal style. Face melting solos were delivered from first one Guitarist, and then the other, as the song progressed. Their second number “Legends for the End,” was “another upbeat Rocker with nice lead licks.” Here I noticed a strong Judas Priest influence, which is always a positive. “Back in the Fire” was really powerful with a charging tempo. The riffs were killer and I noted here that the Bass work was phenomenal; I mean, really top tier. Their fourth number, never previously performed live, was entitled “Skull Breakers.” Dedicated to “the Norse Gods” this song was an energetic Rocking romp. “Nightwitch” was fifth in the setlist. With a killer riff, grooving Bass line and soaring Vocals this song was “piercing and precise.” The seventh song, “My Oh My,” was fast and shredding from the get go. On “Inferno” I again made notations about the quality of the Rip Ryde’s play. “This band excels at technicality, speed and energy,” “Fast, driving and hard hitting” and “Bass stands out again.” “Stop, Rip and Roll,” was stellar with even more sick soloing. “Forever Numb” had exceptional energy driven by a galloping rhythm from the Bass. Closing out the set they brought “Jack of Spades,” which I thought was the strongest number in the performance. I was particularly enthralled with the chord progression on the chorus to this one. Rip Ryde finished up very strong and to powerful applause from those who stood watching. I have to say I was really impressed with this bands quality of play. Their musicianship was off the charts at every position and it shone through in their music. If you are a fan of Iron Maiden or Judas Priest then I highly suggest you check out Rip Ryde right away. They may just Rock your world.

Closing out the evening was Bessemer Saints. This is a four man Hard Rock group constructed from Corey (Vox), Tom (Guitar), Shaggy (Bass) and Terry (Drums). They opened up the set with “Like I Care” and immediately swept the crowd away. The song was fast and Rockin’ with clean Vocals that were both smooth and soulful. The band had good stage presence, especially Shaggy who never seems to stop moving. The Bass sound was crisp and was packed so full of groove that it had the crowd dancing. Tom delivered the first of many solos here, as Terry Rocked behind the kit, singing along to every word. On “Find a Way” the riffs came very Bluesy as Bessemer Saints served up a stone cold jam. I loved the riff on this one and also the Bass line which had “a lot of changes and little flourishes.” “Got to” is a very funky, mellow groove with a big Bass sound and magnificent wah-wah pedal action. At this point Shaggy broke a Bass string, but he continued to play unabated. Swapping out his Bass, the band continued without delay and fired up “Waste of Space.” Terry’s Drum work on this song is nasty. The song also holds a solid jam with a very nice solo riding over a monster Bass line. Next up, Corey left the stage, and the band broke out the instrumental number “Inthemental part 2.” Heavy and Rockin’ at times, while slow and plodding at others, this song in a sonic journey of epic proportions. Corey watched from the crowd as his bandmates seemed to channel the Gods of Rock N’ Roll before our eyes. Corey returned to the stage as Shaggy proclaimed “It’s time to boogie!” They then broke out their new, fan favorite “Another Night with Whiskey.” This is a bad ass drinking song, plain and simple. With big lead licks, a fun chorus and a very danceable Bass line, this track is a party jam. Next came “Walk in my Shadow” a cover of a very Bluesy old song from the 1960’s. This showcased Shaggy taking the Bassline for a real walk and the crowd cheered accordingly. Eight songs into the set Bessemer Saints broke out the slow and trippy “This Dark Age.” In a passionate display, Corey’s vocals sounded like a confession, spoken only to the night. Bringing out more of that reverb heavy wah-wah, and some thrumming Bass, the song built slowly from it’s haunting beginning to a thundering finale. This climax is fiery, packed with emotion and undeniably hard hitting. The crowd went wild when this one concluded, but Bessemer Saints were not through yet. Busting out the always entertaining “Steak Next Time,” they took us on a very fun ride. Even with it’s comical subject matter it is hard to ignore the musicianship displayed on this track. Saturated in filthy little lead licks and an ever evolving Bass line, “Steak Next Time” is as impressive as it is enjoyable. Closing out the set they broke out another new one: “Fire Tested.” This song can only be described as a Rock solid jam, which showcases everything Bessemer Saints has to offer: slick Bass, wicked Guitar work, Drums that groove and a voice that’s smooth. That in short is Bessemer Saints: slick, wicked, grooving and smooth. They are a band that is hard enough to rock your world, while not being so heavy as to drive people out of the room. They produce a vibe that is both kicking and chill. They are great way to start you evening off, or to mellow out at the end of a bender. In short, they are a band for all occasions. If you are looking for some of the best played music on the Northcoast, then don’t skip Bessemer Saints. They hold the true spirit of Rock N’ Roll.

With the show at a close I made my rounds and said my good night’s. What a great show it had been. The Great Iron Snake really, really impressed me. Their music was excellent and their performance was passionate. They are without a doubt a band I will be checking out again. Rip Ryde totally blew my mind with both their energy and their talent. It seemed every member of the band was exceptionally skilled at their instruments. The songs that resulted were packed full of mind boggling feats of musicianship the likes of which I have rarely seen. Finally, Bessemer Saints was fantastic. They delivered a set that was loaded with old school Hard Rock vibrations and an energy that could not be denied. Bessemer Saints are truly one of the stand out acts in the Cleveland Scene and it is always a pleasure to see them perform. With all these thoughts rattling around in my head, I traveled home and headed off to sleep. I passed out satisfied and satiated; my weekly fix for Heavy Metal having been fulfilled. Yes, it was a fantastic evening. I hope you were there with me. If not, I hope you enjoyed this brief synopsis of what went down. Thank you for supporting your Underground Scene and as always... Thank you for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

11/13/2023

Links:

Bessemer Saints

https://www.facebook.com/BessemerSaints/

https://www.instagram.com/bessemersaints/?hl=en

Rip Ryde

https://m.facebook.com/p/Rip-Ryde-100082961943319/

https://ripryde.bandcamp.com/