SweetKenny - "Management" CD Review!!

Here's our 113th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at Dafter, Michigan hard rock solo artist Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton's newest paid album, "Management"! Released through Waterfall Records on June 13th, this is the 26th official paid studio album from SweetKenny, as well as the 10th of his that we have reviewed on the SMS dating back to 2012. As has been his primary focus for the past three years, this is yet another instrumental album designed for use as a score in film, TV, or movie productions, with an intended plotline given about a CIA agent named Kenneth (naturally) who must locate and stop a spy in "management" before Russian operatives get the chance. Note that Ken just released another score album named "Monster" to his website earlier this month, but as it's just a free posting at present, I didn't consider it for this album review. Featuring Ken on all instruments, you can buy "Management" on iTunes for $9.99, and you can stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, and his website.

And as recently usual, song names below are linked to their website copies. With 12 tracks running for about 40 minutes in length, let's begin this review with the first song, "Botched Invasion"! A short 96 second composition, this has a grand, American patriotic flavour to it with quick military drum rolls and horn instrument effects. It serves it's purpose as an introduction, but it's not a full "song" in & of itself, and doesn't evoke an invasion of any kind to me.

Second is "Kenneth" (the fictional CIA agent, not SweetKenny himself), which is slightly longer and has more going for it conceptually, with a dark ominous vibe, like Kenneth is covertly on a mission. Simplistic guitars and well timed orchestration help pace things nicely, and the piano at the end is placed effectively too. This felt like it could have been longer, as it felt like it was building to bigger and more dramatic things, but it gets the job done in the story! That's followed by "Management Tower", which goes even more ethereal and spacey with it's instrumentation here, almost as if it should be on Echoes on 98.3 FM on Sunday mornings. Rapid military drumming mid-way through helps disturb the chilled out nature, but the string input adds to the grandiosity. This would be a good song for a long late-night drive, and it's well composed overall, but this doesn't feel all that evocative of it's name.

Next is "Russian Trouble", which immediately takes on a darker and more industrial sound that is far more suited to the theme of the album, and regardless of the enemies' nationality, you know they're making their presence felt! The electronic effects add some zest, but the bassy and deliberate sound keeps things serious and purposeful. I'd have added a subtle Russian music element to enhance the mood, and it does run a little overlong, but so far, this is the best track on "Management"! Then we have "Kenneth's Secrets", which is a piano-driven number that returns to deliberately ominous territory, almost as if the Russian agents are looking for the title secrets at this point. While not as laid back as "Management Tower", this has more ethereal qualities, with isolated piano input and extra effects laid overtop, and while nowhere near as intense as "Russian Trouble", the album is getting better for reflecting the song names!

"The Interrogation" follows next, and this song almost feels like it belongs in a horror movie than a spy thriller, especially with that high pitched eerie note midway through, and as bookended by more ominous and dark performing and effects. If you didn't give me the title, I'd have easily bought this as taking place in a haunted house! Like on the album openers, this doesn't evoke an interrogation room at all, but then again, who knows what kind of "interrogating" is being done. They have to get answers somehow! The second half begins with "Observation", which is more of an electronic number that at times feels like it could be background music in a Super Nintendo game. The higher tempo music somewhat evokes winter and the cold, but it maintains a steady techno rhythm and pace throughout, and has some more industrial machinery tinges late. I don't really get an "observation" vibe here, but for what it is, it gets the job done!

The next two tracks are "Code Name 28 (Arrangement 1)" & "Code Name 28 (Arrangement 2)",  and as you can probably see already, these are different takes on the same song in the score (one assumes 28 is Kenneth's code name.) These continue the electronic path from "Observation", and each has a mid-tempo pacing that eschews most traditional rock elements. "Arrangement 2" differs from the original with harsher and more distorted effects, evoking a more computerized ambiance, but each is the same base composition. Not my favourite song(s) on the album, but techno fans will find something here! I preferred "Arrangement 1" for it's less abrasive sound. Next is "Spies & Dark Women", which is the album's longest track. We return to more ominous and drawn out territory here, with some electronic elements still present, but not nearly as in your face this time. This song seems to go in stages, with things quieting down a bit in the middle before ramping up the drama late, and even returning to SweetKenny's hard rock past for a bit, and I definitely welcome charging guitars here!

This song is a bit of a piecemeal number, but there are enough strong elements (especially late) to make it worthwhile! The penultimate track is a similarly long number named "The Penthouse", which is more up-tempo while still retaining it's predecessor's dramatic qualities, and at this late stage of the score, you know things have ramped up in intensity! The percussion has catchy qualities, especially when it takes center stage, and the tension is there, but this song has more repetition than I'd like, especially compared to how varied it's predecessor was. Not a bad number, but I'd have cut it down some. The album closes with "Management Trailer Theme", presumably what Ken would use in commercials for the movie this score would be used with if it was up to him. Running for an album-low 73 seconds, this reminds me slightly of the Criminal Minds theme music, only with eerier qualities as it builds. For a CIA thriller film, this would be good background music, and I can picture a chase to it, so it works for what it is!

So, what are my final thoughts on SweetKenny's newest paid score album? Well, having now reviewed five of his scores, I'm at least familiar now with how these kinds of albums go, and I can safely say that while this isn't the best of those five (that's still "The Hitman Files"), this has enough positive qualities to deserve a listen! Fans hoping for a full length follow-up to "In Your Face" will want to look elsewhere for new traditional material (namely his recent singles), but for techno-infused rock instrumentals and atmospheric backing tracks, this has enough going for it in those areas as songs alone. When we last reviewed Ken's "The Dogs Are Watching" score, I felt that it's reliance on dark techno was well suited to it's intended storyline about government hackers, but for a CIA spy thriller, I'm not so sure that the same genre fits as well, and even then, the titles of many tracks were not evocative of the song at all, like "Botched Invasion" & "Interrogation". Of course, if you were to license these songs for a score, you could theoretically use them in other ways, but it's just something I noticed.

Fans of SweetKenny's scores will want to take a listen, as there's enough eerie and ominous techno and rock instrumentals here to find something you like, so buy or stream it (and much more) at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and as for next month, I am tentatively planning to review Northwest's new EP "Songs From 2015-2017", which is expected to be released on December 22nd at their LopLops Lounge release concert, which we will cover on the site later this week. That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on Thursday! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

News has been somewhat slow as of late, but I have cobbled together a video-centric post on this Sunday morning, largely on Sault Michigan acts. Alongside some new YouTube song postings and a familiar group from a recent concert, let's start with a new video from local classical/metal band Theatre of Night, who filmed a special televised performance on Grand Rapids-area cable access channel GRTV on Friday! I am not familiar with the channel to know if this was part of a specific program or not, let alone when you can catch it on TV there or online, but we do have a video look at them from that day, as shared to Theatre of Night's Facebook group via bassist Scott Andringa's wife Sara's personal Facebook page. The performance is of the Christmas carol "We Three Kings", and is our first video look at the band with Rachel Mender on vocals for this holiday season. The performance is solid, and while there is muffled audio, the final TV copy will no doubt remedy that.

You also get a brief look at the actual TV camera view late, and you do get a sense of their live concert scale this year, including Scott hitting a big drum for some added percussion dramatics, so one assumes this will be similar to what local fans see next month. In the meantime, give (part of?) Theatre of Night's GRTV performance a look below!



Next up, here's a 40 minute long live-streamed video of a one-off band from The Superior Cafe's Musicians Showcase event over the Halloween weekend! Alongside Project 906 & Raven Griffin, fans that night saw Das Spööky, who are actually a de facto reunion of the final full lineup of the 2013-2014 local alt-hard rock trio Plastic, with Crooked Music owner Zac Crook on vocals & guitar, Matt Williams on bass, and Superior Cafe manager Aaron DePalma on drums (Matt & Aaron have also served as instructors at Crooked Music themselves.) Plastic were a solid band that deserved a longer run, and while I have heard no public word about "Das Spööky" being more than a one-off, it's nice to see the guys back at it! As uploaded to Crooked Music's Facebook page three weeks ago, you'll see the guys covering (in order) The Misfits' "Ghouls Night Out", Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London", The Misfits' "London Dungeon", The White Stripes' "Dead Leaves & The Dirty Ground",  ...

...The Ramones' "Pet Sematary", The Who's "Boris the Spider", five more Misfits songs ("Return of the Fly", "Teenagers From Mars", "Children in Heat", "Horror Business", and "We Bite"), and an interpretation of Bobby Pickett's "Monster Mash" in almost a slow jazz/Wesley Willis-hybrid style, if you can make sense of that. If you love Danzig-era Misfits, this video will be extra notable, but Das Spooky/Plastic deliver a fun set full of Halloween-alluding covers, and while the vertical camera angle and dark lighting don't help, you should get enjoyment out of this set! Give Das Spooky a look below, and click here to see their White Stripes cover rehearsed that morning!



Also today, let's take a brief detour to Sault Ontario for the long awaited upload of local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore's half of their "A Couple of Degenerate Bastards" split with Chase Wigmore from earlier this year! This was posted to label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on November 7th, and it features 11 songs with such names as "Sudafederal Offense", "26", and "Big Boy in a Small Pond". Of course, some titles and lyrics could be seen as offensive by some readers, which is nothing new for C.T.W. original material, but these songs are slightly longer on average than you may expect, as their average length is about 2:35. The music on display here retains the usual minimalist grind hallmarks of Tyler's sound, including pig squeal vocals and noise effects, so this won't win over any prior detractors, but Blood Shed diehards should like the new music, and give it a listen if you want below!



Finally, here's the latest from Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock musician Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton, who is still our likely CD review topic for this month, but what has he been up to lately? While his album focus as of late has been towards his scores, he has posted five singles online this year that (largely) aren't attached to a credited new studio album, which you can stream at his website. Four are entitled "Pork N' Beans" (featuring guest guitarist Jamie Woodfin Jr.), "American Monster" (a 10 minute long score composition), and "Superhero", while two songs were posted for an intended album named "For The Love Of Funk", namely "Her Mama Put The Funk On Me" & "The Landing of George Funk", the latter about a fictional astronaut. Aside from the funk elements, these retain Ken's usual hard/jam rock hallmarks, albeit with some requisite score-fitting drama, and fans should give them a listen! In the meantime, SweetKenny's YouTube channel has seem some scattered updates this year, so what's new there?

Much of his recent postings there have been towards demonstrating his original material (largely songs I don't recall being released previously) as soundtrack music to outside video footage, often with attractive women in revealing clothing, as you can see in this "Monster" demo reel, this song for a planned video game, and this copy of his "Epic" song "Maddy's March" with a glossy presentation. Hopefully these uploads are getting Ken some attention in the score and soundtrack arena, but here's his "Her Mama Put The Funk On Me" video, and stay tuned for more from SweetKenny when it rolls in!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Weekend Concert Previews, A New Band, And More!!

In the last concert weekend before the 2018 holiday season truly begins, things are relatively quiet, but we do have a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, an apology for a missed show, a new live video, and some assorted shorter items to fill things out! However, let's kick things off with a new local unplugged rock band featuring a couple of familiar faces!

We have a new local hard rock duo to add to our active local metal band links, and they are Tattoos & Scars, a new acoustic side project from members of Halfway Loaded! As announced in a post on that band's Facebook page on Halloween, singer Justin Grayson & guitarist Shane Biron have formed this new project while Halfway Loaded proper continue their ongoing dormant period due to personal life and work commitments. Tattoos & Scars proper are described on their new Facebook page as an "acoustic act... covering everything from classic rock to whatever we feel like playing." Old and new videos were teased to be uploaded there, and while that has yet to pan out, we do have clues as to how Justin and Shane sound together. One of their pictures features them dressed up as two of their big musical influences ("All Hope Is Gone"-era Corey Taylor and Zakk Wylde), while you can see Justin & Shane cover Thriving Ivory, Slipknot, Oasis, and Lynyrd Skynyrd songs on Halfway Loaded's Facebook page.

In the scattered videos that I've seen of Halfway Loaded, I've detected solid promise, whether it's the above Shane & Justin acoustic clips or with other band members, and the guys are a nice complimentary pair on the above covers! It'll be interesting to see if Tattoos & Scars prove to be more active than Halfway Loaded have been in the past year, but follow along at the above links, and stay tuned for more when it rolls in!

Next up, let's dive into this weekend's quiet hard rock concert weekend, starting with another busy weekend for ex-Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison, who will return to Gliss Restautant for matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, which sandwich a newly announced return to Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the latter concert, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Monday. The Gliss gigs will mark Tym's third weekend since the resumption of his long-term arrangement at the downtown restaurant following it's move from Bay to Spring Street, so if you haven't seen the more intimate, hotel-independent location yet, this could be your chance to do so! As for TOMORROW'S Room 21 return, this will be Tym's first show there in two months, though I cannot confirm if there will be a Fishbowl or Finger Food Friday theme for this one. If you want a more typical nighttime setting for Tym's varied and often heavy cover selection, consider a trip above Low & Slow TOMORROW NIGHT!

Both of this weekend's Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no stated age limits or cover charges (but mind the locale), while TOMORROW'S Room 21 gig is a traditional 10:00 PM affair with no cover, but a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!



Also this weekend, here's a previously announced show taking place THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will hit the stage for one night only! Last seen over the Halloween weekend, this will be the Mourning Wood successors' first stop at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub since the summer, and will ostensibly serve as a preview of their Toystock set next Sunday. Fans of this veteran hard rock band should find a lot to like with their accessible blend of classic hits, so don't miss out on all of the action on Saturday! This is a 9:00 PM event with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new live video of Soundcheck in action from... Saturday, November 3rd at The Esquire Club!? Yes, it appears that they did in fact play there two weeks ago, despite the show(s?) receiving no online advertising from the band or venue.

Assuming this was a public booking, I profusely apologize for not covering it on the SMS two weeks ago, but if the band or venue had plugged it in advance, we wouldn't have missed it! We can at least see how one song went that Saturday, as this video (shared from drummer Glen Thomas' personal Facebook page onto their own page on the 5th) features the band, with Paul Belair back on bass, covering Alanis Morissette's "Ironic". Interesting song choice that they effectively add a classic rock sheen to, and while the grainy purple lighting doesn't help, Soundcheck sound on their game with this rendition! Give their Alanis cover a look below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• The aforementioned Halfway Loaded have quietly parted ways with bassist Jesse Gottwald, as per his removal from their Facebook page's advertised lineup. A reason for Jesse's departure wasn't announced, but his personal Facebook page implies that he moved to Southern Ontario for work reasons earlier this year. Best of luck to Jesse in the future, and hopefully he surfaces in a new project down the road! A new bassist has not yet been announced, but they've only posted on their Facebook page once since January.
• While still advertised on the Facebook event page as "Jeff & Friends", the Toystock set from Country 104.3 DJ Jeff McNiece next Sunday is apparently now considered to be from his band The Jeff & Jeff Show, who played at last year's Toystock as well. Our source is Jeff & Jeff's Facebook page, and this now means that 7 of this year's 10 bands are returnees from past Toystock installments. Just a bit of clarification for next weekend's roster at the Northern Grand Gardens, and look for our preview next week!
• In their first Facebook post since their singer change, Re:Born guitarist Blair Burch announced this morning that fellow guitarist Frank McGillivray will be largely absent from the band until April due to out of town work commitments. He will not be replaced, with the power rockers jamming as a quartet and working on both new material & live sets in the interim, and with Frank contributing where able. This is a disappointing bump in the road, but hopefully things progress how they're meant to over the winter, and that the full new lineup is back with a vengeance in the spring!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this weekend! Thanks everyone!

New Local Solo Videos, Plus More Assorted News & Updates!!

(Updated on Wednesday at 12:42 AM) Before the snow piles on any more, here's a new news post for your Monday afternoon! Along with some assorted news and notes, we're largely tackling new videos today, including regarding this year's Toystock and a prominent local solo artist's busy plans, but we'll start today's post with a very fitting cover from local/Thompson, Manitoba hard/alt-rock solo artist Mike Haggith, as uploaded to his Facebook page on Saturday. Fans of his old band The Din will recall their frequent live cover of The Barenaked Ladies' "The Old Apartment", and as fate would have it, Mike recently moved from his initial apartment in Thompson to a new building, so what better way to send off his own old apartment than by covering that very song in it? This is a very serviceable acoustic rendition that fans should enjoy, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Mike's solo project when it rolls in!



Next up, here's the latest from experimental folk/metal solo artist (and Mike's former Strange Coyotes bandmate) Chase Wigmore, starting with the launch of his own recording studio! Entitled Clever Bastard Records (I didn't name it!), Chase is hyping up the studio by saying that you can get your original material mixed "for pretty much free", and any genre is welcome, among other irreverent tweaks of that statement. If this is accurately described, than this is a generous service that Chase is offering, so visit the above links for more details, and the studio's now in our "Other Local Metal Links"! As for his music, Chase did post the link to Soo Blaster's second Indie Music Showcase on his Facebook page, but no one had plainly confirmed that he's playing the November 30th event at press time. He also quietly launched a Soundcloud page, which features free streaming copies of two of his solo albums, and most recently, he posted a new original song entitled "Psychic Driving", so what should you know on it?

Allegedly a song that Chase has been working on for a while now, this eight minute long original has a swinging 1990s alternative vibe with heavier stretches and great bass work, while this is a solid drum showcase too, and the lyrics have some requisite creativity! Unfortuantely, Chase would quietly take the video down for unannounced reasons on Tuesday, but it was a good song, hopefully it resurfaces! Stay tuned for updates either way!

Also today, here's a new Toystock-related video, as shared by organizer Greg Simpson to their Facebook event page on Friday, and as originally posted to veteran local rock drummer Glen Thomas' personal Facebook page! Those familiar with The Freq's drum work locally will know that he has made and donated drum kits for Christmas Cheer each holiday season for over 20 years, and at the last four Toystocks (where Glen played with Mourning Wood & The Peace Vibe), he has given a drum kit to a child in attendance after their set, which is a great gesture at a very giving time of year! This will recur later this month when Glen plays Toystock VII at The Northern Grand Gardens with Soundcheck, and you can see him showcase his garage-turned-drum assembly line in the video below. Interesting look at a great bit of holiday generosity, so kudos to him for what he's doing for a few lucky kids each year, give his video a look below, and don't miss Soundcheck and 9 other acts in two weeks!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Local rapper Chuck "Lil' Majick" Charrette quietly replaced Bom Kronik on the lineup of Thursday night's Lightmares concert, as per updates on the Facebook event page. A reason for Bom Kronik's late withdrawal wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened! Genre fans may recognize Lil Majick (formerly Lil' CZ) from his work with True North Talent Entertainment, and hopefully his set was well received last week!
• In their first Facebook page posting since July 2017, local death metal trio Pillory revealed last week that their new album "is getting there", with guitar tracking now underway, and with vocals and mixing apparently next on the docket. Rivers of Nihil show aside, we have heard next to nothing publically from Pillory in the past year, but it's great to see that they are still plugging away, so stay tuned for updates when they come in!
• Tickets are now on sale for Theatre of Night's Christmas tour stop at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on December 15th! Unlike usual concerts there, this will be in the venue's table seating configuration, with traditional theatre seats ($15) and dinner tables ($25) for a more intimate experience. Pick them up at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in person box office! No word yet though on the teased December 16th concert.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the week progresses! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Foothill Road

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, our monthly feature series that spotlights one or two defunct/inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk acts for current readers, in order to give them new attention for current readers! This time, we had randomly selected two bands to look at due to my projecting that neither had enough content for a solo feature, but for a second straight month, I underestimated the first band, so we've promoted things to a single band profile once again. As such, I have bumped the planned second band (Kraken Mara) to the headline spot next month, but don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's this month's profile!
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Foothill Road

Genre: Hard/Alternative Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie/Hamilton, Ontario (also listed from Copetown, a Hamilton suburb, in their EP booklet)

Members:

Ken Luxton (Spy vs. Spy, J.A.B.), vocals
Mario Carlucci (Sneaky Pete, Glitch), guitar
Mark Oliverio (Tripod the Dog, Boogie Fever), guitar
Ron Pyette, bass
Rick Bain (Sara Inksetter, Cousin It), drums

Audio/Video: Foothill Road released two studio albums, including their 1994 debut CD "Seventy" and a self-titled EP in 1996. The former was locally recorded at Satellite Sound Studios with producer Bob McLeod, while the latter was recorded at Comfort Sound Studios in Toronto with producer Andrew St. George. In 2005, Mario Carlucci compiled a posthumous final album, "Live: End of the Road", featuring live tracks, studio outtakes, and a Rush cover, as a means of bringing closure to their original run, while the EP & "Taste" from the last album can be heard on their posthumous MySpace page. However, with their run taking place over 20 years ago, public videos aren't known to circulate. Here's "Cavern" from their EP!

Info/Analysis: Active from circa 1993-1996, and named after a real west end street in Sault Ste. Marie, surviving public information on Foothill Road is in short supply, but they had a strong profile during their original run, including positive album reviews in Meat Magazine. The band relocated to Hamilton circa 1995, but disbanded shortly after their 1996 EP release. Not long after, Mario Carlucci & Rick Bain would join bassist Nancy Henrech (Rick's future wife) in the Hamilton rock bands Sara Inksetter & Cousin It, the latter alongside Ken Luxton too, and both had measures of success in that market. Of their studio albums, I prefer "Seventy" for it's heavier & rawer nature (plus Ken's rangier singing), but Foothill Road were a talented group who made strong use of 1990s grunge & alt-rock influences, and they showcased great chemistry during their run, with the guitar work always a highlight! Give Foothill Road a listen, and follow members' later local projects too (like Mark and Mario's later hard rock cover band Glitch!)
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month in this series, we will spotlight Kraken Mara next as promised (deja vu from Foothill Road's postponement!), but as I am certain there won't be enough material for a solo profile on this prog-metal studio project, we will round things out with one more similarly limited-for-content band that we randomly selected, namely the late 2000s experimental metal trio Dreamscape! Look for both profiles on or around December 10th, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus New Videos!!

A quiet concert weekend is upon us, so barring a late notice confirmation, today's post features this weekend's previously announced concert previews, plus some new videos from two very different local acts. Without any further adieu, here's what you should know!

We'll start our previews with the Sault Ste. Marie debut of Sudbury punk trio Lightmares, who will rock LopLops Lounge TONIGHT! After two fan favourite appearances at both of the Oh!No concert festivals in Leeburn, this will be a long overdue chance for Oh!No attendees and newcomers alike to see Lightmares in the Soo proper, and with their alternative-tinged, upbeat blend of originals, they should get a solid reception among the LopLops faithful! Openers were quietly confirmed in recent weeks, and they will include new local hip-hop jazz quartet Bom Kronik (spelled "Bomb Chronic" on the Facebook event page) and local surf rock quartet The Dynowaves, who also played at Oh!No this year. Diverse but talent-laden lineup, so don't be late for the opening acts! Advertised as promoters Six, Two, Oh.'s 90th concert to date, this show has a 19+ age limit, $5 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time.

With this show tonight and The Therapists returning to our area later this month, this is a good time to be a fan of this year's Oh!No lineup, so if you can swing a Thursday nighter, head to LopLops for all of tonight's varied action, and for a preview, here's Lightmares live last month!

Next up, the only other advertised local hard rock concerts this weekend will take place at the re-opened and relocated Gliss Restaurant, as Tym Morrison's weekly arrangement there begins it's second week since the big move TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Following the grand re-opening on October 27th, Tym resumed his regular run there last week, and will play his second public concert weekend at the former Cesira's location over the next two days. Fans of Tym's regular and proficient blend of hard and classic rock covers should welcome his weekly Gliss matinee gigs back after a 3+ month hiatus, and you can expect more of the same high quality entertainment on Spring Street tomorrow and/or Saturday! Unless there's a late confirmation, these are Tym's only publically announced shows this weekend, and they are 6:00 PM gigs with no announced cover charge or age limit, but mind the more intimate restaurant locale. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



We'll close today with some new videos, starting with a surprise song posting from.... Room 206?! This comes from bassist Brad "Example" Lacell's YouTube channel last week, and while your first guess may be that the song (entitled "Last Stance") is a 20 year old demo from the punk quartet's original run, that doesn't appear to be the case, as the video's description says that it was "recorded for Tidal Records' compilation #1." This seems to imply that former Room 206 members recently reunited to record at least one more song, presumably at Tidal Records' own Mission Control Studios, for an apparent compilation album featuring Tidal-signed artists & collaborators, though this is largely conjecture until there is confirmation beyond this video. For what it's worth, Brad is on Tidal's roster already as a solo artist, and was a bandmate of Tidal head Dustin Jones in The Inner City Surfers. Also note that much of Tidal's recent online posts have revolved around the big Jesse Merineau concert yesterday, so outside topics may have been on hold then.

I was a kid (as in, under 10) during Room 206's heyday, so I missed out on the glory years of the Windsor Park Hotel concert era, but this new song should highly pique the interest of mid-1990s local punk fans! I can't confirm full credits for who's representing Room 206 here, and I'll hold on reviewing "Last Stance" pending teasers of a Tidal compilation album being true, but give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more when and if it comes in!



Finally for today, here's the latest from local cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm, who returned after a lengthy hiatus with two new digital albums on their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! One is entitled "Jesus Died For Our Tins", and the other (embedded below via label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel) is entitled "No More Medical Songs." This seems to signal a shift away from songs named after medical terminology and conditions, though this isn't new, as their 2016 album didn't have any medical song names either. In fact, Malignant Neoplasm's 2018 songs have more in common thematically with their sister goregrind act Crucify the Whore, so if that's more your thing, these will be familiar! While less cyber-influenced than previous material, these new songs (some with suitably provocative titles) remain a quick listen, as despite having 8 and 9 songs respectively, neither crosses 10 minutes in total length. Only 3 songs between them exceed 2 minutes, and 6 don't run for more than 20 seconds, so don't lose track of time when checking them out, as a song could end before you know it!

These albums are both available at the above links on "name your price" models, and while the polarizing gorenoise originals and typically undecipherable vocals will not win over any prior detractors of Blood Shed's grind acts, the aggressive noise rock will be right up the alley of existing label fans! Give all 9+ minutes of "No More Medical Songs" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Tyler and company when it rolls in!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tool Tribute, Soundcheck, And Fluid 5ive), Plus A New Punk Band!!

Before we dive into weekend concert previews, we have a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, mostly at one popular venue, but first, here's a new addition to our band links!

We have a new local punk band to add to our active band links on the site, and they are the Distillers tribute band from last month's Halloween Party concert at The Rockstar Bar, who are no longer simply a one-off! Following a positive response to their set, the band has decided to continue as a full project under the name Coral Fang (taken from The Distillers' 2003 album), so if you liked what you heard late last month, they are reportedly open for more bookings! Channeling Brody Dalle up front is Stegadeth/Jack Spades guitarist Tiffany "Spades" Stocco, with bandmate Johnny Belanger joining her in a third active band on drums, and their lineup is rounded out by A Dire Setback's Chris Nielsen on guitar and Destroilet's Adam Larocque on bass. Aside from teasers of more dates both here and out of town, we don't know much about Coral Fang, but can they sustain in the long-term just as a Distillers tribute, or might original songs or outside covers join their rotation? It will be interesting to find out, but like and follow Coral Fang at the above links!

We'll have more on the Halloween tribute end of things in a bit, but first, let's kick off those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's return to the aforementioned Rockstar Bar for one night only on Saturday, November 17th! While not confirmed at press time by the band, the show was announced via the venue's Facebook event page on Sunday. This will be Soundcheck's first stop at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub since June, and unless there's a short notice surprise this weekend, their first anywhere since rocking the Reggievelt over Halloween weekend. Soundcheck's fan favourite blend of 1980s-themed hard and classic rock covers should go over as well as ever in 10 days time, so keep this one-nighter in mind for next week! No word yet though on if bassist Paul Belair will be back in the fold on the 17th. There is no cover charge for this 19+ show, which has a 10:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details!

Also, here's another Rockstar Bar show that was newly announced via a venue-created Facebook event page this week, as local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will return there for one night only on Saturday, November 24th! This will be their first concert since playing at the same locale early last month, and their second with new guitarist Liam Vaillancourt, so if you haven't seen their fan-friendly blend of rock covers yet, this would be a good time to be introduced! In another new show announcement, Fluid 5ive will be the musical entertainment at the third annual Habitat For Humanity Builder's Bash at The Grand Gardens North on Friday, November 30th! This special event is a fundraiser for local Habitat for Humanity operations (always a great cause),with dinner, a silent auction, some type of gaming, a photo booth, and yes, Fluid 5ive in concert, so keep this in mind if you want to show your support! Keep all of the above details in mind when you note the $40 ticket cost, or $375 for a reserved table for 10.

Contact organizer Sandi Wheeler at (705) 941-9646 or sandi@habitatsault.ca for ticket availability (reportedly, drummer Jeff Pennett has tickets too), and a 6:00 PM start time is advertised. Meanwhile, the Rockstar Bar show the previous week has a 19+ age limit, likely 10:00 PM set start time, and no cover charge. See the above links for complete details on both of Fluid Five's shows this month, and stay tuned for possible updates!

Finally, we have one more Rockstar Bar show to acknowledge, as two more tribute bands from the aforementioned Halloween parties there will join forces for an encore on Friday, December 14th! The announced headliners are the (two-off?!) Tool tribute band from night #2, featuring Late Shift's John Barber & Anthony Gagnon, The Wild Iris' Steve Myers, and Skeyes of Seven's Alain Fletcher. It;s great to see the guys bring their proficient and authentic brand of tribute prog/alt-metal back for another go-around, and in case this is it for this tribute, don't miss out! The other announced band is a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute, and while not firmly stated on the Facebook event page, this appears to be a encore of The Elements' themed set from night #1 of the Halloween party. If accurate, they should have another fun blend of Chili Peppers hits in store on December 14th, so don't be late for their set either! No other bands are advertised, but wouldn't it be fitting if Coral Fang played this too?

A $5 cover charge is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has a 10:00 PM start time. This is a solid way to help continue the holiday concert season, and after how good the Halloween Party sets were, who will complain about one more set from each? Visit the above links for more details, and that's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!