Local Concert Previews, And Stuff I Missed This Weekend!!!

I have returned, and luckily, I haven't missed any concerts to preview, and there's three coming up in the next three days, so let's get right to that, I'm overdue as it is.....stupid computer. So here are your local concert previews for the next couple of days!!

First off, tomorrow at Coch's Corner, Edmonton based metal band All Else Fails will make their return to Sault Ontario! Of course, they just played at the same venue on May 28th, and I almost missed it. Well, not this time! Early start for a show at Coch's too, they will hit the stage at 8:00! And as in any other show there, the admission cost is ZERO! Should be a good show, thought I must admit, I'm more accustomed to seeing bands like AEF at The Oddfellows Hall. No matter, free to get in, alcohol's for sale, a pretty good hardcore band, just make sure you're 19, it is a bar after all.

As for All Else Fails, they're have a very good brand of extreme hardcore/prog metal, and they should appeal to a good segment of concertgoers, so why not check them out? Head to their official MySpace page to check out some of their originals! And here's a video of a live performance of their song "Eyes of the Martyr"!



Next up, there are two local metal concerts on Thursday, both in Sault Ontario, and the first of them will also be at Coch's Corner! Local hard rockers Sense of Truth will be there, as direct support for Edmonton screamo band On The Sidewalk Bleeding! This show will begin at 10:00 PM on that night! And just like the All Else Fails show, there's NO COVER CHARGE! Personally, I'm not into screamo, but I'm sure many of you are, so go check out some of On The Sidewalk Bleeding's originals on their official MySpace page, they're good for their genre! As for Sense of Truth, I'm sure you guys are aware of their talents already, and they should put on another great show on Thursday! And for a preview, here's a video of Sense of Truth's performing their song "Vicious Cycle"!



And finally, we'll head to The Oddfellows Hall, where a whole bunch of Ontario metal bands will make their way here for a big hardcore show on this stop of The Canadian Crusade Tour! Your headliners are Today I Caught The Plague, a progressive metal band from Ottawa! Support will come from Thunder Bay death metal bands Faceless Hulk and Norris (I won some Norris prizes on the 2nd!), as well as Windsor death metal band Constructed Apocalypse, and locals Loyalty Is Dead! All of the above bands are pretty good, click on their names to check out their original songs! Admission is just $5, which is nice and affordable, and the doors open at 6:00 PM! Should be a good show, so why not go?

For a preview, I'll show you guys this live video of Today I Caught The Plague performing their original "The Artisan Movement" from a concert in April 2008!



So now you're all caught up on the next few shows coming up! Of course, this weekend, Integrated System of Machines, Kilacel, Nixxon Dixxon, and Nudge will all play shows in Sault Michigan, and there will definitely be previews of those shows in the coming days! Now, as I have been AWOL from the SMS over the weekend thanks to the computer problems, I must get caught up on news, so let's get you all caught up too!

First off, local hardcore band As It Stands appear to have broken up. No formal announcement is on their MySpace page, but their name has been changed to "As It Stands [RIP 2004-2009]". Pretty clear, if you ask me. This is shocking, especially when just 2 weeks ago, they announced they had chosen a new singer. Well, whatever happens, I hope the former AIS members will find their way into some great new bands, cause there's some real talented musicians there that I'd love to see back on stage soon!

Next up, some updates on two big festivals coming up this summer, those being Rotaryfest and Hempfest. First, Rotaryfest has most of the main stage bands announced, and there are no metal bands so far (jazz/swing bands on July 16th, country on July 17th, and classic rock on July 18th), but there are still a few openings, and the Second Stage lineup has yet to be announced. If I hear anything more, I'll let you all know, cause there's usually a metal band or two on the Second Stage!

As for Hempfest, no official band announcements of any kind yet, but the official website has been launched, featuring lots of info on scheduled events, and an official message board too! Ticket prices have been announced, and they're $40 in advance for all four days of the event! If you're showing up at the gate, tickets are $50 for four days, $40 for three, and $30 for two. Pricey, yes, but it's not just music, it's much more, and you can get full details at the official site! Obviously, this is a 19+ festival as well. For tickets, call 1-888-215-8970, or go to Planetary Pride's official website! When I hear more on tickets, and any metal bands playing, you'll hear it all here! Remember, this will be the last Hempfest, so here's hoping it goes out on a high!

I'll leave it at that for tonight, I should have some more news tomorrow, cause I do plan on crawling the Internet somewhat for some news and shows and bands and such. There's bound to be more stuff I've missed! Oh, and the Billboard charts and Metal News will definitely be updated once you see this, so stay tuned for that! Thanks for the patience, everyone! Keep it metal!