Opening last night's festivities was local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre in their second metal night appearance & first show since changing their name from View To A Kill. They've hyped new originals to debut at this show for a while, and how did they come across? Very well, and it definitely seems like they're getting more cohesive with each successive time I see them live! Unlike their debut, I'm seeing less and less absolute need for a second guitarist, and I like how they're continually expanding their sound beyond just death metal-inspired stuff. Andrew Angelic's guitar work was on fire especially last night, and though Steve Rhodes still needs a lot of work on his clean singing, his growling was on par with past gigs I've seen him at! I've heard that some band members were dealing with illnesses last night (Adam Veale really seemed out of it when we chatted after their set), but it didn't show on stage at all, which is always a good sign! Their covers were also solid, but they should have had either lyrics ready or a formal guest singer before trying to cover "Too Young To Fall In Love" by Motley Crue at the end of their set. Still, this is probably the best I've seen The Valentine's Day Massacre sound, and watch out for their return to the stage next month that I'll have more on soon!
Second last night was Desbarats death metal quartet For All That Is Lost in their first local show of the new year, and they stood out more than in their last concerts here by wearing Buckethead-esque white masks for the entirety of their set. Interesting addition, but how about their music itself? Well, compared to the last time I saw them in November, they definitely seem to have adapted more to their current lineup formation! Last time out, I noted how Brook Moreau should have thrown in some more guitar solos, and this time around, he had a lot more solo time, and he sounded good in the process! Ben Deslauriers' bass work was excellent as well, and I found that Tyler Sperry's stage presence was also improving. I think it helped that he minimized his banter between sets, and he did seem a bit more confident this time around as well. Their originals continue to be nice and brutal, and I liked seeing the crowd come up closer to the stage for their set. I think For All That Is lost are definitely evolving from the lull they had after Allen Piche left the band, and if they keep on this same progress (masks or not), they'll be a force in the Algoma District metal scene!
And your main event band last night was extreme metal quintet Winkstinger, but the big question going into this show was "Who is Winkstinger's new singer?" Well, as it turns out, fronting Winkstinger last night was..... Alan Wells! Yes, their original frontman returned to the band earlier this year, and good thing he did, because he helped deliver an entertaining and offbeat set of their trademark originals last night! They unleashed a notable set of their creatively titled songs, and though Alan definitely seemed like he'd had a few drinks, his screaming was on form, as was the rest of the band's music! Guitarist Jesse Cook was decked out in his Thursday finest dress, but his guitar talents were on full display, and Jonas Gasperas' drumming was fast and well timed in it's own right! There were lots of humourous touches during their set, and though the crowd numbers had fallen by their delayed late timeslot, fans seemed to definitely enjoy Winkstinger's metal onslaught! This was a fitting end to the show, and hopefully Winkstinger are back on a local stage sooner than later!Overall, this was another fun metal night, and hopefully the next one comes soon! If these are indeed monthly now, hopefully some more varied and talented area bands rock The Rosie next month and keep this series going! I've posted lots of photos from this show onto our Facebook page, so click there or here to see them, and also check out this show's "Tag Yourself!" photo as well, which I hope to resume constant work on for that series. And yes, I did get videos, so here's The Valentine's Day Massacre's new original "My Sweet Delilah" (I think that's it's title), F.A.T.I.L.'s song "Blood Law", and Winkstinger's song "Stop! You Can't Interrogate Someone With Brain Damage!" (preceded by their Otis Redding cover "I Can't Turn You Loose", a.k.a. The Blues Brothers' car chase song!)
That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & this month's new poll TOMORROW, along with more news this weekend! Thanks everyone!
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