Last Month's Poll Results & This Month's Newest Poll!!

Hey guys, it's the 18th of the month, so as expected, it's time for last month's poll results and this month's newest poll at The Sault Metal Scene, so what's the new poll that you can vote on starting today? That's all below, but first, here's the results from last month's poll, where we posed this question to you guys: "What do you frequently listen to on the radio nowadays in the Sault area?" We had 22 votes by 16 voters for this poll, which was formatted so you could pick all the choices that applied to you, and though that's not a high voter total, we got a good sampling, so thanks to everyone who voted! Now, here's the results:

Rock 101 (101.3 FM) (5 votes, 31.25%)
Satellite radio (5 votes, 31.25%)
Internet radio (5 votes, 31.25%)
Mackinac-area rock stations (94.5, 98.9, and 105.1 FM) (3 votes, 18.75%)
I don't listen to the radio regularly/by choice (3 votes, 18.75%)
WLSO: The Sounds of Lake State (90.1 FM) (1 vote, 6.25%)
Other local FM stations (Yes FM, Q104, etc.) (0 votes)
Local AM radio (i.e WSOO, WNBY) (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, in ascending order, I have to say I'm very surprised that no one picked other local FM stations. With only one dedicated rock station in the twin Sault markets, you'd think someone who frequently listened to other stations would have voted. The AM radio placement didn't surprise me though, as we're extremely lacking for AM radio around here. A single vote for WLSO was surprising given the diversity and solid metal shows that Lake Superior State University's radio station tends to have, but at least there was some support! Three votes each went to the three Mackinac-area rock stations that pick up here and "I don't listen to the radio regularly/by choice", and while I expected the latter given how some people feel about our radio selection, I like seeing some more support for the Mackinac stations, which answer some needs of local radio listeners! But the winners with 5 votes and 31.25% of the total each were Rock 101, internet radio, and satellite radio, and I can see each getting good responses! Rock 101 is our only reliable option for FM rock radio (and I find they do get underrated at times), internet radio has a vast expanse of selections, and satellite radio does too (though I'm surprised it tied for the lead, as I don't know how widespread it is.)

Interesting results though, and I wanna thank everyone for voting over the past month! Now, it's time for our newest poll at the SMS, and because we're into the second half of the year, we're once again posing this question to you guys: "What was your favourite Sault Ontario metal concert in the first half of 2012?" Like our last few polls of this ilk, I've given you guys 20 prominent metal and hard rock shows in the first half of 2012 (January 1st-June 30th) to pick as your favourite, and most of the vote-getting concerts will return early next year in our cumulative "favourite concert of 2012 poll", so keep that in mind! Like in previous polls like this, we're only counting shows with a 50% or more concentration of metal/hard rock bands, so the Die Mannequin & Weak Ends-headlined concerts aren't choices, but you can vote for them in "Other". Also, this poll does NOT feature shows in July, as this month isn't part of the first half of the year, so if you wanna vote for 3 Inches of Blood, wait for the poll for the second half of the year! With that all said, what was your favourite metal show in the first six months of the year? Your choices are below!

Bands: The Merves & Frightlight
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: January 14th
Info: Though a punk concert at it's core, metal was definitely represented in both bands at this early-2012 concert, including the hometown return of ex-Lion Ride frontman Mikey Hawdon with his Toronto-based Ramones tribute band The Merves, alongside openers Frightlight, featuring T-Rex Manning's Tiffany Stocco on guest guitar for their all-Misfits cover set! Was this show your favourite concert of the first half of this year?

Bands: Who Made Who
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: February 3rd
Info: No strangers to Sault Ste. Marie, prominent Ontario tribute band Who Made Who brought their proficient and energetic AC/DC sound back to The Canadian on February 3rd in one of a handful of hard rock tribute concerts at the Pim Street venue this year so far! Who Made Who have definitely became local favourites, but was their high voltage rock n' roll enough to make their February 3rd stop here your top show of the year's first half?

Bands: Winkstinger, For All That Is Lost, and The Valentine's Day Massacre
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: February 6th
Info: The 42nd Roosevelt Hotel metal night was a hit thanks to a stacked lineup of local metal bands, including Winkstinger's first Thursday night show at The Rosie in 7 months, F.A.T.I.L.'s first Sault Ontario concert of the year, and The Valentine's Day Massacre's first show since changing their name from View To A Kill! That all said, did these guys' metal assaults put this show higher than any others so far this year?

Bands: Frightlight, As It Stands, Redundant, The Valentine's Day Massacre, Late & Loud, For All That Is Lost, Inhuman Methods, and "Evil" Greg Callaghan
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: March 4th
Info: To help raise money for a tour van, Frightlight hosted "Dead In The Van: The Locals Attack!", an all ages concert on March 4th at The Canadian, featuring a number of high profile local metal & punk bands, including some long awaited Canadian Nightclub debuts & returns, including the first ever local concert appearance of Inhuman Methods! The brutality flowed all day long, but was "Dead In The Van" first in your heart for the past 6 months?

Bands: Waster, Farewell To Freeway, and As It Stands
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: March 15th
Info: The 43rd Rosie metal night was notable in many respects, as the first Thursday metal night of 2012 with out of town bands, the first to ever be all ages, and the last to be primarily booked by Stephane Vincent, but attendees were likely focused on the brutal metal brought by Winnipeg groove metallers Waster along with Guelph notables Farewell To Freeway and locals As It Stands! Did this show top all others through June 30th?

Bands: The Valentine's Day Massacre, As It Stands, and The Bear Hunters
Venue: The Speak Easy
Date: March 16th
Info: A sadly rare metal concert at Algoma University's bar/concert venue compared to prior years, The Valentine's Day Massacre held this high impact metal show at The Speak Easy on March 16th, with openers As It Stands and The Bear Hunters delivering their own unique and brutal takes on the genre to open the festivities! Was this concert your top pick of 2012's first 6 months?

Bands: Late & Loud, Dirty Virgin, and Pools of Booze
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: March 30th
Info: Though planned headliners The Lust Boys couldn't make the show after their tour vehicle broke down, the local openers soldiered on with a night full of classic/hair metal hits, with a punk tinge! Notably featuring Dirty Virgin's first show in 11 months and most of T-Rex Manning in the temporary trio Pools of Booze, these guys (and the ever popular Late & Loud) brought some great sounds to The Canadian to end March, but do you agree?

Bands: Hallows Die, Wolven Ancestry, Gypsy Chief Goliath, Kittie, Novembers Doom, members of Woods of Ypres, Empyrean Plague, Garden of Bedlam, Redundant, Shit Liver, The Bear Hunters, and The Valentine's Day Massacre
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: April 7th
Info: On this date, 12 bands joined forces at The Canadian to pay tribute to late Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold in the Ypres Metal Fest, one of two tribute concerts in his memory in April! Each band covered Woods of Ypres or Proposition 86 material in this event that saw a huge crowd (especially for Kittie), Garden of Bedlam & Shit Liver's first concerts of the new year, and a powerful performance by three ex-Woods of Ypres members. Was this metal festival your #1 show of 2012 so far?

Bands: Mama Kin
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: April 13th-14th
Info: The Canadian brought us some more tribute band goodness for a whole weekend in mid-April, when Toronto-based Aerosmith tribute band Mama Kin came back to town! Like Who Made Who, they're local favourites and have a stellar Aerosmith sound to bring to the table, which attendees definitely enjoyed this spring, but were you among them?

Bands: Tea With Lincoln, The Valentine's Day Massacre, Inhuman Methods, For All That Is Lost, As It Stands, Wishbone, T-Rex Manning, Late & Loud, The Bear Hunters, and Sykotyk Rampage
Venue: The Grand Theater
Date: April 20th
Info: After an almost 2 year drought, a battle of the bands returned to Sault Ontario to raise money for the Sault Humane Society! As you may remember, Late & Loud edged out As It Stands in a tiebreaker to win first place, with Wishbone breaking a 3-way tie for third place, so you know the talent was close and very competitive! Also featuring crash notables Sykotyk Rampage out of competition, was this your favourite concert of early 2012?

Bands: Shit Liver, The Bear Hunters, For All That Is Lost, The Valentine's Day Massacre, and Winkstinger
Venue: The Roberta Bondar Pavilion
Date: May 4th
Info: A metal showcase hit The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on May 4th, and despite audio echoing and similar issues, five prominent local metal bands rocked the outdoor stage well for the metalheads and drag queens(?!) in attendance! Also notable for featuring Winkstinger's last set with guitarist Jason Ladouceur, was this unique local metal show your favourite of 2012 so far, or was there better?

Bands: Garden of Bedlam
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: May 12th
Info: Though this concert was postponed from a March date for medical reasons, local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam's first solo concert of 2012 was a huge success in May, featuring tons of their proficient originals and fan favourite covers, and the presence of both The 705 Video Magazine and Shaw TV for their own coverage! Did this show rank higher than any other in 2012 so far in your eyes?

Bands: West of Hell, State of Misery, Tribune, and Borderline Divine
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: May 13th
Info: Dismembertainment's first concert since the Ypres Metal Fest saw a nice mix of out of town talent (including an excellent set of show stealing metal from West of Hell) and returning local bands, including State of Misery's first concert in over a year (and last ever, likely) and the return of Borderline Divine (formerly Stillbroke) after a 2 year concert hiatus. The metal flowed freely at this concert, but did you like it more than the rest?

Bands: The Brat Attack, The Valentine's Day Massacre, Shit Liver, and Winkstinger
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: May 20th
Info: Headlined by Winnipeg punk notables The Brat Attack, this concert didn't originally have any metal bands. However, late notice withdrawls led to the enlistment of three local metal bands to fill in the void, all of whom shared the stage two weeks prior at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion! The concert went well from what I've heard, but did this show top the charts in 2012 for you, or was there better in your mind?

Bands: Fuck The Facts, Garden of Bedlam, The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and For All That Is Lost
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: May 23rd
Info: Dismembertainment's last concert to date, Ottawa grindcore legends (and Juno nominees) Fuck The Facts brutalized their local fans once again at this May 23rd concert, where they were joined by four prominent local metal bands for their own devastating opening sets! Fuck The Facts are well known for being among the best death metal bands in Canada, but did they put on the best show in the first half of 2012 locally?

Bands: Winkstinger, Changing Waves, and Borderline Divine
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: June 7th
Info: Another lineup of diversely talented local metal bands hit The Rosie on June 7th for the 45th Rosie metal night (and second under Mitch Sirie's promotion!) Featuring a rare quartet performance by Winkstinger, Changing Waves' first concert of the year, and Borderline Divine's second concert of their current incarnation, a lot of entertaining music was had by the fans in attendance, but was it your favourite show of early 2012?

Bands: Winkstinger, For All That Is Lost, The Valentine's Day Massacre, Changing Waves, and T-Rex Manning
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: June 19th
Info: Four local metal bands joined forces on June 19th for the Battle For The Blood, a local battle of the bands to see who'd open for 3 Inches of Blood at The Rosie the following month! Despite still being shorthanded, Winkstinger won the fan voting to earn this huge concert's final opening slot, with F.A.T.I.L. finishing second, and T-Rex Manning playing out of competition. Was this your favourite concert, let alone battle, in Sault Ontario in the past six months?

Bands: For All That Is Lost, The Valentine's Day Massacre, The Bear Hunters, Changing Waves, March Into Regression, Shit Liver, Borderline Divine, Inhuman Methods, and Crimson Crusade
Venue: 436 Neebish Road in Laird
Date: June 22nd
Info: Nine local metal bands descended upon Laird on June 22nd for the latest "F.A.T.I.L. Gathering", which eschewed any house party notions for an all day metal event with tons of local talent, including the long awaited return of the former Bring The Misery, now known as March Into Regression! Though noise complaint concerns didn't benefit the concert later that night, fans definitely enjoyed it, but were you among them?

Bands: Hallows Die, 85 Pound Poutine, Before The Black Gates, Buried Out Back, and The Bear Hunters
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: June 29th
Info: In what could be seen as an unofficial follow-up to the Ypres Metal Fest based on the performing bands, Toronto death metal standouts Hallows Die returned to The Canadian with a stacked lineup of Northern Ontario death metal talent as openers, including the comedy/improv stylings of Sudbury's own 85 Pound Poutine! Though attendance could have been higher, the music was top notch... or would you agree with that?

Bands: Maximum RNR
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: June 30th
Info: Sneaking in just before the second half of 2012 began, Toronto hardcore punk quintet Maximum RNR (and Saultite members Brenton Ellis & Curtis Faux) returned home for a brutal night of original material on June 30th, showcasing lots of energetic and fast songs! Though the quest for an opening band didn't finish successfully, fans at The Rockstar Bar enjoyed the maximum rock n' roll on display, but were you among them?

Other: Are we missing a show that you'd rather vote for as your favourite? For reference sake, bands like Caveman Morrison, Dust N' Bones (the Toronto GNR tribute, not the local band), Sneaky Pete, Soul Killing Female, Still of the Night, That's Chester, Turner Up, and Tym Morrison played at local concerts between January 1st and June 30th of this year, along with numerous other shows featuring the bands above, so was your favourite not listed? Did you enjoy the Die Mannequin or Weak Ends shows more? How about a Sault Michigan concert, or one with no metal/hard rock bands? If your preferred choice isn't above, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!!! You have until August 18th to vote in this poll, when we'll reveal your favourite concerts from early 2012, and I'm definitely curious to see what tops the rest, so cast your votes A.S.A.P. and stay tuned for more news later today! Thanks everyone!