Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Where Are The New Albums? January 2013 Update

It's the 2nd, so it's time for our first monthly feature post of 2013, that being this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Little is different this month, but we do have an additional album to add that has begun production, and another band's entry has been updated to reflect new information (denoted by the album title in italics.) As always, this monthly series looks at the information, statuses, and background of upcoming Sault Ontario metal/hard rock albums, so where exactly are they right now? Read on below to find out!
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As It Stands' third EP

Rumoured Songs: "Conception", "Big Problem, Little Lock City", "Rise Above", "One Last Chance", "One Less Than Wayne Gretzky", "Big Bucks, No Whammy", "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Ho", "Embay the Terrible", "Oh Herm, Herm Delish", "David & Goliath", "Stay Together For The Kids" (Blink-182 cover)

Background: Continuing their high success levels since their local re-emergence in 2010, hardcore quintet As It Stands started recording sessions for their third EP with Metalworks Studios in Mississauga in July 2011 with producer Kevin Dietz. The sessions lasted just a few days, but from what I hear, a lot got accomplished! You can see some of the happenings from the sessions on their official studio vlog, which features some audio samples and video of some members recording their parts. The vlog also confirmed that their cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids" was recorded in Mississauga, and that the songs will be part of an EP, not a full length album as was previously believed. It's currently unclear whether the songs they recorded at Stereo Soul Studios in 2010 and/or in Stoney Creek in 2011 will be featured on the EP in some form. A new track named "Oh Herm, Herm Delish" was posted onto SoundCloud in early 2012, with studio copies of "Conception" & "Big Problem, Little Lock City" also being uploaded to their Facebook page this year, both of which you can stream at this location. Mixing was underway locally with Brendan Clace at the former Dimension Studios, so stay tuned for more news on this EP soon!

Current Release Status: As It Stands seemed to have everything under control and well planned for the sessions and their studio work, and though nothing concrete has been explicitly said about it's release, things seem on track, despite recent delays and absences of updates. When might we see this EP? I don't know, especially with their recent slowdown in news and the closure of Dimension Studios, but keep an eye out for any possible updates!
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The Bear Hunters' full length demo

Rumoured Songs: "Bloodthirst", "Succumb To Eternity", "Dominate", "Overthrown", "Casualties Of War", "Collapse The Sun", "Render This Void", "Karma", "Deception"

Background: Local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters formally announced that they'd begun recording for their debut EP "Bloodthirst" in May 2011, just days after adding guitarist Josh Stephney to the band. The news was broken on their Facebook page, but details were extremely scant following that news, and the recording plans fell dormant until January, when the band announced plans to record material towards a full length demo release. This appears to be an independent production towards future better quality recordings, and plans are in place to release official band t-shirts along with the demos when completed. Plans are for this demo (which won't be "slapped together") to feature at least 10 songs, and though progress has been made towards completions, setbacks (including a dead computer) have pushed back a planned release, including their non-album cover of Woods of Ypres' "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)". Stay tuned to the band's Facebook page for continued updates!

Current Release Status:
Though things seem to have been delayed from original expectations, recordings for the demo are ongoing as per their Facebook page. Recent band news has been slow at best, and no new timeline is out for the release of it beyond before "the end of the world", but they seem to have things in good order, so keep an eye out for updates on official Bear Hunters media as it comes in!
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Gates of Winter - Perihelion(?)

Rumoured Songs: "The Stars Call My True Name", "Edin Na Zu", "Dimensions", "Time Warp", "Wormhole Mechanics"

Background: Despite a hiatus from live concerts lasting 4 years, Gates of Winter never broke up, and are slowly working on their follow-up to 2008's "Lux Aeterna". The first glimpse of the new album was unveiled in February 2010, when frontman/producer Lee Maines uploaded a snippet of their new song "The Stars Call My True Name" onto his YouTube channel, and he followed that up with more demo & rehearsal clips sporadically over the last couple of years, though all were later taken down. The band launched a new Facebook page in August 2010 to keep fans updated on the sessions, including the unveiling of a new song title, "Time Warp", and while Sault native Jon Morrison was announced as the album's drummer that fall, they are currently looking for a new session drummer. In November 2011, bassist Steve Furgiuele confirmed in a YouTube video that the album, now titled "Perihelion", was planned for release in December 2012, with some older re-recordings likely for the summer, but Lee confirmed last month that the album would be delayed further, be retracted to EP length, and likely be renamed. Another new song, tentatively called "Wormhole Mechanics", was previewed in this video that Lee uploaded as well last year. Whether Jon or ex-keyboardist Brian Holmes will be included in some capacity on the EP is currently unknown.

Current Release Status: According to Lee's posting on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group relating to their session drummer search, he's hoping for the work to be done "within the next 4-12 months", which lines up with postings about delays for the EP. Personal commitments and the like have slowed things down incredibly, but good art takes time, and knowing Gates of Winter's talent and attention to detail, they won't wanna release this until everything's perfect, so keep an eye out for updates!
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Haggith - "Deuce" & "Flight 75"

Rumoured Songs (D):  "Leon The Janitor", "75", "Safe On The Outside", "Public Enemy"

Rumoured Songs (F): "Chaos In The Streets Of Aftermath", "Livin' It On The Run", "Wanko (Reprise)", "Wanko", "Leon The Janitor", "Loverbeam", "Reach Out" (Cheap Trick cover), "Fin" (Part 1)", "Fin (Part 2)", "I Am", "Rage Train", "75"

Background: A new local grunge act formed last May, this band featuring 20 Pack of Marshmallows & Acention alumni alongside local solo artist Mike Haggith have quickly began work on album releases, already putting out their first two formally this fall. Announcements, previews, and photos from the studio and sessions have made it to their Facebook page over the last couple months for both older releases and upcoming albums, including their planned third studio album "Deuce" (possibly their first to feature bassist Caleb Cachagee on most tracks), and a live album named "Flight 75" (as recorded at their Bushplane Musical Madness concert in November), which has already been posted online in full to stream. Both are expected to be released through the band's independent label PaperClip Productions. Keep tuned in to Haggith's online pages for further updates!

Current Release Status: "Flight 75" is slated for it's full release this month (exact date unknown), which should be well anticipated by fans! "Deuce" isn't quite as clear yet for a release timeframe, but with Haggith operating on a similar prolific schedule as Mike Haggith does solo, a quick release is more than possible! Keep an eye out for updates!
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Mike Haggith - "The Present Din"

Rumoured Songs:  "Her Song", "Careless Space", "The Issue"

Background: Slated to be Haggith drummer/namesake Mike Haggith's 46th solo album, the oddly titled "Present Din" was announced on Mike's solo Facebook page on December 19th, where he revealed that the album would be lighter than his latest release "Neighbourhood Watch, though with slower piano based james and occasional heaviness. Planned to be released through Galactic Records with possible input from the Haggith band's label PaperClip Productions, the album's artwork and instrumental mixes of three songs have been revealed via Facebook, but any further details are likely forthcoming, so be on the lookout!

Current Release Status: Good but still unclear. Mike's output is prolific and often quick, but some albums can take longer than expected (i.e. "Neighbourhood Watch".) I'd expect to see "The Present Din" out in 2013, but stay tuned for more specifics as work continues on it!
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Shit Liver's debut EP

Rumoured Songs:
"Contribute or Perish", "Fabricated Nonsense", "Hateroleum", "Helen Kellers", "It's Not My Problem", "Pennotration", "Sewer Livin'", "Shift Liver", "Shit Liver", "Shit Will Prevail", "Survival of the Shittest", "Unabomber", "(Friendly Old) Uncle Joe", "You're Scared"

Background: Curiously not plugged at all on their online pages, I have heard from those close to the band that local grimecore trio Shit Liver are independently working on a debut EP which is supposed to have 14 songs (knowing how short most of their songs are, that's not a typo.) I can confirm that there are unmastered recordings of at least some of the album tracks floating around, but as they have not publically acknowledged EP plans online, it's not clear how far along they are, but I'll keep you guys updated if they say anything!

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine. Most bands that stay mum on recording plans are behind schedule or not proceeding further, but from what I have heard, Shit Liver are well into the recording process and have finished up at least much of the material. That said, they have played just one public concert since June, and any other updates have been incredibly slow since, but hopefully we hear some big news on this front soon!
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Sykotyk Rampage - "Jonathon, Your Music Sucks!", "Sykotyk Ramp-age", "Anal Disruptions", "Smells Real Good On A Bad Night", "The Cross", and "Will Do Anything, Seriously?"

Rumoured Songs: "Roll A Doobie"

Background: On May 6th, "the original crash band" Sykotyk Rampage unveiled plans to release no less than six new albums this year, mirroring the announced output of material from last year. Though little is known yet on the material for these albums beyond the album covers on their Facebook page, these six will push Sykotyk Rampage's discography to 35 releases in total, and all will feature 11-12 tracks. Similarly to their recent albums, it's expected that these new albums are or will be recorded with their current lineup at River Front Recreation Studios, and they'll likely be put on sale and/or uploaded for free streaming on their Reverbnation page when they're actually released. Aside from a potential album track named "Roll A Doobie" on Reverbnation, no song identities or media have been publically released yet (though guitarist Dirk Becker has mentioned them as being finished when referring to their discography), but stay tuned for updates on all of Sykotyk Rampage's new albums as information comes in!

Current Release Status: These albums were listed on Facebook as coming out "this summer" last year, which has came & went. This isn't anything new though, as many of Sykotyk Rampage's recent albums have been delayed by as much as 8 months for their public release/posting. I'd love to see some or all of these come out soon, but a wait & see attitude might be the best route to take. No matter what though, keep an eye out for plenty of Sykotyk Rampage material (hopefully) this year!
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Tym Morrison's second solo album

Rumoured Songs: "Moon Patrol", "Dungeons & Dragons", "Nag Hamedi", "The Reason Why", "The Dark Shred", "Song For Jen", "No Name", "Amy", "Lay It On The Line", "Someday", "How I'm Wanting You More", "The After Life", "9/11", "His Sacrifice", "Termination of Exystence"

Background: I honestly don't know a lot about the background for Tym Morrison's second album, but he has posted samples of nine songs for his "next album" onto the music player on his official website. The songs are all of good quality, and feature Tym in familiarly good form! Original information about recording sessions for his solo album are either very sparse or were made quite a while ago, so I don't know a lot about it, but the songs were likely self-recorded at Morrison Studio Productions with Tym on all instruments save for the programmed drums. He's worked on the album sporadically since, including scattered song postings (including some of a comedic or acoustic nature) and Facebook hints at a double album release, but it's unknown how close we are to seeing a second Tym Morrison album release, or if all of the originally announced songs will make the cut, but keep an eye out!

Current Release Status: I don't have any real idea, but the song postings from this summer hint towards good things! Hopefully Tym does release these songs in the near future, as his older samples and newer material deserve an audience, but for now, check out the above links to hear what he has to share that could make the cut!
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Winkstinger's debut EP

Rumoured Songs: "Sadist", "Fuck The Rest", "Cheese Grater Face", "Chudnugget", "From Bullshit To Buzz (Lies = Weed)", "Where'd We Go Wrong", "Poop", "In Other Words", "Stop! You Can't Interrogate Someone With Brain Damage!", "The Devil's Hand", "Feel All My Hate", "Move It, Peenie-Weenies, My Hands Are On Fire!", "Jimmy Got His New Legs (Derp.)", "Bidniz", "Nunya", "Of Steed & Steel"

Background: Little is publically known about this EP, but Winkstinger initially confirmed on March 15th on their Facebook page that recording had begun. Anything else from official band pages is open-ended or minimal, but guitarist Jesse Cook has also kept fans posted on the recording sessions for the band's first EP on his personal Facebook page, noting that recording took place from the 15th through the 27th, with mixing done and some lyric finalization left. I assume this EP is being self-produced and recorded, but again, the band hasn't said much publically about it or it's possible track listing, length, release formats, or anything else. In May, the band posted 5 demos from the sessions onto their new SoundCloud page, so stream them there in advance of the full release! Whether ex-rhythm guitarist Jason Ladouceur's recordings will remain on the final product or be redone by his replacement Anthony Orazietti is not publically known yet.

Current Release Status: I'm not sure, especially with the limited public information as of yet. A fall release made sense once, but band updates have been slow in recent months, with Winkstinger not playing a public live concert since July. No matter what though, I'm curious to hear more of Winkstinger's creative and often amusing material in studio form, so hopefully this does come out relatively soon! Stay tuned for updates!
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