Last Month's Poll Results & Our Latest Poll!!

It's time for us to wind down another monthly poll at the SMS and bring a new one in, so that's all the focus of today's post! Of course, last month's poll posed this question to you guys: What was the biggest local metal news story of 2012? 30 votes in total, which is alright, though we have gotten higher on similar polls in the past. Still, we got some good & clear results, and thanks to everyone for voting! So, what did you guys vote as the biggest story on the SMS of the past year? The final results are below!

Andres Duchesne passes away (6 votes, 20%)
Anvil returns to Sault Ste. Marie in July (5 votes, 17%)
Haggith release "Dragon Joy Ride" and "Apocalypse" (4 votes, 13%)
Lion Ride breaks up (3 votes, 10%)
Late and Loud returns from breakup with debut EP (2 votes, 7%)
Sebastian Bach comes to the Soo for "Swearnet" (2 votes, 7%) 
3 Inches of Blood headline at The Rosie (2 votes, 7%) 
The Ypres Metal Fest held to remember David Gold (2 votes, 7%)
 The Sault Riverview Music Festival debuts in September (1 vote, 3%)
Rich Moreland moves to Alberta (1 vote, 3%)
 Battles of the bands return to Sault Ontario after 2 years (1 vote, 3%)
 Other (1 vote, 3%)
 Borderline Divine (Stillbroke) ends 2 year concert hiatus (0 votes)
Buckcherry and Fuel rock Kewadin Casino (0 votes)
Case's Music moves to Queen Street (0 votes)
Clownsack disbands (0 votes)
Coch's Corner moves into Foggy's, becomes all acoustic (0 votes)
Dead and Divine rock The Canadian on their farewell tour (0 votes)
Destroilet resurface with new album (0 votes)
Evans Blue headline Kim Rogers/Kelsey Raffaele benefit (0 votes)
The Halloween Party moves from Coch's to The Algonquin (0 votes)
The Roosevelt Hotel metal nights go on hiatus (0 votes)
Rotaryfest's Second Stage brings back hard rock bands (0 votes)
Stryper, Slaughter, and Lynch Mob hit Sault Michigan (0 votes)
That's Chester parts ways after 8 year run (0 votes)
Woods of Ypres posthumously release "Woods V" (0 votes)

What do you guys think? In ascending order, I'm surprised at the high amount of options that didn't get voted at all, especially the "Woods V" release, most Sault Michigan stories, and the Coch's Corner/Foggy Notions merger. I guess it all depends on who votes! Of the four choices that tied for ninth with a vote each, none were huge surprises, but I do find it odd that The Sault Riverview Music Festival's debut was the only story from across the river to get a vote! In the four-way tie for fifth with two votes each, I'm mostly surprised at all of the choices not getting more support in the poll, as all were either major news items or scored higher on past SMS polls. Lion Ride's breakup and Haggith's albums hit a strong fourth & third place each, and it's good to see posthumous and active support for both of them! In second place with five votes was the Anvil concert in July, and it was great to see lots of support for this major 2012 show, which may come up below as well! But the winner, with 6 votes and 21% of the final total, was the sudden passing of Pillory guitarist Andres Duchesne in December.

The second straight year where this poll was won by a musician death (David Gold's passing led the 2011 poll), it underscores that this poll isn't about the "happiest" or "best" story of the year, but the biggest, and Andres' passing shook many in the scene, as David's did a year prior. Andres is still missed to this day by his bandmates and friends, and hopefully his memory will live on this year and beyond in the local scene! Thanks to everyone for voting!

So what's in store for this month's poll at the Sault Metal Scene? We're almost done our "favourite _____ of 2012" polls, and leading into that, today's poll asks this question: What was your favourite Sault Ontario metal concert in the second half of 2012? Though concerts dropped off in quantity last fall, there was still a lot of concerts and events going down in late 2012 that are worth remembering and debating, so now it's up to you to pick your favourites! I've chosen 20 metal/hard rock concerts for the poll (plus "Other"), and to be included, they must have taken place between July 1st and December 31st, 2012 (June 2012 and earlier was already touched on, and early 2013 shows will be polled in four months.) As usual, included concerts in the poll must have had at least a 50% concentration of metal/hard rock bands on the lineup, so notable events like Rotaryfest and Toystock aren't choices in the poll, but either (and other excluded late 2012 shows) can be picked by voting "Other". The top voted concerts this month will return on April 18th when our cumulative poll on your favourite shows of last year goes up, so what shows are up for your vote for the second half of 2012 poll? Find out below!

Bands: Changing Waves, The Valentine's Day Massacre, and March Into Regression
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: July 5th
Info: In the 47th & last regularly scheduled Roosevelt Hotel metal night to date, three local death metal/hardcore bands descended upon The Rosie for a Thursday night lineup of metal mayhem! Notably featuring Changing Waves' most recent live concert (where've they been?) and March Into Regression's only Sault Ontario gig during their brief relaunch, this show had a lot of great metal originals and mayhem to go around, but did this show top the last half of 2012 to you?

Bands: 3 Inches of Blood, Wretched, The Bear Hunters, and Winkstinger
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: July 9th
Info: One of the biggest local metal shows of last summer saw the local return of Vancouver power metal notables 3 Inches of Blood on this Monday nighter that was easily one of the highest attended local metal dates of the year! Also featuring North Carolina show-stealers Wretched, local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters, and Battle For The Blood winners Winkstinger (plus debuting rhythm guitarist Anthony Orazietti), it was a high quality night to remember, but was it the best of late 2012?

Bands: RedD Monkey, The Bear Hunters, Winkstinger, The Moves, The Valentine's Day Massacre, For All That Is Lost, Ashes To Dust, Conika, Ye Olde Mold Pickers, and Like Father Like Son
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: July 13th
Info: A sequel to local punk trio RedD Monkey's April 2011 all ages tour van fundraiser event, the second Sewer Swampstravaganza featured 10 local music acts gathering at The Oddfellows Hall for a day full of bands, including three returning acts, Ashes To Dust's only non-Superior Heights concert to date, and a number of folk, indie, and rap performers to add some more variety that wasn't present the first time around! Though there was some lineup shuffling, it was a fun day, but was it a favourite of the past year?

Bands: Destroyer
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: July 14th
Info: Over two years after they previously rocked n' rolled all night in Sault Ontario, Canada's premier Kiss tribute band returned to town for another night of Kiss classics at The Rockstar Bar on July 14th! Luckily not in the shadow of the real band's local date this time, Destroyer brought an authentic looking & sounding Kiss experience to the stage last summer, which got a good reception from attendees, but did you rank Destroyer's 2012 Soo date above all others?

Bands: Anvil, Frightlight, Garden of Bedlam, and Skeyes of Seven
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: July 25th
Info: Just over two weeks after 3 Inches of Blood rocked The Rosie, promoter J.D. Pearce did it again by bringing Toronto metal legends Anvil back to Sault Ste. Marie after a lengthy absence, and the crowd gathered at The Canadian was more than receptive for their return! Joined by high profile metal bands Frightlight & Garden of Bedlam, and the only concert (so far) from local hard rock supergroup Skeyes of Seven, this concert lived up to they hype, but was it the best of the second half of 2012?

Bands: The Shotgun Dolls, RedD Monkey, Sykotyk Rampage, and Redundant
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: August 2nd
Info: Labelled "The Jamestown Massacre", four bands brought hard rock and punk to The Rosie for this Thursday nighter, including Calgary hard rock trio The Shotgun Dolls, local punk favourites RedD Monkey & Redundant, and (with debuting bassist Tony Briglio in tow), the original crash band themselves, Sykotyk Rampage! Despite a low attendance, each band gave their all and impressed in their respective genres, but did you like The Jamestown Massacre the most from late last year?

Bands: Riding Shotgun, Project Mars, and Redundant
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: August 3rd
Info: For a second straight day, an out of town headlining band with "Shotgun" in their name rocked the Soo at a concert featuring Redundant among the opening bands, but this show was much different sounding, with Riding Shotgun and fellow touring openers Project Mars bringing their own brands of alternative hard rock to The Canadian at this Friday night event last August! I heard good things about it, but would your feelings line up with that if you were in attendance?

Bands: For All That Is Lost, The Valentine's Day Massacre, The Bear Hunters, Slaughter Slashing, and With Blood Builds Character
Venue: Neebish Road in Laird
Date: August 4th
Info: Though pared down from their preceding "gathering" in June, Central Algoma death metal standouts For All That Is Lost hosted "A F.A.T.I.L. Requiem", another well received outdoor gig at bassist Ben Deslauriers' house on August 4th! Notably featuring Quebec experimental band Slaughter Slashing, The V.D.M.'s last date before moving to London, and With Blood Builds Character's only live set, this was another success for all the campers and metalheads, but were you there to think the same?

Bands: Dead & Divine, Mychildren Mybride, Liferuiner, and As It Stands
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: August 22nd
Info: No strangers to Sault Ontario already, Burlington hardcore quintet Dead & Divine returned to Sault Ste. Marie one last time on August 22nd during their farewell tour, and despite being their third-to-last gig, there was a definite big show feel and a big turnout to see them off! Also featuring out of town metal standouts Mychildren Mybride & Liferuiner, and prominent local hardcore band As It Stands' only show in the past 10 months, was Dead & Divine's local farewell the top show of late 2012?

Bands: Skull Fist, Late & Loud, and T-Rex Manning
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: August 31st
Info: For a third straight year, T-Rex Manning guitarist Tiffany Stocco brought Toronto speed metal quartet Skull Fist back to The Canadian Nightclub for another night of blisteringly fast metal, and fans responded in kind for all of the mayhem! Despite a number of dropped out opening bands, both T-Rex Manning & recent battle of the bands winners Late & Loud (just prior to their brief breakup) set the tone well for the evening, but was the third time a charm for local Skull Fist concerts?

Bands: Haggith
Venue: The Art Gallery of Algoma
Date: September 29th
Info: A slow month of September was capped by then-new local grunge quartet Haggith's appearance as live entertainment at this year's Art Gallery of Algoma Culture Days, which saw them play two sets broken up largely between songs from two of their first three studio albums. This outdoor concert was different from what we tend to see, but the Culture Days did a lot to promote local artistic expression, and Haggith performed well, so if you were there, did you rate it highly?

Bands: A DJ, Frightlight, Sykotyk Rampage, and Haggith
Venue: The Grand Theater
Date: October 20th
Info: The third Soo Zombie Walk afterparty took place on October 20th, and it marked the biggest one yet, with all three participating bands featuring zombie/horror themes or albums on their resumes! Despite a bad cold, I recognized the talents and fun had by the bands & later performers The Salty Mollies, albeit amongst a small crowd with some sound/lighting drawbacks, but hopefully things are built upon for next year. Was the Zombie Walk afterparty tops of late 2012 to you?

Bands: Frightlight, The Fairmounts, Redundant, and Sykotyk Rampage
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: October 27th
Info: After a successful 6 year run at the old Coch's Corner, J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party moved to The Algonquin Pub last fall, returning heavier live bands to The Rockstar Bar's downstairs neighbour! For the occasion, an expanded 4 band lineup rocked the Gonq, including prolific local musician Mikey Hawdon's Toronto punk band The Fairmounts, and local horror punk quintet Frightlight's most recent live concert, but did this Halloween weekend show impress you the most late last year?

Bands: Garden of Bedlam
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 30th
Info: In honour of local music/skate store The Rad Zone's 18th birthday, local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam headlined a Rad Zone birthday bash on Devil's Night for the occasion, with plenty of prizes and giveaways to go around for attendees! Despite a lower attendance due to weather, the show went off smoothly, and The Rad Zone got a fitting birthday celebration, but were you there to recognize it as last year's biggest metal show?

Bands: The Saigon Hookers, Late & Loud, and T-Rex Manning
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: November 10th
Info: Already well known here through Lion Ride connections and two 2011 concert appearances, Kitchener hard rock quartet The Saigon Hookers brought their punk-influenced original attack back to The Rockstar Bar in November, with a solid crowd on hand to eat it all up! Also featuring Late & Loud's EP release & comeback from their brief breakup, plus T-Rex Manning's farewell to relocated drummer Daniel MacDonald, this show had a lot going for it, but would you agree?

Bands: The Suicide Kings
Venue: The Nicolet Tavern
Date: November 11th-12th
Info: In a largely quiet year for live debuts from new local metal/hard rock bands, The Suicide Kings' first concerts at The Nicolet Tavern in November were extra notable! Featuring Bear Hunters, Wishbone, and Limelight alumni, their hard & alternative rock covers won them fans from the start, along with their slow build of original material, and they've made an impression from day one, but were their live concert debuts at The Nic the biggest show(s) of the last half of last year?

Bands: Sykotyk Rampage, Haggith, and The Suicide Kings
Venue: The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center
Date: November 23rd
Info: Not a common live concert venue in general, the local bushplane museum played host to Bushplane Musical Madness on November 23rd, where three recently prominent local hard rock bands gathered for an evening of live music, prizes, and good times in order to raise money for the museum! Later featured in a lengthy video of concert organizers Haggith's set, this show was very well put together, but did you rank it highly compared to other late 2012 shows?

Bands: For All That Is Lost, The Northern Tragedy, Sykotyk Rampage, Pillory, Lazer Queen, and Crimson Crusade
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: November 26th
Info: The second Canadian Nightclub gig of 2012 under the "Locals Attack!" branding, the November concert's lineup was both smaller and newer, including the debuting Pillory & Lazer Queen, returning headliners F.A.T.I.L., and many more recent local rock bands! Notably featuring late Pillory guitarist Andres Duchesne's last live concert appearance, The Locals Attack! had lots of solid new metal, rock, and punk in store, but did you enjoy it more than other then-recent shows?

Bands: Sykotyk Rampage, RedD Monkey, The Valentine's Day Massacre, and Lazer Queen
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: December 21st
Info: Coinciding with the supposed Mayan doomsday, four local bands gathered downstairs at The Algonquin Pub for their last local dates of 2012, including RedD Monkey & The Valentine's Day Massacre's first local sets since August, thanks to their own out of town commitments over the fall! A talented & varied lineup of bands came to rock through the "end of the world", but were you there to ring in the apocalypse/holiday season and count it as a top show of last year?

Bands: Stiffler's Mom & The Suicide Kings
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: December 26th
Info: Boxing Day at The Canadian Nightclub saw a rock explosion, with veteran local favourites Stiffler's Mom enlisting new local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings to alternate sets with them for this holiday season concert! This show was surely a fun way to end 2012 with, as both bands show the old and new sides of local rock music (and support each other, of course), but would your rank it highter than other concerts from the preceding 6 months?

Other: Are we missing a show that you'd rather vote for as your favourite? Among the bands not listed above that played between July & December, maybe you had a concert with BonJourney Canada, Caveman Morrison, Lucky 13, Sailor's Tongue, Turner Up, or Tym Morrison in mind? Perhaps one with one of the other bands above in a listed show? Maybe you wanted to vote for one of the Rotaryfest stage lineups or Toystock? If we missed your favourite late 2012 metal concert, then vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!!! You have until April 18th to cast your votes in this month's poll, and there's a lot of big shows to consider as your favourites from July through December of last year, so get voting, and we'll see the top voted choices back with the top voted shows from the first half of 2012 poll next month for a winner take all final poll! Cast your votes A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for more news this week! Thanks everyone!