Sunday, November 30, 2014

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (X-Mess 2), A New Interview, And Much More!!

Before we get to this post, here's another apology for a missed Mourning Wood concert, as they plugged Reggie's West shows for Friday night & last night on their Facebook page, but they didn't confirm a day for the shows in the first post, and we had no time plug the latter on here once we heard about it. Our sincere apologies, but don't miss them TODAY at Toystock! Now, here's one more post before we head to Toystock (and take care of concert reviews from the weekend), including assorted updates, new videos, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you need to know!

Local concert promoter J.D. Pearce will host a second annual X-Mess acoustic punk concert on Saturday, December 20th at The Algonquin Pub! Some of you guys may remember that this event originated at the LopLops Lounge last year (no word on why it moved this year), but like then, there will be a number of unplugged punk-leaning acts playing for the Christmas season, and after last year's positive reception, it's no surprise that we're getting a second go-round! Two performers are currently confirmed for X-Mess 2, including Northwest guitarist "Evil" Greg Callaghan (who played last year) and a presumably one-off band named Sleigher (formerly Mistlechode), whose lineup will be comprised of yet-identified Jack Spades members. Could they bear similarities to drummer Johnny Belanger's recent acoustic sets, just an unplugged Jack Spades set with seasonal music, or something else entirely? Find out on December 20th!

At least one more act is to be confirmed, but for reference, the artists last year included Greg, The Danger Cats, Bankshot alum Lucas Schmiedendorf (as "Dr. Sal Velinus"), and a one off band named The Debts featuring Jay Case, Jake Rendell, and Ryan Seabrook. This show has a 10:00 PM start time on the 20th, there's a $5 cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend, though no word yet on if there will be a recommendation to wear ugly Christmas sweaters again. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more info on this intriguing second X-Mess!

Next up, here's a neat new interview with former Woods of Ypres guitarist Joel Violette which features some insights and remarks on his run as the local blackened doom metal band's final lead guitarist! Conducted by phone with the YouTube interview series Behind The Screams (which focuses on metal singers), the interview largely focuses on Joel's current black metal band Thrawsunblat (who feature all surviving members of Woods of Ypres' last lineup), but there are three chunks of the 54 minute interview that Woods fans will be especially interested in! Around 10 minutes into the interview, Joel discusses the songwriting process & his contributions to their last CD "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" and the band's shift to a Type O Negative-inspired sound, wherein he also noted that he and late frontman David Gold planned to have most of the album ready for live concerts (with "Lightning & Snow" planned as a set opener), but the band obviously never got to that point before David's passing.

About 31 minutes in, Joel indicated that when Thrawsunblat begin playing live (which is an eventual goal), they'll likely play at least one Woods of Ypres song in their set, and he even demoed a black metal version of Woods' doom ballad "Finality" on air to show how it might sound. Lastly, at around 46 minutes in, he addressed when he began listening to Woods and the impact and recognition that followed their signing with Earache Records in 2010. Great interview overall, and it's nice to see Joel open up about Thrawsunblat too and the writing and processes for their albums and next material, so check it out below!



Also today, Theatre of Night keyboardist Craig Harrison has uploaded a pair of new videos onto the band's YouTube channel over the past few days! One video takes fans behind the scenes to the writing process for the Sault Michigan classical metal band, basically showing Craig playing a short solo composition on the keyboard which is presumably for a Theatre of Night original. Well done, though obviously not what the full song would sound like, so give it a look above! Embedded below though is a cover of Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses" that Craig posted on the band's channel, and it might be of extra note to fans of his old '80s metal cover band Dust 'N Bones! Featuring vocals and keyboard only, it's a well done version of this hair metal ballad with strong vocals (though no word on why it's in black & white) so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

  • Local musician Chris Raginskis is once again looking to start a band with him on vocals and/or rhythm guitar. He's focusing on Volbeat, Skillet, and some punk for preferred genres. It'd be nice to see Chris finally get a band going, so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on November 20th!
  • Last week, local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements revealed on their Facebook page that they'll be taking a break from concerts so they can write some original songs. That should be cool, and well be sure to welcome them back to the stage when the time is right!
  • Newer local grunge/punk duo The Red & Black uploaded a new song to their Bandcamp page last week entitled "Not The Only One"! It's a short and somewhat sludgy original, but it's not yet clear if they plan to include it on their announced debut CD. Check it out at the above links though, and stay tuned fo more!

That's all for now, but I'll see you guys TODAY at Toystock, and remember, our Bear Hunters CD release show review is coming! Thanks everyone!

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Toystock & White Cowbell Oklahoma Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we head off to TONIGHT'S Bear Hunters CD release show, here's the rest of the weekend's concert previews, concerning Sunday night concerts in Sault Ontario tomorrow, though we also have some Blood Shed Productions updates to cap things off! Here's what you need to know!

The long anticipated third annual Toystock goes down TOMORROW at The Canadian Nightclub! As has become a recent tradition, local concert promoters Maxx Entertainment are hosting this all day (and ALL AGES) charity concert event to help raise funds and donations to Christmas Cheer, with admission once again being FREE with a donation of a new/slightly used toy or non-perishable food item (though cash is accepted too.) As well, the Stuff-A-Bus will be on site to bring donations to the Christmas Cheer depot, Santa & Mrs. Claus will be present to meet the kids, and there will also be prize draws, so if you loved past installments of Toystock, get ready for tomorrow! Like at the last two Toystocks, 10 bands will grace the stage for 10 hours, and are largely comprised of veteran cover bands, giving fans a chance to see them outside of weekend bar engagements, and it's great to see them all donate their time for this year! Somewhat surprisingly though, seven of the 10 bands this year are Toystock newcomers, so here's who to look out for in descending order!

Local country rock veterans (and Toystock 2012 performers) Bone Yard will headline at 9:00 PM tomorrow, with two bands from the Rock For Dimes fundraiser earlier this month preceding them, those being progressive/jazz rock quartet Mannapool at 8:00 PM and classic/hard rock cover trio Mourning Wood at 7:00 PM. Fellow hard rock cover veterans Lucky 13 will play at 6:00 PM (becoming the only band to play at all 3 Toystocks), with all female classic rock cover quintet Domina returning to the stage at 5:00 PM, and country veterans Thin Ice making their Toystock debut at 4:00 PM. Young local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control are slated for 3:00 PM, with local country musician Lorrie Bolduc's band Lorrie Lynn & The Sinners on at 2:00 PM, Mike Case's Junior All-Stars returning from last year for a set at 1:00 PM, and local blues band The Stumpy Coldwater Trio opening the day at 12:00 PM. Nice diverse lineup to take in tomorrow, and remember, this is an ALL AGES event, and admission is via donation to Christmas Cheer!

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Though it is a little odd not seeing Boxcar Junction, Obsession, or Stiffler's Mom back this year, there's still a great lineup of bands to enjoy TOMORROW, including three or so hard rock bands, and I hope to see you guys there! I missed last year's Toystock due to family commitments, but fingers crossed that I'll be there tomorrow! For a preview, here's Mourning Wood live at March For Dimes!



Finally for the weekend's concert previews is the return of Toronto southern hard rock veterans White Cowbell Oklahoma to Sault Ontario for a headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Making their first local appearance since headlining at The Grand Theatre in 2010, this show will be in the midst of W.C.O.'s 15th anniversary tour, and if you're familiar with this band, you'll know how exciting their live concerts are! Featuring extended jams, power tool-infused songs, and energetic hard-edged southern rock, White Cowbell Oklahoma should leave a solid impression once again tomorrow night! Dutch alternative hard rock band The Paceshifters will open for W.C.O. tomorrow night with their own old school yet original sound, so be sure to come early for their set! Note that while White Cowbell Oklahoma pages also list Vancouver psychobilly band Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz as opening on this tour, they are only on Western Canada dates and not playing in Ontario (source here), despite opening at their local show in 2010.

This show will surprisingly have NO COVER CHARGE tomorrow night, and everything starts at 9:00 PM, but it's still a 19+ event. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I'd like to hit this show up too, but with the length and camera battery drain that I expect Toystock will be, I'm unsure if I can work both shows in. White Cowbell Oklahoma's live concert experience speaks for itself though, so don't miss out if you can help it, and here's the guys live in 2012!



Finally for today, here's some updates from the Blood Shed Productions camp, starting with a new Facebook page for the reunited original version of Brutally Fatal! As you may remember, the death metal duo featuring Revolution frontman Austin McCrae and Crucify The Whore's Ringsnaps Gibson on drums reunited at the Archspire concert in August, but only just launched a new Facebook page on Wednesday (the original one was deleted a few months prior), which also confirms that Austin will remain the band's guitarist rather than bassist, and that "Brutally" is now spelled correctly with two Ls! I still don't really know why Austin spelled it "Brutaly" for so long, but the extra letter does noticeably improve the name! Details on their next show are to be determined, but Tyler's other live two-man band Rotopsy revealed on their Facebook page this week that they have plans to record a full length demo CD next year and will apparently play at the Touch of Death Festival in Cochrane next year, which would be great exposure!

C.T.W.'s Facebook page also hinted yesterday that they and Rotopsy will be playing at a concert of some type late next month, though whether it's an Oddfellows show, a house party, or somewhere else is to be confirmed. Sounds like there's some good developments from the Blood Shed, so follow along above for more, and Brutally Fatal are back in our active band links! That's all for today, but we'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Canadian for The Bear Hunters' CD release party! Thanks everyone!

Friday, November 28, 2014

Northwest EP Review!!

With their next show at Coch's Corner taking place tomorrow night, now's a good time for our 65th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local indie/punk quintet Northwest's self-titled debut digital EP! Released on September 2nd through their Bandcamp page, this EP was recorded at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones earlier this year and later mixed & mastered by Fairmounts guitarist Simon Head. The EP features Northwest's original lineup, with singer/guitarist Wayne Watkins joined by guitarists/Terminal alumni Mike Yakasovich & Greg Callaghan, along with Wayne's ex-Small Town Rivals bandmates Mike Smykacz on bass and Clint Wilson on drums (though Clint has since left the band), with all but Mike Smykacz providing backing vocals. Currently available online only, you can download "Northwest" for just $2 (or more if you so chose) on Bandcamp, though it's unclear at best if there are plans to release physical copies of the EP. With just four songs clocking in at under 15 minutes in length, each track's name below is linked to it's Bandcamp copy.

This EP begins with "Young & Wild" (also named "Young, Wild, and Hopeless" on some live setlists), which slowly begins with bass riffing before the full band kicks in for this somewhat short number that has an upbeat but medium-tempo song. In contrast from their live show, Wayne's vocals oddly channel Perry Farrell a bit on the verses here, but they fit the melody of the song, which isn't overly fast or too ambitious. The triple guitar attack doesn't come across as overkill, Clint's drumming fits nicely, and it's a catchy enough number, but it'd be nice to see a more of a bite to the choruses, and the song does at times seem too laid back compared to it's title and lyrics. Second is the only 4 minute song on "Northwest", that being "Time", which is a bit more up-tempo and edgy in it's sound while still retaining an indie rock lightness, and I like the guitar melody and Wayne's rougher vocals here! I like the use of backing vocals, but at times, the background audio surprisingly sounds empty, which shouldn't be when they have three guitarists. Abrupt ending too, but it's a consistent track that will please Northwest fans!

Third on the EP is "Stars Don't Fall", which opens with a drum beat by Clint that sounds like a sped up take on Green Day's "Know Your Enemy" before the rest of the band jumps in for arguably the softest verses on the EP, with Northwest playing them in a very relaxed, quiet manner before amping up some more aggressive choruses powered by raspy higher vocals. Some of the bridge guitar work is really solid and among my favourite parts of the EP, and I like how the verses and choruses contrast, but this strikes me as a song that would play better in live concerts with more spontaneity and freedom. Northwest's EP closes with it's shortest song, "I Got You", which has an early Foo Fighters feel in it's instrumentation, and to me, it's my favourite of the four songs on the EP. It's the most consistent in tone, it has the catchiest chorus, and it has the most "rocking" riffs and melodies, if that makes sense. It captures the punk side of their sound nicely, but as catchy as the chorus is, it's also too repetitive with mostly repeated singing of the song's title. Solid ending though to a very good debut release!

So, what are my final thoughts on Northwest's EP? To me, it's a solid first effort at a recorded album from this experienced quintet, and given their past resumes in indie and punk bands, it's a nice marriage of their influences and styles! Wayne Watkins' vocals fit the songs well and are reminiscent of his old Nebraska Arms songs at times (even though he wasn't their singer), while he, Greg Callaghan, and Mike Yakasovich trade off and compliment each other on guitar without being lost in the shuffle. Clint Wilson's drumming and Mike Smykacz' bass work were both solid throughout, and the guys have chemistry, but there are some areas to address for their next recordings. The songs often lacked bite in the instrumentation and guitar riffing, with some songs sounding a bit empty & too reserved given the lyrics, and some of the chorus vocals could be repetitive. I've also found that these songs benefit from the live concert experience, and the EP is fairly short (where are songs like "Hangover Habits"?), but for a first album, Northwest have delivered the goods, and I'm curious to see what's next! Buy their EP above!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and as for our last monthly review of 2014, we will definitely be looking at The Bear Hunters' debut album "Eternal Hibernation", which will officially be released at TOMORROW'S CD release show at The Canadian Nightclub, and we'll absolutely see you guys there for all of the action! That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for a new news post before the show! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile Updates (November 2014)

Hey guys, as promised, here's our special update post for our past Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profiles, as we went back and updated (if necessary) the info, photos, links, and lineups of the 63 bands we've profiled in this series since 2010! This has became an annual break of sorts for the series, but it's a great chance to keep tabs on bands that we don't cover every day, as these bands are all from out of town (they just featured one or more Saultites in one of their lineups.) With that said, read on below for everything that we changed, and each band's name links to their original profile!
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Phatstick: Along with replacing now-deleted band photos and removing their website's expired link, I noted that Phatstick appear to have dissolved again, as they have not posted any online updates since their reunion show in Brantford in October 2013. If they are done, it is disappointing to see them inactive again, especially given their talent, but hopefully Jason, Joe, and the guys reunite again down the road!

Will of the Ancients: The only changes reflect the band's 2014 activity, as they released their new album "To Our Glorious Dead" in February and have toured frequently since, including a well recieved August tour of Eastern Canada with Psychotic Gardening, so be sure to keep an eye on them for more brutal black metal! Also, the band's smaller quartet lineup has remained the same since last year.

Papa Fogals Chair: I noted P.F.C.'s most recent one-off reunion gig, which took place at bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe at The Moose Lodge in May of this year, while also noting frontman Andy Chillman's newest work in the London acoustic/folk band The Bird Stone Revival. Other than those notes, some info clean-up, and a larger band logo, everything else is fine, as the band hasn't fully reunited beyond that one-off show.

The Sexual Vigilantes: Aside from adding to Brent Ellis & Curtis Faux's band work (including adding Destroilet & The Bombed Squad to Brent's info and The Cola Heads & Chainbreaker to Curtis'), there weren't any major changes, as The Sexual Vigilantes have remained inactive since 2009. If you miss the guys though, don't miss Detroit's reunion show next month at The Algonquin Pub, as some of their originals started as SXVGLNTES songs!

Feral Noise: All I updated here was guitarist Tym Morrison's info, as he's largely transitioned to solo concerts in the past couple of years, with his local metal band Caveman Morrison being inactive since Boxing Day last year, along with adding a note on singer Nathalie Boudreau's recent solo work of her own. Feral Noise remain inactive, with members living in many different locations at present.

Sadomasochism: No changes. The Grand Rapids death metal band remains inactive, and their profile needed no photo or video updates, but you can see frontman John Rios play similar material with his current band From Hell!

Levitate: No changes. Levitate have remained inactive in the past year, and while frontman Cory Murchsion remains active with the local hard rock band Skeyes of Seven, they haven't played live in the past year and haven't done enough new stuff to really warrant an edit to this profile. I full expect additions next year though!

Necramyth: Again, no changes. Necramyth have also not reunited in the last year, and haven't shown any sign of life since ex-drummer David Gold's passing, but you can check out frontman Pedro Chae's current band Embloodyment for similar metal action!

Human Disorder: The only edits reflected the inactivity of members Jason Taillefer & Joe LaVergne's later hard rock band Phatstick, who went dormant after last fall's reunion show, as already addressed above. Nothing else needed to be changed, as Human Disorder have been defunct since 2000.

Summon: Aside from restoring dead photo links, all that was added was a note that frontman Chas Schoals can now be seen in Inebriated, a newer death metal band out of Lansing, Michigan. Summon themselves remain inactive, having last properly updated their Facebook pages in 2010.

The Disciples of Rock: Like last year, updates were limited to bassist James White's recent local band work, including acknowledgements of his recent work with The Elements & Haggith, and a downplaying of his cover band Caveman Morrison, who have been inactive since the end of 2013. Everything else is good, as the band has not visibly reunited in the past year.

Violet Fuse: Updates here were mainly to confirm the band's presumed breakup, as they have not posted a known online update since December 2012, so it's likely that they quietly dissolved last year. Disappointing, especially given their talent, but you can catch drummer/Saultite Thom Edwards with his current band The Gypsy Ghosts! We also restored both photos due to dead links, and replaced their Facebook group's link there with their more used Facebook page.

Jar.: Along with a replaced band photo, all that was changed was some condension of their bio, which was overly long. Though Jar. are still active and update their online pages frequently, the guys haven't done a lot of major activity in 2014, but hopefully they have some more concerts and recordings in the works!

Thrawsunblat: I added fiddle player Jeff Mott to their current lineup, while also restoring a band photo, replacing a less used Facebook page with their new Twitter page, and made notes on their recent CD recording sessions. The band remains a studio-only project, but as the spiritual successors to Woods of Ypres, don't bypass them!

Hellhitch: Aside from a shrunk band photo for aesthetic purposes, no changes. Hellhitch remain inactive, and I wasn't able to find any major updates concerning the band or their members' later music.

Kilacel: The only edits reflected former bassist Chris Leask's local band work, mainly to correct the spelling of his current band Power Slug and add their Facebook page's link, now that they actually have an online page. The rest is good, as Kilacel are going on 4 years for their hiatus, but you can still see Luke Ponce & Matt Millering with the similar Nunica hard rock band Coldville!

Fifth Way: I noted guitarist/LSSU grad Zak Stelmaszek's current work with the Milwaukee cover rock band King Kong, though he still rocks with his Detroit-based bandmates in Fifth Way! Nothing else on the write-ups needed a major update (they still play live regularly, and have avoided more bassist changes), but the previously featured video of theirs was privatized for unannounced reasons in the past year, despite it being from their 2010 show opening for Tesla in Sault Michigan. Disappointing, but they have other online videos, and now featured there is this music video for their song "Stomping Ground", which you can also see below!



Mark Rand: Aside from a replaced photo due to a dead link and an allusion to next month's Detroit reunion show, no changes. Mark hasn't revived his solo project in the past year, and has largely focused on his current Peterborough hardcore punk band Cross Dog, so follow them for their guitar-less brutality!

L'anguisette: Updates mostly referenced the status of a release of this former David Gold-featured metal band's unreleased album "Damning The Euphrates", and if you've read the post on their Facebook page in June, prospects for it don't look high despite some optimistic hopes. The only other updates were to restore expired photos.

S.C.A.R.: I restored the profile's photos, altered references to frontman Mike Haggith's local band work (mainly to remove references to the reunited Mike Haggith & The Din's inactivity), and I also noted that S.C.A.R. teased recording a new album last year as well. S.C.A.R. have remained inactive throughout 2014, but keep an eye out in case Mike & Dylon jam again over the holidays!

The Northern Ontario Black Metal Preservation Society: No changes. The N.O.B.M.P.S. has remained inactive since David Gold's passing in 2011, and I haven't heard of any new music work from Aaron Palmer since, but if anything turns up by next year, we'll let you know!

Maximum RNR: Most of the edits referenced the departure of singer Brenton Ellis (a.k.a. Diamond Brent Panther) a few months ago, and while the Toronto hardcore punk band hasn't updated any of their online pages since to confirm that, Brent confirmed he left the band in a personal conversation. Hopefully we hear more from RNR soon, they're a solid band! Other updates included Brent and fellow Saultite Curtis Faux's recent band work with Destroilet, The Cola Heads, and Chainbreaker, plus a restored band photo.

Buster Cherry: All that was edited was references to members/Saultites Terry Eaton & Vinnie Milosevich's recent band work, as Terry's local country band 2 Buck Beers has disbanded and he's since formed the heavier Mourning Wood, while Vinnie has played with bands like Knee Deep & Curse The Witch in recent years. The rest is good, but I did replace the redundant second photo there with a shot of Terry playing live with Asylum Country.

The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles: Aside from some light references to 2014 activity and two restored band photos, no changes. T.H.S.M.M. are still active and played live in April, but have been on a break since then due to personal commitments, so keep an eye out for their return!

Gravity Crash: No changes. Gravity Crash remain defunct, and the profile needed no full edits or changes, but be sure to give guitarist/Saultite Paul Melanson a look with his current Metallica tribute band Damage Inc.!

Jeff Nisbet: Aside from a restored photo, no changes, as Jeff hasn't updated his solo pages since 2011, and I've heard nothing concerning newer music work from him in any capacity in the past year.

NeanderTHRALL: Aside from the addition of their Twitter page's link and a restored band photo, no changes. NeanderTHRALL were active as recently as June, but haven't done a lot outside of some studio work this year, so the biography info doesn't need an imminent change... yet.

Infathom: The only updates were photo restorations and a minor edit to their recent activity level, as they still play often in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and still play a Sault Michigan-area date at least twice a year. Dillion and company are good bets to come back east for shows in 2015, so don't miss out when/if they do!

Paricide: One change referenced drummer Adam Veen's later band work, as Daillers appear to have broken up, but he's still active with the Oil Springs rock band The Mudd Buttons. As well, Sault native/ex-Sue Inside frontman Shane Fraser's recent work, as he most recently played in the Thunder Bay rock band Ostrich for a few months this year, though the band is now named Eleven Seventeen. The rest is good, as Paricide are pushing a decade since their breakup.

The Lust Boys: Sadly, the Victoria, B.C. sleaze rock quartet amicably broke up following a farewell concert in February, so that's the main cause for updates to their profile, aside from photo replacements and the removal of their now closed website. Disappointing, especially as they never got a chance to play a local make-up date from their cancelled 2012 set, but you can see members Tommy Thrust & Doc Sxdryv in the new Victoria hard rock band Hell Camino!

Repetitions: Aside from restored band photos, no changes. Repetitions remain defunct since their 2012 dissolution, but Saultite Ash Richtig can still be seen alongside Repetitions bandmate Jay Buston with the similar Line Drawn, so give them a listen for the next best thing!

Age of Days: For their lineup, I added rhythm guitarist Dean Hartsell to their current lineup (replacing Mike Diesel), as he's featured in their current band photos, and played songwriting roles on their newest album "Radioactivity". I also updated their Twitter page to reflect their name's spelling change, but other than that, everything's good for their bio for now. Hopefully their tour dates with Buckcherry go well in January!

Mothership:The only updates (save for photo replacements) acknowledged their continued existence after their reunion last fall, which has been steadily similar to their original run. If you love Led Zeppelin, keep this tribute band in mind if you're in the Ottawa area!

Constructed Apocalypse:Updates were limited to a photo restoration, the deletion of their closed Facebook & Webs pages, and some updates to former singer Jeremy Hannah's local music work of the past year, including with The North Shore (formerly Like Father Like Son) and his new company Pure Sonic Audio. Everything else is fine, as the band remains defunct.

Winter of Silence: Aside from a restored photo, no changes, as Winter of Silence have not visibly been revived in the past year, but hopefully Ryan's still active in music!

Azriahl: I restored a photo there and added some notes on their current status, mainly that singer Sarah Mourning is hoping to revive Azriahl with a new lineup in the coming months, but until that happens (if at all), we'll leave their last full lineup in place on their page again. Hopefully they come back!

RedStone Riot: Though I restored a photo, updated their lineup to reflect the addition of Dexx Brown as their new rhythm guitarist earlier this year (replacing Ryan Fluharty), and noted their return to the stage in July after singer Rachel Kiger's recovery from recent health setbacks, she actually left R.S.R. in August, which briefly led the band to announce their breakup. At last word, they're "down, but not out", but like with Azriahl, we'll list their last full lineup until they do formally come back, if ever. Best of luck all around!

Under Earth: No changes, except for restored photos. This project has not been revived in the past year, but if you crave new music from Ash Richtig, he's got plenty of other bands you can follow!

The Georgian Skull: No changes. The band formerly known as Mister Bones is long since defunct, and nothing on the profile was screaming for an update, but you can see members Al Petrovich & Adam Saitti with the similar sludge metal band Gypsy Chief Goliath!

Beyond Haven: Though Beyond Haven are still very much active, their profile didn't need any major updates beyond photo restorations, as they still play live frequently and have been working on new songs. Give them a look for some entertaining modern hard rock!

Genocya: Lineup-wise, the Lansing black metal band brought former drummer Tim "Speedbag" Sever back to the fold in February (replacing Erik Stroude due to personal commitments), but everything else is good (save for restored photos), as Genocya still play live frequently, so keep an eye out for them in the Lower Peninsula!

The Dyadics: Aside from photo restorations, our only change here was to note that the London hard rock duo are currently working on a new album, so be on guard for updates on Kevin & Matt's next music!

Bury Your Demons: Photo restorations aside, all that was changed here was confirmations that the band is indeed defunct now, having not updated their online pages since April of last year, but hopefully the guys all stay active in music, as they had a good thing going!

The Line Drawn: I added the link to their YouTube channel, restored both photos, and amended some of our thoughts on them, as they're no longer a new band with little media online. Still active and gigging, look for a big 2015 from Ash and company!

Brynhildr: Sadly, this depressive black metal project are now defunct, as proven by the deletion of all of their online pages, so updates related to both that and photo restorations. Hopefully Ryan stays active in music, as he had talent and drive!

Flint: Though still active and busy, there wasn't a lot to really add to the profile beyond adding the band's first bassist Frank Pirker to their lineup info, though I also restored one photo. Keep an eye out for more from Flint!

Lead The Dead: No changes. Lead The Dead have not reunited since their 2011 dissolution, though you can see former guitarists Chris Page with local death metallers Giwakwa and Andre Fetchison with London's Mulletcorpse!

Caste of Shadows: I added Marcell Puurveen to their lineup information as their new bassist (replacing Saultite Paul Melanson), while also restoring both photos and noting that the band returned after a year's hiatus this fall with new gigs, so we'll have to see where things go from here for them!

D3athcharg3r: In terms of their lineup, we've added Zach Guest to their past members, as he briefly joined D3athcharg3r earlier this year to replace Brad Coughlin (who left the band himself in the spring), though at last word, the band is operating as a quartet. As a result, we replaced one band photos to reflect the guitarist departures, though the rest of the info was good otherwise, and hopefully Steve & Andrew bring the band home!

Cross Dog: I restored a photo and made some minor references to their 2014 output and concerts, but the profile as a whole didn't need major updates. Hopefully Mark and crew take a jaunt back north for a show next year!

Damage Inc.: Some references to recent concerts and activity was cleaned up and made more current, along with a photo replacement and the addition of guitarist Oleg Usykov's nickname "Ole Gus". The rest is good, and if you're out west, keep a look out for this Metallica tribute band!

Life In Shadow: No changes, beyond a photo restoration. Life In Shadow have not issued a public updates since 2012, but hopefully the guys all stay active in music going forward!

The Lumbermen: Photos were restored there, and a link was added to their "Ego" music video, but The Lumbermen haven't been as active in 2014 for new additions, so the profile remains mostly as is. 2015 should be a big year though, so follow along to see what's next!

Curse The Witch: Aside from restored photos, the only major edits were to downplay references to the non-Leventic members of their listed lineup, as bassist James Farquhar and drummer/Saultite Vinnie Milosevich have not been referenced on Curse The Witch's online pages in recent months, which were also hyping musician searches this summer. The band played live as recently as September, but have not publicized their other members, if they're not just touring musicians. Hopefully we'll hear more soon!

Chainbreaker: Updates were mostly to refresh bassist/Saultite Curtis Faux' other band work (including his other active band The Cola Heads), and to add mentions of their 2014 concert slate, which saw them play alongside notable bands like IDNS and Bat, though we also restored the photos. Chainbreaker's thrash attack would be more than welcome up here, so hopefully they get the chance for a trip up north!

The Howling Bullets: No changes, save for photo restorations. The Toronto horror punk band haven't deviated far from what was written about them for their SMS profile in March, but there should be some exciting news ahead!

The Merves: Like above, no changes save for reviving a photo. The Merves keep plugging away with Ramones/Joan Jett tribute shows in Southern Ontario, and look for a likely local return next year!

Alpha Trion: Restored photos aside, all that was added was a note on guitarist Curtis Wells' newest solo video that was shared on Alpha Trion's Facebook page in June, which (if you count it) is their only sign of life since last fall. It'd be great to see the band back at it in full though!

Gatgas: For their lineup, I noted the departure of guitarist Corey Shipp (who left prior to Hardcore Homecoming for unannounced reasons), and at least as of yet, he has not been replaced. Other info updates related mainly to Gatgas' recent activity, including a show opening for The Ripcordz this year, but I did revive a photo & replace the video there, as we only had a slideshow with no actual video footage there previously. Instead, here's Gatgas playing "Back To The Asylum" at The Rockstar Bar in September!



Public Animal: No changes, besides a photo restoration. The Toronto hard rock band remains active and gigging with no major public changes in the past few months, but hopefully they try again to play a show here!

The Fairmounts: Same as above, as The Fairmounts are still working on new originals and playing assorted Southern Ontario concerts, but hopefully Mikey brings the guys back home soon!

Random Killing: No changes at all. The profile's still good and accurate from what I can determine, and hopefully Drew and company have another hardcore homecoming in the works!

The Labour Of...: Aside from the addition of guitarist Curtis Faux's Toronto thrash band Chainbreaker to his other band info, no changes. The Labour Of... remain defunct, but you can see Curt and frontman Jules Swift in their current band The Cola Heads!
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I hope you guys liked this look at the changes (or lack thereof) to our past Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profiles! Given that we'll have 74 profiles to update at this point next year, I may explore a change to how we update this series' entries, but that's for another time to worry about. For now, I'll confirm that our next regular profile in this series (likely on Boxing Day) will be on Knee Deep, the Southern Ontario cover hard rock band featuring former Hollow drummer Vinnie Milosevich! Look for that then, and stay tuned for more news, previews, and more soon! Thanks everyone!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

This Weekend's First Metal, Hard Rock, And Punk Concert Previews!!

First up, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert, as local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood apparently played a show on Tuesday night at Reggie's West (formerly The Roosevelt Hotel.) The only mention of the show that I found was via bassist Steven Flint's personal Facebook page that evening, and neither the band or venue plugged it online that I saw. I'm unsure if the Tuesday booking was for a special reason, but I sincerely apologize for missing it! We'll cover their Toystock set on the site in the coming days, but for now, here's the first of this weekend's hard rock concert previews on a busy weekend, so here's what you should know for your concert plans!

Local hard rock/alternative trio The Pixo Control will headline a rare heavier show at The Speak Easy at Algoma University TONIGHT! Fresh off of their successful set at Sault Band-O-Rama, this will be the guys' second show of the month, and will mark the first public Speak Easy show featuring a hard rock band that we've heard about all year, so if you like that venue, keep TONIGHT'S show in mind! No word on if the Thursday booking has any special ties, or if it's just the day that it was scheduled for. Support tonight will come via Boxes of Boom, the local/Toronto techno rock project led by musician Sam Decter, who will have an interesting set of lo-fi rock mixed with electronic beats that turned heads when both bands opened for Castle at a private gig earlier this month, so don't miss their set either! TONIGHT'S show has a 10:00 PM start time and no announced cover charge, and while The Speak Easy is usually a 19+ venue, they can and do have all ages shows, so keep that in mind just in case.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!  This is a unique show for at least recent months (I'm surprised The Speak Easy isn't used more often), but it's great to see these guys getting together TONIGHT, so don't miss out if you want some Thursday night action! For a preview, here's The Pixo Control live at Superior Heights Collegiate!



Next up, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will cap off November with solo acoustic gigs at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Though he has yet to post a Facebook event page for this weekend's shows, his website confirms that his ongoing (mostly) weekly concert arrangement at the former Madison's Pub will continue with his usual hosted jam night TOMORROW followed by Saturday night's usual solo unplugged show, and either way, he should have lots of entertaining hard rock concert previews this weekend for fans and bar regulars alike, so don't bypass his shows either! Admission should be free for this weekend's 19+ shows at The Harp, and there's 10:00 PM start times in effect. For more details, visit the above links, remember Tym's prolific Harp run for this weekend, and here he is at The Service Grill!



Moving to Saturday only concerts, local indie/punk quintet Northwest and pageless funk/hard rock quartet Late Shift will join forces for a special cause THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Postponed a week due to the Santa Claus Parade, this show is to raise money to help Tiffany Maj, a friend of both bands who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Hopefully she can beat this, as cancer sucks, and it's great to see the bands joining forces to help Tiffany out at this time of need! Promoted by Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan, this show will be a rare punk/hard rock event at Coch's Corner, which has been generally an acoustic venue since moving to the former Foggy Notions location, but it's unclear whether this will be an unplugged show or will have electric instruments. There is a suggested donation of $5 to attend the benefit concert, which will have an earlier start time of 8:00 PM, but will likely still be a 19+ event. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, our best wishes go out to Tiffany (especially over the holidays), and here's Northwest at The Rockstar Bar!



Finally for these previews, local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters will finally release their long awaited debut studio album "Eternal Hibernation" THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at their long anticipated CD release concert at The Canadian Nightclub! Postponed six weeks from the original date (and moved from The Algonquin Pub), Saturday's concert will see the guys finally launch their first full album in their first concert since opening for Archspire in August, and in honour of the release, their entire first set will be comprised of the album's tracks in order! For their second set, The Bear Hunters (including relocated guitarist Josh Stephney) will play songs from their planned second album, to be called "The Dead Testament", plus select covers, so your favourite era is covered either way! Support bands will include Brampton deathcore quintet Livid & The Bloodthirsty in their local concert debut, and they should brutalize with their energetic hybrid sound, so be sure to get there in time for their set!

The opening set will come courtesy of local grunge/hard rockers Haggith (replacing Destroilet), who are currently in the midst of a bassist search, so how will their set look and sound on Saturday? Be there to find out! They're on at 10:00 PM for this ALL AGES show, which has admission fees of $5 via advance ticket purchases at The Rad Zone or through band members, but the price jumps to $7 at the door. CDs will cost $10, and for every 10 tickets sold, there will be a prize pack drawn featuring Bear Hunters merchandise, so keep that offer in mind as well! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This will be an awesome concert, and about time given all of the CD release delays, so I hope to see you guys at The Canadian on Saturday night! For a preview, here's The Bear Hunters live in Echo Bay last year!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's last feature posts, our previews of Sunday night concerts, news and notes, and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Local Metal/Punk Video Showcase, Including Band-O-Rama Fallout!!

After a slow Sunday, we're back with an all-video post featuring an assortment of recent YouTube postings from an independent label and three diverse regional artists, along with the first fallout from a big recent concert, so read on below for what you need to know!

We'll start with our first video from Friday's first Sault Band-O-Rama at The Primavera Hall, and some extra fallout from it! In terms of how things look for people who couldn't make it, there's photos of the stage on Project 421's Facebook page, and while the Primavera's own sign at the back looks slightly out of place, things had a good setup! For the lineup, a Facebook event page post by co-promoter Terry Eaton on Friday indicated that a performer dropped out of the show, and he confirmed in an e-mail that it was one of the Bocturoc Academy students for undisclosed reasons (hopefully all's well!) Debuting local rock trio Infamous (formerly The Damon King Band) still lack an online page, but there is a video of their set shot by Facebook user Erin Carter that you can see on her personal Facebook page. It's of Lizzie, Anthony, and Damon covering what appears to be Shinedown's version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", and while they still need a bassist, and Lizzie had some tentative vocal moments, they're on their way, and I hope to hear more from them!

We won't embed the Infamous video here due to it being a personal upload only, but we do have one fully public video from Band-O-Rama, courtesy of local goregrind duo Rotopsy, who debuted a new song named "Cops 'N Moms" that night, which references the reasons for the early end of their Weldon Avenue house party show earlier this month. Uploaded to Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Saturday, the song uniquely featuring no growling vocals (just hardcore yelling), though it got a great reception for it's humour content, and I definitely smiled, but I'm also glad to see some added diversity to their sound! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more possible Band-O-Rama fallout



Also from recent Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel uploads is this slideshow flashback to the shows and bands that Blood Shed has represented or been a part of in 2014. Featuring one of Strange Coyotes guitarist Chase Wigmore's solo songs as the backing audio, the video itself features numerous concert photos and other random shots (including band logos and show posters), and some small write-ups thanking everyone for their support. Not badly done, and a nice thank you gesture, so give the full video a look below!



Next up, here's the newest video from local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus, who have been keeping busy behind the scenes despite not playing a public concert since August's Emergency Festival. Amidst songwriting and "re-wiring the robot", the guys uploaded their first official live videos onto their new YouTube channel yesterday, coming from their set at Lopstock at LopLops Lounge in July! Filmed by attendee Jason Lloyd, the 2 videos are of their originals "The Sound" and (as embedded below) "The Curse", and while the former is slower paced and not as intense until the last minute, "The Curse" handles that aspect of their sound for you guys full through, but I will note that the guitar playing on both songs seem too quiet and lost in the music. It's nice to finally see some live videos of Gnaeus though, and they're a promising young band, so check out "The Curse" below!



Finally for today, here's the newest solo performance video from Exiled guitarist Joe Jenkins, this time a tone/tremolo test on his new Fender Stratocaster guitar. Uploaded to his YouTube channel on Saturday, it's a fun watch for fans of Joe's E.U.P. band work and of his older solo videos, and you may recognize some similar licks within! Give is a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

YouTube Channel Profile Series: syrfer72, Ryan Gratton, and turnerup100's Channels

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, as we once again take a look at 1-3 randomly selected YouTube channels with a 50% (or more) ratio of local metal, hard rock, and punk videos, so you guys can read up on them, watch their content, and hopefully subscribe! For a third straight month, we're looking at multiple channels due to the first channel selected having minimal content, but like last month, the second channel had a similar situation, so we have a full maximum of three today! There's still some interesting and varied stuff to check out from the last decade, so check out this month's profiles below!
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syrfer72's channel (http://www.youtube.com/syrfer72)

Owner: YouTube user syrfer72 (full identity unclear)

Channel Timeline: Launched on December 31st, 2006; Only video posted on August 11th, 2010

Channel Summary: This channel's only video is of hard rock legends Kiss playing one of their signature songs "Detroit Rock City" during their memorable headlining concert at The Essar Centre the day before the video's upload. Filmed from roughly the centre of the floor, you get a good (but far) angle of Kiss and the loud pyrotechnics, and the audio quality's respectable, but the video quality is fairly blurry. This was a great concert from Gene, Paul, and company, and this video (among others from this show) capture it well! Note however that syrfer72 has not updated their channel since 2011.


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Ryan Gratton (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3k0cqMC7zqWscCNfubvaGw)

Owner: Chronic Demonic bassist Ryan Gratton, also known from past work with bands like Faithless Sin

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 19th, 2012; Videos posted in September & October 2013

Channel Summary: Though Ryan still actively uses his channel, he's only uploaded two videos there, and none in over a year. One is an audio recording of him and a friend playing an acoustic song named "A Camel Named Bill", but his only SMS-fitting video is of his defunct thrash metal band Faithless Sin covering Slayer's "Die By The Sword" and "Black Magic" back in 2006. Featuring their original lineup (including Ryan, Fitswitch alum Jason Bourcier on vocals, guitarists Joe Falco and Frank La Tassa, and drummer Mark Parent), Ryan apologized for the audio quality on these covers, which were recorded on a video camera and converted to audio, but they're not that bad, just lacking some clarity. The guys had a strong sound here, and the video is definitely worth a listen, though the band was arguably beat in prominence by their late 2000s successors Time of Ruin.


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turnerup100's channel (http://www.youtube.com/turnerup100)

Owner: A member of the second 2011-2013 version of defunct classic/hard rock band Turner Up, though their specific identity is unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 15th, 2012; Only video posted that same day

Channel Summary: Though ostensibly created as an official Turner Up YouTube channel, the only video uploaded there was of their then-sister band Havadder, who shared four members with Turner Up for the duration of their second run. Featuring Turner Up's Jason Roy on vocals & guitar, Robert Brown on guitar, Travis Sharpe on bass, and Scott McLurg on drums alongside Havadder-only guitarist Jason Nisbet, this video comes from a gig at The Nicolet Tavern (now The Rednecks Saloon) on January 6th, 2012 where they covered Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome", and it's a well done rendition of this 1990s rock hit! The lighting is inconsistent, and the audio's slightly muddled, but it's one of the better videos of this Havadder lineup, though all but Jason Roy have since left the band and formed the similar new cover band The Thrill Junkies last year. Note as well that this channel hasn't been visibly updated since Turner Up's dissolution.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! Next month in this series, we'll be looking at multiple channels for a fourth straight month, as the first that we randomly selected only had two videos total, so we added one more small one to fill it out. With that said, we'll close the year for this series with profiles of YouTube user schloppster's channel (featuring two Clownsack music videos, in our first Sault Michigan profile in this series since May) and the channel of YouTube user mckersie1984, who uploaded two copies of a Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide song! Look for those on or around December 22nd, and stay tuned for more soon! Thanks everyone!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Banned Concert Previews, A New Promotion Company, And Much More!!

Before we begin this post, we have a note on a postponed concert, as the Tiffany Maj benefit concert at Coch's Corner featuring Northwest & Late Shift has been postponed a week from tomorrow to next Saturday. Promoter/Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan explained on the Facebook event page that the date change was to avoid possible complications with tomorrow's Santa Claus Parade, which goes down Queen Street. Makes sense, especially with the earlier 8:00 PM start time, so keep the new date next Saturday in mind! Now, today's post features the remaining known hard rock concert previews for this weekend, news on a local promoter's reemergence, and much more, so here's what you need to know!

Kinross, Michigan hard/classic rock trio Banned are scheduled to return to the Dondee Lanes in Sault Michigan for the first time this year TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the guys' first date in Sault Ste. Marie proper in three months, and will mark a rare Dondee stop for Alex, Wayne, and Don, so if you want to take in some entertaining and varied covers & originals, you know where to be this weekend! Of course, they'll be back in the Soo next month at The Rapids Lounge, but what if you can't be at those gigs? Admission this weekend is likely free, you must be 21 to attend each night, and like usual for the Dondee, these shows have an early start time of 8:00 PM. For more details, check the above links! Hopefully this weekend's shows go well, so don't miss Banned this weekend, and here they are covering the Imagine Dragons!



Next up, North Shore frontman and former local hardcore singer Jeremy Hannah is finally re-entering the promotion area of the local scene via his new company Pure Sonic Audio! Years after the closure of Big Voiced Records, Jeremy has ambitious plans to provide event coordination, professional DJ services, and light & sound rentals for concerts and events in the area, which he partially outlined in a new Facebook group he launched to help musicians post info about their development and to help them get local bookings. Jeremy says that he has "new strategies" to ensure that bands can make some money for their skills and play to crowds, but he needs help, so invite your friends to join the group linked above! A Pure Sonic Audio website is online too, but as of yet, it's mostly a placeholder page with blank links and generic write-ups. Jeremy has shared some of these plans with me in personal conversations in the past, and I'm curious to see where this goes, so follow and like the links above for more info, and Pure Sonic Audio's now in our "Other Local Metal Links"!

Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or station name:

  • Saskatchewan stoner/doom metal band Chronobot (who memorably opened for Skynet in the Soo in March) are a new confirmation for the lineup of the planned Das Bunkerfest II concert event at a Garden River location to be confirmed over the last weekend of August 2015, as per promoter Boyd Rendell on the Facebook event page yesterday. Solid addition, we'll have to see how everything shapes up next year, so see above for more info!
  • So, who exactly are Infamous, the mystery act playing at Sault Band-O-Rama TODAY? According to a recent e-mail from co-promoter Steven Flint, their lineup features Lizzie Pearson on vocals, Social Suicide alum Anthony Boudreau on guitar, and Damon King on drums, with no obtained bassist yet. They appear to be one and the same as "The Damon King Band" that dropped out of Rock For Dimes last week, though they lack info (or an online page) otherwise. At least we know something on Infamous now, and thanks to Steven for the info!
  • Last week, local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades revealed on their Facebook page that they already have six songs in mind for their next EP, including the previously unveiled "Fear Corps", "Frederick", "Crossroads", "Motorwolf", and two new songs named "The Lot" and "Negative Headspace". It's not known when recording sessions would commence, but things sound promising, so stay tuned!
  • Marquette/Ishpeming, Michigan hard rock cover quartet Nudge have a sampler clip of songs played at The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan during at least one of their local shows on their Reverbnation page! It features segments of the band covering Rage Against The Machine's "Bulls on Parade", Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls", Sponge's "Plowed", and The Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right (To Party)", and all sound good (the Rage vocals are suprisingly effective), so give the clips a listen above!
  • Urawk (the live band karaoke series led by members of Beaumont Avenue and Mourning Wood) will make their Rockstar Bar debut this coming Thursday, so if you want to enjoy the entertainment or sing on-stage with a real band, keep Urawk's first show since moving to The Algonquin in mind for next week! The debut there was postponed from yesterday due to the weather.
  • New local internet radio network VM Radio have launched a sixth station for the next couple of months, that being VM Holidays, whose rotation obviously revolves around Christmas and seasonal songs. We mention this on here in particular because the station does have a handful of heavier Christmas songs on rotation, including Trans-Siberian Orchestra material, so if you want some seasonal music, give VM Holidays a listen!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile TOMORROW, and remember not to miss Sault Band-O-Rama TODAY at The Primavera Hall! Thanks everyone!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Sault Band-O-Rama & Tym Morrison Concert Previews!!

I hope everyone's managing the snow alright today, and we'll let you guys know if the weather throws a wrench into any of this weekend's covered shows! Due to the size and nature of one concert in particular this weekend, we're breaking up our hard rock concert previews into two posts, so we'll be looking at the Banned shows in Sault Michigan, Saturday night's Tiffany Maj benefit, and any late notice announcements in our next post. Look for them then, and now, let's kick off our previews!

12 different acts will descend upon The Primavera Banquet Hall at 256 Wellington Street West TOMORROW for the first(?) ever Sault Band-O-Rama all-day concert event! Promoted by Mourning Wood bandmates Terry Eaton & Steven Flint, this event is designed to bring together numerous local music acts of varying genres together to play sets & gain exposure, similarly to variants of this event in other cities.  Though open to any artists, there's a fair amount of heavier bands lined up, including familiar faces from Rock For Dimes & Toystock, so here's the full lineup in descending order! Headlining at 1:15 AM is local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control in their first non-house party show in two months, and their first since frontman Michael Mikus' health scare that knocked them out of Rock For Dimes, so hopefully the guys are back in good form to end Band-O-Rama! Fellow grunge/hard rockers Haggith will co-headline at 12:20 AM, and if their Facebook page's lineup is correct, this set will mark the return of original bassist Caleb Cachagee, six months after his last set with the band, which (if true) would indicate that Steven Flint's bassist role at Rock For Dimes was as a fill-in.

Caleb was an underrated presence with Haggith, so if the current lineup is accurate, it's great to see him back in the fold! Haggith guitarist Daniel Horton's other band Project 421 (replacing The Elements) will rock the stage at 11:25 PM for a set of classic metal covers, while local musician Justin Langlois' two active bands, classic/hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies and punk trio Redundant, will precede them at 10:30 & 9:35 PM, and both should have momentum on their side! Former As It Stands drummer John Mignacca's Dillinger solo project will bring a techno & electronica blast to the stage at 8:40 PM, while local acoustic hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will play a set at 7:55 PM, preceding his usual Harp concert tomorrow night that we'll preview in a minute. A mystery project named Infamous is scheduled for the 7:00 PM slot, and we still honestly know nothing on him/her/them, so let us know A.S.A.P. if you can help us out, and we'll let you know if we hear something!

Local singer/guitarist Jacob Quarrell's new acoustic solo project Shit Creek Survivor is scheduled for 6:25 PM, while students from Stiffler's Mom guitarist Michael Davies' Bocturoc Academy of Music will play a set at 5:50 PM, who actually switched sets with Jacob recently for unannounced reasons. Sault Band-O-Rama will begin with two Blood Shed Productions-affiliated bands, including local goregrind duo Rotopsy at 4:55 PM and local experimental metal trio The Strange Coyotes (replacing The Revolution) opening the show at 4:00 PM in their first non-house party gig since formally announcing their reunion, and if all goes well, the guys announced on their Facebook page that they'll try and record a live album tomorrow comprised of their set, so don't be late for that! Also note that while the aforementioned Elements were briefly re-added to this show at an early 3:00 PM set time, they later dropped out again, so the show will begin at 4:00 PM as originally planned.

This ALL AGES show has a $5 cover charge, promoters Steven Flint & Terry Eaton's new sound company Twin City Sound will handle that aspect of the show, and for reference sake (as The Primavera Hall is not familiar from our coverage), the venue is just down the road from RJ's Market. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This is definitely an ambitious event, especially given the spread of talent and the show's length, but hopefully there's a solid turnout so Steve & Terry give this another whirl! I'm unsure yet if I'll be able to go, but don't miss the first Sault Band-O-Rama TOMORROW, please let us know if you know anything on Infamous, and here's The Pixo Control live this spring!



We'll close this first preview post with the aforementioned Tym Morrison's usual solo acoustic gigs at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After a one night only engagement last weekend due to The Harp's broadcast of UFC 180, the calendar on his website confirms that he'll host and play at the former Madison's Pub's jam night tomorrow before headlining a regular acoustic show on Saturday, though I'll give the caveat that Tym hasn't posted a Facebook event page yet for this weekend. The Caveman Morrison frontman's ongoing weekly concert arrangement at The Harp is fast approaching it's one year anniversary, which is a great sign for it's success and his talent, so keep his regular shows in mind for some unplugged hard rock covers this weekend, whether or not you'll be seeing him at Band-O-Rama first! Both shows likely have 10:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges, so check the above links for more details, and here's Tym covering Metallica!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Northwest & Banned previews (and more) either tonight or tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Pixo Control), A New Redundant Video, And Much More!!

Just when we thought there wouldn't be a second post today, we came across enough news and updates to populate one, so let's get it up before we tackle the weekend's concert previews! Today, we have a lot of assorted shorter items, a recent concert video, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next week, so here's what you need to know!

Local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control will make a special Thursday night appearance at  The Speak Easy at Algoma University next Thursday, November 27th! Fresh off of this Friday night's Sault Band-O-Rama (which we're previewing on the site tomorrow), this will likely be the first public hard rock concert at Algoma University's campus bar of the year, at least that we've heard of, though I don't know if there is a special reason for the Thursday booking. Opening for them at this show will be Boxes of Boom, a local project that I don't know a ton on, but their music features minimalist rock overtop of techno beats. Interesting sound, and I know they turned some heads when they played with The Pixo Control at a private house party event earlier this month, so keep them in mind! This show has a 10:00 PM start time & no announced cover charge, and while a 19+ age limit is likely, we'll let you know if it's all ages or if underage Algoma students can get in. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for updates on this intriguing show!

Next up, here's another new video from last week's Rock For Dimes fundraiser concert at The Delta Waterfront Hotel, this time of headlining local punk trio Redundant! Like their Rock For Dimes videos from last spring, this was filmed by frontman Justin Langlois' dad Michel and uploaded to his YouTube channel on Monday, and features Redundant's set-opening cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" (with assists from Justin's sons), though the pre-set encouragement of fans to come onto the floor is left in. Like Michel's Thrill Junkies clip, this is very solid in quality, albeit with fans' heads in the way, so give it a look below, and we'll let you know if Michel shot any more footage at Rock For Dimes!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

  • These Sins of Time frontwoman Alexa LeClair is again looking to jam with other rock musicians, though it's unclear whether she's hoping to revive T.S.O.T. (who haven't posted a Facebook update at all this year) or for a different project entirely. It'd be nice to see her in an active band again, so message her at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!
  • Former Frasiers guitarist Charlie Derrer is looking for a drummer and second guitarist for  a new "pop funk" band that he's launching, and it's likely that he already has a bassist. In case this will cross over into punk, we'll mention it here, so message Charlie at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on November 5th if you're interested!
  • In their first new song posting in two months, local pop punk solo project For July uploaded a new original track named "Go" onto their Soundcloud page on Monday! Medium-paced while retaining a pop punk and emo bite, it's well done for the genre, but the chorus vocals don't strike me as very imaginative. Still, give the full song a listen above for some lively original music!
  • New local punk/grunge duo The Red & Black revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that they have a "new CD in the works", which would be their first formal album release. Little else is known at present, but given Chris Shoust's Telephone & Address output, this likely won't be a long wait, so stay tuned for updates!
  • Barring an imminent sign of life, we'll be moving the local/B.C. indie punk band The Small Town Rivals to our inactive band links next week due to a year's inactivity, having last posted on their Facebook page in November of last year. This band had a good sound going and some successes, but were arguably succeeded by Northwest, who shared all but one member from their local live lineup. If we hear different, we'll let you know, but best of luck to Northwest, Jesse, Scott, and Liam in the future!
  • The new episode of Local2's music spotlight webseries Tuned With Donna Hopper went up yesterday at this link, and while it mostly focuses on a recent concert set and interview from local progressive rock quartet Machines Dream, it does plug this weekend's Sault Band-O-Rama and next weekend's Toystock in the concert calendar segment. It's still a good episode, so give it a look above to see it, especially if you love prog rock!

That's definitely all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!