Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Punk Rock Bingo Preview, SweetKenny Album Updates, And New Videos!!

News has been somewhat slow lately, hence the recent quietness at the SMS, but let's end the month strong with this one! Today, we have some new video finds, and big album updates from a regional solo artist, but first, here's a preview for a special event that, while not a concert, is intriguing for punk fans, so here's what you should know!

The long anticipated debut of punk rock bingo goes down TONIGHT at The New American Pub!  Presented by Six Two Oh, this is a concept that has been done successfully in some other cities, and it's exactly what it says on the tin: Bingo with a punk rock theme and prizes! There are plans to show cult punk movies on the TV(s?) there tonight, as well as play punk music, with "stupid prizes" planned, but no one has spilled the beans yet on what specific prizes may be up for grabs. Destroilet singer and recent concert promoter Brenton Ellis (a.k.a. Buck Norris) will be the caller, which should be fun in & of itself! You guys should know how to play bingo, and to participate TONIGHT, cards will be $1 each, with no cover charge otherwise. This is a 19+ event, and everything will start at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Though not a concert, this sounds like a fun & unpredictable event for punk and/or bingo fans, so get your dabbers ready TONIGHT at The New A, and hopefully this becomes a recurring event!

Next up, here's the latest from Dafter, Michigan hard rock solo artist Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton's prolific studio output, so what should you know? His previously teased new album "Charlie Hidelburg: Ancient Hunter" was released a little earlier than expected on August 21st (apologies for the delay) to his Bandcamp page and other online outlets, and it's a concept album themed as a score for a TV show or video game, with the cover art bearing a resemblance to Tomb Raider. Though new references cite "Cartoons" to be his fourth original album released in 2015, there are three more new albums that aren't on Bandcamp that you can stream on Spotify and find on various online stores (most notably on Google Play) entitled "In The Groove", "The Island", and "The Specialist Parts 1-2". All were released since mid-August, and three more albums (entitled "Anything Go's", "Underwater Adventure", and "Desert Romance") are planned for release next month and are now available for pre-order.

Other than visible themes on the albums (possibly intended as scores as well), we don't know a whole lot on this sudden influx of new SweetKenny albums, which he hasn't plugged on his website or Bandcamp page that I've seen. Are these extra albums not considered in the main line, or is extra acknowledgement of them coming? In any event, our next SweetKenny CD review won't be until 2016, as we just reviewed "Fleabag Hotel" in July, but check this massive haul of new material out above, and here's his newest posting to his YouTube channel, of his new song "Kiss Kiss Bang" set to footage from the video game James Bond 007: Nightfire!



Also, here's one more new video discovery from AlgomA guitarist Boyd Rendell's YouTube channel, and in this case, it's actually of the doom metal trio in action! Uploaded on April 2nd, this is of AlgomA playing their original song "Phthisis" (which is about tuberculosis) during their last jam at "Das Bunker" in Garden River before Boyd moved from the location. Though he noted that the video was fuzzy due to "half resolution", it's of solid quality and captures this shorter but crushing newer original in solid fashion! Give it a look below, and remember to check out punk rock bingo TONIGHT, as put on by the guys in AlgomA with Six Two Oh!



Finally for today, here's a new video of Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins improvising to a Joe Satriani-esque backing track, as uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday! His first posting there of the year, it's a strong instrumental performance that captures his original skill nicely, and if you're curious to see more of his own solo videos, don't worry, we have a ton more coming from a non-YouTube source in the coming days! Give Joe's new video a look below, and also stay tuned for news on Ten Kings' next shows!



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

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Sideblinder

After a day's delay due to personal commitments, here's this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, our final monthly feature post of September 2015! This is, like usual, our look at a band that's not based from the Sault Ste. Marie area, but features (or used to feature) a Saultite in their lineup, and this is a great opportunity for SMS readers to learn more about these bands and check out their material! This month's choice features a very familiar face and some other recognizable members from notable punk bands, so here's what you should know!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sideblinder (Toronto, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED, members not in their last full lineup in italics. Note that one Sideblinder recording features Sault Ste. Marie's own Mikey Hawdon and his Fairmounts bandmate Simon Head on drums & bass, but they are not credited as past band members on any other publically surviving sources.)

Dustin Jones (vocals/guitar)
Chuck Dailey (bass)
Darren Pfeiffer (drums)
Ryan "Legs" Leger (drums)

Official website: http://www.dustinjones.ca/sideblinder
Official Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/6268389980/ 
Official Bandmine page: http://www.bandmine.com/sideblinder
Official MySpace page: http://myspace.com/sideblinder

Local Info: While a well known commodity in Southern Ontario circles, Sideblinder frontman Dustin Jones will be an extremely familiar sight for local punk fans from his extensive background in numerous local bands, including his current work as the frontman of Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, as well as with prior bands like The Cover Up, Totally Confused, The Wing-Its, and (of course) The Inner City Surfers, among others, with numerous albums & tour runs with both the Tide and Surfers under his belt! You may also recognize Dustin behind the scenes as the co-founder of Tidal Records and the head of the locally-based Mission Control Studios, helping give numerous bands quality local options for exposure and professional recordings!

Band Bio: Active off and on from at least 2008-2013, Sideblinder were a punk supergroup of sorts, with Dustin Jones joined by alumni of The Salads in their lineups, including drummer Darren Pfeiffer of Goldfinger and Dookies fame. Surviving information on Sideblinder is minimal, but they recorded material for a planned debut album in the late 2000s, and played scattered Toronto concerts during their active period, most recently at The Hideout in July 2012. Sideblinder were among the launch artists for Tidal Records' debut as a full label in 2013, but online updates haven't visibly followed since, though members remain active in other bands. Bearing similarities to Dustin's past Inner City Surfers material, Sideblinder's energetic modern punk sound has a timeless appeal and is bolstered by a strong lineup, including solid bass work by Chuck Dailey, and their studio material is very promising!

No surviving websites mention a local Sideblinder  concert, but it would be nice to see Sideblinder get back together and play here if possible, and fans of the members' prior bands will like what they'll hear via Chuck's YouTube channel (featuring four original studio recordings), and two recording videos from ex-drummer Ryan Leger on Dustin's channel. Embedded below though is the only publically available concert video of Sideblinder, from their Toronto gig in July 2012, and it's of the guys playing an original song labelled as "Great Lakes", so give it a look below, and credit to Mikey Hawdon for filming this video!


 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month in this series, we'll likely be looking at She Screams of Royalty, the Holland, Michigan post-hardcore band that formerly featured NA drummer and LSSU graduate Mikhail Swift in their lineup, so look for that on or around October 26th! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!

Saturday, September 26, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands 2), And More Recent Updates!!

Before we get into this post, I'd like to apologize for a missed concert, as local classic/hard rock quartet Mourning Wood apparently played at the opening night party for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds' season opener last night before the game against Windsor at The Essar Centre. The team's own advertising never specified the band(s?), and Mourning Wood never plugged the set online, but guitarist Steven Flint mentioned it on his personal Facebook page shortly before showtime.  Hopefully it was a blast on a big stage, and apologies again for missing it, we'd have plugged it had their set gotten advance word!

Now, this post features recent updates & media, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as the third and likely final local battle of the bands of 2015 goes down on Thursday, November 19th, that being the previously teased second Speak Easy Battle of the Bands! After a successful first installment in March at Algoma University's campus bar, the same promoters (including ex-Haggith bassist Jordan Leach) are hosting the same style of battle once again for the fall season, so what should you know this time around? Like in March, the battle will be a fan voted event with no judges, with cash prizes awaiting winning bands (no word yet on if they'll remain $400, $200, and $100 for the top 3 bands.) Sets will again be 15 minutes in length, but this time, promoters are hoping for 8 acts, one more than in March, with no genre restrictions. Four acts (including two returnees) are now signed for the second Speak Easy Battle, but who will you be able to see?

The returning bands will be local alternative/hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din (in their first announced concert with their yet-to-be-revealed new guitarist), and in a mild surprise, solo indie/folk musician Jesse Merineau, whose battle set in March was his last before moving to Toronto. Good to see him back home, even if only for one gig, and hopefully he and The Din put on good sets! The other two announced bands include the returning local death/thrash metal band Pillory, in their Speak Easy and battle debut, and first concert in over a year & a half! Great to have them back as well, but given that the aforementioned co-promoter Jordan Leach is their new bassist, is there a conflict of interest worry here? As it's fan voted, I doubt it, but it's worth noting! The another announced band is Eclypse, who have yet to publically unveil their identity, sound, or online presence yet. I do know one band member, but I'll wait for public confirmation before getting into any details.

For reference, March's battle was won by Gnaeus with Long Shot and The Bear Hunters finishing second and third, and Infinity Grinder & Project 421 were the other competing bands, though no word on if any of them will be back. Four more bands are being sought for November's second battle, so if you're interested in signing up or getting more info, message Jordan (a.k.a. Whate Ver) at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Sunday! While I'd rather see a judges panel than a fan vote to avoid a popularity contest, it's great to see a second Speak Easy Battle, and so soon from the first, so check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more as we approach November 19th!

Next up, here's some long overdue updates from Blood Shed Productions, so what's been going on with their some of their grind and death metal bands? In terms of solo act Crucify The Whore, the Tyler Gibson-led one man band posted 8 older songs on Bandcamp as the digital compilation "Old Stuff", possibly as a way to reintroduce fans to material not in current print, such as "I Like Shepherds Pie". Similarly, C.T.W.'s eight songs from the planned split release with Ohio "pornogrind" band Menstrual Munchies can be checked out at this link (no word on the other band's half of things), with some of those songs planned for a future full length-release. Lastly for new Bandcamp media, Tyler's "cybergrind" project Malignant Neoplasm posted a short 3 song digital EP named "Kittens Have Crustys" there as well featuring three short and peculiarly named songs. All three are available under "name your price" models, so you can have them for free or for any price.

Lastly, while Tyler's grind duo band Rotopsy have been quiet (outside of scattered private & house shows) since June, they revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that they're working on new studio material and will be playing at a yet-identified Halloween show (possibly meaning another Devil's Night Oddfellows concert?) Sounds like the Blood Shed is staying busy, and the new material will definitely appeal to grind lovers, so check everything out above, and stay tuned for more from them!

Finally, here's another cryptic recent video from AlgomA guitarist Boyd Rendell's YouTube channel, this time of him and ex-Rising Tide drummer Frank McCormick jamming in April! Called "OUT of the ether DOWN in das Bunker", it's credited to "two thirds of the rock group OAT", though I'm not sure if OAT were/are a functioning band or if this is just the chosen label for the video. Credited under false names, this is 8 minutes of improvised bass & drum jamming, and visually striking by the use of lens flares on Boyd's face, arms, and bass. Interesting listen, and it's nice to see Frank drumming again, so give this one a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Thursday, September 24, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mourning Wood), Weekend Concert Previews, And New Videos!!

For this new video/concert preview post, some readers may notice that a recently announced battle of the bands isn't in this post. We're saving it for our next news post in order to give it proper emphasis while not downplaying this weekend's concert previews (including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS), so look for full current details this weekend! Now, here's what you should know concerning hard rock shows this weekend, with some new videos to round things out!

Local classic/hard rock quartet Mourning Wood will rock The Rednecks Saloon for the second weekend in three weeks TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the shows were only announced on the official Facebook event page earlier this week, though we did get some more notice on these shows than we often get. Fresh off of their new lineup's Reggie's West debuts last week, look for more entertaining and often heavy covers from Terry, Steven, Paul, and Glen this weekend, with indications being that their new incarnation is getting better and better, complete with new songs, so keep their returns to the former Nicolet Tavern in mind! TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows are 19+ events with no announced cover charge and 10:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Mourning Wood at the same venue!



Moving to previously announced concerts, the lengthy weekly concert runs from the prolific Tym Morrison are advertised as continuing this weekend, including matinees at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, and regular nighttime concerts at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Tym's ongoing shows at these two venues continue to be successful, so if you're up for some unplugged hard rock cover action at supper-time or at a more typical concert hour, you have 5 options once again this weekend! Note that October gigs of Tym's will be added to our listings when confirmed outside of his website, and like usual, we take them a month at a time, as his website's calendar lists consistent weekly shows through 2022. Tym's Gliss shows are, as usual, 6:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges or age limits (but remember, this is a restaurant), and the Harp shows are at 10:00 PM with no cover and 19+ age limits. Check the above links for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!



We'll close today with some new video finds, including a new clip from this weekend's Fuck The Facts concert at The Oddfellows Hall, specifically of opening goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore playing the original "Seshing In June Bugs" to open their set. Filmed by Jean-Paul "Phat Boii" Archambault and uploaded to label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Tuesday, it captures the minimalistic goregrind fury pretty well, and benefits from daytime lighting, though no word on if J.P. filmed anything extra. Give this short new video a look below!



Finally, here's a cryptic performance video from AlgomA guitarist Boyd Rendell's YouTube channel in January, as credited to the band name Punitive Parent (which references schema therapy.) The song is called "Don't Be Lame", which is repeated throughout the description, and it's a drone metal original that uniquely features numerous instances of Boyd playing with a transparent ghost effect in a purple room. It's definitely interesting, especially if you like doom metal and experimentation, but is this a side project that was/is in the works, or a one-off posting? I'm not sure, but it's interesting, and check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more on the site shortly, including details on that battle of the bands! Thanks everyone!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

YouTube Channel Profile Series: freakwoog's Channel

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our monthly feature spotlighting 1-3 randomly selected YouTube channels with at least 50% of their content focused on local metal, hard rock, and/or punk concerts and artists! This month's random choice is a talented musician who you may recognize from a number of local and regional hard rock bands, so here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
freakwoog's Channel (http://www.youtube.com/freakwoog)

Owner: Ex-Elipzis/RedStone Riot bassist & Riot! By Night frontman Ryan Harrison, currently known as the guitarist in the Muskegon duo R&R Acoustic

Channel Timeline: Launched on August 26th, 2008; Videos posted from March 24th, 2010 until March 5th, 2013

Channel Summary: This channel was used largely as a source for prolific local hard rock musician Ryan Harrison's covers of modern rock songs (14 in total) with him on vocals & guitar, though there are also two extra non-musical videos from 2012: this one of him spinning baskets, and this one of bandmate/fiancee Rachel Kiger's cute encounter with his cat. Many of the covers are of a personal nature, or tie back to his earliest learned songs.

Why Should You Watch: This is a solid source to check out a side of Ryan's musical talents that, until R&R Acoustic's debut this year, we didn't often see compared to his live bass work. Fans of Ryan's 2009-2010 hard rock band Riot! By Night (one of the short-lived successors to Absolute) may enjoy these especially, as no public videos survive of Ryan with that band, so if you want to hear him sing similar material, here you go! However, Ryan has since stopped actively updating this channel, and with his nice beard in tow, has posted new acoustic covers on a newer self-titled channel since February of this year, so keep that in mind for subscribing.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

Evans Blue- Over (acoustic cover) by ryan: The first and most viewed video on Ryan's old channel comes from one of five covers he filmed on four different occasions in his then-kitchen in the spring of 2010. Joining covers of Sister Hazel's "Starfish", Matchbox 20's "Hang", Coheed & Cambria's "Wake Up", and Butch Walker's "Joan", this rendition of Evans Blue's "Over" shows his vocal ability and musical knowledge well, and in this form, it reminds me a bit of Benjamin Burnley's singing style! However, the video quality on these isn't as crisp looking as on some later postings.



Ugly Side - Blue October *cover*: After a two+ year break from new video uploads, Ryan (who had moved from Sault Michigan to Muskegon the previous year) posted three new covers on his channel on November 1st, 2012, including Matchbox 20's "Push", Marvelous 3's "Cigarette Lighter Love Song", and this cover of Blue October's "Ugly Side". Showcasing a higher and more melodic singing voice on this rendition, this and the other two postings were a nice indicator of some of his favourite influences, and the videos are a little smoother than what was filmed in 2010!



Breath -Breaking Benjamin *cover*: Ryan's last six videos on this channel come from his two "pajama sessions" in late February and early March 2013, including covers of Paolo Nutini's "Last Request", Story of the Year's "Anthem of Our Dying Day", Counting Crows' "Round Here", Blue October's "Worry List", Butch Walker's "ATL", and this cover of Breaking Benjamin's "Breath". Now featuring title cards, these are constant in quality otherwise from Ryan's 2012 postings, but fans of modern alternative and hard rock should like his renditions here, and it would be neat to see him fronting a band again! Remember to visit his newer channel for new covers!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection will be RedDMonkeyMusic's channel, an official channel for the now-defunct local hardcore punk trio that features seven videos from four concerts in their February 2011 Ontario tour run, so look for that on or around October 22nd!

Fuck The Facts Concert Review!!

At last, here's our newest concert review at the SMS, and believe it or not, our first from a public concert since Rotaryfest (blame personal family health matters, but I do plan to hit at least some Halloween season events!) Sunday night saw the return of Fuck The Facts to The Oddfellows Hall in the first all ages show there in what seems like way too long, but the crowd wasn't overly huge, and I'm not sure if there was ever 50 people inside at once. The fans gave a solid response all night long though, and the cool blue lighting gave a nice ambiance!

Sets were delayed by about a half hour, so things were a little condensed for most bands, but opening goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore packed in a heavy wallop to kick off the night! This was Tyler Gibson's first local C.T.W. show outside of house parties since the spring, but he broke out some newer effects pedals (including one that gave him more of a demonic regular voice) and played a mixture of established songs like "Bunk, Shake, and Headache" and newer material like "Texas". Though the crowd was pretty small at this early juncture, Blood Shed loyalists went wild as usual for Tyler's goregrind onslaught, but Tyler's energy wasn't at it's high from what I've seen, and Rotopsy's Dylan Taylor didn't make a guest appearance as he often does. Strong return, and C.T.W. fans left happy!

A minor lineup shuffle saw the planned second band switch places with the original middle band, local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA, but their ferocious set delivered despite the earlier placement! It's been way too long since I last saw AlgomA live last (back when they were still using stage names), and they definitely haven't lost a step, whether on established songs like "Fell Down A Well" (which indeed opened the set) or their lengthy newer song "Rabidus". Kevin, Boyd, and Jamie showed their strong chemistry while maintaining their intense stage presences throughout, with Kevin Campbell's harsh vocals laid well with the material, and Boyd Rendell's pounding guitar kept things slow and heavy in the process! The guys can still be a little more energetic and talkative on stage, but the intensity and material definitely made a huge mark, and hopefully we see them live again soon!

Due to personal commitments, late replacements Jack Spades (filling in for their upcoming split-mates Destroilet) were bumped into the later third slot, but they still delivered a fun set in, believe it or not, their Oddfellows Hall debut! With members' pasts at this venue with the likes of Fitswitch, Soldiers of Misfortune, and The Bear Hunters, you'd think Jack Spades would have played the Oddfellows by now! Their abbreviated set included fan favourites like "They Live", "Crossroads", and "Motorwolf", though an advertised cover of "All My Friends Are Dead" didn't make the live cut. Everyone was solid and on form despite the short notice, with Jesse Cook nailing some strong guitar solos, but J.D. Pearce was almost inaudible during their set (not his fault, the vocal mix throughout the night was fairly muted, but it stood out more here compared to the growlers.) The guys jacked the hall well, and stay tuned for the "Fed Up!" split release show next month!

Your final local band on Sunday night was death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who powered through a set of six newer original songs for fans, and they definitely haven't lost a step! Though they didn't play their newest unveiled tracks like "The Wrath of Angmar" (possibly due to time?), we still got strong and brutal favourites like "I Fear No God" and "Neckbreaker" that produced a few small mosh pits, and the band responded in kind! Justin Lam's bass was on point, Mitch Sire laid down some blistering solos on both guitars, and while his vocals were a little muddled in the mix, Nik Deubel's growling was as consistently effective as always! I was hoping to hear one of their brand new tracks on Sunday, but The Bear Hunters still laid it down to their extreme, and proved once again that no bear is safe!

And your headliners on Sunday were Juno nominated Ottawa grindcore band Fuck The Facts, though they were sans guitarist Johnny Ibay for unannounced reasons (though note that I didn't see him in photos from recent tour dates.) The lack of rhythm guitar was noticeable at times, but Fuck The Facts still demolished in their short but entertaining set! Fans who missed them last year got a strong dose of new material from their newest album "Desire Will Rot", and while the crowd wasn't huge, the mosh pit definitely was, and it looked like most of the hall was involved! Mel Mongeon & Marc Bourgon's brutal vocals were a nice compliment as usual, and Topon Das' shone on guitar throughout their set, with a good use of backing effects as usual to set the mood! Fuck The Facts' creative brand of grindcore is always worth checking out, and while the crowd wasn't as high as it could have been, hopefully this was a great closing show for their tour!

Overall, this was a very entertaining and heavy show, and it was nice to be back out at a concert again! I can't commit to any more concerts in the next few weeks just based on the uncertainty regarding the recent personal family matters, but I intend to at least be at the Ripcordz and Caym shows at month's end... I hope! You can check out our photos and videos at this link or at our Facebook page, and for videos, here's Crucify The Whore playing "Batch Cones" & "Orthostatic Hypotension", AlgomA playing "Rabidus", Jack Spades covering The Ripcordz' "X", The Bear Hunters playing "Deception", and Fuck The Facts playing "Prey"!











That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Monday, September 21, 2015

The Return Of Pillory, Bear Hunters Album Updates, And Much More!!

Before we begin uploading photos and videos from last night's Fuck The Facts concert (it's been way too long since my last show), here's a new news post for your Monday morning, including long overdue updates to some of our past feature profiles, a new jam session video, album updates from another band, and first, a band reunion, so here's what you should know!

Local thrash/death metal band Pillory are back! After quietly breaking up last summer, frontman Robert Sartini and drummer Bret Shuttleworth have reunited the band and have begun work on new material, so what should you know? Lineup wise, guitarist Josh Amendola and bassist Devon Lucier are not back from their last full incarnation, with Pillory apparently enlisting former Haggith bassist Jordan Leach for the new lineup, as per recent updates to their Facebook page. Intriguing to say the least, I wonder how Jordan will do on material this heavy? No word as of yet though on a new second guitarist. As well, Bret shared a Facebook video of him and Robert jamming a new Pillory song named "Angst of Existence" on Tuesday, and while it's a little rough and still needs vocals & bass, it sounds promising and has a bit more of a death metal feel than their older originals had! Give it a look below, stay tuned for more, and they're back in our active band links!



Next up, here's the latest from local death metal veterans The Bear Hunters, who will open for Evilheart in tonight's Gonqshow finale at The Algonquin Pub! After prior teases on personal accounts, the band shared the complete tracklist for their upcoming second album "The Dead Testament" on their Facebook page on Friday, and though the exact order is to be determined, it will have 10 songs. We've heard most of them live, but I don't believe we've heard "For Glory" or the title track in concert as of this writing. Also, a 2015 re-recording of "Deception" and their black metal parody "The Forest of Forests" will be included as bonus tracks, but whether they'll be on all copies of the CD, select copies, or a digital exclusive is to be established. The band followed the post by saying that they'll soon be ready to record the album locally with Tidal Records (presumably at Mission Control Studios, though it's not clear if they're signing with the label itself or not yet.)

It sounds like things are in good hands, and hopefully "The Dead Testament" will have an even crisper and more professional sound than "Eternal Hibernation" had! Note however that earlier postings said that this album would have 11 songs, but the band may consider "The Forest of Forests" to be the eleventh. Stay tuned for updates on "The Dead Testament" as they come in, and for our review of last night's Fuck The Facts show featuring The Bear Hunters later today!

Also, here's a new-ish video shared by another band from last night's Fuck The Facts show, local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA! In reality, this video was posted on frontman Boyd Rendell's YouTube channel in May, but for one reason or another, it's unlisted there, only coming to our attention after the band shared it on their Facebook page yesterday. It's of AlgomA jamming their original "Fell Down A Well", and it's a solid version of one of their early songs with an excellent tight angle of the guys in action! The Facebook share of the video indicated that they'd likely kick off their set last night with this song, but as this was written before the show, did they stick to their word? Give the video a look below, and stay tuned for more from AlgomA (and Boyd's channel) soon!



Finally for today, here's some beyond overdue updates to our Battle of the Bands Rewind profiles (We've slacked on updating any of our monthly feature profiles, so it's time to try and rectify that!) Starting with our profile of 2008's Skid Row Battle of the Bands, I've added a note about March's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands (the first battle to take place at the same venue since 2008), and regarding the section on performers' later bands, I added a band page link for Northwest, updated The Pesto Shirts' name to the current Wild Iris, and replaced Nikkfitt (who no longer feature Scary Uncles alum Andrew MacDonald on bass) with Id Iota, the current band from Free Beer's Christian Lemay and Dustin Goodall. And for our profile of 2008's Case's Music Battle of the Bands, I added updated references to the late Mike Case's hosting of the event, and added a note on Fountain of Betrayal frontman Tyler St. Amour once being listed for this year's VM Radio Battle with Them.

Lastly, I replaced The North Shore, Pillory, and Viva Emptiness in the section for members' later bands with London's The Glass Thieves and Five Oceans (both featuring Caddy Street Avenue alumni), and the aforementioned Them to freshen up the section on performers' later bands, especially as the prior 3 bands are either defunct or don't feature alumni of this battle anymore. I hope to update more posts in this series in the near future, so stay tuned, and look for our Fuck The Facts concert review next! Thanks everyone!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Bear Hunters), A New Album Release, And New Videos!!

Let's get some more news onto the site on this Sunday morning, so what's on tap? New videos from two very different August concerts, and another new digital album release, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a special fundraising event next month!

A pair of heavier local bands are on the lineup for a special benefit concert at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday, October 3rd, with all proceeds going to the Soup Kitchen Community Center on James Street, which is a great cause! Though the listed headliners are sporadically seen local progressive rock quintet Machines Dream (whose frontman Craig West is promoting the show), they're actually the opening band due to logistical setup reasons, as per Craig's personal Facebook page, but it's nice to see them out of the studio after so long! The other listed bands include local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, and the recently reunited local classic rock quartet Nikkfitt, who feature Browbeat alumni Dutch Vanderploeg & James White (also of The Elements) in their lineup. Nikkfitt havn't really taken hold for a long time locally, but it's nice to see them back at it, and we'll have to see what all they play!

Admission is $5 at the door for this 19+ fundraiser concert, which is advertised to begin at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Very diverse lineup, but the Soup Kitchen could always use some help, so definitely consider checking out this concert in two weeks!

Next up, remember how local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back have been teasing recording a proper full-length album in recent months? Well, it's now out on their Bandcamp page! Entitled "ALbums" (again continuing with the extra capitals & gratuitous plurals from their late-2014 demos), it features eight songs, and was mixed and mastered by Cross Dog's Mark Rand, with frontman Jamie Vincent's AlgomA bandmate Kevin Campbell credited for assisting in production, though on Bandcamp, all names are given creative misspellings like "Naythang Sauvege". Save for "Shirt Tucker" & "Lung Bucket" (which were re-recorded), none of the songs are identical from what's on the 2014 demos' online copies, though remember that physical copies of the second demo also included "Number One Hit Single", and I can't speak for the first demo's CD versions to know if they had omitted tracks too. Digital copies are, like the demos, available on a "name your price" model, but it's yet to be established if physical copies will be on sale in some form or not.

Now, as you can now buy "ALbums" (or download it free, but support the band!), when can you expect a review of it on the SMS? Honestly, as we've already reviewed RedD Monkey's new album this month, and October will likely be set aside for the Jack Spades/Destroilet/Ripcordz split, Bad Back's album might be delayed until November for a review. It's definitely coming though, so stay tuned for more from Bad Back as it comes in!

We'll close today with new videos, including a new discovery from the short notice opening set by Shit Liver from the Golers concert at The New American Pub on August 9th! Apologies for the delay in getting this on here, we only just discovered it this weekend. Filmed by attendee Dawne Schryer and shared on the band's Facebook page the following day, it features the guys playing two predictably blistering originals, sandwiched around their comical cover of The 4 Non Blondes' "What's Going On", and while it's filmed on the vertical cell phone camera angle, you do get a nice clear (and oddly well-lit) view of Shit Liver's debut at the New A! Give this video a look below!



Finally for today, here's two new videos of pageless local classic/hard rock cover quartet RPM from their Summer Concert Series gig at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion last month! Filmed again by Sault Online's Mike Caruso and uploaded to his YouTube channel on August 22nd, the videos are of RPM covering Robert Palmer's "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" with drummer Ben Pascuzzi on vocals, and, as embedded below, Hank Williams Sr.'s "Move It On Over" (specifically, the George Thorogood version) with guitarist Dino Mazzuca on vocals. Solid quality videos on multiple cameras, but why wasn't the stationary camera more centered to the band? For most of the videos, all you can see of Lindsay Pugh is his bass head! Well done covers too, with some extra grit laid on, but the guys do still need to loosen up a bit on stage. Give their new videos a look above and below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the coming week! Thanks everyone!

Saturday, September 19, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Mourning Wood), More Concert Previews, And More!!

Let's close out this weekend's concert previews with this post for your Saturday morning, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and a double dose of metal shows tomorrow and Monday, but we have a new studio song from a local solo act to share as well! Here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock quartet Mourning Wood will round out a double weekend shot at Reggie's West TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about the show via personal Facebook posts by members Terry Eaton and Glen Thomas last night, and it followed a gig yesterday that came too late for us to get on the site, hence the plug only on our Facebook page (our apologies, we'd have plugged yesterday's show on here had it had more notice!) This is Mourning Wood's first concert weekend at the former Roosevelt Hotel with Glen and new bassist Paul Belair, but it should be noted that Terry didn't tag guitarist Steven Flint with other members when plugging this weekend's gigs on his personal Facebook page, though nothing has been officially stated to imply that Steven will be absent this weekend or not.

In any event, you can take in Mourning Wood's varied and often heavy covers TONIGHT at 10:00 PM, it is a 19+ affair, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, check the above links, apologies again for missing last night's concert on here, and here's the new lineup in action!



Moving to previously announced concert previews, let's touch on the return of Ottawa grindcore veterans Fuck The Facts to Sault Ontario TOMORROW NIGHT at The Oddfellows Hall! This Juno nominated band will rock the Soo for the first time since May of last year for this high impact Sunday nighter on their tour in support of their new CD "Desire Will Rot", which will also bring ALL AGES metal back to The Oddfellows Hall after an unusually quiet summer. If you've missed F.T.F.'s brutal, intense, and wide-ranging attack, you know where to be tomorrow! They're headlining at 10:00 PM, while a slightly smaller-than-usual opener lineup will include local death metal notables The Bear Hunters at 9:00 PM (with new material in tow?), doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA at 8:00 PM, hardcore punk sextet Destroilet (in their Oddfellows Hall debut!) at 7:00 PM, and goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore opening the show with a short set at 6:30 PM. Strong and heavy lineup, especially with a few bands who haven't played a lot in recent months, so don't miss them!

Promoted by Heavy North Entertainment (in their first Oddfellows show in six months), there is a $10 cover charge in effect, doors will open at 6:00 PM, and again, it is ALL AGES! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see H.N.E. back at it with a big new show, and while the smaller lineup is a little unusual, it will end earlier than many of their past shows, which is very handy on a school night! Fuck The Facts always deliver a blistering show when they come here, and it shouldn't be any different tomorrow, so check the above links for more info, and here's Fuck The Facts live a couple years back!



Lastly for this batch of concert previews, here's a special concert for THIS MONDAY NIGHT, as Mexican blackened death metal quartet Evilheart will make their local concert debut at The Algonquin Pub for the final installment of J.D. Pearce & Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series (more on that in a bit.) And you read that right, Evilheart are from the country of Mexico, but their devastating brand of death metal will be of interest to any fan of the genre, so don't miss their brutal originals come Monday night, especially as it's not every day where a Mexican metal band play here! The aforementioned Bear Hunters will hit the stage for the second time in as many days as openers, while "the original crash band" Sykotyk Rampage (replacing The Apocalyspe Afterparty) will kick things off in their first concert in four months, so come early for their creative hard rock and blues jams, as they don't play as often as they used to! There is a $10 cover charge in effect for this 19+ show which starts at 9:00 PM.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! As for this being the finale of the Gonqshow series, the concert next Saturday with Winnipeg black metal quintet Wilt & locals AlgomA was quietly cancelled recently (the September 26th date is now slotted for Sudbury, though it's not clear whether it's due to or the cause of the Soo cancellation), while October's Ripcordz & Caym concerts at The Algonquin are considered as "standalone" shows, possibly as the Gonqshow was intended to be a summer series. Having an international metal band like this is a great way to send off the Gonqshow in style, so don't miss out on Monday, and here's Evilheart live in Quebec!



 Finally for today, here's a new single version of one of Mike Haggith's recent solo songs, this time of "Out Of My League" from this years' "The Warinside"! Similarly to his last few single versions of earlier tracks on his YouTube channel, this version of "Out Of My League" is shorter (by about 1:40) and has less of an orchestral feel, and Mike noted in the description that Curtis McKenzie doesn't provide backing vocals on this version (likely due to his recent departure from Mike Haggith & The Din.) Like before, I do prefer the original, which has a grander and more technical feel, but if you want a shorter and cleaner mix, give the single version of this song a listen below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Friday, September 18, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Lucky 13), Shit Liver & AlgomA Updates, And More!!

As promised, here's another post for your Friday with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, but just for the sake of clarification, if a band like Mourning Wood announce any weekend gigs on even later notice today, we probably won't have time to mention it on the site beforehand, so keep tabs on our Facebook page if something's announced. Today's post also has new updates from two local extreme metal bands, and some assorted updates, so here's what you should know, and check out last month's poll results and our new poll in the post below this one!

Local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rednecks Saloon for solo headlining concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows via the official Facebook event page on Wednesday, and we only heard about them after our first concert preview post went up on the site on Thursday. Making their first concert appearance of the fall (having last rocked the stage at Rednecks in early August), it's good to see Ed, Jeremey, Jeff, and Roger back on stage, and hopefully their fan-favourite, often edgy covers find a strong audience at the former Nicolet Tavern TONIGHT & TOMORROW during their "world tour"! Both shows have 10:30 PM start times, both are 19+ affairs, and there are no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Lucky 13 live last year!



Next up, local/St. Catharine's death/crust trio Shit Liver are spotlighted in the newest episode of the YouTube webseries Extreme Metal Television, which went online on Sunday! The Canadian-produced series has been ongoing since 2011, and may be familiar to some readers for featuring Woods of Ypres in their fourth and eleventh episodes. Though this newest episode's main features are interviews with members of Napalm Death & Iron Reagan, Shit Liver actually lead things off with an underground spotlight filmed during their Calgary tour date in May. Interspersed with concert footage from that show, Josh, Mike, and Matt are interviewed about how they formed, the inspiration of the name Shit Liver, the recording process for their debut album, their influences & musical style, and early plans for future albums, their east coast tour run, and new YouTube uploads. Their segment runs until about 6:15 of the video.

In terms of scoops, the guys revealed in the interview that their second album will be called "Hitting The Fan", and they also plan to record a split CD with Saskatoon grindcore quartet Grimace, who had previously teased that on their own Facebook page in May after their show together, but Shit Liver hadn't previously acknowledged the split that I'd seen. Solid interview and good exposure for the guys, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Shit Liver in an upcoming post!



Also, here's some of the latest from local doom metal trio AlgomA, who've been getting some nice exposure in a few different forms! Their song "Bedsores" is among the 75 Canadian doom & stoner metal songs on the new digital compilation "Doomed & Stoned In Canada" alongside such familiar bands as Ballot Burner, Biipiigwan, The Great Sabatini, Gypsy Chief Goliath, Public Animal, and AlgomA's upcoming splitmates Chronbot. Very solid compilation for fans of underground Canadian metal, so buy it at the link above for any price you want! As well, AlgomA were Tuesday's spotlighted band on the popular Tumblr account One Band a Day, which profiles... you can guess. Their review noted that they're an "excellent sludge doom band" that "probably makes noise flee in fear", even giving them a rating of 11/10. High praise in this short write-up, so give it a look above, and follow One Band A Day for more solid bands every day!

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

  • Local hardcore punk sextet Destroilet have finally been confirmed as the last opening band for THIS SUNDAY'S Fuck The Facts concert, marking their Oddfellows Hall debut! While those close to the event knew they were opening for a while now, promoter Tyler St. Amour only confirmed that they were in the 7:00 PM slot on Tuesday on the Facebook event page, noting that the delay in the announcement was due to personal commitments. Surprising to be sure, but Destroilet will fit in well, and stay tuned for our full preview!
  • Just as a clarification note from last weekend, we can now confirm that former Wishbone drummer Brent Royer filled in for Glen Thomas (another Wishbone alum) with Mourning Wood at their show on Saturday at The Rednecks Saloon, as per personal Facebook posts by Brent. Hopefully that show went well, and stay tuned for more on their next gigs!
  • Veteran local rock guitarist Mario Carlucci posted an audio cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" onto his Soundcloud page on Monday that is credited to his old classic/hard rock band Sneaky Pete, who have been defunct for a couple of years now. There's no indication there that this is a new recording, but there's no word that it isn't either, so are Sneaky Pete getting back together? If we hear anything, we'll let you know, but check out the solid cover above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, including more concert previews! Thanks everyone!

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

It's the 18th of the month again, so before we touch on late notice weekend concerts, here's this month's new poll at the SMS and the final results of last month's poll! As you may remember, we posed this question to you guys last month: Should more local bands release split CDs with other artists? Only 8 votes, sadly, but there are clear results to be had, so here are the results!

Yes, it's good for marketing and joint exposure (4 votes, 50%)
No, bands should just release their own albums (3 votes, 37.5%)
It depends on the involved bands (1 vote, 12.5%)
Only for special circumstances or events (0 votes)
No opinion/I'm not sure (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, even in this low voting total, it's clear that the vote is very split, with only half of voters thinking that split CDs were a good idea without reservation, with the other half either saying no to the idea or only agreeing depending on who's involved on the hypothetical split. I can see both sides on a debate over the merits of split CDs, as they can be good to get exposure for multiple bands at once, split recording costs, or give fans an extra bonus, but at the same time, fans aren't guaranteed to like every participating band on a split, they can be hard to organize in collections if you group your albums by band, and splits can often be a more underground, indie option that may be harder to find copies of. With "Fed Up!" coming out next month, Blood Shed Productions active in split demos, and bands like AlgomA and The Red & Black planning their own splits, the idea is definitely gaining steam, and while some prefer bands to stick to their own releases, there is an audience there, and I'm sure more will turn up!

Thanks to everyone for voting! As for our new poll, we're keeping our September tradition going for year #4 by posing this question to you guys: Which of these defunct or recently inactive bands would you most want to see hit the stage again? It's to be expected that notable bands will break up for fall inactive, such is the nature of things, but that doesn't mean fans don't want to see them back together, either for one-off occasions or full-time, but what do current readers think on the situation? After a one-year lineup of 25 bands due to our punk expansion, we're back to our usual 20 bands (plus "Other") this time, and like usual, it only covers bands who broke up or fell inactive in the past 5 years, and active/on-hiatus bands that haven't played live in 6 months. Every band that received a vote is back for this run of the poll, save The Billy Bastards (who returned to the stage last month) and Nixxon Dixxon (whose 2010 breakup is now more than 5 years ago.)

And again, no bands are included that received no votes in this poll last year (hence the absence of For All That Is Lost and The Scary Uncles, among others), but we do have six new additions and one restored band that had previously been removed from the poll, not for a lack of votes, but for a prior return to activity that has since ended. Now, here are your 20 choices (plus "Other") for this poll on the defunct or inactive bands you most want to see back on the concert stage!

As It Stands: It's been three long years since this popular local hardcore quintet's last show, but I'm sure there are still many fans who miss A.I.S. from their frequent appearances on the local stage during their long run! Fans can now see drummer John Mignacca in his Dillinger techno project and as Skeyes of Seven's drummer, but we haven't heard a lot musically from the rest of their classic lineup. Would you welcome an As It Stands reunion the most out of the given bands?

Beaumont Avenue/The Suicide Kings: Suddenly breaking up this summer after their Rotaryfest Stage 1 set in July, the local hard rock quartet (known as The Suicide Kings for most of their run) were among the Soo's most accomplished hard rock bands of the early 2010s, including winning 2013's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, and even playing in Spanish! You can see members in The Bear Hunters & Mourning Wood now, but do you most want a Beaumont Avenue reunion?

Bring The Fallen: With members still active in projects like The Bear Hunters and Debt To The Heirless, we haven't heard the last of alumni of these death metal favourites, but the three time battle of the bands winners have been missed since their 2011 demise and 2013 reunion show. At least the latter gave fans closure, but as one of the progenitors of the recent death metal wave in the Soo, a return for Bring The Fallen would not be amiss if the cards lined up. Do you agree?

Caveman Morrison: Since the end of 2013, Caveman Morrison have fallen inactive as a functioning band, with frontman/namesake Tym Morrison transitioning to regular runs as a solo musician at The Harp Bar & Grill and Gliss Steak & Seafood on almost every weekend, leaving little room for a Caveman reunion. Given the band's lineup fluidity and similar sets (just plugged in) to Tym's solo shows, the full band's reunion is certainly possible, but would you want it the most?

Crimson Crusade: Still officially on hiatus, and last playing live in October 2013, this young death metal quartet definitely made waves during the early 2010s, including an EP release and a number of high profile opening sets at local metal concerts. Fans can see guitarist Robert Sartini in the recently reunited Pillory (more on them soon), but Crimson Crusade's Death-inspired sound and energy were an asset during their run, and would you want them to reunite more than the rest?

The Danger Cats: A rare all-female band in the twin Saults, this energetic punk/hard rock quartet burned bright during their 2013-2015 run, improved noticeably with time, and gave a good shot of girl power to a number of big concerts, before frontwoman Kate Kougar's move out of town forced their breakup this summer. The Danger Cats proved that the ladies can rock just as well as the men, and I know many fans want them back, but would their reunion be your first choice?

Frightlight: After giving Sault Ontario a dose of horror punk intensity for five years, Fitswitch successors Frightlight amicably ended their run at frontman Johnny Pints' annual Halloween party last October. Releasing an EP, opening for The Misfits, and playing numerous major concerts during their run together, fans can still see members in bands like Jack Spades, Redundant, Giwakwa, and Chronic Demonic, but would you want to see another fright night above all else?

The Fury: Though frontman Paul Stanghetta has since re-appropriated Fury originals for his current band The Apocalypse Afterparty, there are likely fans that miss The Fury, the punk (but don't call them that) trio that rocked a number of notable concerts from 2009-2011, and finished second in two battles of the bands, before briefly attempting a reunion (with a DJ?!) last year. The Apocalypse Afterparty help fill the gap, but do you miss still miss The Fury the most?

Gates of Winter: Tying for the lead in this poll last year, this high profile progressive death metal band are still on their live hiatus (now approaching seven years), and we haven't heard public news on their new album "Perihelion" since the spring. At last word though, Lee, Bryan, and Steve are still plugging away in studio, and their skilled and brutal new material will no doubt be worth the wait, but do you want them back on stage at last more than other choices in the poll?

Giwakwa: Though we haven't seen this sludge/death metal band on the stage since the summer of 2013, Chris Page & Chris Thompson have kept Giwakwa alive with Mitch Sirie taking over on vocals & bass, though they still have yet to return to the stage, and haven't posted a public update in six months. During their brief blast of concerts in 2013, they definitely left a mark, especially with Josh & Nolan from Bring The Fallen in tow, but do you want Giwakwa back in any form?

Haggith: After an up & down run that saw them play some big concerts, finish second at the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, but also break up briefly in 2014 and go through a lot of lineup changes in their last year, local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith parted ways for good this summer. They left fans with a strong number of CDs and original material, and you can see members in Project 421 & Mike Haggith and The Din, but do you want to say "All Hail Haggith!" over any other bands?

Half A Man: The only Sault Michigan band to make the poll this year, Brimley's Half A Man were among the few major metal bands in the E.U.P. of recent years to play major concerts and record original material, but they fell inactive after their LemmaFest 2013 set. Frontman Erik Rintamaki has carved a niche selling agates and hosting open mic nights, and alum Doug Reed has worked on his Drayton Fever solo project since, but have you been missing Half A Man as of late?

Late & Loud: The winners of this poll in each of the last two years, classic metal favourites Late & Loud disbanded over two years ago now, though Loudmouths did get two reunion concerts last year to tide them over a bit. With members living in different cities now, a reunion isn't likely, but given the following they had during their original 2010-2013 run, I'm sure there are still many fans who'd like to see the guys back at it if possible. Are you among the Loudmouths?

Lion Ride: Tying for the lead in this poll last year, fans have now been waiting four years for a new Lion Ride concert, but after the heights they hit both locally and in Southern Ontario from 2007-2012, how could fans not want Lion Ride's punk influenced metal attack on stage again? Fans can see members in bands like The Fairmounts, Cross Dog, and Such Small Creatures, but are you hoping for a Lion Ride reunion above these other choices?

The Northern Tragedy: Though not officially defunct or inactive yet, local punk trio The Northern Tragedy have not played a public concert since the spring of last year, and have not posted any updates on their Facebook page since January, though fans can see singer/drummer Terrence Gomes in the alternative duo Infinity Grinder. No idea where The Northern Tragedy have been lately, but if you've missed their modern punk concerts and originals, vote for them in this poll!

Pillory: A choice in this poll two years ago before their then-return to the stage, local thrash metal band Pillory broke up again last summer, hence their return to the poll now, and just in time for their recent reunion! Now with Robert and Bret joined by Haggith alum Jordan Leach on bass, Pillory have posted a new jam session video on Facebook, but it's anyone's guess when they'll return to the stage. Have you missed Pillory enough to throw your support in the poll to them?

RedD Monkey: Though the popular local/Toronto classical punk trio just released their long awaited third album "Opus 2" this weekend, it was posthumously, as RedD Monkey have been on hiatus since early last year, not counting February's one-off set in Toronto. Fans can see members in Faceityoureametalband and Larval Host nowadays, but RedD Monkey's creative and explosive sets have been missed by many fans, though would you be enough of one to give them your vote?

T-Rex Manning: Though members of this punk/metal cover band will reunite for a Misfits tribute set on Halloween next month, it's not advertised as a reunion (one-off or full time) for T-Rex Manning, hence their inclusion in the poll. Featuring current members of Jack Spades and Stereo North, T-Rex Manning were a reliable and entertaining sight at numerous concerts in the early 2010s, and not just for their original "She Banged The Mayor", but would you be receptive for a full reunion?

This Is Your Band On Drugs: This Chase Wigmore-led death/grind project made a lot of fans with their chaotic and unpredictable concerts early last year, before work-related conflicts forced a hiatus that looked to have ended last October at Blood Shed Productions' Devil's Night show, only for Chase's other band The North Shore to replace them for unannounced reasons. T.I.Y.B.O.D. have to be seen to be believed, but would you most like another chance to do so?

Treble Charger: The Juno-nominated local alternative/punk veterans are certainly not defunct, and played some summer gigs in Southern Ontario, but their last local gig was at The Machine Shop in February, more than 6 months ago, hence why they're in this poll. Greig, Bill, and company have accomplished a ton locally and beyond, including award wins, chart hits, and national fame, and their show in February was a taste of all of that, but do you most want a new Treble Charger concert

Other: Did we miss a band that you'd prefer to vote for? Maybe the band you most want to reunite or play again broke up 5+ years ago, like Fitswitch or Nixxon Dixxon? Maybe you want to vote for a band that got no votes last year, like The Inner City Surfers or State of Misery? Or maybe you have a recently inactive band that didn't make the poll, like The Thrill Junkies or The Fever Tops? If your preferred choice isn't here, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until October 18th to cast your votes, so make sure you do so in the voting field on the right of the page, especially as this is usually a popular poll that gets a good response! Stay tuned for a new news post featuring short notice show announcements and more updates later today! Thanks everyone!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Stiffler's Mom) & Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Considering that September is usually a down month for concerts, this weekend's shaping up nicely for hard rock shows, so this is actually a full concert preview post for sets of shows from four headlining acts, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! For reference, our previews of Sunday's Fuck The Facts and Monday's Evilheart shows will likely come on Saturday in order to give them proper emphasis closer to their dates, and we'll of course touch on short notice announcements when confirmed online. Now, here's what you should know!

Local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced via the official Facebook event page on Monday. Last seen in Hilton Beach late last month (a show that had a nighttime set too, apologies for not hearing about that), this will be their first Rockstar Bar show in about a month, so if you haven't got your Stiffler's Mom fill as of late, don't miss their fun and hard hitting sets THIS SATURDAY! Note that it is a one-nighter, but not because of the Rockstar Republic club nights this week, instead by the previously booked show by Journey tribute band Absolute Journey, so keep that in mind if you're a fan! The Rockstar Republic will be downstairs only on Friday, just for reference. As for Stiffler's Mom, it's the usual on Saturday, including a 10:30 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge.

For more details, visit the above links! Great to see Stiffler's Mom back for the fall season, so keep their Rockstar Bar show in mind for SATURDAY NIGHT, and here they are live last year!



Moving to previously announced concerts, the long awaited return of Toronto punk veterans Broomfiller to Sault Ste. Marie when they headline at The New American Pub TONIGHT! It's been 13 long years since Broomfiller rocked the former Foggy Notions, so whether you've missed them since then or are new to the party, look for a high energy night of alternative and pop punk originals from this noted Southern Ontario punk group! Local support (both making their New A debuts) will include pop punk quartet Stereo North & classic metal quintet Project 421, and both should put their talents to good use to kick off the night, so come early to see them in action! Promoted by Destroilet's Brent Ellis (a.k.a. Buck Norris), this show has an advertised start time of 9:00 PM, a 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge (but bring cash just in case.) For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! and keep this show in mind for TONIGHT for some live punk action with a dash of metal!

Just for reference, local hard rockers Skeyes of Seven opened for them in Sudbury yesterday, hopefully that show went well! Don't miss this show either at The New A, and here's Broomfiller live a few years back!



Also this weekend, local solo hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's extended weekly concert runs will continue this weekend with, once again, solo matinee concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood by the Station Mall TONIGHT, TOMORROW, AND SATURDAY, which he'll of course follow with his longer running Harp Bar & Grill concerts on Pine Street TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Tym's arrangements at these two venues continue to be successful, and his skilled and prolific hard rock covers are always a reliable bet to check out, so keep his five solo shows in mind for this weekend, especially if you can't make it out next weekend! As usual, there's no announced cover charges for any of these concerts, the Harp shows are 19+ at 10:00 PM, and the Gliss shows are all ages and at 6:00 PM (though remember that Gliss is a restaurant). For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages at this link, and here's Tym live a few years back!



Lastly for today's concert previews, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 will be back at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen a couple of weeks ago, this will be the Monkey's Uncle successors' first concert weekend at the Soo's Kewadin branch in two months, and the guys have teased having some new covers ready for their sets this weekend, so keep that in mind for this weekend! Frontman Henry Switzer has been highly praising the band and their chemistry recently, including guitarist/son Nathan's improving vocals, so fingers crossed all goes well for this talented quartet over the next few nights! For reference sake, Kewadin Casino's entertainment page still hasn't been updated for late 2015 gigs at their lounges, but Highway 63 have long confirmed this weekend's shows on their Facebook page.

This weekend's shows are 21+ affairs with 9:00 PM start times and no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live last year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and this month's poll on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!