Sykotyk Rampage - "69" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 175th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and first one of 2024, but with a change of plans. I had originally planned to look at local rapper Tristan "Bold Noize" Goslow's debut punk album "God Save Me", as it was next in chronological order for our backlog of new album releases (it came out in August 2023), but curiously, Bold Noize has deleted it from major streaming services. Some retain the album listing, but with only two songs remaining to hear. Shoulda bought it at the time, I guess! A new album named "Pat's Legacy" was released last fall, but it is a hip hop album like normal for him. I have no idea why Tristan took "God Save Me" down, but if it resurfaces next month (or if someone sends me it), I can still review it as a "new" release then. Instead for this month, we'll look at the album I had pencilled in for next month, that being local alternative/blues jam rock quartet Sykotyk Rampage's 69th album... "69"!

Alternately known as "LXIX", this album was released to Sykotyk Rampage's Bandcamp page on August 12th, and was recorded in town at The Cave at River Front Recreation Studios in their usual improvised fashion. Singer/drummer Paul Becker, his brother Dirk (guitar/vocals), Shane Kokis (guitar), and Tony Briglio (bass) all return for "69", which was their second studio album released last year. You can buy it above for $15 and stream the whole thing for free there as well as on major streaming services like Spotify & YouTube, but consider buying it to support the masters of the crash! With 19 songs running for about 86 minutes, this'll be a long one, but let's kick off our first album review of the year!

"69" begins with "For Your Hand", which opens with a slow bass line from Tony and some very slow and gradual input from everyone else. This song is 100% influenced by their blues side, but Tony aside, the song moves at a snail's pace with very sporadic and muffled singing from Paul, and aside from some guitar distortion, this song just plods along in first gear. This is not my favourite style of Sykotyk Rampage, especially not as an album opener, but if you like slow jam blues, you may disagree. Next up is "Gigalo" (sic), which immediately fades in to a full band performance with a swinging bass line and more of a fun atmosphere that is closer to what I like out of this band! Sticking to the swing vibes isn't ideal, but this at least feels like something that they could play live and get a crowd going. Paul's vocals are clearer and more prominent, and Dirk & Shane get more to do with their riffs, so this is an improvement!

A tad repetitive by the end, but "Gigalo" does mark an upturn in the album at this early stage, but does song #3 ("Rock Garden") keep that going? Yes, this is an aptly named garden! If you're familiar with the more freewheeling jam rock seen on songs like "9 Days", this will have an immediate appeal, with noisy soundscape effects, a chaotic guitar solo, distinct bluesy vocals, and an upbeat rocking vibe. The wheel was not reinvented here, but long-time fans will be right at home! The fourth track is named... "Tracks", which uses a distinctly choppy guitar riff that reminds me of something that you'd play on a 1980s synthesizer, but it builds and builds upwards while also incorporating Paul's typically deep & bluesy voice. It's an undeniably catchy song, but it feels unfinished, and not because of an abrupt ending!

There are multiple shorter songs on offer, but the song feels like it never reaches the climax that the building and tempo-raising would lead you to believe, instead sort of ebbing out at the end. Good song, but there's something here that they could tap into to make it better. Next is "Wardog", a shorter song that is largely driven by Paul, with his vocals and drums largely directing the path of the song, especially early. Fun song with aggression re: the wardog on the prowl, but the relatively reserved guitar work does hold it back for me. The promisingly named "Rock N Roll Syko" follows, which is the first song on offer with Dirk Becker on lead vocals. Fans of Dirk-sung tracks with a punk influence will take this one's energy and intensity (complete with sirens), but the vocal processing (including Paul's backing work) is very overdone and almost feels like it was intentionally recorded using a lo-fi setup. This song would kill in live concerts though!

Seventh on "69" is "Wheels Of Blood",  which fades into motion with some fuzzy distortion to its trippier guitar and bass work. This initially contrasts with Paul's singing, but the song gets heavier and noisier with time. In this case, tjhe build works well, with the "blue Chinese metal crash punk" increasingly coming into focus while Paul's vocals move from complimentary to like-minded in a good way. Fun song and an early highlight, especially if you like heavier and faster SKR! Then we have "Circus", which is an instrumental. I don't know if they were trying to capture the essence of a circus with this song or not, but the music on offer reminds me more of carnival music, if very sykotyk in tone. There are better and more substantial songs on this album, but it's a fun little track with a bouncy guitar rhythm, but the ending faded out a little abruptly for me.

Ninth on the album is "Roll On", which is a slower and more drawn out number featuring very deliberate, almost atmospheric instrumental tracks. A comparison could be made to "For Your Hand", but this works better because there's more going on musically, almost as if Sykotyk Rampage are doing their take on a Pink Floyd-esque song. It's still raw and crashy, with Paul's unmistakable vocals layered in (almost inaudible at points), and while it's not quite my cup of tea, I admire the change of pace! The midpoint of "LXIX" comes on "Shadows", the first of five straight 5+ minute songs on offer. This track chugs along with steady yet familiar bluesy rock riff, Paul singing in the background, and a good amount of layered intensity from the guys! The guitar solo tease should have led to more, and it gets a little repetitive, but this a dependable rocker for fans that doesn't rock the boat at all!

Next is "Rocks To Run Over", which is the longest song on the album, running for almost 7 minutes. After some spacey effects and pounding percussion, we hear the Becker brothers trading off on vocals, and it's nice to hear Dirk's quavery punk snarl again here! This song is probably best described as "organized chaos", with Paul & Dirk shouting over each other atop a solid, alt-hard rock song that would work just as well as an instrumental, complete with those space noises for some zest, and it never feels overlong either despite its length! One of the better songs on the album, especially if you don't over-analyze it! From here, the next six songs all see their runtimes gradually decrease, starting with "Death", which features Dirk on lead vocals again (though Paul does speak at the beginning). This almost has a funk rock vibe, if deliberately played, but it's a good showcase for Tony on here, despite some over-distortion.

I'd have sped this song up to better reflect Dirk's punkier vocals, but it's a good track with one of the better guitar solos, and it again shows Sykotyk Rampage expanding their sound in an effective way! Then we hear "Hourglass", which also has Dirk singing lead, but here, his vocals are in more of a direct contrast to the music, which is very drawn out the point of being meandering, something which only gets worse as the song goes along. Like "For Your Hand", I really don't feel this song, and Sykotyk Rampage's strengths aren't in slow, drawn out songs like this, but your mileage may vary. The peculiarly named "Uffomamoot" is next, and the first two minutes are an experimental noise performance featuring some discordant noises, distorted guitar, and a bit of a trancey ambiance, with Paul saying the song's title over and over (it could be a sample, granted).

The next 3:30+ is more of the traditional crash music we've come to expect from the Beckers and crew, albeit more "Uffomamoot!" recitations between actual lyrics, and some of the trippier effects are blended in somewhat. The song ends with a softer and more muffled coda. Interesting song that phases from the unfamiliar to the familiar and back, and a definite jump in quality (for me) from "Hourglass"! Next is "The Adapted", which has Dirk singing lead once again. This is a mid-tempo, slightly ominous rocker with Paul supplying some backing vocals, and while I prefer more aggressive songs from Dirk, this has a dark tone to it and it strikes me as something that could have fit their "Genius Mushrooms..." albums in theme. Solid jam that has the right ambiance in mind even if it's not an all-out rocker! Song #16 is named "Your Hand In My Pocket And It Grows" ( I didn't title it!).

A straight-forward blues rocker with a faster pace, this has Paul back on lead vocals, initially singing with just Tony on bass before other instruments kicked in. Innuendo-laden title and lyrics aside, this song doesn't have a major hook or variance from similar tracks on prior albums, but it's a fun song for what it is, and will please fans of their more bluesy rock numbers! We next hear "Glisten Blood" which is the shortest song on "69". The Dirk-heavy late stretch of this album continues here, with his distinct vocals taking the lead on another trippier, distortion-heavy song that is definitely driven by the lyrics over the music. I'd have put these vocals on something heavier and more sinister, especially given the themes and title, but it works well enough for what it is! The penultimate song on this album is "Rock N Roll Again", a slower composition with Paul back on lead vocals.

While deliberately paced, it gets by with impassioned vocals from Paul, who hits a few notes we don't often hear from him, and everyone performs to their strengths, so it's an effective song, if not as structured as some of the others on offer. They've rocked n' rolled again harder on other tracks, but fans should enjoy it! "69" ends with "Rock Giant", which isn't terribly fast paced but has a steady rocking intensity complete with strong bass from Tony, and Paul's vocals are as forceful and deep as ever! I like my Sykotyk Rampage more free-wheeling than this, but the album ends strongly!

So, what are my final thoughts on Sykotyk Rampage's 69th album? Not a bad album that, while having it's uneven moments, shows the guys expanding their sound and trying some different things, and given how long they've been going, you can't fault that! Compared to the last album of theirs that I reviewed on here (2022's "Scott's Pub & Crash Music"), this is definitely a more experimental album, for better or worse, with the band putting less of an emphasis on free-wheeling jam rock, and I wouldn't even say there's a new drinking song for that shelf of their catalog. Everyone performs well, between Paul's distinctively bluesy vocals and steady drumming, Dirk & Shane's effective riffs, and Tony's clear bass work, and it was nice to hear Dirk on lead vocals on five songs (four more than on "Scott's Pub & Crash Music"!). "Rock Garden", "Wheels Of Blood", and "Rocks To Run Over" were among my favourite cuts.

In terms of drawbacks... I really wouldn't have bothered with the slow and meandering "For Your Hand" & "Hourglass", some songs (especially with Dirk singing) should have been punkier to match his voice, and I would have liked to have seen a few more guitar solos, Still, "69" is a solid release that shows Sykotyk Rampage putting their environ-mental suits to the test in some different soundscapes while still retaining their tried-and-true recording methods, so buy or stream it at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what are we reviewing next month? Our new album backlog is still lingering, and while new local classical metal solo project Sell This!' debut album "Empires Everywhere" was tapped to follow "69", it being the February review is dependent on if Bold Noize's "God Save Me" remains unavailable by late February.

I do want to review "God Save Me" (I hope Tristan didn't pull it due to bad feedback, as what I heard was promising), but if it doesn't turn up by next month, it won't really be "new" anymore. That album or Sell This! will be next, so stay tuned in any event, and for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Updates & Videos From Theatre Of Night, Convergence, And Honest Work!!

A bunch of notable YouTube videos have turned up in recent days, so let's focus on them and the stories that led to them in today's post, which includes a highlight video of a band's recent tour, a musician search and album uploads, and first, lots of details on a new local punk band! Here's what you should know on this Sunday night!

Remember how the surviving members of Nebraska Arms joined forces with Rising Tide alum Sheldon Jaaskelainen in a new local punk band named Honest Work at last month's Fuller reunion concert? Well, their online presence in their own accord is starting to crop up! The band has launched official pages on both TikTok and Instagram, though note that I've never listed bands in our links solely based on TikTok or Instagram because of how restrictive and photo/shortform video-focused they are. If you want to follow these "four dudes making tunes to beat that Northern Ontario gloom" until(?) they get a Facebook page or more elaborate online presence elsewhere, you know where to go! In his first YouTube channel uploads in 13 years, guitarist Dave Prendergast posted seven videos from their debut gig at LopLops Lounge there, and two of these were cross-posted (in edited & pillarboxed form) to TikTok, but we'll focus on the full YouTube copies here.

During their half-hour-long debut, Honest Work (not to be confused with Honest Job) were filmed by a representative covering Nirvana's "Aneurysm", Alkaline Trio's "Radio", Dead To Me's "Die In Los Angeles", and in a fitting tribute, Nebraska Arms' "Lighthouses" (R.I.P. Guy!). Their own originals were titled "Rock + Paper", "Dead Friends", and as embedded below, "Be Better". It wasn't 100% clear from Jimmy Polnick's live-stream of their set given the distant & vertical camera angle, but Sheldon is Honest Work's lead singer, with bassist Wayne Watkins (also frontman of The Northwest) handling backing vocals. I don't know if they opted to not revive the Nebraska Arms name out of respect to Guy/deference to Sheldon, but it's great seeing Wayne, Dave, and Adam back together on stage again in any form, and Sheldon does have good vocals to show off now that he's up front! Also, kudos to the filmer for shooting these videos horizontally and from a central front row placement for an optimal first look.

Honest Work definitely hew closer to Nebraska Arms than The Northwest, especially in terms of punk influence, which is something that The Northwest have seemingly been phasing out with time, so genre fans won't want to bypass this talented veteran foursome! Give their debut videos a watch above and below, and stay tuned for more from Honest Work!

Next up, let's head to Sault Michigan for our first video look at local classical metal band Theatre of Night's new lineup! Following their Christmas tour last month, the band uploaded the demo video embedded below to their YouTube channel on January 4th, giving fans who missed the live dates their first look at the band since Marquita & Luke Bernard replaced Rachel Mender and Scott Andringa on vocals & bass corurtesy of their Gun Lake Casino show in Wayland. Marquita has the vocal chops to fit right in with their existing metallized carols, and Luke's a solid bassist, so musically, fans don't have much to worry about! The biggest change otherwise is that (at least) this show had a live narrator between songs, namely Sandi Bernard (quite a family affair all of a sudden!), who played the character of "Mother Christmas" and provided backing vocals on some songs. Note that her attire is not unlike the Ghost of Christmas Present from A Christmas Carol.

The idea of Theatre of Night featuring two singers in concert is not new, as their first ever Christmas tour in 2017 had Rachel joined by Stacie McCarthy on co-lead vocals, but this is a distinct touch, and Marquita & Sandi doubled up well on "Silent Night" in the video! If you missed the "Reels" on their Facebook page featuring unembeddable highlights, you'll definitely want to watch this high quality footage from Red Wolf below, and hopefully there's more from last year's tour to come!

We'll close this post with the latest from local progressive metal duo Convergence, who are looking for what appears to be a permanent lead singer! While they did work with State of Misery alum Steve Rhodes as a session vocalist on "Stratus", the band posted this "Shorts" video on their YouTube channel on Friday to plug the search for a vocalist who is capable of fry/false chord screaming, clean vocals, and songwriting. If you're interested in trying out for the former Kraken Mara, message them above and they'll send you a demo instrumental track so you can show what you've got! In the meantime, Convergence have uploaded both of their EPs (last year's "One" and this month's "Dead & Dreaming") to their YouTube channel, as single video uploads and broken up into individual songs, so whatever your preference, you can stream both for free there now. "Dead & Dreaming" is embedded below in full, but see above for more music from Brendan & Jake, and look for our review of the "One" EP in April!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes, plus this month's CD review, in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Brendan Garlick

It's now time for our first YouTube Channel Profile of 2024! This monthly feature series is back for another year of shining a spotlight on YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk musicians/concerts, and this time, we've randomly selected a bountiful channel for fans of the indie rock scene of a decade or so ago. Here's what you should know for this month!

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Brendan Garlick (http://www.youtube.com/@brendangarlick43)

Owner: Former Gnaeus/These Magnificent Tentacles drummer Brendan Garlick, currently known as the owner of local concert promotion agency Sault Noir

Channel Timeline: Launched on July 30th, 2013; Videos uploaded from December 2014 until August 2015

Channel Summary: Brendan's channel is almost entirely devoted to fifteen videos shot at the first two Lopstock concerts that he co-promoted at LopLops Lounge in 2014 & 2015, including the full set of every band from Lopstock II (except that year's opening band Id Iota), and videos from four acts that played at this "bohemian conclave" the previous year. Brendan's last (and sole non-Lopstock) video is still from a LopLops concert, this time featuring inactive indie rock band Great Chamberlain in mid-2015. 

Why You Should Watch: This channel is a great watch for fans of the local indie music scene in the mid-2010s, with some heavier flourish among them, and while none of these bands had staying power into 2024, there's a lot of talent and familiar faces to be had, as well as the featured sets by two touring acts (The Galacticats and Kirby) at Lopstock in 2015! Despite its ample usage at the time, Brendan has not visibly used this channel since 2015, roughly coinciding with his departure from Gnaeus and eventual spell living out of town. The revived Lopstock III from last year had ample video coverage as well, but via SooToday and not on Brendan's own accounts.

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

The Pixo Control - Reasons (Live): In a few respects, defunct local grunge/hard rock trio The Pixo Control were the stars of Brendan's channel, garnering the longest full-set video from Lopstock II and three of the seven videos from Lopstock I, with two of those being his most watched videos period. Of them, his first video (of them playing "Reasons") is by far the most popular video on offer. Filmed by Jason Lloyd (as with the other videos posted from 2014), The Pixo Control were represented here by singer/guitarist Michael Mikus, future Skinbox frontman Steve Edwards, and drummer Keeghan Rosso. The camera-work is excellent with nice quality audio of this very grungy and hard hitting original, so it's easy to see why this video caught on at the time, and it's a shame that The Pixo Control didn't last longer! Watch for edited in bits of LopLops' interior and some attendees in the middle of the video.

Caroline Divine - Lopstock II: One of the heavier bands at Lopstock II in June 2015 was the recently debuted Caroline Divine, a hard rock/power pop band featuring Frasiers alumni Anthony Marcello, Brenden Fitzgerald, and Devin Williamson, all later of Jesse Merineau's live band. Caroline Divine proper only graced local stages in 2015 (gigs with Jesse aside), with Brendan Garlick's 40 minutes long full-set video being the best extant video from their local run in terms of audio. The stationary angles used for the bands on this night were largely the victim of obscured vantage points due to fans on the floor, which is unfortunate, but Caroline Divine had a tight and energetic sound on their original material, and it'd have been nice to see them exist on their own in 2016 and beyond!

Gnaeus - Lopstock II: Brendan's sole channel appearance as a member of a band comes via his set with defunct post-punk quartet Gnaeus at Lopstock II, where he was joined by singer/guitarist Aaron Alessandrini, future Far From Fine bassist Matt Fronzi, and synth player Brad Irwin (now also of Skinbox). Their 45 minute set includes their songs "Lovers", "Exercise In Self Awareness", "Fire", "Crave", "Mountains", "Circles", their cover of The Cold War Kids' "Hang Me Out To Dry", "The Edge", "Lacking", "When You're Gone" , and "The Sound". This included every song from their 2016 album "Mediatations" except "Calling Out", plus the non-album cuts "Crave" & "Lacking". Attendee heads remain a liability towards actually seeing Gnaeus in full, but this is a strong performance from the peak of Gnaeus' local run, and they got a deservedly strong reception from the fans!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Our next randomly selected channel in this series will be that of YouTube user justfrenchie, which primarily features old Scary Uncles videos, so look for that on or around February 26th, and for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rhythm & Brews, Soundcheck, And Generations), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

The last concert weekend of January 2024 is upon us, so let's devote this post to weekend concert previews! Hard rock fans have a decent amount of (publically announced) shows to take in, so let's lead off this post with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

Joining their previously announced Hawaiian-themed party at the same venue on SATURDAY NIGHT, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will also be playing a normal un-themed concert at Jay's Piston Broke Pub TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, drummer Glen Thomas only confirmed TONIGHT'S show via their Facebook page earlier today (yes, you could infer that they'd be booked both nights but Jay's Facebook page was solely promoting the Hawaiian party on Saturday). Joining tonight's usual jam night hosting duties, Soundcheck will be seen at Jay's in three very different lights this weekend, but if you want to see them with Cameron and just playing a traditional concert, you'll want to be at the former Reggie's West TONIGHT! As for tomorrow's Hawaiian party, this is a reprise of the themed events that Jay's hosted in early 2023, and you can expect drink specials, limbo and bikini contests, and tropical decor, while Hawaiian shirts and such are encouraged for attendees.

TOMORROW & Saturday night's Soundcheck concerts are 9:30 PM affairs with no cover charges and 19+ age limits. Whether you just want a night out or if you want to pretend it's a luau to beat the winter blues, you'll get a solid soundtrack via Soundcheck's talented classic & hard rock covers, so visit the above links for more details, and here they are live!

Next up, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will play their first concert of 2024 THIS SATURDAY NIGHT when they return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge! Again, apologies for the short notice, drummer Tony Santoro first announced this gig via their Facebook group this past Friday but I didn't see it until earlier this week. After a slowed down concert slate to end 2023 with just one public date in December (also at Shooters), Generations are back to deliver more old school rock hits on SATURDAY, so keep their return in mind! Like at their shows at Reggie's in September, Muckrakers frontman Mike McDonald will be subbing in for guitarist Tony Kajnar on SATURDAY due to "a prior family commitment", and hopefully things aren't too serious for Tony K., but Mike is a talented musician! A one-nighter due to Shooters' continuation of weekly DJ nights, this 19+ concert takes place at 9:30 PM on SATURDAY with no cover charge.

It's good to see Valerie, Pierre, and Tony S. back on stage, with Tony K. presumably back in time for their Jay's concerts next month, so definitely consider heading to Shooters on SATURDAY to see this talented veteran group for the first time this year! See above for more details, and here's Generations live!

Also this weekend, let's hop across the border for Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews' return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Their first publically announced shows of 2024 and first in St. Ignace since August, these will see a change from their normal gigs, as frontman Brandon Carr will be absent for unannounced reasons, as per guitarist Chris Hubbard's personal Facebook page (the band hasn't posted on their Facebook page yet this year). Chris noted that vocals will instead be handled by a combination of himself, bassist Chris Leask, and Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor this weekend, and while I can't vouch for Chris H.'s lead vocal abilities, Power Slug and Tarnished fans should be intrigued! No word on if Alex is playing with them all night on guitar too, or if he's just joining the band for select songs. While we're on the subject, Rhythm & Brews will also rock The Rapids Lounge at the Soo branch on February 2nd & 3rd!

As first announced via Kewadin's entertainment page (we'll have more soon on the other Kewadin hard rock shows next month), this rare scheduling on consecutive weeks will see Rhythm & Brews crucially serving as the live band during the International 500 snowmobile race weekend, with many pre- and post-race events being held at the casino already, so they'll reap the benefits of the busy and exciting I-500 weekend! This and next week's shows are all 21+ events with no cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and alas, we do not have any public videos to preview Rhythm & Brews shows with yet!

Finally for today's known hard rock previews, we'll head back north to Sault Ontario, where young local metal trio The BAG and punk cohorts Vanity First will join forces on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Distraction! The first of two concerts in seven days from these two acts on the same stage (joining next Friday's Esquire Club gig), this will be The BAG's debut at the former Big Guns Barbershop building on East Street, while Vanity First ended their months-long hiatus from the stage at this new downtown venue in December. Whether you're a metalhead or a punk fan, these two bands are injecting some youthful energy to the scene, so don't miss out on their two pronged attack on Saturday (and if you can't make it, they have an encore in the west end less than a week later!). This is an all ages event at 7:00 PM with a "$5 or pay-what-you-can" entry setup. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The BAG live last year!

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

New Videos From Late 2023 Of Fuller & Silent 9!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family & friends of veteran Toronto punk bassist Phil Page, who passed away earlier this week, as per numerous personal Facebook postings. While not a local musician, Phil was known to many in the local punk scene via his friend and long-time bandmate Mikey Hawdon, with the two collaborating musically for the past 15 or so years during Mikey's time living in Southern Ontario. SMS readers will best recognize Phil as the bassist in Mikey's first Ramones tribute band The Merves, who played five concerts in the Soo from 2010-2015 before reuniting at Soo Blaster in November during Mikey's pre-wedding concert. Original music-wise, Phil played with Mikey in The Fairmounts, who came here for a single show at The Algonquin Pub in 2012. Mikey also drummed in Phil's band Teenage X, who I don't believe ever played up here.

Phil was also known from GTA bands like The Outbred Inlaws and The Downbelows, and was also an avid skateboarder. My interactions with Phil during his local concerts were limited, but he was a good man and a proud father, and my thoughts are absolutely with his wife Hollie and their kids at this difficult time. If you're a fan of modern skate punk and/or The Ramones, do check out Phil's back catalog to hear some very solid performances both on stage and in studio. R.I.P. Phil!

Today's post otherwise focuses on new videos, and we'll actually start with another ex-bandmate of Mikey Hawdon's, namely his old Lion Ride/Detroit cohort Mark Rand & his emo/punk band Fuller, who reunited after an 18-ish year hiatus for a one-off concert at LopLops Lounge in December! As I noted in our post last week about Jimmy Polnick's live-streams from that night, the Facebook event page saw an abnormal usage as a bulletin board for videos from the event (remember, the bands that night either don't have a Facebook page or barely post on theirs), with two more attendees posting videos there from the show! Ashley Lace also filmed Fuller's entire set for the event page, posting her footage on January 2nd. Now, her videos were split in two chunks (the second video begins with their Moneen cover with guest vocalists), but thankfully, hers were shot horizontally!

It's always more ideal to shoot a band in landscape orientation, so kudos to Ashley for going widescreen for her footage! Even beyond that, I'd say that her videos are better quality for visuals and audio than Jimmy's, but of course, thanks to both for filming everything that they did! I won't do another blow by blow of the set, as I covered that ground last week, but definitely give Ashley's Fuller videos a watch above & below!

The other video was posted by Mark on New Year's Eve, but was shot by his wife & Cross Dog bandmate Tracy Ashenden. It features their last song (whose name was obscured in the setlist picture from his personal Facebook page), which was more of an extended jam compared to what came before it. Tracy got more of a central angle than what Ashley filmed concurrently, and while the audio is a little muffled by comparison, you can't go wrong with the crystal clear visuals and horizontal orientation! It does feel like there was a stabilization setting added to it, based on how some of the motion looks, but it's another solid video, so throw back to Fuller's long awaited return concert again below!

We'll close with a new video from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook page! Filmed at one of their Rockstar Bar fundraiser gigs from late last year (they did not specify which one), the video features guitarist Ryan Robb playing 19 seconds of the guitar solo from their cover of Metallica's cover of Thin Lizzy's "Whiskey In The Jar". Note the fan laying on his back giving "moral support", which hopefully was sent accurately! The drums are a little loud given the camera setup and focus on the guitarist, but what we see is well performed, so give it a look for yourselves below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Greig Nori's Interview On The Borderline From June 2023!!

With the recent announcement of a Treble Charger reunion concert at The Machine Shop on March 7th, now's as good a time as any to finally cover an audio interview that singer/guitarist Greig Nori took part in last June! I profusely apologize for the delay in this making the site, it fell through many cracks, but the timing is right given the reunion concert! This was for an episode of Rock N' Roll Heaven on The Borderline, as hosted by veteran local musician/photographer Brian Tremblay, and it runs for 76 minutes, albeit including eleven Treble Charger songs during the runtime, starting with "Takes Me Down". If you want to skip past Brian's introduction and this song, the interview proper begins at about 4:40 into the episode. Brian first asks Greig about when he decided to move back to Sault Ste. Marie full time and how his relationship began with the Algoma Conservatory of Music and The Loft, of which he is the general manager.

If you're only familiar with Greig as a musician, his work as a producer in Toronto comes up here, including where he got the idea to merge a studio with a live performance venue rather than his high-end studio in Toronto that was seeing a declining usage into the 2010s, with emphasis on bands taking advantage of the setup for social media purposes and promotion. The next two songs are "Don't Believe It All" & "Friend Of Mine", which sandwich more studio equipment talk. Greig next goes into his apparent involvement in an upcoming film soundtrack featuring some surprising attached names, before Brian begins asking about Treble Charger (if you're looking for that part, jump to the 20 minute mark). Greig brings up how Treble Charger formed, why they changed their name from nc-17, and how they technically weren't from the Soo originally, having formally joined forces down south.

After "Morale" is played on air, Brian asks about why Treble Charger broke up in 2004 (quite a leap in the timeline!), with Greig even admitting that he didn't really want to continue playing the pop punk-leaning music that Treble Charger was playing at that point. Their reunion show in Toronto in 2012 (Greig was off a couple years on the date) is brought up next before "Motor Control" is played. Next, they discuss the end of Greig's work with Sum 41 (he produced both "Does This Look Infected?" & "Chuck"), his time working on disBand on MuchMusic from 2008-2010, and why that show ended. We next hear "Red" to cap off the first half of the interview, after which Brian reads some statistics about how many songs get uploaded to (and heard from) streaming services, with Greig offering his advice to musicians hoping to get discovered. Treble Charger's biggest punk-era hit "American Psycho" is played on air next.

The discussion about helping rising newer musicians get noticed is continued afterwards, with Greig suggesting some specific routes that bands should take (he recommends the Canadian Musicians Co-operative), with this segment interrupted by a playing of "Brand New Low". After we hear "Business", Brian asks about Greig's current songwriting plans, albeit not attached to a specific project yet, along with his individual work songwriting with musicians who record at the Conservatory/Loft (the teased new Treble Charger album from the late 2010s is not brought up here). This is where the interview ends, but the episode ends with playings of "Favourite Worst Enemy" and "More's The Pity", sandwiching Brian's episode closing plugs and thank yous. Solid listen that, if a little heavy on industry talk, lets us hear from Greig on a wide range of topics! You don't hear him interviewed much nowadays.

This may be a perception thing more than reality, but the episode feels over-edited, like how the Treble Charger discussion leaps from their beginnings to their end without really talking about their heyday, while the Sum 41 chunk is only how that relationship ended. Is there an unedited cut with this stuff intact? I still think Brian should either place the songs in more natural spots or have more obvious transition markers so they don't come in so abruptly, but fans of Treble Charger will definitely want to hear this whole interview from last summer at this link or above! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Treble Charger & HeadFirst), Plus Handsome Sandwich Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of St. Catharines musician Matt Alvarez, who passed away earlier this week, as per numerous Facebook postings. While not a local musician, Matt was certainly known to many in the Soo, as he was the fiddle player in Dirtfight, the St. Catharines-based folk/bluegrass band that the members of Shit Liver formed after they moved down south in the mid-2010s. During Josh, Mike, and Matt Baic's trips back home, they would often bring Matt Alvarez along too, with Dirtfight notably playing at The Gore Street Cafe in 2016 and The Algonquin Pub in 2017, as well at at least one open mic night here. Matt Alvarez also mixed & mastered Shit Liver's 2018 studio album "Hitting The Fan". Beyond his local connections, Matt was a singer and guitarist in the St. Catharines punk band Life Problems (among others), and recorded under the solo handle The Ole Razzle Dazzle.

Matt was also an accomplished visual artist, and contributed to the Hotdog Fudge zine. I don't recall meeting Matt directly in his Soo trips (I'm sure I must have), but the condolences and remembrances over the last few days point to a very kind, generous, and talented person who will be missed by so many people in Southern Ontario and afar. If you bypassed Dirtfight based on the tonal shift from Shit Liver's base, do give them a listen to hear a fun and different musical side of theirs, as Matt was very important in their final run in St. Catharines. R.I.P. Matt!

Today's post otherwise looks at some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and recent updates from a band recently on the road, so let's lead off with the first of those new shows, as rising local hard rock quintet HeadFirst will make their first ever solo headlining appearances outside of Reggie's next month! The band announced on their Facebook page on January 9th that they would play Shooters Downstairs Lounge for the first time on Saturday, February 17th, so fans of their hard rocking covers will want to circle that date! Remember, Shooters have flipped their band and DJ nights around for 2024, hence why this one-nighter is on the 17th and not the 16th. The other new dates will see HeadFirst debut at Jay's Piston Broke Pub for a full weekend on Friday, February 23rd & Saturday, February 24th! Be advised that HeadFirst accidentally dated these shows as being on the 22nd & 23rd (Thursday and Friday), which I'm surprised they haven't corrected yet.

Jay's also confirmed the shows (and the normal Friday-Saturday scheduling) via the concert calendar on their Facebook page on Thursday, rounding out the former Reggie's West's announced concerts for next month. It's great to see HeadFirst spreading their wings to some new venues (Toystock aside), so don't miss this talented young band rocking out elsewhere next month, and they are taking bookings for public and private gigs if you're looking! All three new dates are 9:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, here's a huge new concert announcement from late last week, as local/Toronto indie/punk standouts Treble Charger will reunite for a special fundraiser concert on Thursday, March 7th at The Machine Shop! Last seen on a local stage at Rotaryfest in 2018 (and at The Machine Shop for that venue's launch event in 2015), this concert is being held as a fundraiser for Algoma University's music program, which is of course linked to the Algoma Conservatory of Music at Mill Square, which frontman Greig Nori is the general manager of. Given the great work at the university and conservatory towards music education and performance, any promotion and aid is very useful, and hopefully Treble Charger's first local show in almost six years will benefit the Algoma University program nicely! The Eventbrite page for this show says that the band will be "accompanied by Algoma University faculty and students". 

It's ambiguous whether this means that Algoma students/faculty are opening for Treble Charger or playing directly with them, but for reference, Greig & Bill had played their 2012-2018 reunion gigs alongside session bassists & drummers. We'll let you know if we get clarity on this! An all ages concert at 8:00 PM, tickets run for $40 (plus processing fees/taxes) at this link, and a VIP package including balcony seating and a meet & greet with the band is also available for $65. I'll stop short of moving Treble Charger back to our active band links for now, but it's great to see Greig & Bill back, if only for one night, so definitely visit the Facebook event page for more details on this special reunion concert!

Let's finish up with the latest from local alternative/hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich, who ended 2023 and started 2024 primarily on the road! As you may know, they played gigs in Sudbury and Oshawa in November and were just on the road this weekend for shows in Ottawa and Cornwall, so while reader interest will vary given that the shows were all 4+ hours away, they posted event pages and such for all of them on their Facebook page. Of note, their show yesterday in Cornwall saw them open for Hellrager, the metal band featuring part-time Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin that you may have seen at last year's Northern Vibe Festival. This "Reel" showed off their planned sets for both of this weekend's shows, featuring songs from "Deconstructed", the yet-released "Party Fuel", "Without You", and "All Done Now", and their cover of Tones & I's "Dance Monkey" being played on one/both dates. Always neat seeing set sheets!

Official t-shirts (a limited run in both red & black) and stickers were on sale for their tour dates, as well as CDs, which were documented in "Reels" and photos alike. Re: their upcoming EP, the latest update was this "Reel" from December 21st featuring guitarist Mitch Sirie finishing his lead guitar tracking in studio, with the caption noting that Taylor Emlaw's vocals were last to be recorded. I wish this wasn't a "Reel" so I could embed it here, but it's a quality teaser of Mitch's work on the new material! Hopefully the Sandwich's out-of-town shows were hits, and that we hear much more from them here and afar in 2024! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week. Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Double Down, Generations, And Soundcheck), Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews today, as supplemented with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS at one venue over a three week span, as well as a new video, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub on Saturday, January 27th to headline their second annual Hawaiian party! As you may recall, Jay's booked a handful of themed concerts early last year with Soundcheck as the house band, including a Hawaiian party with dress-up encouraged and a limbo contest. Clearly, things went well last year for them to do it again, and even bigger this time, as there will also be a bikini contest! The members of Soundcheck will judge the events, and I believe there will be some level of drink specials too. Given how cold things have been as of late, a faux Hawaiian atmosphere may be just what the doctor ordered if you're clinging on to the hope of summer! The advertising did not explicitly say if Soundcheck will be playing there next Friday or not too, and while Occam's Razor would lean to them playing there and at the Thursday jam night, we await 100% public confirmation.

While we're on the subject, Soundcheck will also be playing at The Water Tower Pub TONIGHT in a previously announced concert, so if you want to see their varied and often heavy covers in a more central locale, you know where to be! A one-nighter as is standard for the Great Northern Road nightclub, this is an 8:00 PM affair with a 19+ age limit and no cover, while next Saturday's Hawaiian event at Jay's starts at 9:30 PM and is also 19+ with no cover. Visit the above links for more details on tonight's and next Saturday's concerts, and for a preview, here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, Jay's Piston Broke Pub's Facebook page has revealed their February 2024 slate of concerts via this poster, and it's encouraging to see the former Reggie's West do this to keep everyone updated on shows without waiting until the week of! As you can see, aside from pop rock cover band Bourbon Blue on the 2nd & 3rd, next month's bands at the Korah Road mainstay are all hard rock leaning, starting with classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations, who will rock Jay's on Friday, February 9th & Saturday, February 10th! Unless they announce something elsewhere in the next two weeks, these will be Generations' first concerts of 2024, and their first gigs at Jay's in three months. Not sure where Valerie, the Tonys, and Pierre have been as of late (solo and side gigs aside), but it'll be good to see them back at it, and hopefully their classic and hard rock cover array draws another good crowd or two in the west end next month!

As usual for concerts at Jay's, these are 9:30 PM affairs with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Hopefully things go smoothly for Generations' apparent return from their winter break next month, so see above for more details on these shows! 

We'll address the concerts at Jay's on the 24th & 25th in an upcoming post, but the week prior (February 16th-17th) will see fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down return to the former Roosevelt Hotel! Of course, the guys are playing short notice gigs at Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT (as previewed on the site yesterday), but these have gotten much more advance word than Double Down usually gives their shows, so keep that in mind when planning your weekends next month! Fans will have last seen Joel, Adam, Brad, and Ric at Jay's in early January, so whether you missed those gigs or want another chance to see Double Down's hard rocking slate of classic hits, you know where to be next month! Yes, these shows fall on the Family Day long weekend, and these are also 19+ gigs at 9:30 PM with no cover. See above for more details!

Finally for today's post, here's the last of this weekend's known hard rock concert previews in the Twin Saults, as local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for the first time this year TOMORROW NIGHT! If you noticed that this show was booked on Saturday and not Friday, that wasn't an accident, as Shooters has flipped their band and DJ nights for 2024, so the dance parties that begun last fall are continuing indefinitely, just on a new night (the venue's Facebook page confirmed the new scheduling pattern). Bone Yard are not booked anywhere tonight, but if you're up for their southern fried hard and classic rock covers, head to Dennis Street for all of the action tomorrow! This is a 19+ event with a 9:30 PM start time and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on tomorrow's show, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Bone Yard live in concert!

This was live-streamed to their Facebook page during their show at Reggie's this past Saturday night, and it sees them covering The 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up", which is a bizarrely popular cover for local bands over the years (maybe it gets a crowd going but the ironic humour of guys covering it has gotten old, at least for me). Vertical camera angle acknowledged, the video is otherwise well shot, and the lighting inside Reggie's looks oddly bright, as if the video wasn't shot at 12:03 AM. If you like "What's Up", you'll like this, and Bone Yard perform well, so give it a look below, and don't miss them at Shooters tomorrow!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Double Jack & Double Down), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Another weekend is upon us, so let's begin this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Due to the amount of shows this weekend, I am holding the previously announced Bone Yard and Soundcheck gigs for our next post, hopefully hitting the site early tomorrow, so don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know to start the weekend off, particularly via SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced these gigs via their Facebook page on Monday. Their second concert weekend of 2024 and their first gigs at Reggie's since November, these will feature their full lineup after bassist Brad Stephen had to miss out on that weekend, so if you've missed the full band at this Queen Street East staple, you know where to be TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY! Note as well that singer/guitarists Joel Syrette & Adam King both celebrated birthdays this week, so give them sufficient greetings if you're there! You can enjoy this veteran foursome's classic and hard rock covers both nights at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. No word yet on when Double Down will hit the stage next, but don't miss out on all of the action TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Reggie's! See above for more details, and here's Double Down live last year!

Next up, let's head to Sault Michigan, where new local hard rock quintet Double Jack will play their second ever live gig and first ever headlining date THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Merchants Bar! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band also only announced this show via their Facebook page on Monday, but in a mild surprise, The Merch's Facebook page also confirmed it via this weekend schedule image yesterday (they rarely plug concerts there, so this is encouraging, if still short notice!). Last seen placing in third at the LSSU Battle of the Bands in November, Double Jack have been busy behind the scenes ever since, and if you noticed that I called them a quintet, that's no mistake. Regarding their teased guitarist switch, they officially announced that Alex Zimmerman has joined the band, replacing Melvin Willis. A reason for Melvin's departure was not announced, but hopefully all's well with him and that we see him in another band soon! 

Alex is not familiar to me from past local bands, but the teaser video that Double Jack posted in December proves that he has the chops! If the usage of the EVH guitar was intentional to lead fans to Chris Hubbard first, then kudos, as they fooled me! Also, it's ironic that Isaac & Nathan would leave a band with a guitarist named Alex, only to be in a different band with another guitarist named Alex! As for that teased fifth band member, they're actually a lead singer, namely Amy Beach, who long-time SMS readers may recognize as former Shift frontwoman Amy Beairl! It's been well over a decade since we heard from Amy in a live music context on here, so it's great to see her in a new local band, and she was definitely a talented rock singer back in the day! Yes, we will have more on Double Jack's work with Molly Escherich last fall in an upcoming post. Between the gap since their debut and the new lineup, SATURDAY's show is very intriguing!

A one-nighter due to or resulting in Gary Hatch's show at The Merch tomorrow, SATURDAY NIGHT's event is at 9:00 PM with no announced cover charge and a 21+ age limit. See above for much more on the new look Double Down's sophomore live gig, and for a preview, here's Double Jack live at the battle of the bands last fall!

We'll end this preview post by heading north to Sault Ontario for local folk punk/extreme metal guitar virtuoso Chase Wigmore's first concert of 2024, when he debuts at The Distraction on East Street TOMORROW! With his teased retirement/hiatus from music yet to be reached (and his long-gestating "Chaotic Rite" album still in progress), Chase will break out his acoustic guitar for an evening of his unplugged original music (and perhaps a few covers) tomorrow Just in case there aren't too many more live dates ahead from him, don't miss his unplugged folk punk stylings tomorrow! Local/Toronto outsider folk singer/guitarist Shae Tull will open the proceedings, and her talented & very distinct brand of music will set the tone nicely, so don't be late for her set either! This is an all ages concert with a "$5 or pay-what-you-can" setup for admission, and it has an early start time of 5:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Chase live in concert last summer!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Bone Yard and Soundcheck previews (and more?) next! Thanks everyone!