YouTube Channel Profile Series: Vern03's Channel

For our last monthly feature post of September 2025, here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile, and for our latest spotlight on a YouTube channel whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and punk artists/concerts, we're heading back almost two decades to one of the biggest metal concerts to hit Sault Ontario. Here's what you should know!

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Vern03's Channel (http://youtube.com/Vern03)

Owner:  YouTube user Vern03, a.k.a. j.vernz, but I don't 100% know his full identity

Channel Timeline: Launched on September 11th, 2006; Videos uploaded on March 21st & 22nd, 2007

Channel Summary: Intended as a channel to host videos from both concerts that he attended and his then-band, Vern03 only ever uploaded six videos here, all from the Heaven & Hell/Megadeth concert at the Steelback Centre (now GFL Memorial Gardens) on March 20th, 2007, capturing footage of all three bands on this night.

Why You Should Watch: As a window to one of the first major rock concerts at the new Gardens, this is a fun look back, especially given that there hasn't been much (if any) heavier shows there since! I was there and it was a really good concert, and it's hard to believe that it was over 18 years ago now, though be advised of the scratchy and poor audio quality with hindsight. Note that Vern03 explained in the description that he had a 100 MB file size limit to stay under at the time, implying that he filmed some videos longer than 4:50 that he couldn't upload at the time, though there are a few other videos from this show floating around YouTube.

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Black Sabbath LIVE: Mob Rules: Despite headlining this concert, Vern03 only got two videos of headlining metal supergroup Heaven & Hell at the Gardens, and just to get this out of the way now, he always labelled them as "Black Sabbath" on his channel. Heaven & Hell were a reunion of Black Sabbath's "Mob Rules"-era lineup fronted by Ronnie James Dio, renamed afer Dio's first album with Sabbath to avoid confusion the then-still active Ozzy Osbourne-led Black Sabbath. Alongside footage of Vinny Appice's drum solo, Vern03 shot Heaven & Hell playing "The Mob Rules", which has had over 19,000 views in the process. That is quite a feat given the poor audio quality, but you have to remember where digital cameras were in 2007 compared to now. It was a very loud show, but excellent to witness live, and Vern03 had a good side angle of the stage from where he was!

 

Megadeth LIVE: Hangar 18: Co-headlining on this night were Los Angeles thrash metal legends Megadeth, who Vern03 must have liked more than Heaven & Hell (or Black Sabbath) as he filmed them thrice for his channel, including playing "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Symphony Of Destruction". Featured here is the last uploaded video on this channel, of Dave Mustaine and crew playing "Hangar 18", which is the longest and most complete of his three Megadeth clips. Audio-wise, the Megadeth videos survive better than Heaven & Hell's thanks to quieter audio levels, and it doesn't hurt that Dave's singing voice wasn't impaired by the metal plate in his neck yet, so fans should take to Dave, James, and the Drover brothers' performances after adjusting for the camera quality!

Down LIVE @ STEELBACK: Vern03's only video of New Orleans sludge metal band Down's opening set is of them playing "Bury Me In Smoke". Down's presence on this tour notably meant that the still-surviving members of Pantera's classic lineup (Phil Anselmo & Rex Brown) played in Sault Ste. Marie, alongside alumni of Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Eyehategod, which is very neat! Unfortunately, even if the audio quality here was better, Phil's voice was really rough due to a recent illness. I prefer Pantera to Down, but there's a lot of talent in that band, and they set the tone well for who was to come on this night!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! The joys of our random selection model, as after one month looking at something else, we'll be dipping back into the waters of local "blue Chinese metal crash rock" quartet Sykotyk Rampage via another auto-generated YouTube Music channel featuring some of their studio material for the second time in three months! Like last month, this one features two recent albums of theirs, so look for that on or around October 26th, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Agnosticism - "Atticcore Fornication" EP Review!!

It's now time for our 195th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and this month, we're beginning a two month spell of reviews of new albums from prolific local rock guitarist Mikhal Muto via his emo/folk punk solo project Agnosticism's new EP "Atticcore Fornication"! Released to major streaming services on June 12th, this is the Instagram-only project's fifth album and their fourth to see a wide release beyond YouTube, with this being the third album of theirs that I have reviewed for the SMS. Mikhal did note at the time that "Atticcore Fornication" features songs that are now 2-3 years old and that he doesn't necessarily agree with the lyrics of them now, but he wanted to finally get these songs out. He also said that this EP would be their "last release for quite some time while I focus on other writing projects", one presumably being his new self-titled album with his crossover thrash band Hails that we're reviewing on the blog next month. 

Mikhal (also known from Vanity First and The Apocalypse Afterparty) is the lead performer here on vocals and guitar, but he is joined on one song by guest vocalist Kayden Simon. You can stream this independently released and recorded EP on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Boomplay, and it is buyable for $5.94 on mp3 on iTunes. Song names below are linked to their YouTube copies. With six songs running for about 19 minutes, let's begin this EP review!

"Atticcore Fornication" begins with "Sea Of Discontent", which opens with a pleasant and intricate guitar intro that gives no indication of Mikhal's folk punk leanings until 57 seconds in, when he begins singing with his distinctive nasal tone befitting a punk project like this. The intensity quickly builds with pointed lyrics, background screaming, and abrasive guitar strumming, and it's really a tale of two songs here, but both halves work well enough depending on what you're going for! I'd have structured it with more of a balance but it works to lead the EP off! Next is its longest song, the 5+ minutes-long "Friends With A 40", this song is more of a rollicking folk number from the off that would really suit a full band if Agnosticism was one! The song shifts in tempo and structure a fair amount across its runtime, including some more deliberate strumming in the bridge and more passioned vocals from Mikhal, and the song rarely lets up.

Even at its length, its not a boring song and it is one of the highlights of this EP, so Agnosticism fans won't want to bypass it! Third is "Nightmares", featuring Kayden Simon on guest vocals. Here, Kayden does the first verse and alternates the choruses with Mikhal, and while they compliment each other well, the tone of Kayden's voice is an acquired taste for this style of music. Mikhal's anger and screaming is well handled when he takes the lead, but this song also has that abrasive scratching/clicking noise from the guitar strumming that first cropped up late on "Sea Of Discontent" and that's starting to get a little old. Good song though, and a slight change of pace! That's followed by "Every Band Has A Song Called Untitled" (I guess that is true to a certain extent!), which is a folksier and less intense number with more reserved singing. You still know it's Agnosticism via Mikhal's voice though (and that background scratching noise).

Leisurely paced but moving along steadily (a late screamed verse aside), this gets the job done for what it is, but I do prefer my Agnosticism to be more punk-influenced and aggressive on the whole. The penultimate song here is "Light Pollution", which was first released as a one-off single in July 2024 before making it onto this EP, and it is the same recording. While still having a punk attitude, this song is also relatively laid back, though you can tell that it was recorded somewhat separately from the rest of "Atticcore Fornication" based on the slight recording quality shift and that the guitar work isn't scratchy and clicky. A good song for fans of Mikhal's lighter side, and you have to appreciate the fuller structure of it! The EP closes with its shortest song, "Here's To Living", which is a return to form for fans of their more intense and freewheeling folk punk, but the pre-bridge verse sounds like it was recorded underwater.

For recording clarity, lack of filler content, and clearer/less clicky guitar work, this is another key highlight to end the EP with, and folk punk fans will take to what Mikhal's doing here a lot! Overall, I did like "Atticcore Fornication" for what it is, and fans of Agnosticism's prior output will be right at home with it! Mikhal knows the subgenre and how to write simple yet detailed acoustic punk material with intense and pointed lyrics, and he makes good use of his distinctive & impassioned vocal style! I like punk more than folk, so songs like "Here's To Living" and "Friends With A 40" were my favourites on offer, and if it was me, I'd lean more into those styles or turn Agnosticism into a full emo/punk band, but he;s doing what he wants to do with the project. Compared to their most recent EP that I reviewed previously (last year's "A Letter Of Resignation"), this EP is most differed by that clicky/scratchy noise on the guitar work on all but the last two songs.

My own musical preferences aside, that grinding noise on tracks 1-4 got increasingly abrasive and I would have re-done or edited it out if it was up to me. If you can get past that, Agnosticism delivered the folk punk goods on this EP, and hopefully their teased hiatus doesn't take too long, but give it a listen or buy it at the above links, and we'll see some of what Mikhal's been up to since when we review Ha!ls' self-titled album on the SMS next month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Silent 9 & Curtis McKenzie) And A Brand New Album Release!!

Here's one more news post on this Saturday morning before we dive into some month-ending feature posts, and it includes a big new album release and some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!

We have one more hard rock concert preview for this weekend, as former Haggith/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will return to The Dive Gastro Pub for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Curt only announced this gig on his Facebook page yesterday, and the venue has not corroborated this booking on theirs. I wonder why The Dive doesn't post a monthly events calendar anymore? Despite announcing next month's Beck's show with over a month's notice, TONIGHT's Dive show (his first there in two weeks) has far less of a turnaround to get the word out, but hopefully there's a sizeable crowd at the former Low & Slow, even with Oktoberfest and Wolf Fest running opposite it downtown! You can take in Curtis' alternative and hard rock covers TONIGHT at 9:30 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more on TONIGHT'S show, and here's Curt live!

Next up, let's wrap up the hard rock show announcements at The Esquire Club for this fall, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will return there on Friday, November 14th & Saturday, November 15th! These are surprisingly the only announced public shows ahead for Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve after Wolf Fest tonight, with the rest of their 2025 shows (and beyond) on their website's concert calendar being private events. No idea if we'll get interim announcements of some kind for Silent 9 at public venues or nightclubs, but in case this is it for them in 2025 for general audiences, don't bypass their hard rocking and fan friendly cover slate in seven weeks! We will let you know if any SMS-leaning bands play at the Second Line West nightclub in early-mid 2026 when announced, but Silent 9 will be on at 9:30 PM with no cover charges and 19+ age limits in November. See above for more details!

We'll close today with big album news, as local alt-hard rock band Handsome Sandwich's sophomore album "Collage" yesterday was surprisingly released to major streaming services yesterday! Keeping the album name teased as early as their return to the stage in May, the abrupt release has much less fanfare than when "Deconstructed" came out in May 2023, and reminds me of when Johnny & Mitch's (old?) local death metal band The Bear Hunters released "The Dead Testament" quietly online at the end of 2020 without similar hype or a release party during their slowdown of activity. Hopefully this isn't a bad omen for the Sandwich's future, but it's great to see "Collage" finally out! This album was recorded at the Algoma Conservatory of Music between September 2023 and early 2024, and features the seven songs teased right along, including "Carousel" and "Unhappy", the two song titles that were not widely reported on social media.

Credited to the label imprint Sonic Sunshine (not Ugly Salad this time), Handsome Sandwich are represented on this album by singer Taylor "Tea" Emlaw, guitarist Jesse Cook, bassist Rafael Medina (who didn't record on "Deconstructed"), and drummer Johnny Belanger, while former guitarist Mitch Sirie tracked parts for the album in late 2023 before his departure from the band, and he is featured on the cover artwork. Former rhythm guitarist Brandon Ruch (who replaced Mitch for most of 2024 and has not himself been replaced in the band yet) is credited in Distrokid's tags for the album on YouTube, but I don't know what songs he contributed to, nor if there are any guest performers otherwise. I don't know when/if CDs will be on sale, but this image from their Facebook page of a back cover with titles would imply that they were at least planned. "Collage" can now be streamed on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, Boomplay, and BeMusic.

The album is not on Apple Music or Bandcamp at press time, even though "Deconstructed" was released on both, and as such, it isn't on sale on mp3 format anywhere yet, just on pure streaming services. In any event, an album review on the SMS isn't imminent, as we have quite a backlog built up for new local album reviews (Agnosticism, Ha!ls, Spades GT, No Arrow, and Sykotyk Rampage are next), so assuming an mp3 or CD copy of "Collage" goes on sale by then, we won't be able to review it until February 2026. Stay tuned for more from Handsome Sandwich when updates roll in, check out "Collage" above, and look for that Agnosticism review next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Headrush, Project 906, And Tym Morrison) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews along with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), so here's what else to know for this busy weekend!

Members of Sault Michigan hard rock bands Project 906 and Exit 808 will join forces for a joint concert TONIGHT at The Well Diggers Watering Hole & Feed Lot in Kinross! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced via Exit 808's Facebook page on Monday. Technically speaking, this is a Project 906 concert, despite that band not promoting the show on their own Facebook page whatsoever, but they have enlisted Exit 808 drummer Jackie Moon for the evening to fill in for an absent Jason VanLuven for unannounced reasons, with that post featuring every 906 member except Brian. There might be more of an 808 integration to the evening (Project 1714?!), as their most recent share of the event suggests "a rock music collaboration" featuring "some of the guys" from Exit 808, but I don't know which of Dillion, Alex, Nathan, and/or Blaze could turn up (Amy likely isn't given her supportive comment on said post).

Whatever permutation of the two bands we're getting TONIGHT, you'll get your hard rock fill from this talented collection of E.U.P. musicians! As usual for Well Diggers shows, this will be on their newly renovated outdoor stage, so head to the party yard for all of the action! Things go down TONIGHT at 7:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. 9&10 News is calling for temperatures in the 55-60° range (13-16° Celsius) with mostly clear skies and no chance of rain. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live at Well Diggers!

Next up, let's resume our weekend concert previews at Misty's Fifties in Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's acoustic solo act is slated to set up shop for yet another matinee concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Certainly no stranger to the Second Line West bar and restaurant, Tym has played there multiple times in 2025, most recently this past Saturday, so if you want to check out his ample setlist and considerable vocal and guitar talent in an intimate west end atmosphere, you know where to go! While we're on the subject, Tym is not playing at Beck's Bar anymore on Sunday. A reason for the cancellation of this Sunday matinee outing was not announced, but the September 28th gig was quietly removed from his batch Facebook event page for shows there (Beck's is hosting Out & Out Country on Sunday instead). However, we have six more new show announcements for Tym there, so when will he be back?

As per that Facebook event page, Tym will be back at the former Vibe Lounge for matinee gigs on Saturday, November 1st & 15th, Sunday, November 23rd & December 7th, Saturday, December 13th, and Sunday, December 28th, so keep his end-of-year rush in mind! Tomorrow's Misty's matinee is at 4:00 PM, the Beck's shows ahead are all at 3:00 PM, and all have 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the Misty's show's Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Also, let's head to a venue that recently resumed hosting live bands for the fall season for some brand new shows later this year, as classic/hard rock cover quartet Headrush will end their own recent break by returning to The Esquire Club on October 24th-25th and November 28th-29th, as per the venue's fall 2025 concert calendar! Unless they announce something in the interim, the October shows will be Headrush's first since closing out Rotaryfest Stage 1 in July, and their first at The Esquire Club since the end of May. It is great to see the Johns, Wes, Gino, and Frank back at it, and hopefully they rock the house down on Second Line West across both weekends! As usual for The Esquire Club, these are 9:30 PM bookings with 19+ age limits and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and we'll have more from both Headrush and The Esquire Club on the SMS soon!

Lastly for this weekend's previews, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will set up shop at the aforementioned Beck's Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be Double Down's fourth concert of the fall season and first at Beck's since the spring, so this should be a good opportunity to check out their new setlist and diverse range of classic and hard rock covers once again! With bassist Dan Beaupre still out injured (get well soon!), the Syrettes and Ric have recruited Mid Life Crysis/ex-Havadder bassist Lori Reinholtz to fill in tomorrow, after previously doing the honours when they rocked The Water Tower Pub last week. Welcome her back in style tomorrow at this fast rising Goulais Avenue pub! For reference sake, the matinee band tomorrow will be Joel & Beej's occasionally-seen acoustic side project The T.R.I.P., featuring a guest appearance by former Quite Frankly frontwoman Jack "Jacklyn Hyde" Alisat, as per Beck's Facebook page on Monday.

Busy day for the cousins, so if you want to see them before they plug in, The T.R.I.P. are on from 3:00-7:00 PM. Double Down take the stage at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, and here's Double Down live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225 & Oktoberfest) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's keep the weekend concert previews rolling on this Thursday evening with more concert action in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, particularly from two concurrent outdoor community festivals promoted by local breweries. One is a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and we have more new dates to touch on, so here's what you should know for concert preview post #2!

Make it two Oktoberfests that local alternative/punk cover supergroup Bookclub are playing at this fall, as they have been added to the lineup for SATURDAY'S Outspoken Brewing-hosted Oktoberfest street party on Queen Street East! Apologies for the short notice, the band was only confirmed for the festivities on Outspoken's Facebook page on Monday (they were obviously the "more TBA" when the brewery first announced the street party on September 4th, and there are no other punk/hard rock-leaning bands scheduled). Still riding the momentum from the Forever Seger concert earlier this month, BookcluB should be a fine and crowd pleasing fit on Queen Street (closed between Elgin and Bruce) on SATURDAY evening, so don't miss this stacked sextet then! It is worth noting that guitarist Brandon Ruch was present with the band at Forever Seger despite his announced move to Barrie, and he is pictured in the Oktoberfest advertising.

I don't know what's Brandon's status with BookcluB is going forward, but we'll let you know when/if we learn who was playing guitar with Mikey and crew on SATURDAY! BookcluB are slotted in the middle on SATURDAY at 5:30 PM, with local DJ/EDM duo Flummoxx closing the festivities at 10:30 PM, and indie rock quartet Lucy's Diner (the former Hollow Heads) scheduled in between at 8:00 PM. Local polka band Nein German Guys (who are also playing at Soo Falls' Oktoberfest at The Machine Shop with BookcluB on October 18th) will keep the Oktoberfest vibes rolling at 3:00 PM, and the day begins with folk singer/guitarist and Dustcovers member Tom Peer at 2:00 PM. Beyond the music, there will be lots of games and competitions (with prizes) to take in, plus food, beer (as you'd expect), vendors, and more German-flavoured entertainment, so definitely visit Outspoken Brewing's Facebook page for full details on SATURDAY'S events!

Tickets run for $30 at this link (plus processing fees) and presumably at the gate on SATURDAY. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for a high of 19° with mostly cloudy skies and a 10% chance of rain, which should bode well for Oktoberfest revelers, but do follow up with your preferred local weather outlets for updates closer to. Visit the above links for more on SATURDAY'S first of three Oktoberfest parties in the Soo this fall, and for a preview of all of the action, here's BookcluB live!

Next up, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to their favourite local stomping grounds (Reggie's Place) TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last stops at Reggie's, "the dirty three" should be in fine spirits with some gritty and in-your-face covers and originals all weekend long, plus with lots of merchandise and hoodie orders in store for fans, so don't bypass this weekend's action if you're up for it! While we're on the subject, Greg, Alex, and Warren have some newly announced dates ahead at The Esquire Club, which resumes hosting live bands this weekend after their summer break, and as per the venue's Facebook page, they'll be back there on on November 7th-8th! The band already announced their Thanksgiving weekend shows there. We'll have more on the other hard rock-leaning new shows at this Second Line West staple in an upcoming post, but it's good to have The Esquire Club hosting concerts again!

Your local 225 are on at 9:30 PM tomorrow and Saturday at Reggie's and for their November dates at The Esquire Club. All four shows are 19+ affairs with no announced cover charges. See above for more on Bone Yard's upcoming concerts, and here they are live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, let's re-answer the viral question: What is Wolf Fest? Running head to head with Oktoberfest for downtown outdoor concert action from a local brewery on SATURDAY, Wolf Fest takes place at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, and will be hosted by Northern Superior Brewing Co. to help give back to the community and their customers. Along with live music, attendees under the big tent will get to enjoy local vendors and artisans, beer, a charity auction, barbers, tattoo artists, an arcade, and more, so definitely visit Northern Superior's Facebook page for full non-musical details! SMS readers will likely be most drawn to classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 in the 7:00 PM timeslot (their prior scheduling of a Northern Superior show on Saturday was clearly this and not at the Tap Room), but the headliners at 8:15 PM are pop rock cover quartet The Killer Hooks, who do have some heavier covers.

Online page-less local Tragically Hip tribute band The Luxury will take the stage at 5:45 PM, preceded by indie rock band Jupiter Marvelous (led by Killer Hooks frontman Tony Marcello's son Anthony) at 4:30 PM. In a late confirmation, the "special guests TBD" are actually The Royal Canadian Navy Band, believe it or not, so don't miss them leading off Wolf Fest at 3:00 PM! The weather should hold up identically (tent acknowledged) for Wolf Fest, which has admission by donation to the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie, which is a wonderful cause. Saultites have a lot of options for live music, beer, and varied entertainment downtown on Saturday, so see above for more on Wolf Fest, and here's Silent 9 live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Double Down and Tym Morrison previews (and more) on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Hot Girls), Plus The Mike Haggith & Napoleon Concert Previews!!

A busy weekend is upon us to end September 2025 with, so we'll have to break things up into three posts once again! As such, our previews of Wolf Fest, Outspoken Brewing's Oktoberfest, and Bone Yard 225  & Tym Morrison's next shows are slated for our next post, with Double Down's Saturday nighter coming after that. Look for all of those shortly, but let's lead off our previews with some downtown shows tonight and tomorrow, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Grand Rapids punk/power pop trio The Hot Girls will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at The Whisky Barrel! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced with time to spare on September 16th via the venue's Facebook page, but between The Whisky Barrel not being an SMS staple and the band not seeming amenable to our coverage on sight, I didn't jump the gun at the time. A well travelled touring band with a clear sense of humour, The Hot Girls' upbeat brand of original rock should find a willing audience TONIGHT, so don't miss out on what should be a fun concert with riffs and laughs at the Gore Street-based Scottish pub! Unusually for a show with a touring band, TONIGHT'S concert is FREE, but it is definitely a 19+ booking with an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details on TONIGHT's show, and for a preview, check them out on Bandcamp! I honestly can't find a live concert video of theirs to embed here.

Next up, remember how there was supposed to be a battle of the bands TOMORROW at the Downtown Plaza featuring Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band? Well, the battle has been turned into a normal concert, with Mike & crew now headlining! The plaza nor 705 Live Sound Co. have elaborated on the reason for the changes, but I can only assume that band signups weren't terribly high (remember, there hasn't been a battle on this side of the border in eight years), so organizers are turning lemons into lemonade by hosting a normal concert with who signed up. As such, this will be The Big Finish Band's first concert since the Dragonfly Run, and perhaps their last outdoor gig of the year given that it's now the fall, so consider coming out to the Downtown Plaza for all of the action! Online page-less space rock duo The Spaceship Opening will (fittingly) be opening tomorrow, so don't miss Andrew and Ralph to lead things off this evening!

No word on if The Spaceship Opening had signed up for the battle too, though I wonder if the promised $200 voucher will be given to one/both bands? Tomorrow's concert will be a FREE event at 7:00 PM and it is definitely ALL AGES. With the outdoor locale at the Downtown Plaza (covered stage acknowledged), 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy skies with a temperature hovering around 16°. While it is a shame that the battle proper isn't taking place, kudos to everyone involved for keeping the show going, even on a work/school night! Visit the official Facebook event page for more on tomorrow's special concert, and for a preview, here's some brand new videos of Mike & The Big Finish Band live! They had cameras rolling at the Dragonfly Run in spite of the rainy forecast on August 24th, and while they had protection from the elements, it looks like the weather held up enough!

At the annual ARCH Hospice motorcycle rally outside of The Grand Gardens North, Mike had multiple cameras set up to film their sets (click here to check out their full setlist from that day), and while I don't know if we'll be seeing more from the Dragonfly Run, two videos were shared to Mike's Facebook page of him and the band playing "Carousel" and, as embedded below, "An Act Of Strength".  Strong performances as you'd expect from Mike, Chris, Elly, Matt, and Brandan, so look for more of the same (and with better weather) tonight at the Downtown Plaza!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head to Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT for the local concert debut of Toronto post-hardcore quartet Napoleon! Headlining the fourth show from local promoters Heavy North Entertainment since their relaunch last year, Napoleon bring an in-your-face blend of punk, screamo, and metal to the table in their intense live attack, so come on down tomorrow to jump in the pit! The opener lineup has drastically changed since this show was first announced in July, with the original roster of four local bands dropping to three, with only one band (online page-less metal quintet The Sault Side Squad) surviving throughout. Originally, the openers were also to include promoter Tyler St. Amour's dormant death metal band Bardo, progressive metal quartet Convergence, and Instagram-only hard rock quartet Maynard Hayes, but all three have quietly dropped out for unannounced reasons. Hopefully all is well with all three bands!

In their place, fans will get to see veteran hard rock quartet Half Past in their first show since May (and a rare turn for them opening for a touring band), as well as party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty in their first of two Soo Blaster gigs in an eight day span. Still a solid and diverse lineup, so don't be late tomorrow! The aforementioned 705 Live Sound Co. will be at the controls for this ALL AGES show, which has an early runtime of 5:00-10:00 PM, and tickets run for $12.75 in advance at this link or $20 at the door. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Napoleon live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone! 

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Kaonashi & The Apocalypse Afterparty) And Pillory Updates!!

Let's dive into some more news and notes on this Tuesday night, including two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month and a new concert recording and related notes, so here's what you should know!

A memorial concert for avid local music fan (and my ex-girlfriend) Victoria Childs will be held on Saturday, October 4th at Soo Blaster! Taking place roughly a month after her sudden passing at just 34 years of age, this concert (titled Riffs For Remembrance: A Memorial For Tori) will feature a very diverse mixed-genre lineup, with proceeds being donated to mental health charities. The event is being organized by Paul & Amanda Stanghetta of party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty, who were friends of Victoria's, so all the kudos in the world to them for taking the initiative to honour her, and in lieu of the now-closed Oddfellows Hall, Soo Blaster is a perfect place to host this show! The Apocalypse Afterparty (whose second bassist Mikhal Muto is a cousin of Victoria's) are your advertised headliners, but things shift wildly for the rest of the lineup, including veteran local country musician Leslie Cook.

Folk singer/guitarists Linsaey L.W. (who I've never heard of before this show was announced) and Gimiiwan Ikwe are also on board, with one more act to be announced. While Victoria was a punk fan first and foremost, she had wide ranging music tastes, and she would be very appreciative of all of the local musicians coming together in her honour next Saturday! This all ages concert has doors opening at 7:30 PM and admission is $5. There was no funeral for Victoria, so if you want to come out in her memory, do so next weekend, as she is very much missed by her family and friends, and it should be a fun night of local music! Visit the official Facebook event page for more on Riffs For Remembrance!

Next up, it'll be another Rosie metal night revival on Wednesday, October 29th at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, when Philadelphia hardcore quartet Kaonashi make their local debut! With a name meaning "faceless" in Japanese, Kaonashi bring a progressive and djent-laden original attack to their live shows, plus distinct vocals and a crushing overall sound that should pique many a local metalhead's interest next month! Calgary hardcore band Abrupt Decay (not "Abrubt Decay") are supporting Kaonashi on their I Wanna Go To Canada 2025 Tour, and their intense grind/math-influenced brutality will be a solid compliment on this night! Also joining the fray is Montreal post-hardcore trio Paresis, whose sparer and more screamo/alt-influenced sound will add an intriguing wrinkle to this pre-Halloween concert! Local support will come by way of local death/thrash metal trio Pillory, no strangers to opening for touring extreme metal bands this year.

A presentation of Thunder Bay-based Piss Hard Promotions, this 19+ concert has an advertised 8:00 PM start time, and admission will be $25, though I don't know if there will be advance sales of some kind or if that will be the door charge. Despite being on a work/school night, hopefully there's a strong turnout of metalheads for all of this brutal original metal action next month, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Speaking of Pillory, here's a new live recording of them in concert, albeit audio only! This comes from their set at the Insurrection/Beguiler show at Soo Blaster on July 30th (which they actually closed), and drummer Bret Shuttleworth had a camera rolling, but due to sub-optimal camera placement, he opted to upload it as just an audio recording, though three songs from their set were filmed by Christopher Paci for his YouTube channel. Their first show with former Crimson Crusade frontman Devon Lucier on bass (since 2014), Bret only uploaded the first 22 minutes of their set, as technical issues relating to camera space and file size led to their closing songs ("Sculptor of Cadavers", "Exhaustive Incarnation", Sepultura's "Territory", and Black Sabbath's "Into the Void") not making the cut. As luck would have it, one of Chris' videos is of "Into The Void", so click here to give it a watch, but what is in Bret's audio recording from the night?

Their set began with their intro "End Of Small Sanctuary" (which is actually a cover from the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack), "Specimen Of Egotism", "Abhorred Apprension", "The Angst Of Existence", "The Passing", and "The Curse Of Eternal Sickness". It's worth noting that frontman Robert Sartini confirmed after "The Passing" that "all these songs (that) we've played for you tonight are off of our upcoming first full-length album", giving the album's title as "Old Stone", as far as I could tell. He said that they are looking to "have it out in October", and they hope to have a date for a CD release party soon, though I don't believe the Kaonashi show will be that. Good to get some more confirmation of the album plans, which they hasn't been super forthcoming about on social media beyond brief mentions, so stay tuned for updates as October draws nearer! As for the concert recording proper, fans will be right at home with the brutality here!

Whether you saw Chris' videos from July 30th or not, the guys are at their technical death metal best here, with Devon fitting back in well on the low end, though the audio recording quality isn't pristine. Good stuff for extreme metalheads regardless, so check out (most of) Pillory's Soo Blaster set from July 30th below, and stay tuned for album updates! 

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

Spades GT Updates From August 2025!!

Today's post takes us back to the world of local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, so what have they been up to since we last left off with them at the end of July? Well, the guys were getting ready for their set at the fifth annual Rye Fest, a yearly outdoor concert festival in Brantford (2 hours south of Barrie, 7 hours southeast of the Soo), as held by Rye Field Studios, where Spades shot performance and interview footage both in 2023 and last month. Spades GT were the ninth of fourteen bands at this all day event on August 9th, which was headlined by Peterborough "beatdown/core" quartet Seagrave, who were one of the scheduled touring bands for last year's cancelled Crucifest in Leeburn. Bizarrely, the guys did not post their usual vertical recap video to Facebook from Rye Fest, but I don't know whether that was an intentional decision, if their footage is just really delayed, or if they completely forgot.

If you want to see new Brantford footage, head to Rye Field Studios' YouTube channel, as they have been featured in a bunch of new videos this year! Some are "Shots" videos that clip out individual songs from their 2023 set at Rye Field that you can watch in full at this link, but how about the brand new stuff from this summer? For this quick three song set, the guys were filmed playing two songs from their new album "United" (specifically the title track and "Demons"), before closing with "Hands", which opened their 2023 Rye Field performance. Lineup changes aside (James out, Matt and Sean in), this is otherwise formatted similarly to the 2023 video, including introductions by hosts/studio owners Ben Zander & Shane Briand, and high quality multi-cam footage of the guys in action. Thankfully, the lighting is much better and far less green than last time, though it does go black & white at parts.

For the record, "Demons" from this set also got clipped out for a separate "Shots" video earlier this month. If you like excellent quality performance videos of local bands (let alone horizontal ones), you should take to Spades GT's Rye Field encore with ease, so check out the intense and heavy performances for yourselves below, and hopefully Rye Fest videos surface!

The other new Spades content from Rye Field's YouTube channel is a brand new interview that was released at the end of July, so what should you know there? Conducted on July 5th prior to the "United" release party in Toronto, the interview does not feature drummer Tyler Reiner, who left early to make it to The Bovine to deal with soundcheck and prep for the concert proper. This interview was episode 20 of Ben & Shane's interview series The PodCouch, and it features J.D., Daniel, Matthew, and Sean talking about "United" and its underlying messages, the band's evolution since they last played at Rye Field, the genres and sounds on display on the album (Matt primarily wrote and sings on "Filthy Lie"), and hype for the release party and their then-upcoming shows. When addressing their return to Spiderfest in Meyersburg, Daniel noted that "we were in a band called Jack Spades" prior, a distinction that I haven't seen made in modern interviews.

The back half of the interview is mostly loose and casual banter, but I'd love to see more of Matt's arcade game collection! Solid interview that keeps fans updated on what Spades have been up to this summer, so give it a watch for yourselves below!

Let's close with some non-Rye Field content from Spades GT, starting with a new review from August 21st of "United" from Gustavo Scuderi of the Canadian metal website The Headbanging Moose. There, Gustavo gave the album a 3.5/5 rating, saying that it combines "hard-hitting riffs, driving rhythms, and compelling vocals to create a sound that’s both familiar and refreshingly contemporary", while praising the title track", "Filthy Lie", and "Wrecked" the most of the eight cuts. Note that this review credits Sean MacNab on bass even though he didn't join the group until a few weeks after the recording sessions wrapped (Daniel was seen tracking bass in one of the teaser videos from the sessions). Either way, it's a complimentary and detailed review that you can check out at this link! Two days later, the guys shared posters for their upcoming fall tour slate in Southern Ontario (sorry, no Sault Ste. Marie return yet).

The first of those shows saw Spades GT play their first Barrie show in "a while" (which equalled almost three months) at C.W. Coop's on September 6th, where they opened for Daniel's other band The Fast Life on a bill that featured their good friends in G.F.U. once again. That show did indeed feature a recap video, so we'll have more from that and other fall content from the former Jack Spades in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that and more on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Unfortunate Sun) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P. for later this year!

Building off of their previously advertised return to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino yesterday and tonight, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun announced their end-of-2025 concert calendar on their Facebook page on August 12th! And again, I apologize for missing the Shytee Creek Lucky Bridge Walk in Trout Lake last month. Unless they announce something else in the interim, the Fake Chow successors' next show after tonight will see them rock The Merchants Bar in the Soo on Friday, October 31st, in what will surely be The Merch's Halloween party! They'll be taking over said duties from Exit 808, who had the Halloween honours last year, and if things are similar, expect a costume contest with prizes. Regardless, this will surprisingly be their only Merch show this year, so keep everything in mind! On Saturday, November 22nd, the guys will set up shop at Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard.

Last seen at the former Joe's Bar in July, hopefully this show goes well as they venture back outside of the Soo proper! They'll also hit the road slightly out of town for a special Wednesday nighter on November 26th (on the eve of the American Thanksgiving) at The Islander Bar in Hessel, in what will presumably be a sequel to last year's "Drinksgiving Bash" there, taking advantage of that Wednesday not being a work/school night. If you'd rather see Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason on a more traditional concert night, they will end the year with a return to The Islander Bar on Saturday, December 13th, so keep that in mind for the winter! Lastly for the new show announcements, Unfortunate Sun will set up shop for a full weekend at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, December 5th & Saturday, December 6th, in their first shows there since their Kewadin debuts in May as a late replacement band.

Nice to see lots of new shows ahead from Unfortunate Sun after a relatively quiet summer, so keep all of these in mind! All shows are 21+ events with no announced cover charge, and all have 9:00 PM start times except at Huck's on November 22nd (8:00 PM). Visit the above links for more on the hard rock action ahead at all of these E.U.P. venues!

Next up, let's resume this weekend's hard rock/punk concert previews by heading north of the border, starting with Sault Ontario alternative/punk cover supergroup BookcluB's gig opening for Toronto-based Bob Seger tribute band Forever Seger: The Silver Bullet Experience TONIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Not the cleanest genre fit, but BookcluB have ample classic rock covers (often very atypical ones from their local cover brethren), so there will be a lot to enjoy under the big tent as they set the tone for the Bob Seger experience to come! This will also be BookcluB's first gig since guitarist Brandon Ruch moved out of town, but they have not publically announced if they have replaced him or not, something we may know the answer to tonight. And just to clarify, this is not the same Seger tribute coming to The Machine Shop in March of next year (that particular band is Like A Rock: The Bob Seger Revival).

I'm not at liberty to compare and contrast the sound and stage presence of the two, but Bob Seger fans will absolutely enjoy what Forever Seger bring to the table tonight, so don't miss out if you're a fan! The old time rock n' roll kicks off at 7:00 PM, it is definitely all ages, and tickets run for $44 at this link, at GFL Memorial Gardens, or at the gate. 9&10 News is calling for weather in the 15-16° range with partly cloudy skies, and tent acknowledged, the show is slated to end before the rainy overnight forecast. Visit the above links for more details, and here's BookcluB live!

Finally, we have at least one more Cruisin' The Dub car/bike show to take in TOMORROW at the newer A&W at 659 Great Northern Road, but this is the big annual one! As recently usual for the A&W car/bike shows, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will be your scheduled musical entertainment, and there will be raffles, refreshments, and family entertainment along with the vehicles on display alongside the live rock & roll covers and originals! All proceeds will be going to the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, an eternally wonderful cause, so consider donating to ARCH if you come out tomorrow! That may be a big "if", as 9&10 News is currently calling for a 60% chance of rain and some thunderstorms during the projected timeframe of 2:00-5:00 PM, and rain has severely abbreviated A&W car shows before (ask Soundcheck for proof). The rain looks pretty steady tomorrow, so definitely keep tabs with Bone Yard and A&W for updates on how the weather forecast may affect things.

Assuming the show goes on in spite of Mother Nature, attendance is free for the public of all ages unless showing a car or motorcycle, though donations to ARCH will absolutely be on the table. I hope the weather doesn't throw a wrench into tomorrow's plans, especially given the charitable nature, so visit the above links for more on the car show and here's your local 225 live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!