Castle Concert Video Showcase, Plus An Album Teaser Clip!!

Today's post is mostly devoted to some new videos from a recent concert that prolific local concert filmer Chris Paci uploaded to his YouTube channel earlier this week, but we also have an overdue album teaser video to round things out! We'll start with Chris' footage, which comes from September 28th's Castle-headlined concert at 180 Projects, though no word on why it took two weeks to post the videos online. He also filmed videos at last week's Moon Tan show at The New A, but we'll save those to feature in an upcoming post. Chris posted six videos online, 4 of which coming from the headliners' set, with the Juno-nominated San Fransisco doom metal trio featured playing their songs "Temple of the Lost", "Blacklands", their set-closer "Total Betrayal", and as embedded below, two songs played in succession, namely "Down In The Cauldron Bog" & "Black Widow". For reference, 180 Projects did not appear to make use of their projection screens at this concert.

Solidly performed by this dark and powerful trio, albeit with muffled vocals and a somewhat barren-looking setup for the stage, but fans of Castle's occult-flavoured doom metal will be right at home! I wish I could have attended this show, but we had family visiting from out of town that night. Check our Chris' Castle videos above and below!



Chris' other videos from this show come from the local openers, with one each being uploaded from their sets. One is of local doom metal trio AlgomA playing most of their song "Electric Fence" from their vinyl split EP with Chronobot, albeit filmed from a corner angle rather than in front of the band like with the Castle clips. Fans headbanging can get in the way, but the vocals come through clearer on this Boyd-sung original, and AlgomA fans will definitely want to see the devastation below!



The other video from this concert comes from new local funk/improv hard rock band Gianni Gagoots, marking the first public footage of them performing, so what do we know now? First off, the band has added a second guitarist, namely Boatload Killers/Sailor's Tongue alum Liam Seymour, who has the comedic Italian stage name "Blanci Mangia-Cake". Nice pick-up, Liam's a solid musician with a diverse range of genres under his belt, and he previously had enlisted Gianni Gagoots drummer Frank McCormick for his solo set at Rotaryfest as well! Also, we can now 100% confirm that percussionist "Bergio The IceBurg" (a.k.a. "Enzo Scanganatts") is indeed an actual band member, though I can't confirm his actual identity as of this writing. If you like your hard rock with conga drums, prepare yourself! This video indicates that Gianni Gagoots are an instrumental band with no microphones in sight, which is locally unique, even without accounting for their sound.

This uniquely named quintet have fun in this clip, which showcases an improvised jam hard rock sound, with funk and punk influences radiating through the song (title unclear, if they do even their songs.) It'll be interesting to see what Gianni Gagoots do next, as they definitely stand out among current local hard rock bands, but check out their 7+ minute video below, and stay tuned for more on them, perhaps including if we can confirm Bergio's full identity!



Finally for today, here's an admittedly overdue teaser video for local post-punk quartet Gnaeus' debut CD "Meditations"! Posted to their Facebook page on August 9th to promote it's then-new release and online outlets through which you could buy it, it features some brief audio samples from the album and some neat effects to phase in the eye-less Pompey of Rome logo, but after 25 seconds, the video runs with just a blank screen for almost 5 minutes. Accident, or an intentional opportunity to meditate? Debate amongs yourselves, but apologies for the delay in featuring this on the site, check it out below, and do buy "Meditations" on iTunes and/or Amazon!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Id Iota), A New Local Punk Project, The Castle Concert Preview, And More!!

On this Tuesday afternoon, we have a stacked new post for you guys, so what all lies within? A handful of assorted recent notes, a preview of a well advertised metal concert going down tomorrow night, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this fall, and to kick things off, a new solo project, so here's what you need to know!

We have a new local punk project to add to our band links, and it is Likekissingbricks, which is led by Winkstinger bassist Andrew "Scary" MacDonald! Recorded via 4-track tapes last week, Andrew has already launched a Bandcamp page to host four demo songs of his own, including "Rainy Days", "@skankhunter42", "Rain is God's Piss", and an untitled track. On these, Andrew plays bass and drums, with no shred of vocals or guitar input yet, so as a result, it's hard to pin these down to a specific genre, but "@skankhunter42" has hardcore punk overtones, and the songs do seem to have a DIY punk attitude about them! For reference, Andrew has played with the likes of Fitswitch, The Scary Uncles, and Glunk! in the past. On the demos, you get a sense of Andrew's already-proven bass skills, and he's a fine drummer at this stage of Likekissingbricks, but we'll have to see what happens when he enlists additional musicians to round out a full lineup. Check the above links for more on Likekissingbricks, and stay tuned for more from Andrew's local projects!

Next up, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota will open for former Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus in the live debut of his solo relaunch on Saturday, November 26th at LopLops Lounge! Note that this show was originally scheduled to close their upcoming Ontario tour on Saturday, October 22nd (it's still advertised for that day on Mike's website), but I have not found a public reason for the 5 week postponement. This will be Id Iota's first local concert appearance since Rotaryfest, while it will be local fans' first opportunity to see Michael's poppier solo sound and material, and first public concert from him of any type since The Pixo Control's acoustic farewell in May at The Tech. Will his new solo band resemble the "Drowning Crown" video, perhaps with the eclectic street party vibe? Also, hopefully no one gets punched in the nose!

An oddly early 8:00 PM start time is listed for this concert, and while one assumes it will be 19+, admission fees are not announced yet (it's not yet on LopLops' event page either.) For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an intriguing concert, both for those curious about Mike's new "cock & soul" sound, and for fans of Id Iota's established punk-flavoured originals, so see above for more info, and stay tuned for more from Id Iota soon!

Also today, here's a special mid-week concert preview, as San Francisco doom metal trio Castle will rock 180 Projects TOMORROW NIGHT in their local debut! Featuring a 2/3rds Canadian lineup, some fans may best recognize Castle as one of the bands who lost the Juno Award for Best Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year to Woods of Ypres in 2013, but their doom/psychedelic hybrid sound stands on it's own, and don't miss this dark and powerful trio at the Gore Street venue tomorrow as they wind down their Canadian tour! Local doom/sludge trio AlgomA will open with their own sludgy brand of doom metal in their first local gig since the Iskra show in July, while new local hard rock/punk jam band Gianni Gagoots will kick things off in their second announced concert set, so if you missed their debut, come see what they have in store! This concert was originally scheduled for The New American Pub before quietly being moved to 180 Projects, though The New A is still hosting events from promoters Six, Two, Oh., and don't forget about the multimedia possibilities of that venue (remember the Skynet show?)

Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., admission for this 19+ show is $5 in advance or $8 at the door, with advance tickets available at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and at Big Guns Barbershop on East Street, though planned Gore Street Cafe availability is no longer advertised. Doors open at 8:00 PM for what should be a great night of doom metal action, so don't miss out tomorrow, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Castle live!



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

• I'm surprised that we neglected to mention this on the site at the time (our apologies), but Rock 101 has a new syndicated radio show on Sunday evenings! Entitled The Core, it's a 2 hour program focused on 1990s rock music, and it's hosted by longtime Detroit radio personality Meltdown, so you could call this a weekly sample of WRIF, if you're familiar with that station. Rock 101 has aired it since May, and it's a nice nostalgic listen with a generally heavy & alternative rotation, so listen to it Sundays at 7:00 PM on 101.3 FM before Eddie Trunk Rocks!
• The Deathsticks-headlined concert at The New American Pub on October 15th has had two quiet lineup additions via it's Facebook event page, with the debuting Dark Garfunkel (unidentified members of AlgomA playing drone music) replacing the AlgomA/Winkstinger cover union The Eighties. A reason for the switch wasn't announced, though I believe at least one AlgomA member is/was in both bands. As well, a separate act named Sleeping Together was also added, whose sound is "ambient rolling tape loops & sounds", though I know nothing more than that. How will ambient drone music do at a metal concert? Be there to find out!
• Local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address have posted two more songs from their upcoming albums onto their Soundcloud page! One is "He", the planned second song from "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...", while "I Can Bleed" is planned to close the following release "Monster". I won't comment on them yet, as a review is one is likely, but check them out above! For reference, a demo called "Ignore the Platitudes" went up there last year under the artist name "Are You Now? or Have You Ever?", which was Chris Shoust & Sam Decter's short-lived side project's name, before being reworked as an album title.

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (1971), Din & Gnaeus Updates, And More!!

Before we begin this post, we have a big Sault Michigan concert cancellation to note on here, as tomorrow's outdoor FireHouse concert on Ashmun Street has been cancelled, as per promoters Superior Entertainment's Facebook page this morning. They cited slow ticket sales as the reason, noting that "unfortunately, this is a risk business driven by sales", which is definitely disappointing, especially given the hype and promotion behind it! Hopefully we see FireHouse, Redburn, and a Sault Michigan battle of the bands again in the future! Now, we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, big updates from a rising band, and more from Sault Ontario, so let's get rolling!

Yet another new show from Six, Two, Oh. will hit The New American Pub on August 14th (one week from Sunday!), as Winnipeg post-punk/"sad dad rock" outfit 1971 will make their local concert debut that night! Playing an often dark yet accessible blend of genres that should appeal to punk and indie fans alike, 1971 should leave a good impression at The New A next weekend, so be sure to give them a listen! Though another out of town band is playing on the 14th, local indie punk quintet Northwest are the highest slotted openers that night, and they should deliver a solid show like they have a done at The New A opening for Lost Love earlier in the year! Thunder Bay "desert rock" quintet The Franquilizers will open the proceedings in their own local debut next weekend, and their grittty & psychedelic punk originals should give the show a nice kick, so don't miss them in their opening set! This 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time, as has recently been usual.

Note that this show also joins one more new Six, Two, Oh. show at The New A, which is headlined by Vancouver alt-country band Skeeter & The Deets on September 7th, but if Tuesday's Debutaunt show teaches us anything, it's that anyone could open, so we'll let you know if the openers enter our range! As for the 1971 concert, it should be a good time for fans of punk sub-genres, so check out those bands above in advance of the 14th!

Next up, here's the latest from local alternative hard rock trio The Din, starting with another great local news media spotlight in this in-depth Sault Star article by Jeffery Ougler on Wednesday, which heavily outlines the band's history, recording process, ambitions, and even personal lives! It mostly covers known ground, just with much greater biographical detail and lots of interview clips with the band, while in terms of scoops, the article confirms that their new album's producer Daniel Schmidt is guitarist Tammy Hill's father (and a veteran local drummer himself), and Tammy noted the apparent reasons for the demise of her old band Leaked. Though the article incorrectly notes that frontman Mike Haggith fronted his old band Haggith (he was the drummer there), give the whole article a look above or in The Sault Star paper itself, as it really tells The Din's story really well and in great detail! Stay tuned for much more from The Din in the coming days, and don't miss their CD release show next week!

Also today, here's a short new video find from last month's Rotaryfest Stage 2, courtesy of their Facebook page! It's a 13 second clip of post-punk quartet Gnaeus playing their song "Circles" at the outdoor Clergue Park locale, and while it's not a lengthy (or close) look at Gnaeus, it's nice to find more footage of them live! A new video of indie rockers K.I.C.K.'s headlining set is also online to check out too via Rotaryfest's Facebook page, albeit longer and from a sharper angle of the stage, but it's similar quality otherwise. Give Gnaeus' new Rotaryfest video a look below, stay tuned for more from this page, and don't miss both bands TONIGHT at the "Meditations" release show!



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

• The Castle-headlined concert on Wednesday, September 28th has been relocated from The New American Pub to 180 Projects on Gore Street, as per promoters on the Facebook event page earlier this week. A reason for the relocation wasn't announced, but it's likely for scheduling conflicts, as Six, Two, Oh. are still holding a number of shows at The New A in the coming months. Last seen hosting April 2015's Biipiigwan show from the same promoters, it'll be nice to see a new show at 180 Projects, so see above for more details!
• In a late clarification from June 4th's Redneck Rock Bash II concert at The Rednecks Saloon, the show saw a late contraction from five acts to three, as local punk trio Redundant and indie solo artist Shit Creek Survivor both did not show up for the event, as per Project 421 guitarist Blair Burch in a recent personal conversation. Reasons for their withdrawals were never publically stated, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and hopefully the show went well either way!
• Local goregrind duo Rotopsy have quietly been added as a late fourth act to the Debutaunt concert at The New American THIS TUESDAY, as per the Facebook event page in recent days. They join an eclectic lineup featuring an out of town pop punk headliner, plus opening sets by a rapper and stand up comedian, so there's a little something for everyone on the lineup now!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gnaeus), The Return Of SNFU, And AlgomA Updates!!

With a lot of extant backlogged stories still waiting to get on the site, here's an extra new post on this Sunday morning, but be sure to check out this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post below this one! Today, we have all the latest from a popular local metal band, and the identity of mystery headliners for an upcoming concert, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TODAY!!

Local post-punk/gararge rock quartet Gnaeus will return to the stage TODAY when they rock out at The Essar Centre during the grand finale of this year's Passport To Unity multicultural festival! Apologies for the short notice, the band announced the show via their Facebook page on Thursday, but it slipped us by until now. The VM Radio Battle winners will be among a very diverse lineup of performers that you can check out at this link, and while most are cultural bands and groups, local garage/folk band Honest Job are among the scheduled acts, so keep them in mind as well (they're on at 3:30 PM.) Fans may remember seeing The Pixo Control at last year's Passport To Unity finale after their Downtown Diversity set was rained out, and it will likely be similar circumstances for their friends in Gnaeus this year, so be sure to check them out TODAY during all of the entertainment and events!

Gnaeus are on at 4:25 PM amidst the ALL AGES activities taking place at The Essar Centre, which will also be hosting numerous arts, culture, and food vendors for the occasion of this great and diverse annual event, and while there's no announced admission fee, bring cash just in case. Check the above links for more details! Passport To Unity is a great event, and hopefully Gnaeus' entertaining music adds to that today, so don't miss them at 4:25 PM, and here they are live in March!

Next up, remember how one of the upcoming Gonqshow concerts at The Algonquin Pub on Friday, July 24th has headliners "to be announced" yet had a $20 admission fee? Well, we now know why, as none other than SNFU are coming back to Sault Ste. Marie! Yes, the Vancouver hardcore punk legends are returning to our neck of the woods this summer for the first time in over six years, so if you've missed Mr. Chi Pig and company, here's your chance! As previously announced, this show will be opened by local punk/metal bands (and upcoming split CD-mates) Destroilet & Jack Spades, the latter of whom were scheduled to open for both SNFU and Death By Stereo in July 2013 back when they were brand new, but that planned concert was indefinitely postponed & later cancelled. Both are fitting choices to be sure, so don't miss them either on July 24th!

In the midst of the Gonqshow concert series from J.D. Pearce & Tidal Records, admission will again be $20, a 10:00 PM start time is likely, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links! Now that we know the headliners, we can get ready for SNFU's intense and chaotic hardcore punk in the midst of the summer, so be sure to stay tuned as updates roll in over the next few months!

We'll close today with some overdue notes from local doom metal trio AlgomA, so what have they been up to lately? Aside from their set opening for Biipiigwan at 180 Projects last week (more on that in a bit), the guys have produced some new t-shirts and stickers featuring their new "Circle of Willis" logo that you can now buy at shows and sample via photos on their Facebook page. Their exposure continues to grow, with their song "Go On, Git!" from last year's debut album "Reclaimed By The Forest" included on a new compilation CD from metal promotion agency Grand Sounds Promotions, joining 17 other bands from around the world. Nice score getting on that, so see above for info on that too, and stream it all at this link! Also, singer/guitarist Boyd Rendell appears to have completely dropped the Darby Wigwaus stage name according to their Facebook page, so now all three members are billed as themselves.

AlgomA have also alerted fans on Facebook to a number of recent CD reviews that we hope to touch on in the near future as well, but we'll close today with a video of them at the aforementioned Biipiigwan concert last week, courtesy of the band's YouTube channel on Friday! Filmed with a far stationary camera, this is of AlgomA's full 8 song set last Thursday, and in order, the songs they played include "Failed Stunt Fatality", "Tertiary Syphillis", "Phthisis", "Electric Fence", "Fell Down A Well", "Canis Rabidus", a cover (their first ever) of The Kittens' "Great Dane", and "Go On, Git!", so visit each song name for the individual track. Despite being their first public show since it's release, only three of the six songs from "Reclaimed By The Forest" made this set, but the new songs live up to their usual crushing doom standards!

Adding to the far distance, the video is dark and grainy, and it's hard to make out the projected video behind the band, but it does give the overall video an aged look that helps the effect. Nice to see AlgomA back, and hopefully they have a lot more in the tank as 2015 rolls on, so give their new full concert video a look below!


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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Havadder & Tym Morrison) & The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!

(Updated at 2:02 PM) Today marks the first of our concert previews for this weekend, but just as a special mention, remember that the celebration of life for former Foggy Notions owner/bartender Patrick Casey will take place at Coch's Corner (formerly Foggy's) SATURDAY NIGHT at 8:00 PM! It was recently postponed from tomorrow to Saturday for unannounced reasons. Attendees are asked to wear funny slogan t-shirts like Pat used to if possible, and also, his obituary is finally up on SooToday at this link, confirming that he passed suddenly on April 18th at just 40 years old in Tottenham, where he had been living. No services beyond tomorrow's celebration are listed, and the family is asking for Sault Humane Society donations in lieu of flowers. Raise some smashlovs for Pat on Saturday!

Now, let's kick off this weekend's previews, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS,  including the next scheduled Tym Morrison solo concert, as the local hard rock solo singer/guitarist will play once again at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the second straight week where Tym's only playing an acoustic solo concert on the Friday due to The Harp's broadcast of a sports PPV, and while referenced on the Facebook event page as UFC (who don't have an event this weekend), they're presumably showing the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight on Saturday. If you want to see Tym, be at The Harp TOMORROW, not Saturday! For reference, this remains the last listed gig on the calendar on Tym's website, but it remains to be seen when/if he'll announce new gigs at The Harp or elsewhere this month.

Like usual for Tym's lengthy regular run at the former Madison's Pub, there are no announced cover charges for tomorrow, a 19+ age limit, and a likely 10:00 PM start time. Don't miss Tym at The Harp TOMORROW ONLY for lots of hard rock favourites, and here's Tym live at the former Smack Daddy's!



Next up, here's a pair of other new concerts for this weekend, as local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder are advertised to return to The Rednecks Saloon for headlining concerts TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we heard about the shows when at the venue on Tuesday night via the outside marquee board, and as of this writing, Havadder haven't plugged the dates online. This will be their first concert weekend at the former Nicolet Tavern in a month, and the shows come fresh off of their Moose Lodge benefit appearance a couple weeks back, so if you've missed Jugga and company's hard hitting cover attack at a regular concert event, keep this weekend's shows in mind! That said, if anything is said to the contrary regarding this weekend's bookings, we'll let you know.

There's no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and likely 10:00 PM start times for this weekend, and for a preview, here's Havadder live last year!

Moving to previously announced concerts, here's a big ALL AGES Thursday nighter going down TONIGHT, as Ottawa sludge metal trio Biipiigwan will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario at 180 Projects on Gore Street! Last seen locally at The Moose Lodge in the fall of 2013, this hard hitting band should devastate local fans once again with their doomy & relentless originals TONIGHT, so don't miss them if you can help it! Local support will come via doom metal trio AlgomA in their first show since releasing their debut CD "Reclaimed By The Forest" last fall, and they've also teased having new band t-shirts on sale for tonight, so keep that in mind too, and pick up their album if you haven't already! And finally, local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control will kick things off in their 180 Projects debut and first public gig since the Boot Hill Crooners release party, and while they're not doom metal, their talent speaks for itself! Note that Sudbury stoner metal trio Horse Lung were originally scheduled to co-headline, but dropped out of the event today due to "last minute work related issues."

Disappointing for sure, but we'll see Horse Lung at Das Bunkerfest II this summer! No word yet on a possible late notice replacement. This ALL AGES show is the first of the year from Oh! Right Arm Promotions, it has an $8 cover charge, and an 8:00 PM start time, and note that the new official poster (amusing as it may be) isn't embedded here due to potentially offensive content. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great concert for doom metal fans, so don't miss out TONIGHT, and here's Biipiigwan live in 2013!



Finally for TONIGHT is the expected eighth weekly jam night at the aforementioned Rednecks Saloon by local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood, which has received a visibly positive reception over the past couple of months! Though we don't know yet if this union of Asylum Country & Beaumont Avenue members will be playing regular concerts this weekend at a separate venue (Havadder are listed there Friday & Saturday), fans can take in their diverse and often heavy covers tonight during this weekly jam night series, where anyone with musical or singing talent can join them to jam and rock out on stage! Should be fun as usual, and like in past weeks, there is a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and an announced 9:30 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Mourning Wood last fall at Rock For Dimes!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of Tuesday's Shit Liver concert at The Rednecks Saloon next, guaranteed! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (IRN, Destroilet, Highway 63, And Long Shot!!)

For a second time in as many days, we have four new LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to announce on the site, as the spring/summer concert series is clearly heating up! These include new shows in Sault Michigan and Sault Ontario, including one new addition to the Gonqshow (which we'll have a lot more on later this week), but for now, here's what you should know on these shows in chronological order!

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will play their first Eastern U.P. concerts outside of the Kewadin Casino umbrella next weekend, when they rock The Satisfied Frog on Friday, May 1st & Saturday, May 2nd! As announced on their Facebook page, these will be their first concerts since playing in St. Ignace earlier this month, while frontman Henry Switzer pointed out that these will be his first concerts there with any band in 2 years (presumably referencing the defunct Sir Charge), and though we haven't heard about local hard rock bands playing at The Frog all that much lately, hopefully Highway 63 can make their mark next weekend and play there more often in the future! There are no announced cover charges next weekend, you must be 21 to attend, and there are 10:00 PM start times in effect. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more updates!

Next up, we'll head back to Sault Ontario, where local hard rock quartet Long Shot will make their Rockstar Bar debut for a one-night-only concert on Saturday, May 16th! Fresh off of playing two different shows on May 1st, this will be a great solo showcase at a more familiar venue for the Speak Easy Battle of the Bands runners-up, and hopefully they leave a huge impression come next month! No word on why the Dawes, Nathan, and Jeremy aren't playing there that Friday though, but the band recently indicated on their Facebook page that they've submitted an application to play at Rotaryfest this July, so we'll have to see if they make the bill! Their May 16th concert at The Rockstar Bar has a 19+ age limit, a $5 cover charge, and an announced 10:30 PM start time, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for much more from Long Shot as it comes in!

Moving downstairs to The Algonquin Pub at the end of the month, local punk/metal bands Destroilet & Jack Spades will rock out there on Saturday, May 30th in a show to help fund the release of their upcoming split album with The Ripcordz! The second show in Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce's Gonqshow summer concert series there (as announced yesterday on it's Facebook event page), this show is among the methods that the local bands are doing to help get their three-way split out there, including their Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign (get on that, people!), and hopefully this show can help put a dent into the cash required to get this released! For reference, this will also be Destroilet's first announced concert of the year, and just their second since Brenton Ellis joined as their new co-lead singer, so if you haven't seen the new six-piece lineup yet, here's your chance! At least one more band is to be announced, and while I imagine we'd know by now if it was them, imagine if The Ripcordz made the trip for this?

Given the fundraising nature of this show, admission will be $10 (no word on if Kickstarter incentives might carry over to the concert), while it will be a 19+ event with a likely 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links! This should be a great concert, and if it helps chip away at the needed funds to get this three-way split in out hands, then it'll have done it's job! Again, stay tuned for updates on the show and split as they roll in!

Finally for today, we'll head to 180 Projects on Sunday, June 21st for a very diverse ALL AGES concert that will be headlined by Toronto doom metal trio IRN! (Yes, that's all capitals.) A punishing band known for long, doomy, and unrelenting originals, IRN should leave quite the mark in their local concert debut in June, so don't miss them either if you love the genre! Naturally, local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA will be among the openers (in what they're hyping as the kick-off for their tour, full dates to be revealed), but beyond them, things will widely vary. The other openers will also include local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address (in their first set since the "Rust Orchid" release show), local rappers Conika & Mikey Thomas, and the turntable stylings of DJ Seith, though no word on if he'll be playing solo or alongside either rapper like he's recently done with Conika. Doom metal, lo-fi acoustic punk, and rap, where else will you get all of that on the same night at the same venue?

This Oh! Right Arm! Promotions event has an $8 cover charge, a 7:00 PM start time, and yes, it is ALL AGES! Much like the AxMinister-headlined show at The Algonquin two weeks later, this show may just have a little something for everyone (Mikey will even be opening both), so no matter whether you like one or multiple genres on June 21st, 180 Projects may be the place to be! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more news and concert announcements to come this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Biipiigwan, Beaumont Avenue, And Lucky 13), And The Exes For Eyes Concert Preview!!

Hope everyone's having a great week so far! I'm currently out of town due to a family emergency, hence the delay in our recap of Wednesday's VM Radio Battle of the Bands semifinal, but it is coming! I have one more post to get up beforehand, due to it having a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend, and a preview of one more big concert TONIGHT, but also read on for two more big shows taking place next weekend and next month that fans should enjoy! Now, here's what you should know, and thanks for your understanding at this busy time!

Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for a one-night-only gig at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed the gig via it's Facebook event page yesterday. Fresh off of their short notice weekend at The Rednecks Saloon, this talented veteran quartet will be playing their first announced concert there since January, but this is a one nighter due to the previously announced Journey tribute concert tonight (more info here.) Despite the limited notice again, Lucky 13's talent and experience speaks for itself, so for look for a solid night of hard hitting covers TOMORROW at 10:00 PM! There's a 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's the guys at Toystock last fall!

Also in new concert announcements, local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue will return to the stage on Friday, March 20th & Saturday, March 21st at The Rednecks Saloon! Last seen in January at The Rockstar Bar (and at Rednecks on Boxing Day), the former Suicide Kings had originally announced that they wouldn't be back until the summer, but they timed these shows with the March break, which makes sense for availability! However, drummer Ben Boudreau isn't available to come home from Hamilton for the shows, so bassist Mitch Sirie's Bear Hunters bandmate Johnny Belanger will fill in for the weekend, and he should fit in well with the 2013 Rockstar Bar Battle winners! Just in case we don't see Beaumont Avenue back until the summer this time around, don't bypass these shows next weekend, which both have 10:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see the guys back together (though it'd have been nice to see Ben back too), so stay tuned for updates on Beaumont Avenue's March break reunion when and if they come in, and hopefully we hear much more from them in 2015!

Finally for new shows, the previously teased return of Ottawa sludge metal trio Biipiigwan to the Soo will take place on Thursday, April 30th at 180 Projects! Last seen in November 2013 at The Moose Lodge, this hard hitting and doomy trio have made many fans in the area, and it's great to see them finally back in our neck of the woods! Joining them at this show are Sudbury studge/stoner trio Horse Lung, who some of you may recognize as one of the bands scheduled for Das Bunkerfest II in August, but are otherwise making their local debut next month. Their hard hitting, doomy originals should also find a strong audience on April 30th, so be sure not to miss them! Local support will come via local doom metal trio AlgomA, in their first concert of the year and their first since the release of their "Reclaimed By The Forest" CD last fall (might this count as their official release concert?) Nice to see them back on stage in any event, especially on the same bill as Biipiigwan!

This show will be opened by local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control in their 180 Projects debut, and though they're the only non-doom band on the bill, their rising talent and energy will set the tone well next month! The first metal show that we've heard about at 180 Projects since AlgomA opened for Skynet last year, this show is promoted by drummer Jamie Vincent & Oh! Right Arm! Promotions (their first show of the year too), this is an ALL AGES event with an $8 cover charge & a 7:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the Facebook event page, and stay tuned for much more on what should be a great doomy time for local metalheads!

Finally for today, we close with our preview of arguably the biggest of this weekend's metal and punk concerts, as Toronto/Montreal groove metal quartet Exes For Eyes will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub, in a nice intermission of sorts from that venue's battle of the bands! Fronted by Endast's "Big" James Arsenian, Exes For Eyes are touring in support of their new album "Tongues Like Figure Eights", the subject of their recent "platinum project" to sell 1 million copies of the album for $1 in an attempt to go platinum. Exes For Eyes' brutal and intense sound should endear them to local fans, be you an Endast fan already or not, so be sure to come on out for their original attack! Joining them on this local stop on their "Tours Like Figure Eights" tour are three local bands, including local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades in their first local concert set of the year, and I know the show ties in with frontman/promoter J.D. Pearce's birthday, so be sure to wish him a happy birthday TONIGHT!

Joining them tomorrow are two bands from this month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands (our recap is coming next), including death metal standouts (and finalists) The Bear Hunters  and new local punk quartet Stereo North in their third local concert set, and fresh off of a strong performance in Wednesday's semifinal. so come early for their fast-rising punk renditions! This ALL AGES concert has a 7:00 PM start time and a $10 cover charge, so visit the Facebook event page for more details! This should be a great concert for metal and punk fans alike, and it's great to see Exes For Eyes finally in the Soo, so don't miss TONIGHT's action at The Canadian! For a preview, here's Exes For Eyes' music video for "Stop Thinking, Start Feeling"!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our recap of Wednesday's second night of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands later today, I promise! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Stiffler's Mom), Weekend Concert Previews, And AlgomA Videos!!

For our second post of the day, we're mostly focusing on this weekend's hard rock concert previews (including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS), but there's some new videos from a local metal band at the end of the post! Check out all the details on this weekend's heavier live concert action below, and also give this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles a look in the post below this one!

Local party/hard rock veterans Stiffler's Mom will return to the live concert stage THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced yesterday. Last seen at Docks two months ago (and at The Rockstar Bar in January), it'll be nice to see this talented trio back on stage after a family emergency scuttled their last planned shows at The Algonquin in late February, so keep their gig on Saturday in mind for an entertaining night of high energy covers! For reference, this is a one-night-only event due to the previously announced Cherry Crush show at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow night. Admission should be around $5 on Saturday night, there is a start time of 10:30 PM, and you must be 19 or older to attend. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! Despite the late notice, don't miss Greg, Mike, and Jon's always entertaining show tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's Stiffler's Mom covering Ozzy Osbourne at The Canadian!

Moving to previously announced concerts, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Pub & Grill continues TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! The 19th straight week of his current run at the former Madison's Pub, this marks the second weekend of his current double scheduling that will see him play at and host the usual Friday jam/open mid night, but also headline a normal acoustic show on Saturday, which is a great sign for how well this relationship has gone over the last five months, though it does leave questions about whether we'll see a full Caveman Morrison show in the near future, Still, don't miss his acoustic hard rock and metal covers this weekend! Remember, due to the immense length of bookings on his website's concert calendar, we're only plugging shows a month at a time on here. Admission is likely free for both Friday & Saturday night, each show starts at 10:00 PM, and there's a 19+ age limit in effect. For more details, visit the Facebook event page, and here's Tym covering Heart!



Finally for known verifiable hard rock shows this weekend is the return of Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen in Hessel in February, these are Banned's first scheduled Kewadin appearances since their Relentless Tour set at The Dreammaker's Theater in December, but I will give a caveat for this weekend's shows, as Banned have not updated their Facebook page since the aforementioned Hessel shows two months ago. Alex, Don, and Jim haven't played too many dates yet this year, and while they do have two upcoming Sault Kewadin weekends this year, the slow updates are a bit concerning. We'll let you know if we hear anything about their status, but we'll treat these shows as on! Banned are scheduled for tomorrow & Saturday night at 9:00 PM, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, don't miss Banned this weekend for some entertaining covers & originals, and here's Banned covering The Black Keys last year!



Finally for today, we have some new videos from Sault Ontario sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA to share! One is actually an unlisted video from almost a year ago on singer/guitarist Darby Wigwaus' YouTube channel, and it's of the guys playing their song "Tertiary Syphillis" in their jam session area "Das Bunker". It was recently shared on Facebook, but why's it still unlisted all this time later? Aside from the odd camera angle that only shows bassist Marty Chase with any full clarity (and Darby almost not at all), the audio's solid and brutal for this familiar original, so check it out above if you want! Embedded below though is a new live concert video from AlgomA's set at 180 Projects opening for Skynet on March 16th, as posted to their YouTube channel on Tuesday. Featuring artistic and cryptic titles and captions (including messages like "Soon I'll Feast" and "Heavy Brutal Prison" in Latin), the heavily filtered video quality resembles an archaic digital camera, but it captures their lengthy original "The Electric Fence" in brutal form!

Yes, 180 Projects still has a projector on hand for accompanying videos during sets, which I love for the unique ambiance, though the filtering makes them hard to discern. Another unique post-production addition: Song lyrics are included in Courier New font above Darby when sung, so if you want the lyrics, they're there for you! Solid artistic license and sludge metal action all around, so check out AlgomA's new video below, and don't miss them at Dank Fest next weekend!



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

Skynet/Chronobot Concert Preview, Swampstravaganza Lineup Updates, And More!!

In quite possibly our last news post before TOMORROW'S Anvil concert at The Canadian, we have our last of the weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews (barring something on late notice), big lineup updates for an upcoming all ages show, and some new videos related to a (possibly still alive?) hard rock act, so here's what you need to know!

On Sunday night, an interesting lineup of metal and punk bands will hit 180 Projects for that Gore Street venue's first metal show of the new year, including the long awaited local debut of Hamilton progressive metal quartet Skynet as the headliners! Featuring alumni of Straight Reads The Line, you may remember Skynet from briefly being scheduled to headline at The Locals Attack in November 2012, but now they're finally going to devastate the local stage with their groove & djent influenced originals, so you won't wanna miss them! Joining them are Saskatchewan stoner/doom metal quartet Chronobot, who have a space-influenced vibe that will definitely help them stand out among the other bands tomorrow, and of course, doom metal fans should be right at home too! The local openers include local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA in their first show of the new year, and while they haven't played live in 7 months, they've hardly been idle due to the recording of their "Reclaimed By The Forest" EP, so might we hear some new material from them on Sunday night?

Local punk trio The Northern Tragedy will open this show in their second 180 Projects appearance, and while they're the only non-metal band on the bill, their entertaining originals should gain a solid audience all the same! Promoted by Jamie Vincent & Oh! Right Arm! Promotions in their first collective show of the year, Sunday night's ALL AGES show has a $5 cover charge, and a 7:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I like the diverse lineup of bands, and there should be a lot of heavy action going down on Sunday, so don't miss out! I hope I can go, but we'll have to see how busy I am that night. For a preview, here's Skynet's music video for their song "Deception"!



Next up, three more acts have been announced for this year's fourth Sewer Swampstravaganza on May 3rd at The Oddfellows Hall, though considering the combined lineup of one, it's almost four! One is local funk/metal trio The Strange Coyotes, in what will be the second straight Swampstravaganza appearance for bassist James Watterworth, but it remains to be seen how their drummer situation will look by then. For reference sake, their Facebook page has not made any drummer announcements yet, but their predecessor band Project Legion operated solely with temporary fill-ins, and the surviving members play solo often without the need for a drummer. Speaking of which, their former drummer Mike Haggith is also slated to perform this year in what's currently being advertised as a solo set (perhaps his first of this kind since his Outback gigs early in his local residence.) Mike did say on the Facebook event page that it could be expanded to a set by his acid jam band Mike Haggith & The Din, but he did admit that he'd like to showcase his original material live, so we'll have to see what happens in his own second Swampstravaganza!

The other new band is actually credited as a joint set, as remember local/Grand Rapids folk/acoustic trio Ye Olde Mold Pickers from the second Swampstravaganza in 2012? Well, they're reuniting for at least one night on May 3rd in a combined set with their successors, Grand Rapids ragtime/blues trio The Filthy Cur, whose lineup is almost the same (just swap out Rihkee Strap for Mickey MacKenzie.) It remains to be seen if the two bands will merge for a full set, or if each individual band will play short mini-sets, but Ye Olde Mold Pickers had a unique sound that will be interesting to see back on the local stage, if only for a day! If they do play a combined full set, would Ye Olde Filthy Curs be a fitting name? Finally, the advertised solo set from promoter/RedD Monkey frontman Steve Mozarowski under the "faceityoureametalband" handle has been removed from the event page's lineup for unannounced reasons, though Steve did say that his performing involvement was not final.

Disappointing, but kudos to him for bringing the Swampstravaganza back this year! This year's Swampstravaganza lineup now has 7 confirmed acts, and I would assume at least 2 or 3 more are forthcoming, so stay tuned for updates at this link and here at the SMS!

Finally for today, here's some new videos from Brutaly Fatal frontman Austin McCrae! Uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Wednesday, these join YouTube re-posts of two recent Facebook videos that Austin was featured in, and they're covers of Weezer's "Pork & Beans" and (as embedded below) Marcy Playground's "Sex & Candy"! Now, neither are metal songs, but I mention them here because they are both credited setlist songs of Austin and Tyler Gibson's punk/grunge band Re-Born, which morphed from the original Brutaly Fatal last month before they resurrected that band. I still don't know whether Re-Born are still operating independently or not, but either way, these are samples of what we can/could expect from that project. They do show Austin's development as a musician, and he can carry a tune, but the lack of a guitar here is noticeable, and will be more so live for this style. Check out his Marcy Playground cover below, and stay tuned in case we hear any updates on Re-Born's active status!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, and I'll see you guys at The Canadian for Anvil! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Late & Loud, The Suicide Kings, And Skynet) And More!!

On this Wednesday afternoon, we have a stacked news post featuring some very notable LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS over the next three months, along with some more recent news items, so read on below for what you need to know!

Local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings will play their first live dates of 2014 when they headline at The Roosevelt Hotel next weekend on Friday, January 24th & Saturday, January 25th! These will be the Rockstar Bar Battle winners' first shows since playing at Heavy Winter at The Rosie on Boxing Day, and their first solo appearances there in 8 months, so if you haven't caught their entertaining hard rock originals and covers lately, you know where to be next weekend! Dates for The Suicide Kings haven't been as plentiful since the summer, but hopefully next weekend's shows are just the first of many for Mike, Steven, Mitch, and Ben in 2014! There's no announced cover charge for either night, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are likely. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more updates from The Suicide Kings' camp as they come in!

Next up, defunct local classic metal quartet Late & Loud are indeed reuniting! The Sault Humane Society Battle winners will return for a ONE NIGHT ONLY concert on Friday, February 21st at The Rockstar Bar, where we last saw them 9 months ago at the aforementioned Rockstar Bar Battle, and this news is bound to get Loudmouths excited! Late & Loud were always a blast in concert thanks to their high energy originals and old school attitude, so don't bypass their reunion gig next month! Remember though, this is a one-off reunion, as singer/guitarist Jon Tiberi still lives & works out of town, but it will be nice to see them back on a local stage! Local all-female hard rock quintet The Danger Cats will open in their first show at The Algonquin's upstairs bar (and as of right now, their 2014 debut), and they should fit in nicely with the Late & Loud reunion next month! At least one more band is to be announced, and we'll keep you posted as we hear more.

Promoted by J.D. Pearce, this show has a 10:00 PM start time, $5 cover, and 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great concert, especially to give fans at least one more chance to see Late & Loud live, and hopefully they come fully prepared to rock The Rockstar Bar next month, so don't miss it, and keep an eye out for updates!

Finally for new concert announcements, an intriguing package of metal bands will hit 180 Projects on Gore Street for that venue's first metal show of the new year on Sunday, March 16th, courtesy of Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions. The headlining band is Hamilton groove/djent metal quartet Skynet (featuring Straight Reads The Line alumni Adrian Levasseur & Blake Prince), so there's some familiarity if you saw that band locally! You may also remember Skynet from briefly being advertised to headline the Locals Attack show at The Canadian in November 2012, and it's about time we finally get their brutal hardcore metal sound in the Soo! Joining them in March are Saskatchewan stoner/doom metal quartet Chronobot, who have a unique spacey sound that should set them apart for this concert, so check them out and see what you think! Local doom metal trio AlgomA will open in their first show of the new year (and first public announced date since August), and it will be great to see them live again after a way too scattered recent schedule, so be prepared for their sludgy attack!

At least one more band is to be announced, and we'll let you guys know when we hear more. Admission is $5 for this ALL AGES concert, and given that, there's an earlier start time of 7:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Despite being a Sunday nighter, there's a very interesting (and heavy) blend of metal genres in effect for this concert, so definitely consider swinging by 180 Projects on March 16th to check everything out, and stay tuned for updates!

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

• A new melodic death metal instrumental with the interesting name "100% of the Pie Chart That Is a Wheel of Options" was posted onto local metal solo project The Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe's Soundcloud page last week, and it lives up to Matt Parr's earlier technical metal promise (really catchy too), so check it out above!
• The call is out from the Bon Soo Winter Carnival to get performers for their second annual Marquee, their outdoor showcase of local artists from all fields at their winter playground area from February 8th-16th. Though last year's event had no full "heavier" bands, defunct local rockers Lazer Queen (featuring Late & Loud members) did play at The Marquee, so maybe your band will fit! For more information, visit this link, and submit an entry to snow@bonsoo.on.ca if you want to play at The Marquee next month!
• Returning local thrash quartet Pillory have been named the final local openers for Anvil & Caym at The Canadian Nightclub on March 15th, joining Jack Spades & Project 421, and returning Pillory to the site of their debut show in November 2012. Awesome news, and very unexpected, so hopefully they thrash hard in March, and don't miss their first return gig next Friday at The Oddfellows Hall! Click here for more details!

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

Mike Haggith & The Din's Breakup, And Much More Assorted Notes!!

Back to the news today as we slowly wind down October 2013, so what's on tap for this Monday afternoon? Mostly some recent shorter news items, but first, we do have new goregrind material and a new band breakup to take note of, so read on below for what you need to know! (Updated on Tuesday at 4:20 PM)

Local acid jam/hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din are also breaking up (or have already?), joining sister band Haggith's planned dissolution in December. The news was revealed on frontman Mike Haggith's solo project's Facebook page on Saturday night, and though a direct public reason for The Din's breakup hasn't been made, I'm fairly certain it's for the same amicable/personal reasons that Haggith are breaking up. Featuring 3/4ths of Haggith in shuffled roles, and playing extended jam versions of Mike's solo material, this short-lived project only played one public concert in Sault Ontario (at Bushplane Musical Madness II in July), though other gigs took place at private events, and helped provide nice quality audio recordings that later made their way to YouTube. I thought Mike Haggith & The Din was a solid outlet to get more of Mike's original material to a wider audience, but best of luck to Mike, Curtis, and Daniel in their future plans! No word though on what this means for other bands that Haggith members were in this year (i.e. Sound X, Purple Core, and The Nirvanabees), but I don't believe Mike's solo project as a whole is ending.

Perhaps as a last act as a band, Mike did post two live audio recordings of him & The Din playing the originals "Lay My Body Down To Rest" and (as embedded below) "Limb Coast" at Bushplane Musical Madness II onto his YouTube channel on Saturday, and it provides the same entertaining jam rock sound that fans were accustomed to from their few live dates, so give it a look below, and don't miss Haggith's last two shows at The New A next month and at The Algonquin in December!



Next up, here's a new audio upload from Blood Shed Productions goregrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm! This video comprises of this project's part of the label's "Bloody 3-Way" split demo with Rotopsy & Brutaly Fatal, and though we've heard most of these 5 songs before, the first and last ones ("Malignant Neoplastic Disease" & "Postmortal Inflammation") are new to YouTube and weren't posted earlier as single tracks. Totalling just 5:26 in length, the songs continue with Ringsnaps Gibson's medical & more techno-influenced themes while incorporating his usual grind vocals & style, so if you like his other projects and this genre, give the full Malignant Neoplasm third of the demo a listen below!



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

• As they've now hosted two distinct public concerts with hard rock/metal acts (the Soul Killing Female & Project Legion-headlined shows), I've now added 180 Projects' Facebook page to our active Sault Ontario venue listings on your left! A concert spot and art exhibition space at 180 Gore Street (the former MJ's building), it's great to have an active host for concerts on Gore again, and stay tuned for more on their next show bookings!
• Recently dormant hardcore quintet As It Stands revealed on their Facebook page on Friday that they're back to jamming and hope to play some concerts A.S.A.P.! They also said that they're planning to have mostly new material, but unlike their 2010 reunion, they will have a few older songs & were asking through Facebook what old songs should be brought back. I don't think they should scrap most of their old songs, but I can't wait to see As It Stands back, as it's been far too long! Stay tuned for updates!
• I've moved both the new Coch's Corner and The Harp Pub & Grill (formerly Madison's Pub) to our active Sault Ontario venue listings as well due to their recent return to hard rock bookings, albeit in their current all-acoustic directions (so for convenience, I've noted there that both venues host only unplugged music acts.) I also deleted the separate Madison's link that we had, as it was changed to a Harp personal account to go with the new name, and no other Madison's pages remain online.
• Last week, a review and photo album of last weekend's One Bad Son/Crash Karma show at The Rockstar Bar by SooToday's Donna Hopper was posted online at this link, featuring some positive comments on the bands, including the headlining supergroup! For hard rock fans, she gave nice brief thoughts on them and also took 5 photos of them in the included album (though all 22 are black and white.) Solid as usual, so check everything out above!
• I don't usually go back & edit news posts this old, but I was asked to give full name credit to an earlier artist mention on here, so I thought I should do that! In this November 2012 post (mostly related to assorted shorter stories like this), I mentioned that an artist named "Morkryd" had featured on metal material from ex-Dark Salvation singer's Kevin Calder's most recent solo work, but I now know that Morkryd's real name is John Verdone. Thanks to John for the clarification!
• Asylum Country drummer T.J. Case (who recently had brief stints with Jack Spades & Project Legion) is again looking to join a new local band, as he's not playing live often, and he's even open to fill in with a band if need be. T.J.'s a solid drummer with metal experience, so if your band needs a drummer, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week!

That's all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for more updates and our preview of Wednesday's Bear Hunters-headlined all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall! Thanks everyone!

Soul Killing Female Concert Review!!

Before we promote the full details on the bands and schedule for next month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, here's my review of last night's Soul Killing Female-headlined metal show at 180 Projects on Gore Street! As this was my first ever time at this building since it's rebirth as an arts/concert venue, let's start with some thoughts on the building itself, so here's what you need to know!

I don't remember 180 Projects' past as MJ's to compare it, but the concert venue space is at the 178 Gore entrance, and the second floor was (as best as I can tell) storage. There was an art exhibition of some kind to the left of the concert area, and though things were somewhat barren, there was some interesting art pieces on the walls, and an inviting loft atmosphere with some lounge chairs for patrons to use! I'd personally like to see them display some for-sale local art pieces during open periods (similarly to what Feedback did in late 2011), but I don't know how feasible that is. I also really enjoyed the projector that shown videos on the right wall in front of the stage, which the two metal bands used to quality effect, and I hope this is a regular feature for future concerts! Plus, the pre-show videos on Aboriginal culture and rights by B.C. filmmaker Chris Bose were interesting both culturally and visually, including some trippy and experimental visuals that really caught my attention, so I recommend checking them out at this link!

Now to the bands, and after a delay from the 7:00 PM start time, the first band was actually new local band AlgomA rather than Honest Job, who were bumped to last on the bill due to (I believe) a band member's job commitments. Now, AlgomA have kept their profile low-key until yesterday, so we didn't know much on them, so what can we say now? Their sound is definitely metal, but far removed from any other current local bands, as they play a very sludgy mix of doom metal and hardcore (picture Winkstinger + late era Woods of Ypres), along with some effective samples and some cool silent movie footage to go with their set! As you may remember, guitarist Boyd Rendell & bassist Kevin Campbell were previously in the local hardcore/punk band BeeFMouTH in the late 1990s, and while AlgomA's sound is similar (especially thanks to Boyd's high pitched yelling vocals), they're no where near as fast or punk influenced. Myself, I really liked their set, as it was heavy, locally original, and very aggressive, and if you'd have heard Kevin's voice after co-singing last night, you'd know they gave their all!

There are things to work on though with AlgomA though, like they could stand to be a bit more lively and inviting, especially with their lack of banter with the crowd, as it did give a somewhat cold & serious vibe. Also, Boyd often played with his back to the crowd when he wasn't singing, which makes me wonder if he was nervous to be back on stage? Overall though, this was a good first gig, and Jamie Vincent's drumming fit well also for their debut! If they can work out the kinks, they'll be a definite band to watch soon!

Next was the advertised headliners, Winnipeg cyber-sludge metal band Soul Killing Female in their second local concert appearance! I was out of town when they came to the Oddfellows Hall last year, but I must say, I should have been there to see them then, as they were quite impressive! Shorter than expected set aside, they tore through some very solid technical metal originals, all of which were nicely accompanied by their own projector video! Project mastermind Michael Lewis made use of his bass talents and vocal aggression well throughout, and he added some liveliness and activity to the floor as well! The band's other live members also fit in nicely throughout, with James Jansen's keyboard and sampling work standing out especially, which is more proof that in the right hands, computer effects have a place in metal! The big problem with Soul Killing Female's set was the audio quality, which seemed badly muffled, and by the end of their set, Michael's vocals were almost inaudible.

I don't know what happened, but I'd love to see them live with the audio kinks worked out, and hopefully they'll come back, as they're a very talented and original band, and they have a unique sound and setup that would be welcomed here a third time!

Lastly last night was newer local garage/folk rock quartet Honest Job, who I've never seen live before, so what can I say about them? Their sound is diverse, ranging from ethnic-leaning folk songs (complete with accordion) to folk-inspired rock songs that, though not heavy, demonstrated clear talent! Aside from a Pixies cover, their songs were all original, including some songs in an ongoing concept series on Tarot cards by frontman John Hobbes, to a song dedicated to former local band/YMCA Battle competitors Waterslide (I wonder if any Honest Job members were in that band?) I liked their collective talents (even if I'm not entirely sure of their complete identities), and they shown good guitar and drum talents, but this show did seem like an ill fit for their genre. Diversity never hurts though, and Honest Job put in an honest set last night that was very good for their style, and they definitely have a good future locally!

Overall, this was an entertaining first concert at 180 Projects, and it's great to see live metal music back on Gore Street after a 2½ year hiatus! If more concerts get booked there, this could very well be a big new venue, so support it and here's hoping we get some new metal concerts there soon! Also, kudos to AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent for his first promoted local concert since beginning his new all ages promotion agency, and while this was somewhat of a soft launch (minimal promotion, no visible underage attendees), I see a lot of promise! I got a bunch of photos last night, so click here to check them out or visit our Facebook page, and for videos, here's AlgomA playing their song "Tertiary Syphillis" and Soul Killing Female playing their CD title track "Of Human Bondage"!





That's all for today, but stay tuned for all of the details on the schedule and bands (possibly minus one mystery act) at next month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands! Thanks everyone!