Here is this month's YouTube Channel Profile, continuing our monthly spotlighting of YouTube channels with at least half of their content comprised of local metal, hard rock, or punk artists and/or concerts! As the first channel that we randomly selected only has 6 videos of 2 bands from 1 concert, not a lot of distinct content to stretch out to three featured videos naturally, so I picked a single video channel to fill things out with. Punk and black metal fans will find stuff to like here, so here's what you should know!
Owner: Unknown, but they are likely from Sault Ste. Marie
Channel Timeline:Launched on November 20th, 2019; All videos uploaded that same day
Channel Summary:All six of the videos on Concert Channel's.... channel come fromThe Offspring & Sum 41's co-headlining concert at GFL Memorial Gardens on November 19th, 2019, one day before this channel and these videos went live. All videos uploaded have identical titles for each band's set with no distinction of songs. Why You Should Watch:If you loved or regretted missing The Offspring's local date (still the most recent major hard rock or punk show at the former Essar Centre), this channel will be very worth your time, though the scratchy audio compared to videos from other filmers may be a turnoff for some. Note that Concert Channel did not upload anything of opening English alternative hard rock band Dinosaur Pile-Up's set, but click here for videos from them and much more. Also, note that this channel has not seen any public updates since these videos were posted.
Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:
The Offspring - Live at Sault Ste. Marie: Four of the videos on the Concert Channel feature the multi-platinum California punk band The Offspring playing their songs "Want You Bad", "Bad Habit", "Gotta Get Away", and as featured here, their then-new song "It Won't Get Better". As I noted back in 2019, these are not optimal views, with a sharp almost-side stage camera angle, very bright stage lighting, and scratchy audio quality all being concerns, not to mention frontman Dexter Holland sometimes straining to hit the high notes, but the performances are generally solid and enthusiastic as you'd hope!
Sum 41 - Live at Sault Ste. Marie: As for Ajax, Ontario punk/metal quintet Sum 41's set, Concert Channel got videos of them playing "Motivation" and, in the channel's most popular upload, "We Are All To Blame". While the video quality has the same issues as on the Offspring videos, Sum 41's hard rocking genre blend comes through well, and the attendee involvement for lighters and such was welcomed on the softer parts of "We Are All To Blame", so Sum 41 fans will be right at home, especially after the long, long wait for them to play in the Soo again!
Channel Timeline:Launched on August 13th, 2016; Only video uploaded on January 9th, 2017
Channel Summary:Effectively the official YouTube channel for 2016-2018 atmospheric black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest, Wyrn's only upload here is their debut album "The End of Life", which was simultaneously released that day on Bandcamp. This EP will give genre fans a solid slice of dark, cold black metal (albeit without vocals) that the Soo had lacked for too long, and the convenience of a YouTube copy will be appreciated! However, Wyrn did not post Abhorrent Forest's two later EPs here, nor their one off singles, so head to Bandcamp to hear those, and the channel fell out of use after the project fell inactive.
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! In some bizarrely fitting timing, next month's random selection is of the official channel of a band we just introduced you guys to on the SMS the other day, that being new Sault Michigan metal band Buddy Repperton & The Camaros! I swear this was a random pick, happy coincidences just come once in a while, but luckily, The Camaros have lots of videos online to go through! Look for all of this on or around April 26th, and for more news and notes next week! Thanks everyone!
Today's news post is a little different, but by no means lacking in information, and it constitutes some long overdue updates to our defunct band links, as a number of past local bands listed on the SMS have seen their primary link deleted, either by band members directly or via the closure of the site that the page was hosted on. I was able to salvage some names, but not all, and you will find information on the first 12 links below in alphabetical order! All are from Sault Ontario unless otherwise stated:
I have changed the link for mid-2000s local punk band A Fall From Innocence due to the deletion of their page on Bandspace, a music networking service that quietly shut down without any visible warning in early 2017. I now have them listed via their MySpace page, which barely has enough surviving material to warrant a present link. Hopefully everyone's doing well nowadays, and don't miss alumni Wayne Watkins & Marc Santos with their current band Northwest once they can play live again!
I have changed the link for late 2010s black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest from their now-deleted Facebook page to their Bandcamp page, which still hosts copies of their three studio albums. As one of the few acts to carry the black metal flag locally, I hope Old Man Wyrn resurfaces with new music of some kind!
I have removed early 2010s Sault Michigan acoustic hard rock band All The Dirty Words In One from our band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page in the last few years. A.T.D.W.I.O. had some promise, and hopefully Josh, Cody, and Dan are still working on new music in some form!
I have removed mid-2000s ska punk band Break The Violence from our defunct band links due to the quiet deletion of their Tripod page at some point in the last few years. In this case, this isn't a massive loss, given that most of the band would form the far better regarded As It Stands shortly afterwards, so be sure to check them out!
I have removed early 2000s Sault Michigan death metal band Bludgeoned's posthumous Reverbnation page from our defunct band links due to it's quiet deletion in the last couple of years. Given their original run was two decades ago, we should be glad this existed at all, but hopefully the guys are still active in music!
I have changed the link for 2000s-early 2010s metal cover trio Caveman Morrison from their now-closed website to their Facebook group. Tym's Flash-heavy band and solo websites were well made and useful for content, but his musical and personal approaches have evolved so much since then. Look for Tym Morrison's next live-streamed solo concerts on Tuesday & Thursday!
I have changed the link for mid-2000s noise metal duo Das Skalpell Kampf from their now-deleted Facebook page to their Bandcamp page, which still hosts two original songs and relevant band information. "Fonzy" and "Chachi" had an intriguing thing going with their extreme metal attack, and hopefully the guys have new music in the works in some form, regardless of stage name!
I have changed the link for late 2000s metal band Despised Eyes from their now-deleted Facebook page to their MySpace page, which still has barely enough material to be a replacement. It would have been nice to see Despised Eyes pick up where D.O.T.H. left off, but hopefully everyone's still musically active!
I have sadly removed early-mid 2010s classic/hard rock band Havadder from our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in the last couple of years. Other official pages survive, but they have nothing of substance that is publically viewable, alas. Jason and crew had a good 7 year run, and hopefully we hear more music from their wide array of band members!
I have changed the link for early-mid 2010s progressive metal solo project Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe from their now-deleted Facebook page to their Bandcamp page, which still hosts their 2014 self-titled EP. Project-leader Matt Parr has since moved back to his hometown of London, where he has since joined the alt-rock quartet Czech Hotel, so give them a listen to see what he's been up to!
I have removed mid-2010s punk supergroup Killer from our defunct band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in the last few years, and I don't believe they had a page elsewhere. Non-seasonal successors to the one-off Rude-Offs from Toystock IV, this band had an impressive lineup, but never got off the ground in 2016 as planned. Look for members in Destroilet, Treble Charger, and Bone Yard once the pandemic ends (hopefully!)
Lastly for now, I have removed 2005 local punk/emo band Murder By Romance due to the deletion of their Tripod (and only surviving online) page at some point in the last few years. An all-female punk band in this era was definitely intriguing in concept, and hopefully their members are still musically active in some form!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles, as we continue our monthly spotlighting of local metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands randomly selected from our inactive band links, in order to spotlight their runs for current readers! As our selection this month only had limited public information, I randomly chose a second band to fill things out, and by pure Random.org happenstance, that band has a common member, genre, and overall existence, so at least things go together accidentally! I did not plan this, I never do! That said, here's what you should know for this month! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abhorrent Forest
Audio/Video:Alongside a one-off single and a Drudkh cover, Abhorrent Forest released three EPs to their Bandcamp page, including their January 2017 debut "The End of Life", the ambient-centric follow-up "Ethereal", and 2018's "To See Eternity". This material comprised of basically all of Abhorrent Forest's public activity, so give them a listen above and below (via Wyrn's YouTube channel) to see what you think!
Info/Analysis:Effectively the Sevriz-free successors to mid-2010s atmospheric black metal duo Dullahan, Abhorrent Forest publically launched in October 2016 as an instrumental solo project. After the release of "To See Eternity" in March 2018, Abhorrent Forest quietly fell inactive, but they do deserve notice from genre fans, especially as black metal is not common locally. Most of their songs were punishing and bleak in a good way, and while ambient music isn't in my wheelhouse, "Ethereal" had a lot of dark, ominous qualities that worked as well. Hopefully Wyrn revisits and expands on this material down the road, there is something here! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dullahan
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Hometown:Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Members: (Note that band members never revealed their identities publically during Dullahan's run, and vowed never to do so. Sevriz has similarly not given his identity on social media since they fell inactive. I do know each member's real name, but unless explicitly given the go-ahead, I'll only refer to them by their stage names here.)
Old Man Wyrn (Abhorrent Forest), guitar/bass
Sevriz, drums/keyboard
Audio/Video:Predating his work with Abhorrent Forest, Wyrn released a smattering of material in late 2015 as part of Dullahan, including a free EP named "The Wood Cutter", covers of Burzum and Absurd songs, and a February 2016 track named "The Sea of Depression" that was once planned for their unfinished second EP. You can hear these on their own Bandcamp page and YouTube channel, and here is "The Wood Cutter" in full!
Info/Analysis:Named after a headless rider in Irish mythology, Dullahan were an instrumental duo that launched publically in June 2015, Dullahan's existence was similar to that of Abhorrent Forest's to come, but they were more vocal in social media updates and song descriptions. A second EP was in the works when a family illness forced band activity to be shelved, aside from the release of "The Sea of Depression". Musically rawer, slower, and more deliberate than Abhorrent Forest, Dullahan's music still impresses given the two-man limitations, and Sevriz's drumming fits right in! It's a shame both projects aren't active, but hopefully the guys resurface! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! This series will return on or around October 10th when we close out our latest 2-1-3-1-2-1 cycle between the Twin Saults by looking at late 2000s Sault Michigan punk band The Pick-Me-Ups, who you may recall from our first YouTube Channel Profile of the year! Look for that then, and for more news and previews soon! Thanks everyone!
We haven't had a post on here that wasn't focused around weekend concert previews, a single band, or a single concert on here since March 3rd, so let's remedy that with a new news post today! Along with some assorted news posts and a video from a big recent concert, let's begin with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month, plus new videos from it's headliners!
Local power rock quintet Re:Born will play their fourth live show and first of 2019 when they headline a special Soo Blaster concert on Friday, March 29th! Essentially a warm-up gig for the Killer Dwarfs concert at the same venue on April 27th (which Re:Born are opening), this will be the Project 421 successors' first public concert in over five months, and will notably mark their live debut with new frontwoman Elly McWatters, prior guest spots excepted. This should be a solid opportunity to let Elly get warmed up before they open for The Killer Dwarfs next month, so come out at month's end to see how she does! As far as I know, guitarist Frank McGillivray will not be present at this concert due to his ongoing work commitments out of town. The opening act on the 29th will be local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, in his Soo Blaster debut, and marking a rare support appearance from him at a non-charity/festival gig.
Tym's unplugged and prolific covers should prove to be a fitting support on this night, so if you can't make it to Gliss that evening, you have a second chance! This 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge, and while a start time wasn't announced when Re:Born first plugged the show on their Facebook page yesterday, remember that Tym's Friday matinee concerts tend to end by 10:00 PM. While Soo Blaster isn't a common venue for us yet, Re:Born and Tym Morrison should provide a solid compliment at the Queen Street East sports bar in a few weeks, so definitely visit the above links for more details! While we're on the subject, Re:Born posted two new jam session videos to their Facebook page on Saturday, including their rendition of Black Sabbath's "Children of the Sea" and, as embedded below, their new-ish original "Die Another Day", so how does the new lineup (minus Frank) sound so far?
Laid out more like a concert stage this time out, the songs are strongly performed, and Elly's voice has a nice melody to it that suits the material, but her stage presence is still a little stiff. I'm curious to hear more, but will more videos turn up before March 29th? Stay tuned just in case, but give Re:Born's new video performances a look above & below!
Next up, here's the fifth and final video that Christopher Paci shot at the Joni Radford memorial concert (a.k.a. the Punk Rock Princess Fest) on March 2nd, namely of Algonquin Pub openers Stegadeth covering SNFU's "Painful Reminder"! Filmed on the vertical camera angle, Chris still got a good vantage point, roughly the same as on his Jack Spades video from later that night. Tiffany's hard to hear vocally, but the cover is well done, so give it a look below, and see more from this event via Chris' YouTube channel!
Finally, here's some assorted shorter news
items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order
by artist or promoter name:
I have moved local black metal/ambient solo project Abhorrent Forest to our inactive band links, as they have not posted a public update to their Facebook page (cover photo update aside) since releasing their "To See Eternity" EP one year ago yesterday. Featuring one half of Dullahan, Abhorrent Forest were primarily known for their three Bandcamp EP releases in 2017 & 2018, never venturing out of the studio or even adding a vocalist. Wyrn had promising material in the locally limited black metal scene, and here's hoping he brings Abhorrent Forest back down the line!
A local guitarist
named Jasper Collins is looking for other musicians (ideally bassists,
drummers, and other guitarists) to jam with, though he's not looking for
gigs at present, and having room to play is an asset. Other than Jasper
citing "rock & metal" as what he likes to play, I don't know anything
about his musical background, but if you'd like more
details, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from February 23rd!
On February 26th, local concert promoters Live705 shared the logo for the acclaimed American independent label Metal Blade Records onto their Facebook page,
while noting that "2019 is going to be a good year for metal. More
details coming soon." This at least heavily implies that Live705 has
booked a concert featuring a current Metal Blade artist for later this
year, but if true, who, where, and when? Stay tuned if updates come in!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With news quiet this week, let's break the silence with our 107th monthly CD review on the SMS, namely our review of local black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest's third EP "To See Eternity"! Released to their Bandcamp page on March 11th, this release is a return to their primary genre after the ambient-focused "Ethereal" in September, and is described on Bandcamp as "an EP made in the late winter nights". Once again, Abhorrent Forest is represented on this self-produced and independently released album by Will "Old Man Wyrn" Tholberg (or just "Wyrn") on all instruments, and the project remains an instrumental effort. As was the case with "Ethereal", "To See Eternity" is available for $10 at the above links, and while you can stream it free there as well, consider buying it to support Old Man Wyrn's work! Featuring 4 songs running for about 22 minutes total, let's begin this month's CD review with it's opening and shortest track, "Plague"!
Starting with brutal and devastating instrumentation that completely reverses course from "Ethereal", this song has a very ominous guitar riff that almost sounds like a villain's theme music in an epic video game. The drums aren't as varied as they could be, but I love the guitar work and the bass is a very solid match to it. This is a song that's begging for better production values and perhaps vocals, but as it stands, it's definitely a highlight of this EP! This song sounds like it ends abruptly, but it appears to flow right into the second track "Asunder", which moves from the grandiose dramatic feel to more of a traditional black metal vibe with rapid fire drumming and drone-like guitar work, while still maintaining a steady aggression. The song changes pace to a slower, more deliberate rhythm late, and this will definitely please black metal loyalists more than "Plague". Myself, I find the instrument mix is muddier here, and while this is well in range, I do prefer the opener overall.
"Season of Death" comes third, and I'd be lying if I didn't say this gave me a "Black Sabbath" vibe (as in, the band's self-titled song.) The cadence of the guitars, the ominous thunder sound effects, the deliberate pacing, it's all there for the first half. The song varies in the second half with a faster groove, and starts to diversify itself to good effect, with solid bass and drumming all around, though the latter use of the thunder effects feel thrown in, and the abrupt ending doesn't do much for it. The first half feels too derivative, but the second half helps bring it home! The EP's title track "To See Eternity" closes things, and at a whopping 9:07 runtime to boot! This lengthy track starts with more black metal intensity a'la "Asunder", but it sounds cleaner and heavier all at once, if that makes sense. The marching eerie sound is a bonus, and Wyrn's straightforward heavy guitar riffs are always a plus! At the same time, similar instrumental sections are extended to lengths that get very repetitive, without much structural variance.
This especially strikes me as a song that could have been severely chopped down without losing anything substantial, which doesn't take anything away from Wyrn's solid performances and the brutality on display! I just find that the song would work better if it was shorter and less repetitive, but fans of Abhorrent Forest's black metal material will definitely enjoy the closer!
So, how do I sum up Abhorrent Forest's third EP? Well, it's definitely a return to form for black metal fans, and pound for pound, their strongest overall release to date! I especially loved "Plague", which showcases Old Man Wyrn's musical diversity very well with a grand, ominous sound that shows a lot of potential beyond just black metal and ambient compositions! In more traditional black metal territory, the rest of the album delivers the good with strong guitar work and assaulting riffs and drum tracks, and I liked that the cymbals were toned down from "The End of Life" too. That all said, the title track dragged on too long without any major changes in tempo or structure, "Season of Death" is almost too Black Sabbathy in it's first half, and I am still curious to hear how this material would sound with vocals. Abhorrent Forest are on an upward trajectory for sure, and I'm very curious to hear what Wyrn has in store next, so buy or stream "To See Eternity" at the above links!
I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Next month, barring a sudden huge album release, I am planning to keep with new CD reviews via looking at defunct local alt-hard rock trio The Din's posthumous live album "Suburban Sendoff", which was released in February but held until this point due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer (having just reviewed their last studio album in December.) Look for that at some point next month, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!
Here's a new news post for your Tuesday morning delectation, so what's on the docket today? A band moved to our inactive links, a new concert video, and a new album release, but we'll lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you should know!
Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who will return to Sault Ste. Marie for another headlining concert on Friday, April 6th at The Rockstar Bar! Though not yet advertised online that I have found, this poster at the venue proper confirms the show, which takes place the same day as Shit Liver's release tour stop downstairs at The Algonquin Pub, so keep that in mind as well for the 6th. Fans will recall seeing Who Made Who's faithful sounding and looking tribute to AC/DC at The Rockstar Bar last April, and numerous times prior in the early 2010s, so their brand of high voltage rock & roll has definitely found an audience in the Soo, and here's hoping their return next month provides more of the same! This 19+ concert will likely have a 9:00 PM start time, and while admission fees have not yet been announced publically, note that last year's Who Made Who show had $10 tickets that you could buy at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk. Both floors of The Algonquin will be rocking on the 6th, so see above for more details on this concert!
Next up, we have a surprise new album release to note on here, as local instrumental black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest have posted their third EP online, in their first public act since releasing their second ("Ethereal") last fall! Entitled "To See Eternity", this was posted to the project's Bandcamp page yesterday, and marks a return to Old Man Wyrn's black metal roots after "Ethereal" dove head first into ambient compositions. This EP is currently on sale on Bandcamp for $10, but you can stream all four tracks for free there as well. It's great to see Abhorrent Forest active and recording, even if we only seem to hear from them when they release a new album on us! That said, when can you expect a review of "To See Eternity" on the SMS? Not this month, as this is the last month of our 6 month anti-bias buffer since reviewing "Ethereal", and with Shit Liver's new album pencilled in for next month, I'm targeting May for it. Assuming nothing screwy happens, look for it then, and stream all of Abhorrent Forest's studio material above!
Also today, here's the first of the public videos that have turned up from Saturday night's Archelon concert at The Rockstar Bar, as drummer Keith Zwicker posted this video of the Sudbury groove metal quintet playing their song "Cut & Run" to his personal YouTube channel yesterday! Ostensibly filmed by someone on Archelon's crew, this video has a great close angle from the far corner of the stage, and while the audio's a little muffled, their brutal aggression is captured well enough! Check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Archelon and the other bands in an upcoming post!
Finally, we have an addition to note to our inactive band links, that being local death metal duo Brutally Fatal. While there have been no firm announcements regarding their status, they haven't posted a new public update since releasing their free "Blood of the Devil" "album" last February, though for what it's worth, label Blood Shed Productions have been very quiet in the past year as well. Active off and on since 2012, Brutally Fatal was an early flagship band for the Blood Shed label from co-founder Austin McCrae, who put out a few album-formatted releases of an often provocative nature, while also performing at scattered concerts in the mid-2010s as both a solo act and later alongside C.T.W.'s Tyler Gibson on drums. These notably included the final Swampstravaganza in 2015, and a number of Blood Shed-affiliated Oddfellows and house party events. Note that this is not the same band as The Revolution, which Austin launched in 2014 as a second version of Brutally Fatal during the original's brief punk turn as Re-Born (no relation.)
Whether you spelled "Brutaly" with one L or two, Brutally Fatal were a fittingly brutal band at their height, and while the minimalistic extreme sound wasn't for everyone, they did showcase growth and originality during their run! I don't know if Brutally Fatal are lying dormant while Blood Shed continues their quiet period or if they're effectively done, but hopefully we hear more from Austin and Tyler musically soon in this or other projects! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site as the week continues! Thanks everyone!
It's now time for our 100th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, so thanks to everyone for their support, and here's to a hundred more and beyond! This month, we're looking at local instrumental black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest's second digital EP "Ethereal" which was independently released on September 18th via their Bandcamp page, albeit very abruptly without prior teasers, much like their debut, January's "The End of Life". Solely featuring project leader Will "Old Man Wyrn" Tholberg (or just "Wyrn") on all tracks and instruments, "Ethereal" is on sale for $10, rather than the "name your price" model of it's predecessor, and while the entire EP can be streamed for free there as well, consider buying it to support Abhorrent Forest's work! Featuring 5 tracks running for 37 minutes, let's kick off our review of "Ethereal" with the first song, "Halls of the Awaken"!
The change in genre and style from "The End of Life" is apparent quickly on this song, as the "Ethereal" EP puts black metal aside for a dark, ambient, droning, and yes, ethereal sound. This track is fairly monotonous, but it has an eerie calm to it that one could imagine being the background noise in a horror movie's graveyard scene, fittingly enough given the album art. The song doesn't get off course at all, and the ominous overtones work well, but the droning monotone won't be for everyone. Second is "Ghosts", which is the EP's shortest song, but in spite of that, this song has some more sonic variance, with effects giving the impression of spirits moving about over top of the low ominous instrumentation. Assuming this was what Wyrn was going for, I appreciate that it comes across like it could be real and not a bad B-movie, if that makes any sense! Again, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it shakes things up enough to keep things interesting.
The next track is "Serpent Lair", and like on "Ghosts", the title seems to be alluded to in the song via some instrumentation that does indeed sound like hissing snakes! This song has an emptier ambiance and keeps the music, as it were, to a minimum for effects, including a high pitched siren-esque tone, and what sounds like waves or perhaps slowed down cymbals. If you ask me, this comes across more like the lair of serpent ghosts! Like on the opener, this song runs for 7 minutes, and you'll have heard everything sooner than that, but it's effective for what it is! That's followed by "The Crying Angel", which is reminiscent of "Halls of the Awaken" but with a louder and not quite as subtle in how it's performed, if that makes any sense. There seems to be some ethereal vocal effects layered in that could be construed as an angel crying, and it has a fuller sound than "Serpent Lair", but there's not a whole lot to add that wasn't heard on the opening songs.
The EP closes with "Torment", which runs for an EP-long 13:13 (that can't be on purpose, can it?) Related in name only to the non-album Gates of Winter original, this song is another lengthy ambient instrumental, which is quieter and more drawn out than anything except "Serpent Lair", though it does feel like a compliment to the opening song as a way to come full circle. The song does break in tone for the final 3 minutes to go even lower and more ominous before building up for a dramatic finale, which works well, but for fans who found the 7 minute songs to be too long... prepare yourself!
So, what are my final thoughts on Abhorrent Forest's second EP? Overall, while I do prefer "The End of Life", this album's sound serves it's purpose, and they showcase Wyrn's range as a musician! This very much reminds me of Telephone & Address' "Rust Orchid" album, which similarly dropped that solo project's established sound for ambient instrumentals, but "Ethereal" takes things to even darker and more ominous territory, and while I doubt it was released as such, these songs would be great as backing music for a haunted house or a Halloween gathering of some kind. This is a tough album to review, as ("Rust Orchid" aside) this isn't something I hear a lot of from local bands, but Wyrn crafted these songs to suit their goals and sound, and he did a great job, with most songs evoking their titles! My big complaint is that many songs go on too long without a change in tempo or instrumentation, which suits the droning nature, but is repetitive for fans not conditioned to it.
Abhorrent Forest clearly aren't afraid to try new things, and while this sound isn't my cup of tea for casual listening, give "Ethereal" a look for some dark and ominous ambience, and it'll be interesting to hear what Wyrn has in store next! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming in November to kick off our next 100 reviews? At the moment, I'm not sure, but here's what we can say. A new metal, hard rock, or punk album will of course take precedence, so look for our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post on or around Thursday for potential review subjects that are in the works locally! If nothing new comes out that we can obtain next month, we'll dip into the archives, and while nothing's confirmed yet, I will tie a review in with a band or artist playing locally next month if at all possible! Due to our six month anti-bias buffer, we won't be reviewing a Treble Charger or Haggith album next month, but both are very possible for 2018!
And yes, The Din's final studio album "Suburban Dream" is being reviewed on the site, but as we just reviewed "The Din Does Laundry" in June (not expecting the second album being released so suddenly), I have to hold our review of the new album until next month, but I will review it as early in the month as I can manage! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Here's another new news post for your Wednesday, so what's on tap? Some overdue videos to share, the latest from a prominent local metal band, and a surprising EP release to take note of, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this year!
Montreal alternative metal quartet Special Ops will make their local concert debut when they headline at The Rockstar Bar on Friday, November 3rd! One of the last stops as they return home from their Take It All Tour (in support of their "Baby Take It All" EP), this hard rocking outfit has been making waves out east for the better part of a decade, and their sound is heavy yet accessible enough to appeal to many listeners, so don't bypass them early next month! New local indie/hard rock trio Vol. will open the proceedings in what should be another high impact set from this union of Pixo Control and Aldous alumni, and for what it's worth, they indicated on their Facebook page that they're currently "finish(ing) up our first album." News to me, but are they still just writing songs, or are they actually recording? Stay tuned for updates!
Yes, we are aware of another show that Vol. is opening next month at The Algonquin Hotel, but with ambiguity about which floor it's being held on, we're waiting for confirmation therein. Tickets for this 19+ show are $10 and will presumably be available at the hotel's front desk, though I cannot confirm a potential jump in price at the door. Bands start at 9:30 PM on November 30th, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more on what should be a fun night of hard rock action!
Next up, we have a surprise new album release, as local black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest released their second EP on Monday! Like their debut "The End of Life" from January, this EP (entitled "Ethereal") was an abrupt release on the project's Bandcamp page, though unlike it's predecessor, it has a minimum asking price of $10, rather than a "name your price" model. I would assume "Thorn of Torment" was left off of "Ethereal" due to the EP's theme, which eschews black metal for dark ambient instrumentals, so don't go into this expecting the same sound as earlier Abhorrent Forest material. As this is a new release, might we see a review of "Ethereal" on the SMS? Yes, possibly as soon as next month, as our review of the AlgomA/Shit Liver split is likely coming next week, and because I don't review albums from the same band twice in a 6 month span, I have to hold our review of The Din's final album (coming next month) until December.
That all said, it's a nice surprise to see Wyrn back in action with new Abhorrent Forest material, and if you like ambient music, this will be worth a listen especially, so give it a listen and/or buy it at the above links, and keep watch in case we review "Ethereal" later this fall!
Also today, here's the latest from local doom metal trio AlgomA, who apparently intend to remain on the bill for the local finale of the "Trading Faces" split release tour with Shit Liver on October 2nd (one week from Monday) at The New American Pub! Though the band had to pull out of the tour proper due to guitarist Boyd Rendell's health problems, he confirmed on the Facebook event page yesterday that "I'm gonna do my best to play this one", so at least we'll see both halves of the tape rocking out in their hometown! If anything changes in regards to AlgomA's set, we'll let you know, but hopefully Boyd rests up and gets well soon either way! FYI, Shit Liver kick off the tour proper in Toronto on Friday, and I have no new updates on the "Trading Faces" cassette tapes beyond what we already know from it's Bandcamp release. However, AlgomA are keeping busy with uploads of their contributions from their prior splits with Chronobot and Hooded Menace on their YouTube channel, complete with lyrics!
Uploaded yesterday for their first postings there in a year, both of their songs from the former vinyl record release are now officially available on YouTube ("Electric Fence" & "Phthisis") but embedded below is their half of the split single with Hooded Menace, namely "Failed Stunt Fatality". No word yet on when we might see their contributions to "Trading Faces" on their channel, but it's nice to have more studio quality AlgomA aggression available on YouTube, so check them out above and below, buy "Trading Faces" above, and stay tuned for the local release party on October 2nd!
Finally for today, here's some long overdue acknowledgement of some video shares to Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's Facebook page! Apologies for the delay in these making the site, Facebook videos can fall through the cracks very easily. All shared from keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page prior to any talk of a Christmas tour became public, they include this video was uploaded with the caption "Studio time..." but it's just a silent slideshow of Craig, a studio computer, and a skull. No doubt we've heard some of the material from said studio time, but the video doesn't stand up well on it's own, especially without backing audio. Also, this video from February captures 10 seconds of a dark orchestral instrumental which sounds very promising, and it'd be cool to hear that one in full! A Facebook copy of the now deleted YouTube upload of the piano ballad "If I Could Just Tear Down These Walls" also still exists via a Facebook share in January. We'll touch on more if found, but what's embedded here on the SMS?
In fact, it's the newest of these clips from June 29th, featuring Craig manipulating an
iPad for effects while guitarist Steve Giles and uncredited guests play
on in the background. Not bad for what it is, and it has a somewhat
eerie feel! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night as we hear it!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!
After taking the weekend off while seeing family out of town, I'm back with a new news post on this Monday morning, including some assorted recent updates, but first, here's some new Facebook videos, starting with one from local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church! Filmed by an uncredited attendee during their set at Odeno at Sault College for their reunion events on Friday, this video is of their cover of Gary Clark Jr.'s "When My Train Pulls In", and while incomplete and containing no vocals, it captures Spencer, Elijah, and Beau in fine form on this more modern selection! Give their newest video a look below, and stay tuned for more on their upcoming EP!
Next up, here's some interesting "new" videos of local author George Case (Led Zeppelin FAQ, Whole Lotta Zeppelin, etc.) from his Facebook page on Friday, courtesy of the launch party of his book "Arcadia Borealis: Childhood and Youth in Northern Ontario" at LopLops Lounge back in early 2008! That evening, George picked up his guitar to play some songs, including an original named "The Bartender Is My Friend", while he was also joined by future Turner Up guitarist and then-Rad Zone mainstay Len Ward for some covers, like Jimi Hendrix's "Stone Free" and, as embedded below, Kiss' "Hard Luck Woman". These aren't bad, and I like the laid back feel for the book launch, complete with a LopLops stage that's nigh unrecognizable compared to it's state nine years later! It's nice to see Len performing here, and while George's singing voice isn't the rangiest in the world, he makes it work on these performances. Give them a look above & below, and see above for details on his bibliography and how to purchase his books!
Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, event, or venue name:
After a six month hiatus, local black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest re-emerged with a new single on their Bandcamp page yesterday, entitled "Thorn of Torment". Wyrn says that this won't be on any albums "since I haven't been home in months", and it's been "collecting mildew" while other songs were cut. The song delivers more brutal instrumental death metal action, despite being somewhat repetitive, so give it a listen at the above links!
I have removed Brian Tremblay Photography from our links of local concert and musician photographers due to the closure of his website, the last remaining substantive link to his work in this field. Brian had indicated prior to December 2016 that he'd left photography to move on to another career, but we left him in our links as he still had an active website at the time. Best of luck to Brian in his current endeavours!
I've also deleted Joe's Bar & Grill in Rudyard from our listings of Sault Michigan-area concert venues, due to the deletion of it's Facebook (and only online) page at some point earlier this year. As it turns out, Joe's was bought by new owners, and after a period of renovations, it re-opened in June as Huck's Pub & Grill, with concerts booked so far appearing to lean towards country acts. Hopefully Huck's finds continued success, and we'll be sure to cover hard rock and/or metal shows if we hear that they're booked there!
Former Bear Hunters guitarist & Skull After Betrayl frontman Mike Vincent has revived his solo project (again!) After over a year's hiatus for personal reasons, the Sault Ontario mainstay posted a new instrumental song on his Bandcamp page on Saturday named "Filters of Fire", and while the recording quality isn't perfect, the song isn't bad, and it has a good bite to it, with elements of groove metal with some doomier stretches! Give it a listen above as well, and Mike's back in our active band links!
Ride For Sight Northern Ontario planning committee chairman Dave Ostrowski-Gallant and his wife Nicole have announced that they are stepping down from organizing the annual blindness motorcycle rally (and related concert), as per the event's Facebook page on Friday. Dave cited their personal lives getting busier and heading "down a different path of good change" for their reasons, but he thanked everyone for helping put on the rally for the past 6 years, and to message him on Facebook if you're interested in taking over as chairman next year. Good luck to Dave & Nicole in their next projects, and hopefully the rally continues on!
Room 21 co-owner Billy Blackula is looking for artists to play weekends at the new nightclub above Low & Slow on Albert Street West, though he's specifically looking for trios and smaller (possibly due to space concerns or sound limitations.) Best known to our coverage from recent Tym Morrison shows, it'd be nice to see Room 21 expand further with a wide array of artists, but message Billy at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday if you're interested in playing there!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as this week continues! Thanks everyone!
Old Man Wyrn (http://youtube.com/channel/UCKRDGY5MZxqiIY1HQxZAM0g)
