LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Generations), A New Local Punk Band, And More!!

Today's post wraps up this busy slate of weekend concert previews (one also being a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT), along with some assorted recent notes, but let's lead off with a new local band and album all at once!

We have a new local ska punk band to add to our band links, namely A.S.D.P.! Short for "Adam Smith Death Parade", they surfaced with a Bandcamp page on Wednesday, and while they're new to our formal coverage, we did allude to them in the summer when they played at the private Go Skate Day replacement concert in July (remember when it was rained out?). They were also scheduled to open for Krang at The Distraction in September before the venue closed indefinitely following the fire code stuff at the Ripcordz concert. Describing their genre as "crackrocksteady", they are fronted by Hails guitarist and Agnosticism frontman Mikhal Muto (credited as "Châ"), alongside Sault Side Squad/ex-Stoned To Deaf bassist William Jordan Wardlaw (a.k.a. "Glistening Williard") and Spaceship Opening drummer Ralph Barber (or "Just Ralph"). If you gleaned from the Bandcamp page's existence that they have music out there, you're right, as A.S.D.P. released their debut EP "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" on Wednesday!

Ralph told me on Facebook that the album has three bonus covers (of Leftover Crack's "One Dead Cop", No Cash's "Kill Yer Parents", and The Suburbanists' "Wait Around"), but they are exclusive to the paid copy of the album, which costs $7. It's a short listen (the seven originals run for just 14 minutes), but it's encouraging to already see studio material from A.S.D.P., even if its review around here won't be until mid-2026 due to our extensive new album backlog! No word on if we'll see A.S.D.P. on social media otherwise (members don't seem to be eager to get Facebook pages going for most of their current bands), but stay tuned for more updates and content from this new ska band when things go public!

Next up, let's resume this weekend's concert previews, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations' return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, drummer Tony Santoro announced the gig via the band's Facebook group two weeks ago, and while I listed it in our concert calendar, the idea of adding it to a post slipped me by at the time. If there's a planned final show or two for 2025, I don't know, but if you like Generations' old school rock action, you won't want to miss TONIGHT's show in the event that this is it for the year! This will be their Water Tower Pub debut with new guitarist Joe Miller, after having guest guitarist Michael Yurich when they last played there early last month (and still no public word what the "special surprise" that night was). Whether or not they have a carol or two in mind TONIGHT, this one-nighter is at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

Also, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock previews at Misty's Fifties, where veteran local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will set up shop once again for a matinee concert TODAY! After skipping last week in his lengthy run of Saturday matinee concerts at the Second Line West nightclub, Tym is back today for his fifth such show there in the past six weeks, and he will be back once more for 2025 next week. Hopefully Tym gets a solid pre-Christmas turnout for his hard rocking covers from his extensive setlist once again later on! While we're on the subject, it looks like Tym's planned New Year's Eve concert at The Fraternal Order of Eagles Club has been quietly cancelled, as per its removal from his Eagles Club shows' batch Facebook event page. A reason for the cancellation wasn't announced, but hopefully we see Tym back in Steelton in the new year!

As for today's Misty's matinee, it takes place at 4:00 PM as always, with a presumed 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this and next week's Misty's concerts, and for a preview, here he is live a couple years back! 

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

 

• Welsh punk/alternative quartet James & The Cold Gun have been added as the final openers for most of Mammoth's North American tour early next year, the Kewadin Casino date in Sault Michigan on March 28th included. Fun lively sound that adds some genre diversity to the hard rock action in three months, and how often do bands from Wales play here? Get your tickets A.S.A.P. for what should be a solid concert!
• Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly have announced the addition of Blind River folk musician Linsaey Hartford-White (a.k.a. Linsaey L.W.) as their new frontwoman, replacing Haley Alopaeus. A reason for Haley's departure was not announced, but hopefully things were amicable, and that we see her out there again soon, as she is a talented singer! Some readers may recall seeing Linsaey open the Riffs For Rememberance memorial concert for Victoria Childs at Soo Blaster in October, and it will be interesting to see how she fits in with Quite Frankly in 2026!
• Local punk quartet Room 206 will no longer be playing at next week's 1990s punk reunion concert at Soo Blaster, as per co-promoter/P.R.O.D. guitarist Christian Foisy on the Facebook event page yesterday. Their exit was "due to unavoidable circumstances", and while Christian didn't elaborate, note that Brad does live out of town. Hopefully Room 206 resurface down the road when able! Online page-less metal quintet The Sault Side Squad will replace them on the bill as the 8:00 PM opening band, with P.R.O.D., members of The Spigots, Fist Magnet, and Ha!ls following in that order. This will still be a huge night, so visit the above links for more on next week's festivities!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Band Camp Rejects), Id Iota Updates, And More!!

This will likely be our last news post of the month, and within, we're tackling some assorted recent notes, some recent updates and videos from a talented quartet, and first, let's start with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Newer and online page-less local hard rock cover quartet The Band Camp Rejects will return to The Rednecks Saloon for their first solo concert there on Friday, December 9th (which is next week!) Our source for the booking is the former Nicolet Tavern's marquee board outside of the venue, and while they also advertised The Rejects as playing there on Saturday the 10th, guitarist Mike Muto confirmed in a personal Facebook comment that they are not playing on the Saturday, so if you want to see them, come Friday only! The Band Camp Rejects are coming off of a successful Rockstar Bar debut this past weekend, and it'll be interesting to see how they continue to evolve as a band outside of the confines of multi-band events, like their debut in the spring at The Rednecks Saloon's relaunch party. This talented quartet will be on at around 10:00 PM next Friday, this is a 19+ event, and there's no announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from The Band Camp Rejects soon!

Next up, here's the latest from local alternative hard rock/punk quartet Id Iota! Last week, Adam Reeve of the British music blog Sounds Good interviewed an uncredited band member for this text interview, where they talk about Id Iota's influences and originals, their debut EP "Maudlin Fair" and it's fan reception, plans for their full length LP, and their opinions on the Canadian music scene and some favourite local bands. In terms of scoops, the band noted that their quiet stretch over the late summer was due to drummer Blair St. John playing with the Ceremonial Guard Pipe Band in Ottawa for a few months, while pre-planning for their full length CD is well underway. Material is ready for it, about 10 songs are planned, it's planned to be a culmination of guitarist Dustin Goodall's hard work in music engineering, their first ever music video has began filming, and a Canadian tour in support of it is planned too! No word on if this is the planned album cover or not, but it's been their Facebook profile picture since last month.

Id Iota seem to have things worked out well, and the interview is informative and a good read (though it does gloss over their earliest months a bit.) Give it a look above, and as for their most recent concert, here's a pair of videos from it, courtesy of their Facebook page! The first one is a 1 minute clip of Id Iota playing a newer original at LopLops Lounge on Saturday when they opened for ex-Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus, and it's more of a laid back, lounge-style number that fans of Id Iota's slower songs will take to! Well shot, though sadly abbreviated, but give it a look below!



The other video was posted the evening of the show, and came too late to feature in a post at the time, so apologies for this being obviously late! This was a brief promotional clip where Id Iota, Mike, and his solo drummer Mitchell Harris each traded off one or two words to hype up the concert, a'la an improv game. Light but fun way to get the word out, and hopefully it got a few more attendees to take in Mike's solo project's live debut (and Id Iota), so give it a look below also!



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

•  A local metal guitarist named Adam Fahrer is looking for a drummer to join his new original metal project, with influences including bands like Gojira, Alter Bridge, and Pantera. No public word yet on this band, but Adam's personal Facebook page features teaser postings referencing studio sessions, and I believe he's of high school age. If you're interested in trying out, message Adam at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week!
• SooToday's Donna Hopper posted this interview/recap article from last week's fifth annual Toystock fundraiser concert at The Grand Gardens North onto the local news website that same day. It features remarks from organizer/performer Greg Simpson about the event's growth and purpose, plus some extra promotion (given that it was composed and posted while ongoing), while pictures of attendees, volunteers, and bands Mojo & The Elements were also featured, and in colour! Solid little article for this very charitable concert event, so give it a look above!
• We have moved local metal duo Troubled Mind to our inactive links due to a year's inactivity. Successors to the former Skull After Betrayl, this band sporadically teased a variance of new material that they even said wouldn't make sense, but nothing has been posted to their Facebook page since their only video one year ago today. Mike & Adam had potential from their old bands, and it's a shame that Troubled Mind haven't accomplished what they had prior, but hopefully we see them again at some point!

That's all for today, but tay tuned for this month's CD review next, and much more next month! Thanks everyone!

New Sault Michigan-Area Videos, Plus Lots Of Assorted News & Notes!!

Today's post is half devoted to assorted short items, but we'll kick things off with some new videos from Sault Michigan-area artists, starting with our first live concert footage from new local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906, courtesy of their St. Patrick's Day concert at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley on Thursday! Filmed by drummer Will Storey's mother Cherie Rosing-Rye and shared by the band onto their Facebook page earlier today, this is of their cover of Metallica's "Fuel", and while it only captures under 2 minutes of it, you get a good sense of their talent, though Will is mainly the focus during Joe Jenkins' guitar solo, the vertical camera angle doesn't help, and the audio's very staticy. Not a bad rendition though, and I like the St. Patrick's Day hats! Check it out below, and don't miss Project 906's next shows at The Dondee!



Next up, here's the latest solo videos from 415E guitarist Chris Hubbard, courtesy of his YouTube channel last week! One is of him covering Van Halen's "Top of the World" on drums, and solidly handling himself in the well angled & edited clip, but the other (embedded below) is of Chris "messing around", which basically translates to him shredding some solid Van Halen solos, riffs, and licks for 11 minutes that, if the comments are any indication, would leave Eddie himself very proud! Chris is a huge talent, so check out his newest cover videos a look above & below!




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

• Destroilet bassist Adam Larocque is looking to start a grunge cover band, with the aim being to cover bands like Nirvana, The Foo Fighters, and Alice In Chains, and he does have a jam space available. This might be fun, so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Sunday if you want more details!
• Local post punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus have changed the name of their upcoming debut CD from "Loomings" to "Meditations", as per their newest post on their Facebook page. A reason for the name change wasn't publically announced, but they had teased the new title as far back as January. The new name works, so stay tuned for more on Gnaeus (including on their drummer position) when publically announced!
• After previously looking to form a local Slayer tribute band, local guitarist Lee Catling is aiming to jam thrash or "fast punk" with other musicians. He hopes to play rhythm guitar over lead guitar, and is willing to learn anything. If you're interested in jamming with Lee, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday!
• Sault Michigan concert festival LemmaFest is reportedly coming back this June after a year's hiatus! The Mike Lemma tribute outside of Dondee Lanes did not take place last summer due to legal concerns for one of the promoters, but their Facebook page confirms that planning is underway, and a meeting to flesh out organization, performers, and other ideas will take place at The Merchant's Bar tomorrow at 2:00 PM. It's great to see LemmaFest back for it's fifth go-around, so check the above links or attend tomorrow's meeting for more details!
• After 9 months of public inactivity (unless they did indeed play at last fall's Jason Michaud benefit), local punk trio Redundant have confirmed on their Facebook page that they are back, are writing new songs, planning new studio work, and booking new shows, with a few light photos of the guys also being shared afterwards. 2015 was a very quiet year for Justin, James, and Rick, so hopefully we hear a lot more from Redundant in the coming months, as they are a fun band who have been missed lately!
• Courtesy of a Jack Daniels-influenced poster on Thursday, local grind/thrash quartet Them have announced a few new singles that they're working on for their planned debut EP via their Facebook page, including "Slaughter House Blues" and "March Into Regression", the latter being an apparent re-purposing of the name of frontman Tyler St. Amour's old death metal/hardcore band from the early 2010s (who were also known as Bring the Misery, among other names.) Nice to hear more from Them, and stay tuned for updates on their next originals!

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

YouTube Channel Profile Series: adamscovers' channel

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our monthly look at 1-3 randomly selected YouTube channels with at least 50% of their videos being relevant to local metal, hard rock, or punk concerts, in order to spotlight their content and material! We had originally planned to look at the YouTube channel #TrebleCharger, an auto-generated channel of Treble Charger studio tracks, but none of the videos work for me for unclear reasons (their links weren't pulled, they just don't play.) Instead, we've replaced it with the next closest alphabetical channel (punctuation precedes A on YouTube), and this has some solid recent cover performances from a few years back, so here's what you should know!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

adamscovers (http://www.youtube.com/adamscovers)

Owner: Village Media videographer and local musician Adam Gualtieri

Channel Timeline: Launched on April 22nd, 2011; Videos posted from that December through March 2014

Channel Summary: Adam's channel is (with one exception) devoted to at least 6 performances that he and fellow local musician Liam Seymour (The Boatload Killers, ex-Sailor's Tongue) made during sets at Superior Heights Collegiate & Vocational School when both were students there in the early 2010s, with both alternating guitar & bass duties. 13 of Adam's 14 videos are from Superior Heights sets, all with varying & uncredited drummers (one likely a teacher), including covers of the likes of Foster The People, Phillip Phillips, Traffic, Gnarls Barkley, and Mumford & Sons. The extra video is of his own solo composition, "Questions Without Answers".

Why Should You Watch: This is a solid channel to check out for fans of hard and classic rock covers from two up & coming talents (if they had a band name, it's not credited), and if you're a fan of Superior Heights and Dunnplugged events, this is a good source with multiple camera angles! Also, "Questions Without Answers" is a solid original, if rough and not "heavy", and it's a nice showcase of his talent! Note however that this channel hasn't been updated in a year, possibly due to Adam's graduation and resulting lack of further sets there. As well, a cover of Shinedown's "If You Only Knew" has since been privatized for unannounced reasons.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

Communication Breakdown Cover♫: Among Adam's earliest uploads are three videos from a Superior Heights set circa February 2012, where he, Liam, and a drummer covered The Beatles' "Helter Skelter", Alice In Chains' "Rooster", and (as embedded below) Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown". Adam only sings lead on "Rooster", with Liam tackling lead vocals on the other two, and while both have good voices, Liam's range is quite impressive, as fans of The Boatload Killers will attest, especially on the Zeppelin cover! Like on later videos, all three also make use of multiple camera zoom, post-effects, and titles., and they're a solid showcase of Adam & Liam's talents, and are among the heaviest videos on this channel!



December Cover♫: The next month, Adam posted videos of him, Liam, and (I think) another drummer covering Boston's "Smokin'", Foghat's "Slow Ride", Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean", and (as embedded below) Collective Soul's "December", which took the guys into more of a classic rock spin compared to their last uploads, which were focused on indie and folk rock. The only video from this day that was made black & white in post-production (despite being the newest of the four songs, ironically), this is my favourite demonstration of Adam's singing on the channel (Liam sings lead on the other three), and all are predictably good for their age at the time!



Lonely Is The Night Cover♫: Joining the now-private Shinedown cover from a pair of April 2012 uploads (Adam's last of a heavier or classic rock nature), this cover of Billy Squier's "Lonely Is The Night" is his most viewed overall, and it improves visually on older videos by featuring multiple camera angles (the angled one of old, and one in front of the stage), plus cleaner zooming. Strongly done again, with Liam's singing fitting nicely, and both he and Adam handle guitar & bass duties well! No word on if Adam and Liam still do any collaborative music work, but it'd be nice to see the two of them pick things back up in some form!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile!  Next month in this series, we'll be looking at two channels, as the first randomly selected channel only had two distinct type of videos, so we randomly added one more to fill it out. Next month, we'll be looking at Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison's YouTube channel (featuring three videos from his older band Sense of Truth's debut show, plus a solo track) and YouTube user WhiskeyBar1's channel (featuring a Winkstinger concert video), so watch for these on or around July 22nd! That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new news post later today! Thanks everyone!

Local Solo Performance Video Showcase!!

In our last post before we begin previewing this week's two battles of the bands, here's a special local metal video showcase that features recent solo performance YouTube videos from four local musicians, all notable from out of town work as well! This is a combination of overdue features and new finds, but there's solid talent throughout, and on both sides of the border, so check everything out below, and see this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post below this one! We'll start in alphabetical order with former Sativa Rose/Valentine's Day Massacre bassist Adam Veale, who's featured in two new solo cover videos from his dad John's YouTube channel! Uploaded last week, they're the first videos featuring Adam playing live to be posted there in over a year, and are of acoustic guitar/vocal covers of Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" and Nazareth's "Love Hurts" (both complete with dedications to a loved one.)

Both are well performed and softer covers, and they showcase Adam's diverse talent that we don't see a whole lot of, but his singing voice can be a little off compared to the original songs. Hopefully we hear more from him sooner or later, but check out his "Love Hurts" cover below and more above!



Next up, here's a new solo drumming video from London Gentlemen/former Nixxon Dixxon drummer Jake Lalonde, who uploaded his first solo video in 2 years to his YouTube channel yesterday! A short 61 second video demonstrating linear grooves & fills, it's a nice showcase of Jake's talent, with solid rapid fire drumming on display, so fans of his Sault Michigan-area band work should be right at home! Also, it's nice to get a non-overhead angle for a change. Give Jake's new video a look below!



Heading back to Canada, here's a bunch of videos from Lethbridge, Alberta metal guitarist Paul Melanson, a Sault Ontario native who you may remember from past local bands like Frapperteterhead, Malediction, Gutwrench, and Under The Gun! Most recently seen in the Lethbridge cover band Bottoms Up and the Metallica tribute Damage Inc., Paul posted a steady amount of solo videos outside of his Alberta band work to his YouTube channel last year, so what can be seen there? Among the highlights, there's a bass cover of Metallica's "The Shortest Straw", guitar covers of the likes of Pantera & Ozzy Osbourne, and numerous solo guitar compositions, which partially are planned for a teased solo EP. Paul's a great guitarist, and it's nice to see him staying heavy with his recent solo work, which does showcase skill in both songwriting and cover knowledge! It'll be interesting to see what he has in store next, but see the above links for more, and here's his cover of the solos in Metallica's "Fade To Black"!



Finally, here's the newest solo acoustic vocal/guitar cover from former Elipzis/RedStone Riot bassist Ryan Harrison, as per his new YouTube channel (not his old "freakwoog" channel) last week! Despite the new channel, this cover of Counting Crows' "Goodnight Elisabeth" is similar to his past solo videos from his current Muskegon homebase, albeit in a sepia tone and sporting his impressive recent beard. I'm not a Counting Crows fan, but Ryan handles this cover well and with nice melodic vocals that fans of his old Riot! By Night work should appreciate, so give his newest solo cover a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our preview of Wednesday's night #1 of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Suicide Kings) & New Videos!!

Before we get into the poll updating and such, we're going to clear out some backlogged news from this past busy weekend (personally and computer issue-related, it is what it is.) Most of these relate to new YouTube postings, but we do have a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you need to know!

Fresh off of their set opening for Anvil this past weekend, local hard rock standouts The Suicide Kings will make their first ever appearance at Sault College TOMORROW as the entertainment at a fundraiser event! Apologies for the short notice, I only just heard about this show late last week, and it got lost in the shuffle until now. They'll be playing at Odeno, the college's new lounge and bar that replaced The Outback last fall upon completion of the Health & Wellness Center that it's inside, and this (I believe) will be the first ever public hard rock show to take place there since it's opening. The event itself will be a benefit event for Sault College's Social Service Worker/Native Specialization program and their upcoming project & scholarships to connect Aboriginal youths to community role models to help build sustainable relationships, which is a nice cause for sure, so come on out to support it! Admission is $5 in advance and at the door, it is an ALL AGES event, and it has an early start time of 6:00 PM. For more information, check the above links or click here!

This show flew under the radar in many respects, but it is for a good cause, and fans might be curious to see how Odeno compares to The Outback as a concert venue, so keep it in mind for some mid-week hard rock action from this talented quartet! For a preview, here's The Suicide Kings live at Rotaryfest last summer!



Next up, we have another newly posted video from the Heaven & Hell concert at The Essar Centre in March 2007! Courtesy again of filmer Duane Roy's YouTube channel, this went online on Sunday, and it features the end of their set, specifically the last seconds of their song "Heaven & Hell", before closing with their full encore song "Neon Knights" (both from their eponymous 1980 album released as Black Sabbath.) The same video quality as before is on this clip, so there's not a lot to look at, but the sound's good, and it's a nice reminder of my favourite Steelback/Essar Centre concert to date (on a musical basis; Kiss' presentation can't be topped.) Check out Duane's new/old video below!



Also today, here's some new videos from local all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats! The girls launched an official YouTube channel last week that already features three videos from their two Docks Riverfront Grill gigs three weeks ago! One is of their cover of The Spice Girls "Wannabe" (with Paula Panther on lead vocals), while the other two (both from the same separate show) feature bassist Jamie Jaguar on vocals, and they're covers of The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" and, as embedded below, AC/DC's "Big Balls"! The filmer had a nice close angle of the action, and the crowd sounds into everything, but it does look like there was an auto-focus setting put on them. The audio's pretty good too, and it's nice to get some solid quality footage of the girls' Docks debut weekend, so check out these new videos above, and here's their AC/DC cover!



Finally for today, remember the Superior Heights student cover trio featuring Sailor's Tongue guitarist Liam Seymour, singer/guitarist Adam Gualtieri, and an uncredited drummer that often covered hard rock material? Well, the first live recording of theirs in 8 months is now up on Adam's YouTube channel! An audio-only upload, this is a cover of Mumford & Sons' "Little Lion Man", but while it's not a hard rock cover, it is well performed and melodic, and it is nice to see them playing together still! Solid audio quality too, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Adam & Liam!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & this month's poll details later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Haggith), Toystock Preview, And A New Cover Video!!

For our last post of this busy November at the SMS, we mostly have an extended preview of a huge charity concert event TOMORROW NIGHT, but as well, we have a new cover video, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next week! Without any further adieu, read on below for what you need to know!

Local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith have added a surprising penultimate concert to their upcoming plans, as they'll now be playing a set THIS THURSDAY at.... The Station Mall? Apparently, they've signed on as one of the seasonal performers to play at the mall over the holiday season (despite playing their last show just two nights later), but if you're at the mall on Thursday, you might just get a chance to hear some solid tunes! Haggith's set will apparently begin at 5:30 PM that day, with their performance taking place in the mall's east end in front of Sears and HMV. Given the location and nature of the performance, it will naturally be ALL AGES, and Haggith are hyping it as such for fans who can't see their farewell show this coming Saturday night at The Algonquin Pub. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The idea of a local hard rock performer playing at "The Centre of it All" isn't as foreign as you may think (Tym Morrison played there a few years back), but Haggith should rock it in this surprise show, and if you're at the mall on Thursday (or just want a last chance to see them without age limits), don't miss Haggith!

Next up, here's our preview of a very big concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT, as the Christmas Cheer fundraiser event Toystock returns for it's second installment at the recently renovated Canadian Nightclub! Promoted once again by Maxx Entertainment, this all day (and ALL AGES) event is to raise money, toys, and canned goods for Christmas Cheer, and to that end, the Stuff-A-Bus will be on site, Santa Claus will be there to meet the kids, there will be prize draws, and Scotiabank will match any monetary donations, which is awesome of them! Admission is FREE with a toy or canned good donation, though you can donate cash if you choose, and all 10 bands (that's right, 10) have donated their time to play for the cause, so who's scheduled? The headlining band at 9:00 PM will be the recently reunited That's Chester (fresh off of their Docks shows this weekend), who should entertain with a set full of classic & hard rock covers! They're preceded by Toystock 2012 veterans Boxcar Junction (formerly Cleveland Steamer), whose own general rock cover sound should be welcomed back tomorrow night at 8:00 PM!

The rest of the lineup (in descending order) includes a trio of newer bands in the evening, including local hard rock quartet Glitch at 7:00 PM, Turner Up successors The Thrill Junkies at 6:00 PM, and new country quartet 2 Buck Beers at 5:00 PM, so don't miss them for a mix of entertaining classics! The three preceding bands are all returnees from last year's Toystock, including alternative hard rock quartet Lucky 13 at 4:00 PM, party rock favourites Stiffler's Mom at 3:00 PM , and cover rock standouts Obsession at 2:00 PM, and you know each delivers at every show, so don't be late! The 1:00 PM slot goes to newer classic rock cover band Redline, with Mike Case's Junior All-Stars showing their developing skills as Toystock's opening band at 12:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page and the above links! I can attest to the success of last year's Toystock, and this year's will hopefully be no different, as this is a great charitable event that will hopefully be a big help for Christmas Cheer in the Soo!

On the musical side of things, the mostly different lineup should gain some attention, especially from people who don't get out to see these bands at the bars on weekends! Even though these bands are known for playing mostly/only covers, there's a lot of skilled veterans to be had, and a slightly heavier lineup than last year too, so don't miss out on this year's Toystock! FREE by donation and ALL AGES! For a preview, here's That's Chester live at Rotaryfest this summer!



Finally for today, here's a new solo cover upload from Saints & Serpents bassist Adam Veale! Posted to his dad John's YouTube channel yesterday, it's the Sativa Rose & Valentine's Day Massacre alum's first video posting there in 8 months. This time, he's covering The Misfits' "Scream" on vocals and acoustic guitar, and though he plays it slower than the original song, he has good vocal control and guitar work on it! It's nice to see Adam still working on solo covers, so check out his new video below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a likely all video post TOMORROW as we kick off December! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: MrJohnveale's channel

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our monthly look at 1-3 YouTube channels featuring at least a 50% concentration of local metal/hard rock-relevant videos! After a packed look at David Gold's channel last month, we're keeping with another randomly selected channel with a good amount of videos this time, one that fans of classic metal and deathcore should appreciate if you regularly hit up local shows in 2010 & 2011. Read on below for videos, information, and recommendations from this month's profiled channel!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MrJohnveale's channel (http://www.youtube.com/mrjohnveale)

Owner: John Veale, father of former Sativa Rose/Valentine's Day Massacre bassist Adam Veale

Channel Timeline: Launched on July 29th, 2010; Videos posted from then until March 2013

Channel Summary: John's channel largely focuses on videos that he shot of his son Adam's local music work in the early 2010s, including 14 live videos from Sativa Rose concerts in 2010 & 2011, two from a Valentine's Day Massacre show (when they were still known as View To A Kill) in December 2011, and two videos of Adam covering 1990s rock songs on vocals & acoustic guitar from the past year. The concert videos come from assorted local venues (including a Ratt cover at The Oddfellows Hall in January 2011), though 9 of the 16 came from shows at Foggy Notions/Feedback (now Coch's Corner.) Note that one of John's videos is of a February 2011 pre-game ceremony during a Brock University Badgers women's hockey game, and it has no direct musical connections.

Why Should You Watch: Mainly, you should watch because this is the best source for live Sativa Rose concert videos, including some of their only public footage with guest singers (like Tym Morrison and Rich Moreland), and videos of some of their earlier solo dates! John's video quality was always really good, and the View To A Kill videos maintain that trend, so fans of Adam Veale & longtime bandmate Andrew Angelic's local music work will want to check out this channel! Note however that John didn't upload any videos of Sativa Rose or View To A Kill's original songs, and there hasn't been a concert video uploaded there since since December 2011, so no videos of the renamed Valentine's Day Massacre are featured.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

Sativa Rose Live Talk Dirty To Me: With over 4,600 views, this live video of Sativa Rose covering Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" is easily the most viewed on John's channel! Filmed at their headlining concert at GLOW on Gore Street from September 18th, 2010 (notably the last metal show at this venue to date), it was uploaded along with clips of Sativa Rose covering Dokken's "Dream Warriors" and Pantera's "Cowboys From Hell" at this show. Featuring their original lineup of guitarist Andrew Angelic, bassist Adam Veale, and drummer Alex Palmer on all three, the Poison & Pantera covers also feature ex-Havadder frontman Jason Roy on guest vocals, who is a noticeable improvement given how much Sativa Rose needed a permanent singer (a'la Late & Loud.) The lighting is inconsistent, but the videos are a nice glimpse into Sativa Rose's peak months, especially at a missed local venue!



Bark At The Moon by Sativa Rose: John's last Sativa Rose videos came from their last show at The Roosevelt Hotel on November 29th, 2011, when they were among the openers for Toronto punk trio The Unbelievers. Now featuring The Hydra's Teeth's Anthony Orazietti on second guitar, this show marked their only live appearance with singer Marisa Valois & guest drummer Steven Flint (now of The Suicide Kings) in lieu of Alex Palmer, who was out of town. John's videos featured Sativa Rose covering Iron Maiden's "Aces High", Van Halen's "Panama", and (as embedded below) Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark At The Moon", and while Marisa's vocals are also an improvement on Adam & Andrew's, she doesn't seem 100% comfortable on heavier material. I'd be curious to hear how they'd sound had she played with them longer, but this is the fullest Sativa Rose have ever sounded, so these videos are a good way to go out on!



View To A Kill covers Black Label: Prior to Sativa Rose's dissolution, Andrew Angelic & Adam Veale joined forces with State of Misery frontman Steve Rhodes and Andrew's ex-Chillum bandmate Kyle Umgeher in late 2011 as the new deathcore band View To A Kill, who John filmed at their headlining gig at Feedback (now the current Coch's Corner) on December 3rd, 2011. John's last concert videos to date, the clips are covers of Parkway Drive's "Carrion" and (as embedded below) Lamb of God's "Black Label", which are generally faithful to the originals, very brutal, and a nice precursor to their improved early-mid 2012 shows as The Valentine's Day Massacre, and Steve & Andrew's current work in the London death metal band D3athcharg3r!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Through completely random selection, we're sticking with a single Sault Ontario-area channel next month, as we're profiling former Durera guitarist A.J. Biron's YouTube channel next! This one's loaded with CASS Cafe hard rock performances and some solo performances, so look out for this profile on or around September 22nd, and for previews of this weekend's hard rock concerts later today! Thanks everyone!

Unbound Updates & Name Change, Plus New Videos!!

In our 27th straight day of SMS updates, we've got some more news and videos to share today, including some new solo covers & new material from separate local projects. However, we'll lead off today with a bunch of stories from a newer local metal band, including their first live concert video, a guitarist departure, and a familiar name change, so here's what you need to know!

Let's start with some news from the newer local metal band known as Unbound, starting with the news that they have changed their name yesterday. As revealed on the Facebook event page for their show in Thunder Bay on Friday, the name change is to avoid confusion & conflicts with a prior Thunder Bay metal band named Unbound, whose name late singer Justin Fratpietro got permission to use as inspiration for the local band's name. Good move on the surface, as you could tell that there was some questioning of a "new" Unbound playing there, and hopefully everything's smoothed over! As a result, the band's new name is With Blood Build Character... wait, haven't we heard that before? You may remember last summer when a band of that same name was formed by the non-drumming members of local hardcore/death metal band March Into Regression (Jeremy Hannah, Ray Cowan, Christopher Neveau, and Tyler St. Amour), but they only played one show in August before going inactive. Since then, Christopher & Ray joined the former Unbound, and it looks like Christopher had the W.B.B.C. name to give to this new band when the time arose!

Note that aside from the name & common members, these are definitely two different bands, as the current W.B.B.C. don't play hardcore songs, and they were initially formed under a different name. Personally, I find the new/old name is a downgrade, as it's grammatically awkward (shouldn't it be "...Builds Character"?), and it was initially conceived for a different style of metal band, but at least in this case, members have the rights to this previously used name!

It also looks like they've already split with lead guitarist Ray Cowan at some point in the past week, as per his removal from W.B.B.C.'s Facebook page's lineup recently. A reason wasn't announced, but hopefully things are amicable, and best of luck to Ray in the future, as he's a very talented guitarist! With his departure, their lineup currently lists Christopher Neveau back on guitar, with frontman Kevin D'Orazio on vocals only, and the bassist position is empty. If there's a member search on the horizon, I'll let you guys know! Finally, the former Unbound made their live debut two weeks ago at Pier 61 in Thunder Bay two weeks ago, and the first video from their debut is now online to check out! Normally, I wouldn't plug this, as it's a personal Facebook video, but with no other glimpses of 2013 work yet, I wanna spread the word until something public & embeddable pops up. Uploaded by attendee Kiko Tommasini, it's of With Blood Build Character playing an original song named "Pound It Back", and it seems to be influenced by groove metal bands like Prong or Pro-Pain, which is cool to see from a Sault Ontario band!

Kevin D'Orazio has the right vocal aggression and tone for the material, but he needs to get a bit more diverse and less monotonous in my opinion, and the song is somewhat repetitive. Their stage presences could also be a bit looser, but overall, I like where the new With Blood Build Character is going, and hopefully they play more local shows than the first version did! Stay tuned for more updates!

We'll close today with some new videos, including one and some extra updates from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night! Oddly, none of their recent news have been about their planned third re-recording of "Christmas Night", instead focusing on different new projects, possibly leading to a new EP that they hyped on their Facebook page on March 17th. Though it's possible concept or theme isn't known yet, could it be classical covers? They already posted one Mozart sonata in a metal style, and on Friday, they posted their cover of Mozart's "Symphony No. 25" onto their Reverbnation page, and it's predictably good as a metal rendition! It's not as familiar as Mozart's #11, but give it a listen above for some quality classical metal! The other new posting is a video previewing a re-recording of their 2011 original "Uthgar's Last Stand" (not "Ulfgar's Last Stand" as it was called then), though I'll note that their Facebook page is crediting it as a "brand new" song.

Posted to their YouTube channel on Thursday, it features two short samples of the re-recorded track, which will reportedly feature vocals from singer Gaby Koss when it's completed, along with footage from what looks like their recording studio. It sounds like it will be an improvement, but of course, stay tuned for updates as they come in, and check out their new sample video of "Uthgar's Last Stand" below!



Finally for today, here's a new solo cover from Valentine's Day Massacre bassist Adam Veale! Yes, he's getting in on the solo video action, as he's been featured in two filmed covers on his dad John's YouTube channel within the past 4 months. Featuring him on vocals & acoustic guitar from his current London homebase, the covers are of The Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" and (as embedded below) The Smashing Pumpkins' "Today", and they amount to the first videos of Adam singing that we've seen since before Sativa Rose got a full time singer. The Pumpkins have heavier stuff, but I think Adam's vocal range suits softer material like this better, and he does display some guitar talent in the process! See if you like Adam's solo clips above, and his cover of "Today" is below!



That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at 180 Gore Street TONIGHT for Soul Killing Female, the debut of AlgomA, and Honest Job! ALL AGES, don't miss it! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Powerslug), Recent Sault Star Hard Rock Interviews, And Much More!!

As promised, here's our first news post of February 2013, so what's on tap? Today, we have a lot of assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, along with a new solo original song, and some catching up on hard rock band interviews from a major local news source, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT (and check out this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post below this one!)

There are indeed heavier concerts this weekend in the Sault Ste. Marie area, courtesy of Sault Michigan hard rock trio Powerslug! Their second announced concert weekend of the year, the band featuring I.S.O.M., Kilacel, and River Witch alumni are playing at Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird) TONIGHT, following a first concert either yesterday or Thursday. When drummer Bob Helsten announced the shows on his personal Facebook page on Thursday, he indicated the first show was that night, but bands in the area generally play Friday first instead of Thursday, so I'm not sure if there's scheduling differences at play, or if it was just a typo. Regardless, I missed the show until now, and I profusely apologize as a result! They could really use an online page to update show information though. As for tonight's gig, Powerslug will bring their hard rock covers to the stage at 10:00 PM, a cover charge wasn't announced, and you must be 21 to attend. If any more details pop up, I'll add them here! These should be good concerts from this talented trio, and with no online media either, take my word for it, and go occupy The Bird for some hard rock this weekend!

Next up, if you're a Sault Star subscriber, you may have noticed an interview last month with Sweet's Steve Priest in advance of their show with April Wine at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino next weekend! That alone was worth mentioning, but today, it's just part of a catch-up I wanna do for other recent Kewadin Casino hard rock performer interviews held with The Sault Star since the beginning of last year, so what'd I miss? All conducted & wrote by The Sault Star's Jeffrey Ougler, the recent SMS-suited articles included interviews with Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson (prior to their Kewadin show in August) and members of both of Stryper's opening bands last February (Slaughter bassist Dana Strum & Lynch Mob guitarist George Lynch), so click each link above to give them a look! I apologize for the late notice on most of these, but I'm not a Sault Star subscriber, so I miss a lot of their quality articles as a result.

If you're not familiar with Jeffery's concert preview articles/interviews, these all feature general discussions with the band member(s) on their history and recent events, along with promotion of the Kewadin concert, and they're all informative and deserve a look, even late! Check them all out above, and don't miss Sweet with April Wine on February 9th at the Soo Kewadin!

Also today, here's the newest solo track from Alterwhite mainman Mike Matthews! Entitled "Erase Me (Please)", he posted it onto the AlterWhite YouTube channel on Thursday, Mike recorded this for his "album "Something Left Inside", but how is it? The music's good, especially the heavy second half, but Mike really overdoes the clean vocals on the soft first half, and he should have done the first few minutes in a more reserved and less exaggerated style. The second half makes up for it though, so check out "Erase Me (Please)" below!



Finally for today, here's SIX assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, as we've had a bunch of these in the last few days! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or band name:

• Former Skull After Betryal bassist Adam Brett is currently looking to join or form a new local metal/hard rock band, though he aims to play guitar this time around. I know he's been working hard to improve his skills recently, so give him a shout at this location or find his Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting from yesterday for more details!
• Prolific Sault Michigan guitarist Mike Libertoski is back with a new original demo! His first publically available new song since 2011,  this blistering & short technical metal demo is full of promise and shows a skill evolution from his other early 2010s work, so give it a listen at his SoundCloud page, and his solo project is now back in our active Sault Michigan metal band links! (Note that this is credited to himself, not his Galactic Alignment project.)
• Valentine's Day Massacre frontman Steve Rhodes has joined a new band, that being the London, Ontario death/thrash metal band D3athcharg3r! Early reviews are very good, and congratulations to him on this big opportunity! However, he was quick to point out on his personal Facebook page last month that The V.D.M. (who all still live in London) remain alive, and he'll be with them as long as they want him, so fingers crossed we see both of his bands up here soon!
• Last night, Sault Ontario hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings revealed on their Facebook page that they were working on their own debut EP, which should be "ready to go" by the end of the month. Nothing else is publically known yet, but keep an eye out to see how this progresses!
• Also last night, new Sault Ontario metal project Unbound revealed that they plan to make their live debut in March, though extra details (i.e. location, lineup changes, Justin Fratpietro tributes) have yet to be posted. I'm very curious to see how Unbound shapes up after all that's happened, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!
• Has Jason Ladouceur rejoined Winkstinger? Nothing official has been publicized, but Jason plugged a Thursday night Winkstinger show on "the 11th" at The Rosie in a recent MSN status, which (barring a typo) would likely refer to April 11th. If true, this would mark the band's first show since July, and Jason's return to the band following his exit in May, with Anthony Orazietti replacing him on rhythm guitar last summer. If I here any concrete confirmations or denials, I'll let you guys know!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news at some point this week, as our cache of news slowly grows! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Papa Fogals Chair & The Sexual Vigilantes

Hey guys, it's time for the second installment of our profiles of out of town bands with Saultites in their lineup...does anyone know of a shorter name I could use for it? Meh, that's off topic. Today, we'll talk about two Southern Ontario based bands that feature local members in their entirety, yet were never based here! One features two prolific local musicians' lighter side, the other of which is reuniting later this month! Maybe you remember them, maybe you don't, but they are sure worth profiling! So here's this month's profiles! (UPDATED: November 24, 2014)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Papa Fogals Chair (London, ON)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Andy Chillman (vocals/guitar)
Joey Grisdale (guitar/backing vocals)
Mike Bird (bass)
Derek Turner (drums)
Adam Chillman (percussion)

Official MySpace page: http://myspace.com/papafogalschair 
Official SoundClick page: http://soundclick.com/papafogalschair 
Official CBC Radio 3 page: http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/papa-fogals-chair
Official StereoKiller page: http://stereokiller.com/bands/papafogalschair 
Official Supernova page: http://supernova.com/papafogal 
Official AudioStreet page: http://audiostreet.net/papafogalschair

Local Info: Though never based out of Sault Ontario, all five members of Papa Fogals Chair either lived or now live in Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding areas. Friends since Grade 3, the members of Papa Fogals Chair played in a few local bands growing up, including Sulfur and Spit, among others, with Sulfur releasing an EP entitled "How Empty I Am". Following the lead of a few other Saultites, these guys headed to Southern Ontario in the early 2000s, where Papa Fogals Chair took shape. Most notable to local fans nowadays is drummer Derek Turner, who now mans the kit for Garden of Bedlam, though the other members of the band have kept busy in various other projects, notably frontman Andy Chillman's work in the London acoustic bands Too Much Unsaid & The Bird Stone Revival, and the local hard rock band The Side FX, which features both Derek & bassist Mike Bird.

Band Bio: Likening their music to furniture being bashed over your head, P.F.C. rose quickly among the metal scene in London. They released a demo and two albums, 2004's "Face Melter" and their 2006 followup, "Two Faced Is Never Pretty", both of which got some deservedly great reviews and radio airplay. A frequent sight in Southern Ontario at their height, P.F.C. were nominated for a London Music Award in 2004 in the Best Metal/Hardcore category, though after their 2006 peak, the band quietly dissolved. However, reunion shows happened on occasion, usually alongside Derek's new band Garden of Bedlam, including a notable performance at their first concert at Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) in 2008. Papa Fogals Chair would later make one-off returns to the live stage at Foggy's in February 2010, and at Mike Bird's stag & doe at The Moose Lodge in May 2013, though plans for future concerts are unknown.

Papa Fogals Chair are awesome, there is no way around that! I've been a fan since I first checked them out a few years ago, they're exceedingly heavy and they have some nice grooves in a lot of their songs too! Andy Chillman has some unique vocals compared to other singers of their type, but they work very well! I love the guitar work too, awesome riffs and solos! Very little for me to complain about here! But don't take my word for it, check them out on their MySpace page. It's great to see locals hit the heights that PFC reached, and though I'm still bummed that I missed them in February 2010 though, but hopefully that's not their farewell! With 2013's MySpace overhaul, no videos of theirs survive that I know of, but here's one of their best original songs "Disgust"!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sexual Vigilantes (Toronto, ON)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Curtis Faux (vocals/guitar)
Brenton Ellis (bass/backing vocals)

MySpace page: http://myspace.com/thesexualvigilantes
Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/thesexualvigilantes

Local Info: If you know your local bands, Brenton and Curtis should be very familiar! Brenton (a.k.a. Diamond Brent Panther) & Curtis were recently best known as the singer & bassist for the cult Toronto hardcore punk band Maximum RNR, but you may also recognize them as bandmates in the Toronto bands The Labour Of... and Kuah, and of course, from the inactive local hardcore punk band Detroit, releasing two EPs during their run! Also, Brent's well known locally as Destroilet's current co-lead singer, Lion Ride's former bassist from 2008-2010, and as The Bombed Squad's former frontman, while Curtis has been seen locally and in Southern Ontario acts, currently with the garage punk band The Cola Heads and the thrash outfit Chainbreaker. Brent and Curtis were the only members of The Sexual Vigilantes, with a drum machine handling the kit on studio recordings.

Band Bio: Formed in 2005, The Sexual Vigilantes played a varied style of metal/hard rock, ranging from classic rock inspired songs like "Back In Brown" to more hardcore songs like "Phantom Limb", to even some songs with electronic influences. In fact, some SXVGLNTES songs eventually became Detroit tracks, like "Pyre Driver" and "Kill-O-Rama"! Not ones to take themselves seriously, the band infused a lot of comedy into band discussions, from their many different stage names to various band descriptions and bio information, which you can get tastes of at their various pages! The Sexual Vigilantes were mostly known for their studio output, rarely playing live concerts, and employing guest musicians where needed when they did. The Sexual Vigilantes have not updated their MySpace page since March 2009, and are long since defunct, but check them out at the above links, and maybe they'll turn up again down the road!

The Sexual Vigilantes were unique soundwise, harbouring an interesting combination of genres! Curtis isn't a bad singer, he and Brenton play as good as ever on their instruments, and they can be pretty funny! Though not locally based, they brought The Sexual Vigilantes home on December 28th, 2007 for two shows that night; an acoustic show at the former Eargasm Records, and then a normal set at what's now Coch's Corner, with their Detroit bandmates Mark Ranᶁ & Mikey Hawdon joining in on guitar and drums. I think those were their only concerts. Solid band, it'd be cool to see them reunite down the road, as their stuff was pretty entertaining! For a video preview, here's The Sexual Vigilantes' playing "Motorbike The Song" live at their last show!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you guys enjoyed this month's out of town band profiles! Just cause you take a metalhead out of the Soo doesn't mean you take the Soo out of the metalhead! Next month, I will take a look at two bands who aren't from Ontario: Feral Noise, the Calgary metal band featuring Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison on guitar, and Michigan's own Sadomasochism, one of many bands to feature local drummer Mikey Bishop! Stay tuned for that in the first couple weeks of March!

That's all for today, tomorrow will feature my review/recap of tonight's Sault College/Scotties Tournament Battle of the Bands at the curling rink on Anita Boulevard! Will Sykotyk Rampage win it for the metalheads, or will one of the other bands win a well deserved $750? I'll let you guys know tomorrow afternoon, plus news on a local band's new frontman, and hopefully more! Thanks everyone!