It's now time for our last Defunct Local Band Profile of 2021, wrapping up another year of spotlighting local metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands from our inactive links, in order to feature their run and accomplishments for current readers! I had originally went with two bands this month due to a forecasted lack of information on the first randomly selected group, but as has happened before, I underestimated how much was online, so they're getting a solo profile this month. The planned second band (RXN) will lead off a split band profile next month, but here's what you should know!
Lineup: (This information is incomplete, and may not reflect one complete lineup of this band. As of their last known public update, they had never confirmed a permanent bass player. Message us at this link if you can fill in any blanks!)
Kory Middaugh, vocals Jesse Middaugh, guitar/vocals Brach Middaugh, guitar John Peters, guitar Ben Woodhouse, drums
Audio/Video:ApocalyptiCDistroyer (sic) have a lot of surviving media to check out via over 100 videos on their YouTube channel and five demos on Reverbnation, including original songs, ideas for future compositions, and covers alike, the vast majority featuring Jesse solo, though then-guitarist John Peters is featured in many from 2010-2011, such as this rough draft clip with Jesse. The band had planned a self-titled album in 2009 and an album named "The Devil Doesn't Influence Me, I Influence The Devil" in 2010, but I don't believe either was ever released on sale, an on-request demo in 2011 aside. Here's Jesse playing a then-new song of theirs from 2011!
Info/Analysis: Originally named "Apocalyptic desrtroyA", this group was active in name from 2008-2012, but despite early listings of a multi-member band including Jesse's cousins, only Jesse & John are tagged in YouTube videos, though primarily Jesse alone. Surviving band information is mostly limited to YouTube comments cross-posted on the band's Facebook page, which ceased by the end of 2011, though the band was referenced on YouTube into 2012, and Jesse sporadically posted videos not tied to that project name through 2017. Recording and video quality was often mixed, but ApocalyptiCDistroyeR had promise with solid guitar work and some good original ideas, and it's a shame that most of their videos are solo, and that Jesse never got them to a live concert run at the very least. Give their extensive array of videos a look above to see what you think!
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around January 10th when we finally look at 2009-2010 hard rock band RXN, but to round things out, I picked a second act with minimal surviving information, namely Sault Michigan hard rock solo project Hubbard! Look for these then, and for more news next week! Thanks everyone!
Before our review of yesterday's Soo Zombie Walk music goes up, here's a post to clear out some recent news stories, including updates on an upcoming concert, news on an upcoming CD, and much more, so here's what you need to know!
We'll start today with some long awaited updates on The Bear Hunters rescheduled CD release concert (now on Saturday, November 29th), starting with confirmation that it indeed has been moved from The Algonquin Pub, and will now instead be held at The Canadian Nightclub, as per guitarist Mitch Sirie on the Facebook event page on Wednesday. A reason for the relocation wasn't announced, but the six week postponement and existing event schedule at The Algonquin may have played a part, and Mitch had hinted since the postponement that the venue may change. At least their debut CD "Eternal Hibernation" will still be launched at a quality venue, and it seems like too long since The Canadian hosted a metal show! For reference, this show doesn't displace Toystock, which was always on Sunday the 30th. As well, Mitch confirmed last week that local hardcore punk sextet Destroilet will be the local openers, marking rare appearances for them at The Canadian, and their intense originals and covers should be welcomed late next month!
Remember to join these bands (plus Brampton's Livid & The Bloodthirsty) on November 29th at 10:00 PM for a night of death and hardcore metal, wherein you can buy The Bear Hunters' new CD and enter prize draws as well! $5 in advance, $7 at the door, 19+, and stay tuned for updates when they roll in!
Next up, here's the latest from Red & Black frontman Chris Shoust's solo grunge/punk project Telephone & Address! Despite just releasing his new solo album "Need Not Apply" last month, Chris is already working on a new Telephone & Address CD that is to be named "Rust Orchid" , as revealed on the Telephone & Address Facebook page yesterday. Apparently, Chris has already laid down the tracks for it and is just waiting for money to press it physically, and it will be "much different than the last", so don't expect it to be a bass & programmed drums release. Might it return to his old acoustic guitar sound, or something else entirely? While we wait for more info and it's release, Chris has also posted digital copies of both of his recent Telephone & Address albums ("Need Not Apply" and "The Rotten EP" on the project's new Bandcamp page, so what should you know concerning their mp3 versions?
Featuring alternate (though similar) cover artwork that differs from the cardboard packaging of the CDs, "The Rotten EP" costs $6 on Bandcamp, while the longer "Need Not Apply" is $15, which is comparable with the physical copy costs. It's cool to see Chris post these digitally so fans can get copies still, especially as CDs were only pressed in limited quanitites, so pick them up above, and stay tuned for more on "Rust Orchid" when it comes in!
Finally for today, here's six shorter recent news items from the last little while, and as usual for stories like these, these are in alphabetical order by artist, event, or show name:
I've deleted defunct local hard rock band 20 Pack of Marshamallows (featuring future Haggith members) from our defunct band links due to their Webs page (and only visibly surviving online page) being "frozen", and though there's no visible explanation why, continued disuse might be why, as the project has been defunct since the late 2000s. Disappointing, but maybe Curt will get it running again! We similarly switched the link on here for defunct local metal duo 2wo Man Baand to their MySpace page due to a Webs freezing.
Local doom metal trio AlgomA have produced a bunch of official guitar picks featuring their logo and the crow icon that has appeared on recent marketing of theirs, as seen here, though a sale price (if any) hasn't been publicized. If you want yours, contact the band at this link (or be at their next show?), and for a limited time, copies of their new CD will come with a pick if bought on BigCartel!
In another band link change for the site, I've swapped defunct local metal band ApocalyptiCDistroyeR's link on the site from their now-closed Wix website to their Facebook page. The project has been defunct (barring the occasional solo song posting by Jesse Middaugh) for a few years now, but hopefully everyone stays active!
Local concert promoters Heavy North Entertainment are asking for thoughts on booking French grindcore band Benighted
for a local concert, which is a big opportunity for owner Tyler St.
Amour as they're one of his favourite bands. That'd be a cool show if it
happened, and not just because of where Benighted are from, so check
them out above and voice up at H.N.E.'s Facebook page to show your support!
Local goregrind/rap label Blood Shed Productions will be putting on a private afterparty for after this coming Thursday's second Devil's Night show at The Oddfellows Hall, which will be called "The Apocalypse Afterparty". but ironically won't feature the band of the same name. This event will be held at Rotopsy frontman Dylan Taylor's house, so keep that in mind if you know the address or want to inquire further, and see above for the full schedule & timeslots for the Devil's Night show itself!
In yet another link edit for the site, I've removed the short lived mid-2000s metal band Children of the Dawn (fronted by future Stillbroke mainman Jesse Frigault) from the site due to the closure of it's host site Piczo, whose domain name now redirects to a celebrity lifestyle website called Posh24. Given their activity level and lack of media, this won't be a major content removal, but I wanted to mention it!
Another private concert event from Oh! Right Arm! Promotions (albeit one with public invites) goes down on Saturday, November 1st that will feature San Francisco metal band Castle, local alt-rockers The Pixo Control, and Toronto techno/rock solo act Boxes of Boom. The address is private unless you already know it/plan to ask, but keep it in mind for next weekend, and click here for more info!
The newest episode of Local2's music spotlight video series Tuned with Donna Hopper went up on Tuesday, though surprisingly, it doesn't feature the Rad Zone anniversary concert that they were on hand for, instead featuring interviews and performance footage with out of town indie bands The Wooden Sky and Wax Mannequin from recent local concerts (though the concert calendar segment does plug next month's White Cowbell Oklahoma concert.) We'll let you know when the episode from The Rad Zone & Ripcordz's party comes online, and more!
One final band link change for today, as defunct local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre's Facebook page was deleted at some point earlier this year for unannounced reasons. I wish bands wouldn't delete pages like this, but we can keep them in our links though via their Reverbnation page. Hopefully we see the guys back up here soon, possibly with D3athcharg3r or (if still alive) Saints & Serpents?
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of yesterday's Soo Zombie Walk next! Thanks everyone!
I wasn't expecting to have a new post tonight, but we have a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT, so I've gotta rush one to make sure it gets some last minute promotion! That leads off tonight's post, but we also have new concert videos, lineup updates for an upcoming concert, and some more assorted news, so read on below for what you need to know, and check out our Thrill Junkies preview and much more in the post below this one!
Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TONIGHT! Apologies for the extremely short notice, Tym only just announced this show a few hours ago via this Facebook event page. Coming one week after his debut at The Harp, he returns to more familiar confines tonight for another evening of unplugged metal and hard rock renditions, and if you're up for some late notice hard rock action on this quiet concert weekend, you know where to be! There's no announced cover charge for tonight's show, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, check the above links! It's nice to see Tym back at The Roadhouse once again, even if word for the show is quite late, so keep this show in mind for some acoustic metal hits in the East End TONIGHT! For a preview, here's Tym and Half Past alum Luke LeBlanc (we're still pulling for you!) covering Extreme's "More Than Words" a few years ago!
Next up, here's two new videos from local melodic death metal quartet The Bear Hunters! Filmed during their headlining set at last month's Blood Shed Productions-promoted Oddfellows Hall show (and uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday), they include videos of their new song "I Fear No God" ("I" accidentally omitted in the title) and, as embedded below, "Dominate", with their "Teddy Bear's Picnic" intro proceeding it! Likely filmed by guitarist Mitch Sirie's former Stillbroke bandmate Sam DeDominicis, he got some nice unique angles both on the stage, in the front row, and behind the crowd to capture many unique angles of The Bear Hunters in action, and the video and audio quality are both really good (quiet vocals aside!) Very floaty too, almost seamless how the camera moves around. Check out The Bear Hunters' newest videos above and below, and don't miss them at The Moose Lodge opening for Biipiigwan on the 24th!
Also today, here's the latest on the upcoming Diemonds-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub on Thursday, November 21st! The announced opening band has changed, as all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats have apparently dropped out of the show, as per their removal from the Facebook event page. A reason for their withdrawal hasn't been publically announced, but I will note that the girls never officially confirmed this show on their own Facebook page, so that could be related. Disappointing, but we'll see them next opening at Haggith's last show at the same venue next month, so keep that in mind! Replacing them is the return of local punk/metal quartet T-Rex Manning, who we last saw headlining the Crusade cancer fundraiser at The Canadian 6 months ago! It's great to see them back after an abnormally long break, and hopefully their fun and energetic covers (and original) are welcomed back on the 21st! I will note that their drummer is Rick White, who was laid up in September with a broken eye socket after that incident at The Rosie, but I have no clue if he'll be behind the kit for this show or not. If I hear anything either way, I'll let you guys know!
Promoter/T-Rex Manning frontman J.D. Pearce is still looking for a second opening band, so if you're interested, check the above links for more details, and don't miss Diemonds' sleaze rock attack on the return of Rex Manning Day on the 21st! Stay tuned for updates!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:
I've moved local/London metal band ApocalyptiCDistroyeR to our inactive Sault Ontario band links due to a year's inactivity. Their YouTube channel (ran by band leader Jesse Middaugh) last saw a music upload on Halloween 2012, with other pages last updated the year prior. Active since 2008, ApocalyptiCDistroyeR had a good prolific ambition & real guitar talent, and hopefully the Middaughs & company stay active in music!
Defunct local experimental metal band Project Legion's Facebook page (and only online page) has been deleted. A reason wasn't announced, but it's likely due to their breakup & the formation of their essential successors The Strange Coyotes. I'm firmly against deleting pages (if only for preservation's sake), but hopefully The Strange Coyotes find more success going forward!
According to it's Facebook event page, TONIGHT'S Thrill Junkies concert at Docks will be sans a band member, as they're "a man down", but will still be rocking it. The identity of the missing member wasn't given, but it's not Justin Langlois or Scott McLurg, as they were promoting the show on Facebook earlier today. Best of luck, and hopefully lots of ZZ Top fans stop by after that huge concert!
That's all for today, but stay tuned on Sunday for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles, and for any other news as it rolls in! Thanks everyone!
It's time for another news post at the SMS, and it's neatly divided in two subjects: new videos and concert updates, but first, I wanted to note that the Saigon Hookers show at The Rockstar Bar next week likely will not be featuring Garden of Bedlam as openers due to scheduling conflicts, but as of this writing, the official Facebook event page hasn't been updated to reflect any lineup changes. Thanks to drummer Derek Turner for letting me know, and I'll keep you guys posted! Now, to the bulk of this post, including new videos from two local bands and updates for an upcoming all ages event, so here's what you need to know!
First, let's start with the latest updates for the Locals Attack concert at The Canadian Nightclub on November 26th, as the final band lineup and remaining details have been announced! There will be 6 bands total, and of the two final added bands, one is making their live debut, that being a new local band named Lazer Queen! Yes, they were briefly called Nite Ruin before this current name was finalized. From what I was told, their lineup features singer/guitarists Kate Drew (The Freshwater Sirens, ex-Apocrytha) & Jonathan Tiberi (Pillory, The Daybreak Johnnies) alongside Jon's old Late & Loud bandmate Benn Garside on keyboard (as he played in The Glass Statues) and ex-Skull After Betrayl drummer Anthony D'Agostini. Jon also told me that the band's bassist was No Arrow/Half Past alum Harley Syrette, but after chatting with Harley the other day, his confirmation as a band member might have been premature, so if I hear anything confirming their bass situation for the 26th, I'll let you guys know! Jon also told me that their genre is "heavy rock" and will be covers-centric for their debut, but originals are possible for the future.
Promising lineup for Lazer Queen so far, and it'll be nice seeing a female fronted heavier band again locally, and one with keyboards! I might be wrong, but I think the last Sault Ontario metal/hard rock band to play live with a permanent keyboardist (not a guest) was Woods of Ypres with Brιan Holmes in late 2008, so that alone has been a while coming! Stay tuned for updates on them as they roll in, including hopefully an online page or something similar! The other new band for this show is local/Central Algoma death metal quartet For All That Is Lost, who will be making their first public concert appearance since the F.A.T.I.L. Requiem in Laird in August! The only returning band from Dead In The Van in March, it's great to see F.A.T.I.L. back on the local stage, as it's been far too long to see their brutal death metal originals live! They & Lazer Queen will join Sykotyk Rampage, Crimson Crusade, Pillory, and The Northern Tragedy for this show full of newer local bands & young talent, and keeping with the theme of 6 bands, the cover charge will be $6 for this ALL AGES show, and everything starts at 6:00 PM on November 26th. Click here for more details, and stay tuned for more updates on the next Locals Attack concert as it all comes in!
We'll close this post with new videos, starting with a new song from local grunge band Haggith! The last of their recent influx of new videos on their YouTube channel, this is a studio recording of their original song "75" from their planned second album "Deuce" (which is projected for a 2013 release.) A composition by drummer Mike Haggith that he sings lead on, this is also the first publically released Haggith studio track to feature bassist Caleb Cachagee, and it is sort of an upbeat rock number! I won't go too in depth until our formal review of the album, but check out "75" below, and stay tuned for more Haggith updates at they come in!
And finally for today, here's the newest video from ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! After a five month drought for new videos or updates from the band or his solo videos, Jesse uploaded this new take on the Tom Petty song "Learning To Fly" onto his YouTube channel on Halloween, which is a redo of an earlier video he posted in April. His vocals are somewhat scratchy, but the guitar work matches what I know of this song, which is admittedly minimal. I prefer Jesse's heavier and original material, but he does good here, so check out his new solo video below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of "Yooper Bars" and more news next week! Thanks everyone!
For the first time in over three weeks, we have a local metal video showcase for you guys on this last Monday of May! It's all about videos this morning, including a new solo performance, plenty of new songs by a resurfacing metal band, a look at a prominent local band's recording process, and leading things off, your first glimpse at a new metal quartet, so here's what you need to know!
It's about time for our first glimpse of new local stoner metal quartet Giwakwa... well, half of them! During a jam session yesterday, footage of Giwakwa guitarist Chris Page and new drummer Chris Thompson playing an original song named "Endless Bummer" was shot by an attendee and posted on to the band's new YouTube channel earlier today, but how does it sound? Catchy heavy riff with solid drumming, and there's definitely a good base here for an original song, but you can tell it needs some extra work. There's no vocals or bass (Jason Bourcier's not featured & Nolan Rainville's still out of town), and the guitar is a bit repetitive early (and lacking a solo), but I like where Giwakwa are going with "Endless Bummer"! If they can build on this with a fuller lineup and the talents they possess, they'll definitely be a band to watch when Nolan comes back home in a few months, so check out this jam of "Endless Bummer" below, and stay tuned for more Giwakwa updates as they roll in!
Next up, while Sault Humane Society Battle of the Bands winners Late & Loud are still on their break, fans can be tided over via a new video on their YouTube channel! Along with a re-upload of a March concert video from another channel, they uploaded a short 59 second video filmed by guitarist Brendan Christie of their home recording setup at "the Tiberi Villa" yesterday, which also features the other band members doing everything from using a broom handle for a musical purpose to laying down. Nothing too shocking, but it's an interesting watch, especially to see the homemade operation for the production of their first demo! Also in recent news, Late & Loud recently indicated on their Facebook page that they're looking for a hot red muscle car to use for their first ever music video, which is planned to be directed by local photographer Allan Brunke, though specifics on the video (including which song the video will be for) have yet to be publicized. I'm definitely curious to hear more on this project, and as details come in, you'll see them here, but for now, give their new recording session video a look below!
Also today, do you guys remember a Sault Ontario metal band named AlterWhite? They were formed early last year by local musicians Mike Matthews & Kevin McCarthy, and were actively using & posting songs to their Facebook page & YouTube channel through last June, but public information on AlterWhite dropped off for almost a year. It was actually nearing time to list them as inactive on the site, but they've surged back into view this month with lots of new updates (including a "show" on May 19th at "Harrison's", that I knew nothing on), but the bulk of the new updates are in the form of six new audio tracks on their YouTube channel! In lieu of their 2011 demos (which were deleted from YouTube, though not Facebook), they've posted a new version of their song "Help From Above" and new tracks named "Anomaly", "Prison of You", "Half Breed", "Proud", and "Wolfbane Blooms" onto YouTube, so click each link to check them out! Note that their re-recordings of their song "Lost Souls" & their old covers weren't among the new uploads, but the band's promising more songs in the next few weeks, so they could be coming then. The new originals have definitely benefited from better recording quality and production, along with mixing the tracks to make everything sound like there's a fuller band, so they're a step above last year!
That said, there's work to be done still. I think Mike overdoes it at times on vocals (though his Hetfield-esque tone is nice to hear), and some songs can be a bit repetitive. Plus, some lack more than others in terms of needing a full band, but AlterWhite are definitely progressing forward well enough! I have no idea why public updates stalled for almost 11 months, but it's nice to see Mike & Kevin keeping at it, and hopefully they can continue to do the right things to move up the local metal ladder! Here's one of the new highlights "Prison of You", but check out more from AlterWhite at the above links, and stay tuned for more from them in the next few weeks!
And finally, here's a surprising new cover from ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh, as he posted a cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" onto the band's YouTube channel on Saturday! Jesse's vocals suit the song's mood, but it's too slow paced and simple compared to his talents, but admittedly, this is coming from a guy who isn't a fan of Elvis Presley's music. I might not be the right person to critique it on that basis, but if you wanna hear a well performed cover in a softer style, give Jesse's new video a look below!
That's probably all for today, but stay tuned for more news and our Insipid Brutality album review this week! Thanks everyone!
I wasn't expecting to have a new news post tonight, but thanks to some late lineup additions for a show TONIGHT, I had to get something up! So with those, I've also added the preview for a major metal show later this week, lineup news for a huge all ages summer concert, and a new video from a local guitarist, so here's what you need to know!
There's been late notice lineup changes for TONIGHT'S Brat Attack-headlined concert at The Canadian Nightclub, and metalheads should pay attention! Due to an illness in the band, local punk trio Redundant have dropped out of the show as per the Facebook event page, but despite that, promoters have confirmed that two local metal bands have been added to create a 4 band lineup, including grimecore trio Shit Liver and extreme metal quintet Winkstinger! This will be both bands' first gigs since the Roberta Bondar Pavilion gig earlier this month, and in Shit Liver's case, it'll be their first of two concerts at The Canadian in a four day span. Neither band may seem like a perfect match for The Brat Attack's political punk style, but metal bands have opened for them locally in the past, and the members of Shit Liver opened for them at their last show here in August 2007 in the punk band O.B.C.D., so this is not uncharted ground for them! It's a bit ironic that both of the original openers (Redundant and Winnipeg punk band Up N' Atom) have dropped out, but this lineup is even heavier for metalheads, so if you can make it out tonight, go for it! Admission is still $5, doors still open at 9:00 PM, and it's still ALL AGES, so make note of the lineup changes, and don't miss The Brat Attack, The Valentine's Day Massacre, and the new local metal additions TONIGHT!
Now, we might as well post the preview for a show we alluded to above, as Ottawa grindcore standouts Fuck The Facts are returning to Sault Ontario THIS WEDNESDAY!! Exactly one year & 2 weeks after they last rocked the area, the Juno nominated local favourites will bring their unique and devastating original material to The Canadian on Wednesday, and you won't wanna miss their brutal songs from new albums like "Die Miserable" at this show! A stacked lineup of area metal openers are lined up to set the tone on Wednesday, including local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam, the aforementioned Shit Liver (returning from last year's FTF show for their second Canadian Nightclub gig in four days), local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters, and Desbarats death metal rockers For All That Is Lost, and if that isn't a quality lineup of area metal bands, then I don't know what is! Admission is $10 (which is extremely worth the money), it's ALL AGES like the rest of Dismembertainment's recent Canadian shows, and doors open at 8:30 PM with a start time after 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This sounds like an awesome metal show with loads of brutal and entertaining bands, and though Garden of Bedlam may be the sound outlier, their local prominence, success, and talents will only help this show!
I guarantee I'll be there on Wednesday to have my face melted (with a review to follow), and hopefully you guys can follow suit! Be at The Canadian TONIGHT for The Brat Attack and Wednesday for Fuck The Facts, with quality area openers all around, you won't be sorry! For a preview of Wednesday's show, here's Fuck The Facts music video for their song "A Coward's Existence", so prepare for their brutal assaulting style of grindcore and death metal in the lead up to Wednesday's huge concert!
Next up, here's the latest updates on the lineup for the second Sewer Swampstravaganza all ages concert at The Oddfellows Hall on July 13th! The lineup has apparently been capped at 10 bands (down from 11 last year), and the last added band is a new indie rock project named Like Father Like Son. Details on them are scant, but they appear to be the new band from local concert promoter and singer/guitarist Jeremy Hannah, and they sound similar to older bands of his like Ocean View. He's joined by former Lorax bandmate Nathan Bouliane (and maybe others?) in this band, meaning that Nathan will play with two bands at the Friday the 13th gig, along with his blues rock band The Moves. For their genre, they're very good, but they're a far cry from some of Jeremy's heavier older bands, but still talented and worth checking out! As well, the tentative order for the bands has been revealed, with each band getting one hour slots to play and set-up instruments, so let's go through the bands in descending order! Like last year, local classical punk trio RedD Monkey will headline at 11:00 PM, and they'll be preceded by a local metal trifecta, with The Bear Hunters, hardcore quintet As It Stands, and Winkstinger returning from last year at 10:00, 9:00, and 8:00 PM respectively.
The rest of the bands are new compared to last year, with The Moves at 7:00 PM, new local punk rock quartet Ashes To Dust at 6:00 PM, Desbarats death metal quartet Inhuman Methods at 5:00 PM, The Valentine's Day Massacre at 4:00 PM, Grand Rapids folk trio Ye Olde Mold Pickers at 3:00 PM, and Like Father Like Son opening the festivities at 2:00 PM. However, note that this is subject to change, and the lineup changed drastically last year with 4 band dropouts and numerous timeslot shifts, so this likely isn't final. Still, this is a great lineup of bands, and though a band smaller, it's more diverse musically and different for performers than last year! Only the main four bands and 3/4ths of The V.D.M. are returning from last year, so this will be a great chance to see some newer and more varied bands in the second Sewer Swampstravaganza in July! Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates!
And finally for tonight, here's a new video from ApolcayptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! A change from his recent acoustic uploads on his YouTube channel, this new video from Saturday is a new rough original instrumental idea he had recently, so he decided to film and upload it for his fans. There is something there, but it definitely sounds rough, and he should tighten it up a bit and expand on it more in the next while. Still, it's good to hear an electric guitar again for his videos, and he has skill, but hopefully this is just the start for this composition. Check out Jesse's new video out below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our next YouTube Channel Profile on Tuesday, and more news as it rolls in! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, this is a special auto-post while I'm at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion for the all ages outdoors metal show, and because I'm still trying to clear out a backlog of news, I thought I'd get these up on the site before the review! So here's our first local metal video showcase of the month, and today, we've got videos relating to one band's new album, a yet-nameless band's latest videos, and some new solo performance clips, so read on below for what you need to know!
We'll start with this latest video from Sault Michigan classical metal trio Theatre of Night, and it serves as a promo video for their upcoming second album! Uploaded onto their YouTube channel on Tuesday, it reveals that the album will be entitled "The Dawn's Early Light" (alluding to lyrics in "The Star Spangled Banner"), and it will serve as a "dramatic & haunting tribute" to the U.S. Armed Forces. Likely their last all instrumental album before beginning work with Gaby Koss, the video reveals that they'll cover songs like "The Star Spangled Banner", "Taps", "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic", and the themes of all of the American military branches among the 12 planned songs, along with playing clips from three tracks. The video itself isn't anything too shocking, just images of the nice album artwork with some filters and effects. My only gripe is that the intro seems very out of season, given that they included audio from their version of "Carol of the Bells" in a video from May, but I know it's more because it's from their last album than for anything else. Other than that, this is a great promo for their new album, which already sounds like it'll be on an even grander scale than "Christmas Night" was, so check out the full video below, and stay tuned for "The Dawn's Early Light" this summer!
Next up, remember the young local band from recent Superior Heights Collegiate sets that have been featured in videos uploaded by YouTube user adamscovers? Well, two more are now up of this young (but talented) trio, as posted late last month, including their covers of Shinedown's "If You Only Knew" and (as embedded below) Billy Squier's "Lonely Is The Night!" These differ from the previous 8 videos of this band in that multiple cameras are used: The normal one to the band's right, and a more central one, and lots of transitions, rotations, and zooms are used on these videos. Plus, the band members have switched guitar & bass this time around, so note that as well. The more we see of them, the better their video quality gets, but how does this band sound on these covers? They definitely handle harder material better than ballads, as their Shinedown cover sounded a bit off, but I'm still impressed with their talent! The bassist in these videos (who I believe is named Liam Seymour) has a solid voice, and these guys definitely can go far, but hopefully we can learn some more on them at some point! Check out their Billy Squier cover below, and much more at the above links!
Let's close this post with new videos, starting with a new solo performance clip from Trail's End & London Gentlemen drummer Jake LaLonde! Posted onto his YouTube channel on Tuesday, it's of him covering Godsmack's "Straight Out Of Line", and he definitely has it down pretty well! Like his other recent solo videos, this is from an overhead view in black & white, and his skills are as clear as ever! The original backing track sounds downtuned a bit though, but that could be to skirt copyright rules. Check out Jake's new video below, and keep an eye out for more news from his solo & band work!
And finally, here's the latest solo performance videos from ApolcayptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! Both of these are Tom Petty covers on the acoustic guitar, as posted earlier this week, but they differ from most of his recent uploads in that Jesse does sing in them! He doesn't do a bad job on either "Free Falling" or "Learning To Fly" (as embedded below), but the limits of his vocal range can be felt, especially on the "Free Falling" cover. The video quality could be cleaner too, but overall, if you want some mellower covers, these might work! If you prefer Jesse and ApocalyptiCDistroyeR's heavier work though, you may wanna steer clear. Check out his newest Tom Petty covers above, and here's "Learning To Fly"!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for my review of last night's metal show at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!
In what may be the last news post of the month (I stress "may"), we've got some notable news and notes to share with you guys today! We have new videos from a pair of local hard rock artists, the latest news from a rising Sault Michigan metal band, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this week, so here's what you need to know!
How'd you guys like an outdoor metal show in Sault Ontario for a change? Bear Hunters/Borderline Divine guitarist Mitch Sirie is promoting a metal show at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion THIS FRIDAY in cooperation with The Arts Council of Sault Ste. Marie and National Youth Arts Week, and though complete details aren't announced yet, the band lineup is now public! This show is slated to be headlined by local hardcore quintet As It Stands, with a local death metal three-for-all opening the festivities, including the aforementioned Bear Hunters, crust/grime standouts Shit Liver, and deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre, which adds to a solid lineup of local metal talent! This will mark most of the bands' first local concert sets since the Humane Society Battle of the Bands last weekend, but it will be Shit Liver's first show since the Ypres Metal Fest on April 7th. Plus, this is most bands' Roberta Bondar Pavilion debut (As It Stands aside), and it'll definitely be interesting to see metal rock the tent downtown for a change! Full details will be announced tomorrow when everything is finalized, but a 4:00 PM start time is tentatively being aimed for, and I can't see this not being all ages. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!
Mitch has been outdoing himself in recent days trying to bring local metal bands to more public and open areas (including his Rotaryfest campaign), and with hopes to make this just the first of many outdoor metal shows in the area, fingers crossed that this Friday concert event is a huge hit! Stay tuned for more official updates as they roll in, and also click here for more news and events for National Youth Arts Week this week!
Next up, here's the newest updates from newer Sault Michigan metal band Hoist The Sails, and first, it appears they have quietly parted ways with bassist Joe Niemi. A reason for his departure has not been announced, but he was removed from their lineup on their Facebook page at some point within the last two months. Disappointing, but Joe has talent, and hopefully he joins a new band soon! From what I can tell, he has yet to be replaced, but I'll let you guys know if anything is announced on that front. Aside from that, recent news has been sparse, but a new video has been uploaded onto Facebook indicating that they're still alive. Uploaded by singer Lucas Falkowski, it features guitarist Mitch Goetz showing us the band's recording area, where the other band members were at the time of filming, and a 22 second sample of a new original song is also previewed near the end of the 83 second long video. Click here to check it out! Hoist The Sails still sound like a very talented and promising new band, but hopefully updates pick up more than they have been in recent months, cause they definitely are off to a solid start! Check the above links for more, and stay tuned for more updates on Hoist the Sails' new material and bassist situation!
We'll close this post with new videos, starting with the latest song and music video from local electronic hard rock project Candle Hour! Well, this is more specifically credited to "Hugh Stephens, otherwise known as Candle Hour", but it's for sale and posted on Candle Hour's online pages, so I'll still count it as a band track. Continuing with the more downbeat tone from Hugh's last song "Azetta", this new recording (entitled "Missing Moment") is inspired by the idea that we've all lost moments in our lives that we wish we could relive. The song itself is an ambient orchestral instrumental with some piano accompaniment, and while it's not as heavy as some of Candle Hour's other songs, it is well performed! You can officially buy it at this location, but Hugh also uploaded it with a video of slowed down fireworks in reverse onto the band's YouTube channel on Friday, and the visuals add to the mood! Also note that before he posted this video, he deleted his most popular video from his channel, which was for Candle Hour's original song "March to the End". I don't know why he deleted it, but it's disappointing, especially as it was my favourite of his YouTube uploads for music quality! You can still see the video on other websites, but for now, check out "Missing Moment" below!
And finally, here's the latest solo video from ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! It's a "rough thought" towards a new original song that he's planning to use in his "new project". Details on that weren't elaborated on, but judging by the repeated use of the ApocalyptiCDistroyeR name in the video tags, it might just be a new version of that band. Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on Thursday, it's reportedly planned to be a soft & catchy original, and he's going to make the final version less repetitive than in the video. It sounds alright, but you can tell it needs more variance and leads. Check Jesse's new video out below, and maybe he'll post some new heavier material sooner or later too!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of End of Existence's debut album by TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!
Anyone wanna see some new videos? I've got a bunch today for another local metal video showcase, so here's what's on tap! Tonight, we've got this week's classic video, new original videos from a pair of local guitarists, and some early 1990s audio recordings from an old local band, and for fairness, I've organized these videos in alphabetical order by band name. Check it all out below, and also see our last news post featuring new concerts, a local band's breakup, and more in the post below this one!
Let's start with the newest video from ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh, who uploaded this onto his YouTube channel earlier today. The first new video on his channel in almost a month, this is an over 6 minute long "jam session" video, though he's the only band member present. Jesse's playing on a new guitar here, and the original riffing and melodies he presents here sound pretty good, but hopefully he fleshes out some elements of this session into fuller original tracks, and maybe with the whole band? Check out Jesse's newest video below, and check out much more at the above links!
Next up is a series of new audio uploads onto Flat Stanley/Wishbone drummer Glen Thomas' YouTube channel, all from an early 1990s hard rock band of his named Dirty World! He was joined by longtime bandmates & Bigsuit alums Brian Oja on guitar & Crank Sound Distribution's George Ravlich on bass for most of the tracks, with The Southern Fried Band's Paul Dellavedova and veteran local musician Dale Corcoran on vocals & guitar instead of Brian in an earlier upload. Four audio recordings from 1992 were posted onto YouTube by Glen earlier today, including a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "All Around The Bend" at The Royal Hotel with their earlier quartet lineup, covers of the Pat Travers songs "Go All Night" and "Snortin' Whiskey" at The Eastgate Hotel, and (as embedded below) a jam session cover of Joe Satriani's "Ice 9", so check everything out above and below! The recording quality is pretty good, and though the CCR cover is well performed & sung, the band had clear talent at instrumental hard rock numbers, and it's nice to see a band (even a defunct one) take that approach with their music! Check out all of the new uploads from Dirty World's heyday (and much more from Glen's past & present projects) at the above links, and here's their Joe Satriani cover from 20 years ago!
Thirdly today is a new original track & video from local solo guitarist Mike Cliffe! Entitled "Three Riff Monty", he uploaded this on his YouTube channel on Saturday. The title comes from both the card game Three Card Monte and the fact that he uses 3 different riffs in the song, and though he calls it "overdriven", it sounded pretty good! Nice jazz-influenced hard rock instrumental with some interesting visualizations (including dancing stick men), and it's worth a listen if you like Mike's heavier solo work! Check it out below, and hear much more from him at the above links!
And finally, here's this week's classic video, and with the Ypres Metal Fest debuting at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday in memory of late Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold, I thought it'd be more than fitting to upload a new live Woods of Ypres video to YouTube that wasn't there before! David had plenty of band videos on his personal Facebook page from concerts following the band's local relocation in 2008, and for this classic video upload, I chose this video of Woods of Ypres playing "Awaiting The Inevitable" from a concert in Sudbury on November 18th, 2008! This was from the band's "Looming Cold of Autumn Tour" that fall, which was their only tour featuring their short-lived "Gates of Ypres" lineup, featuring Gates of Winter's longtime 4 core members, then-drummer David Gold on vocals & guitar, and Evan Madden behind the Woods drumkit. I chose a video from 2008 over others available due to the lineup's very strong local connections, and I picked "Awaiting The Inevitable" over other 2008 videos because of it's rarer frequency at Woods of Ypres concerts. This video has strong audio quality, and the filmer had a good angle of the band, but the lighting is fairly poor, and the band members look almost in silhouette on stage.
This video was filmed live at the concert by an attendee ans was later uploaded by David to Facebook at http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=42134820671. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!!! All credit for this video goes to Woods of Ypres and the original filmer, I'm just trying to share this performance with a wider audience like it deserves! David's musical work deserves recognition, and some solid older videos can always help, so give this 3½ year old Woods of Ypres video a look below, and stay tuned for much more coverage and previews of the Ypres Metal Fest as the week rolls along!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post soon, which WILL include the David Gold-related article from The Sault Star, I promise! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, it's time for another news post at the SMS, and before we get into it, if you notice that the background is now static on the site, that's on purpose. I thought that'd be easier on the eyes for readers rather than a constantly scrolling background when reading posts, and it's easier for future customization, so don't be alarmed! In today's post, we have some new videos from some local acts, a bunch of assorted news items, and leading things off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you need to know!
Local classic hard rock quintet Turner Up will return to the local concert stage THIS SATURDAY, but not at a venue you'd expect. In just their third concert weekend since the new Turner Up's launch last year, they'll be rocking the Sportscentre Bar & Grill at 624 Wellington Street West on Saturday, in what I think is the first show from any version of Turner Up at this spot. For reference sake, the Sportcentre Bar & Grill is beside Wizards Cuts, it's a road over from Carmen's Way, and it's close to the Steelton area, in case you're curious of it's location. We haven't seen Turner Up in four weeks (though 4/5ths of them have played more often in Havadder in between), so if you've missed their brand of classic hard rock covers, then don't miss them at this West End concert on Saturday night! There is no announced cover charge, there's no Friday date this weekend, everything starts at 10:00 PM, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Though I'm not familiar with this venue at all, Turner Up should deliver another solid set of rocking covers, so definitely consider attending this concert if you can, and stay tuned for more on it later this week!
Next up, here's some new videos, starting with another new album teaser from Sault Michigan/Grand Rapids metal quintet End of Existence! Hot on the heels of their first teaser from Sunday, the band has posted a 79 second trailer featuring a preview of another song from their planned debut album that's coming out on February 29th. The visuals here use similar effects to the first video, though the featured photo is of guitarist Steven Giles. Are we getting one trailer video featuring each band member in the lead-up to the album's release? I dunno, but this is another promising preview, so check it out below, and I'll keep you guys posted as updates roll in!
Also in new videos are three new solo performance videos from ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh, who has uploaded three new videos onto the band's YouTube channel over the past nine days. One is (oddly enough) a short rough guitar cover of Bruno Mars' "Grenade", which seems out of place, but his playing isn't bad. He also uploaded a new cover of Three Days Grace's "(I Hate) Everything About You", this time with a new electric guitar of his, and he sounds alright on it, especially with a plugged in version, though the transitions between verses and choruses are choppy sounding. Embedded below though is his new original demo, tentatively titled "The Special One", and he shows some nice softer acoustic playing here for this newest original, so give it a look below, and check the above links for more solo and band material from ApocalyptiCDistroyer's channel!
And finally for today, here's three assorted stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band, website, or channel name:
If you're an active local music forum user or reader, you may have noticed that the 705 Video Magazine forums were down lately. This is due to a move to a new host and planned relaunch, and from what I'm hearing, the new site and it's content will be more impressive than ever before. Sit tight, things will be back up and running soon!
Brimley metal quartet Half A Man have unveiled their first official new band photos since their late 2011 lineup changes, and you can check them out via postings on their Facebook page, which also finally has an updated band lineup on the information section as well. The pictures look good, and hopefully we'll hear some more exciting news from them shortly!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week, and just FYI, our very next post on the SMS website will be our 1,000th overall! Amazing how fast three years of blogging go when you enjoy what you do, huh? Thanks everyone!
Over the last while, we've seen some new videos posted online that are worth sharing on the SMS, so in that respect, today's post is a local metal video showcase! Today, we've got the latest solo performance video from a local guitarist, a solo acoustic rendition of a noted local band's original song, and new higher quality uploads of some videos we've seen before, plus this week's classic video, so here's what you should know! (Updated, 9:40 PM)
On Monday, Half A Man guitarist Erik Rintamaki was among the performers at an acoustic open mic night at The Cozy Inn in Brimley, and while there, he performed a solo rendition of Half A Man's original song in memory of the late Michael Lemma, "Goodbye", which you can now stream at Erik's YouTube channel! Posted onto YouTube yesterday, it's a solid performance of an affecting ballad, though this is just the audio recording. Give Erik's solo version of "Goodbye" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Half A Man's new lineup as the year rolls along!
Next up, ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh posted another solo performance video onto the band's YouTube channel on Tuesday, and it's a cover of Metallica's classic "Fade To Black"! Jesse said it's a bit sloppy in the video description, but he pulls off the guitar part well enough, though it sounds particularly empty without a second guitarist joining in. It's a solid cover though, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Jesse and/or ApocalyptiCDistroyeR as it comes in!
Also in new video uploads: The YouTube channel for local television channel Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie has begun uploading some older news and interview pieces that aired on the channel before their YouTube channel launched in September, and that includes a couple of metal-referencing videos! The June interview by ex-Free Beer frontman Christian Lemay with Dismembertainment owner Rich Moreland about the Rosie metal nights he promoted last year (also featuring fan comments and live clips of Bring The Misery & Winkstinger) was posted onto the Shaw channel at this location on Monday, and though I posted it to YouTube as well last summer, it's nice to see it reach YouTube on an official source! Among numerous other videos posted there (such as interview pieces on local acts RedD Monkey and Tea With Lincoln), the full original copy of As It Stands' interview with Christian from May was also uploaded on Monday, so finally, you can see the proper interview online rather than my digital camera recording of it off of the TV! Also featuring a performance of their song "Conception" at The Roosevelt Hotel, check out the full high quality interview with As It Stands below, and see much more from Shaw TV over the past many months at the above links!
And finally, here's this week's classic video! Once again, with a light concert weekend on tap, we're dipping into the general archives for our next video upload, and this week, I have a video from local old school hardcore quintet Destroilet to share! We've heard very little from them since the release of their debut EP last April, and they haven't played a live concert in almost one year, but they still have material online that deserves an audience, and in that respect, this week's classic video is a jam video of Destroilet covering The Ducky Boys' song "Cross To Bear (Walk Proud, Stand Tall)"! This comes from a jam session circa July 2009 featuring the band's entire lineup, and it was later posted to the band's Facebook group on July 25th of that year by guitarist Christian Foisy. The original video can be seen at http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=107393187604 but since I uploaded it to YouTube, I corrected the lighting to make it noticeably brighter and easier to watch. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!!! All credit for this video goes to Destroilet for their hard work, I'm just trying to share this video with a wider audience like it deserves!
This isn't a bad performance, and though I'm not familiar with the original song, they show lots of old school hardcore aggression, and Mike Hull's vocals are clearer than one some other covers of theirs that I can remember! Their setup is odd though with all the members facing each other in the round, and it's easy for people to get blocked from view, but I can't complain too much. Check out Destroilet's Ducky Boys cover below, and hopefully they return to activity at some point this year!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, including some overdue Woods of Ypres news! Thanks everyone!
It's time to get some more videos out to you guys on this wet Monday afternoon, so here's what's on tap for our latest local metal video showcase! Today, we have the latest videos from two notable Sault Michigan acts and two covers from a pair of Sault Ontario musicians, so here's all that you should know! (EDITED: 5:54 PM)
Brimley metal quartet Half A Man have posted some new videos onto YouTube, and the newest of them gives us our first glimpse at new singer Dillion Semasky! As posted onto guitarist Erik Rintamaki's YouTube channel yesterday, it's of most of Half A Man (I don't see bassist Gary Croad) covering the Down song "Bury Me In Smoke", and though it's filmed in the same location as their "Gooodbye" performance from last month, a white effects filter is laid on the video for some reason. Maybe it's to build anticipation for the new lineup's full debut? Who knows, but audio wise, Dillion sounds good! He knows the song, and he can pull off an aggressive yet melodic track like this with Half A Man, so all seems good to me so far! Check the above links to give the video a listen, or view it below, and thanks to Erik for telling me about the YouTube copy! That said, they have two more new videos on the band's YouTube channel as well, and like their other new YouTube uploads, these are from their April 16th concert at The Merchant's Bar. They're of their cover of Prong's "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" and their original song "Life Goes On", so click each link to check them out! There's not much new to say on these in terms of quality, but these are solid and very heavy performances, especially "Life Goes On", so check out both of their new videos, and here's their new Down cover from yesterday!
Next up, here's some new videos from Kinross hard rockers Banned! No less than FOUR videos from their set on Saturday night at The Bird have been posted onto band members' Alex & Don Traynor's sister/daughter Ashley Traynor's YouTube channel over the last two days, which is awesome, so kudos to Ashley for filming these! The videos are of Banned covering Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine", Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight", Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World", and (as embedded below) Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", so click on each link to see her videos from Saturday night! For reference sake, Alex sings lead on each posted song except "Wonderful Tonight", which Don sang lead on. I find it odd that Banned's new singer/keyboardist Mike Straw doesn't seem to do much of either in the posted videos we've seen of Banned's current lineup, beyond backing vocals. Maybe it's just a coincidence or a slow build, but I'm curious to hear more of his talents! Overall though, these are fairly solid performances by Banned, though Alex definitely handles vocals better on songs that had higher-voiced singers originally. Good stuff all round, so check the above links for all the new (and old) Banned videos, and here's their cover of "Man In The Box"!
Finally, here's some new solo performance videos from a pair of Sault Ontario musicians, starting with the latest guitar cover from Neno Jovanovic! Like his other recent covers, this is of him playing the guitar tracks along with the rest of the original song, and in this case, it's a cover of Mastodon's "Blood & Thunder". It's a good cover, he knows the original well, but it'd be nice if it was the full song and if it was a bit louder in the mix. Still, it's worth checking out, so here's Neno's cover of "Blood & Thunder", as uploaded to his YouTube channel on Thursday!
And finally, ApocalyptiCDitroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh has posted two new solo performance videos onto the band's YouTube channel! These are two weeks old, so I apologize for being late to mention these on here, they just slipped me by. These are the first videos that Jesse's posted on his YouTube in over four months that feature him on an electric guitar, which is good to see, and they're of his cover of Simple Plan's "Jet Lag" and (as embedded below) an original track named "The New One"! I'm not high on Simple Plan, but these new videos show off Jesse's guitar skills well, and the new track has promise as a hard rocking number, so definitely give these new videos a look above and below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile later this week! Thanks everyone!
For a third time this month, we have an all video post in store for you SMS fans, and today, that includes the latest video from End of Existence, some recent TV coverage of a local store (and band) that's now online, a new solo performance, and this week's classic video, so here's what you need to know!
Remember last week when I covered Shaw TV's Christian Lemay's interview piece on local music store The Rad Zone, featuring comments from 3/4ths of Garden of Bedlam? Well, it's televised run on Channel 10 has concluded, but despite that, you guys can still check the interview out via our local Shaw TV's new YouTube channel! It looks like Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie launched a YouTube presence in September to upload their interview segments from then onward (older videos like the As It Stands & Dismembertainment interviews are not posted there), so that means I won't have to rip the Rad Zone piece from Shaw TV's website to upload, as it's already on YouTube! If you missed it, this features comments from Rad Zone owner Paul Muncaster, every member of Garden of Bedlam except Josh Belleau, and local photographer Rob Majury about The Rad Zone as a store & a supporter of local music and other avenues, and it's a great 5 minute piece on what they do and offer in Sault Ste. Marie! It's great to see it on YouTube, so check out Shaw TV's look at The Rad Zone below, and as soon as I hear of any more SMS-relevant Shaw TV interviews, I'll let you guys know about them!
Next in new videos is part 2 of "The Making of End of Existence"! This is the second 15 minute video exploring the random goings on and music of Sault Michigan/Grand Rapids metal quintet End of Existence, following the upload of the first "making of" video onto their YouTube channel 5 days ago. It follows a similar style of the first part, though it's hyped as being even more ridiculous, so you know that can only mean entertaining things! Without giving too much away, it features everything from a cat's reaction to End of Existence to keyboardist Craig Harrison's jet ski trip to their reaction to Osama Bin Laden's death, with lots of jam session and rehearsal footage of the band in action, and even some amusing karaoke action! It's good to see End of Existence keeping things light as they make their crushing metal, and again, if you like videos like the Woods of Ypres tour vlogs, you should enjoy End of Existence's "making of" videos, so check out more at the above links, and here's part 2!
Third today is a new solo performance video from ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh, who posted a video of him covering Three Days Grace's "I Hate Everything About You" onto the band's YouTube channel yesterday! It's an instrumental cover, and it's slightly rough, but it's not a bad rendition of this song, though hopefully we'll get a cleaner version down the road. I'm also curious to hear some full band material from ApocalyptiCDistroyer again, but for now, this works! Check out Jesse's new Three Days Grace cover below!
And finally for today, here's this week's classic video! I actually screwed up a bit in my aims to tie in our classic videos with bands playing that week, as I uploaded this before I realized their shows this weekend were moved to St. Ignace, but hey, mistakes happen, and it's still a solid video from the past, so here's what you need to know! This is of Sault Michigan hard rockers Monkey's Uncle (back when they were still Jager) covering Jet's "Cold Hard Bitch" at what I think is The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace circa February 2008. This is the fourth and final video posted on Monkey's Uncle's MySpace page, and I purposely left this last as it's not of the full song (the attendee who was filming missed the start & end of the song) and dancing concert attendees do get in the way late, but the band sounds good! The harmonizing on the chorus isn't needed, but they rocked the song well here! This video was posted onto the band's MySpace page on February 15th, 2008, and you can see the original video at http://myspace.com/video/vid/28401581, though my YouTube upload of it was colour corrected to make it brighter. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!!
All credit for this video goes to Monkey's Uncle and the original filmer, I'm just trying to spread this video to a wider audience like it deserves! Until new videos of Monkey's Uncle/Jager pop up online, this is the last classic video I have to post of them in action, so give their cover of "Cold Hard Bitch" a look below, and stay tuned for more from Monkey's Uncle as it comes in!
That's all for today, but stay tuned later this weekend for last month's poll results and this month's new poll (VOTE TODAY while you still have time!) and more news! Thanks everyone!
