Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Awokest

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! In this monthly feature, we are again looking at a randomly selected defunct or inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk band, and while this project shares much in common with their leader's still extant solo work, there's a lot to like for fans of extreme metal, so here's what you should know!

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Awokest

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Experimental/Death Metal

Lineup:

Chase James Wigmore, all instruments

(While officially a solo project, Chase did allude to featuring collaborators on some material, though none were ever credited by name)

Audio/Video: Awokest released two albums to major streaming services like Youtube Music in early 2019, namely "Enter The Nightlands" and "Solving The Human Condition", which both remain on sale today on "name your price" models on Bandcamp. A free YouTube-only EP named "The Tweakening" preceded both in the fall of 2018, and a third full-length album named "With Focused Psychosis I Wrote This" also stalled out as a YouTube posting. Other albums were teased with names, artwork, and occasional audio samples, but none saw an intended full release. You can check out songs and videos credited to Awokest on his eponymous YouTube channel, plus the DogRun Stray, Dick Jerkins, and Blood Shed Productions YouTube channels, plus their Facebook page. Here's one of the few Awokest-branded videos featuring Chase on camera, namely his 70 minutes-long "Stray Dog Saga" from mid-2019!

Info/Analysis: Publically launched in late 2018 (though some material was originally recorded as early as 2010), Awokest was originally conceived as the project for prolific local solo musician Chase Wigmore's new extreme metal material, while reserving his folk punk/acoustic music for releases under his own name. While primarily a studio project, Chase did play a solo gig under the Awokest banner in September 2018, when they opened for The Truth Of All Death at the former New American Pub. 2019 was spent releasing and teasing the release of original music, not all of which came out as planned, with updates drastically slowing down in the early 2020s (pandemic acknowledged) despite teasing new albums into the summer of 2020. The Awokest name last surfaced publically via their song "We Are All Going To Die" on YouTube in November 2022, which was placed on his eponymous studio album of the same name later that month

Chase has largely consolidated his original material (genre irregardless) under his own name since 2022, so Awokest as its own entity is likely done & dusted, but fans of his extreme and death metal output will like what Awokest had to offer! "Enter The Nightlands" was mostly made up of existing originals under different project names, but "Solving The Human Condition" effectively brought its dark concept to light with brutal originals, and their other material has a lot of black and death metal intensity! That said, Chase continues to record metal music eponymously, so keep tabs on what he's got cooking up nowadays!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This series will return on or around August 10th, when our Sault Ontario summer stretch ends with our next randomly selected band, namely inactive local Tool tribute band Parabol! Look for that next month and for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Vanity First Concert Preview, New Videos, And Much More!!

Here's a new news post to check out on this Monday night, including some assorted shorter updates, new videos, and leading off, a mid-week concert preview, so here's what you should know!

A special Tuesday night concert goes down TOMORROW when local punk trio Vanity First return to the stage at new local arts/concert venue The Distraction! Located at the former Big Guns Barbershop building at 72 East Street (down the road from Coch's Corner), this will be the second public concert held here, following former Raincourt frontman Eli Russell's solo gig there this past Thursday.  Unless you were at that concert, there will still be a lot of unknowns about The Distraction, but come on out tomorrow if you can to see what it's like! This will be Vanity First's... first concert since their June headlining gig at Soo Blaster, though fans will have seen Mikhal and Keegan since with Hails, and Mikhal alone in multiple other projects. It's good to see them back with Andrew after an unusually long break, and hopefully they draw a solid crowd to The Distraction tomorrow!

While this is unfortunately on a school/work night for many, it will have an early 7:00 PM start time, and admission is by donation ($5 is suggested). The venue is an alcohol/drug free zone, so this is obviously all ages, though be advised that it's not a handicap-friendly building due to the stairs to enter the front of the building. Punk fans should get their money's worth from Vanity First's return set, let alone at a new venue, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Vanity First live!

Next up, here's a brand new video from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook page! This comes from their Halloween party gig at The Esquire Club on the 28th (the costumes give that away), and it features them covering The Knack's "My Sharona". Unlike prior videos from this concert, this was filmed from further back behind much of the crowd, so you don't get a great view of most of the band. This 37 seconds-long snippet still sounds good with the energy you'd hope for at a Halloween party, so give it a look for yourselves below! Yes, I am aware that Silent 9 have posted a handful of videos as "Stories" on Facebook too, but "Stories" aren't viewable more than twice, let alone embeddable here.

Also today, here's two new videos from local/Barrie alt-hard rock solo musician Mike Haggith's Facebook page from December 5th & 8th where he tells his fans how you can get your own music printed on vinyl records! The first video (embedded below) has Mike outlining the struggles and cost that used to be involved in printing his studio material on vinyl until he discovered Kunaki, the website that allows you to easily upload your albums and have records printed on demand on both CDs and vinyl, which is how you're able to buy vinyl copies of his newest albums today. The "part 2" video has Mike demonstrating the quality of Kunaki-printed vinyl records by playing part of "I've Seen It Before" from his new album "All The Best In All You Do" on a turntable. Personally, I'd have had these videos uploaded as one 3 minute video, perhaps while talking a little slower, but these were cross-posted on TikTok, so that may explain the formatting and structure.

Mike has strongly advocated for and promoted Kunaki since discovering it, and while I don't know how many non-Morningstar Records-affiliated musicians in town use it, fans who have heard Mike's recent catalogue on vinyl will be able to speak to its quality! Hopefully these videos are a good reminder that getting your albums on vinyl isn't the hassle it once was, so given them a watch above and below! 

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: 

 

• I have moved local extreme metal solo project Awokest to our inactive band links. One of the many project names used by Chase Wigmore apart from his own eponymous material, Awokest last posted on social media in November 2021, but I left Awokest in our active links until now due to Awokest-branded material being shared/posted on Chase's eponymous accounts as late as last fall. The lines between Chase's varying projects have admittedly gotten blurry, but with his teased break/hiatus from original music after "The Chaotic Rite" comes out, that may not bode well for his other efforts. We'll let you know if Awokest turn up again!
• In a lineup correction for the Fuller reunion at LopLops Lounge next Thursday, Pointless/Peach Thieves drummer David Peredun will be behind the kit for their set, not Nathan Sauve from their original run. I apologize for any confusion, I can be bad with faces and the similarly blonde hair in the jam session preview videos threw me off (note also that I don't believe he was publically confirmed by name on social media). David is a talented drummer across multiple genres, so don't miss him with Fuller next week, and thanks to frontman Jamie Vincent for letting me know!
• Local cybergrind/gorenoise solo project Malignant Neoplasm have also been moved to our inactive band links, as they have not posted on social media since November of last year aside from posts to promote their active sister project Crucify The Whore. Active since 2013, Malignant Neoplasm added an electronic approach and (originally) songs about medical conditions to the minimalist goregrind attack of C.T.W. and had their own distinct original material through Blood Shed Productions for the better part of a decade, though their music and imagery remained an acquired taste. Hopefully fans will hear much more from Tyler with C.T.W. and other acts in the new year!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more on the site as the month continues! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Curtis McKenzie & dickjerkins983

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, as we once again shine a spotlight on YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk artists/concerts! For a second straight month, our randomly selected channels number at two, as the first channel only had two videos period, so a channel with a single video was picked to fill things out. Both take us to side projects of familiar local rock frontmen, so here's what you should know!

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Curtis McKenzie (http://youtube.com/@curtismckenzie8665)

Owner: Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie, known from bands like Haggith, Project 421, Eclipse, Mike Haggith & The Din, Punch, Sound X, 20 Pack Of Marshmallows, Restricted Illusions, and Wanko Twist

Channel Timeline: Launched on June 4th, 2013; Videos uploaded that same day

Channel Summary: Curtis' then-official YouTube channel features original audio recordings by two prior/side projects of his, rather than his then-concurrent work in Haggith, who had their own YouTube channel at the time.

Why You Should Watch: As a "what could have been" window into Curt's local music career, this channel is notable to give a listen to his prior projects that didn't get far off the ground as presented, and fans of his will want to give these two videos a look on that basis. Nowadays, Curtis is primarily seen streaming on Twitch, where he plays video games, plays vinyl records, and sometimes actually performs music, so follow him there to see what he's been up to post-pandemic!

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

Rage Train EP: In early 2012, Curt recorded a demo EP called "Rage Train" featuring him and drummer Zach Day Andre (who produced/mixed the songs) playing "No Cure For Insanity", "Rage Train", and "Wanko (Reprise)", which would all be adapted by the band Haggith on their debut studio album "Dragon Joy Ride" that fall. While these songs would be refined later that year, they still come through really well and they sound like the full Haggith band would have recorded them had you not known!

SOUND X - Disengage: Curt's most popular video here is of his short lived side project band Sound X, which featured him and long-time bandmate Daniel Horton (now in Spades GT) playing music separate from Haggith. Sound X had planned to record an album named "Three Year Relapse" at Paperclip Productions, but only "Disengage" made its way online before Sound X quietly fell inactive by the end of 2013. Featuring Curtis on all instruments aside from Daniel on drums, this song is a solid alt-hard rock number that wouldn't have been amiss in Haggith setlists, though I did note at the time that I felt Sound X should be more distinct from Haggith if the two were to co-exist. Follow Eclipse to hear Curt & Dan's later work!

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Dick Jerkins (http://youtube.com/@dickjerkins983)

Owner: Local folk punk/extreme metal singer/guitarist Chase James Wigmore, also known from projects like The Strange Coyotes, This Is Your Band On Drugs, Them, Project Legion, The Autumn Roots, The Black Lodge Masters, The Coyote Speedfreaks, Manitou, and Squirrelboy & The Smiling Giraffes

Channel Timeline: Launched on August 30th, 2018; Only video posted the following day

Channel Summary: Despite having an eponymous YouTube channel that is still used to this day, Chase launched a separate channel in 2018 under the ribald pseudonym above that he initially used for songs released by Awokest, his industrial-leaning metal project. While Awokest proper have paid release albums, "The Tweakening" ended life as a free YouTube EP, whose songs run from 45 seconds to 2:37 in length. Featuring techno influences, black metal-inspired vocals, and lots of bass in the low end, "The Tweakening" will deliver the goods for fans of this side of Chase's ample solo back catalogue! However, be advised of some 18+ song titles.

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! As it turns out, our run of profiling multiple channels will continue in October, as the first randomly selected channel this time out only had one video, and the second only has two from the same concert set, so we're tripling up on or around October 26th by looking at the YouTube channels of Sam Mick (featuring a video from Hedley's show here in 2017), NorthernFunko (featuring two Three Days Grace concert videos at the Gardens), and Josh Belleau (featuring a 2012 concert video featuring three local metal bands). Look for these then, and for weekend concert previews and much more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fort Creek), Plus Mike Haggith & Chase Wigmore Videos And Updates!!

Let's keep things rolling on the SMS on this Tuesday night, with a post heavily devoted to new videos and recent updates from two former bandmates' solo pursuits, but leading off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to Soo Blaster for a special headlining concert on Saturday, December 10th! The band is calling this a "Christmas Blowout", and it will be similar in scope and professionalism to their May 7th headlining date at the same venue, including 705Live behind the controls, and even a guest appearance from Santa Claus?! Yes, there will be merchandise giveaways once again, though that won't be shocking for established fans. Their third announced show with new guitarist Bill Brouillard, Fort Creek's Christmas Blowout will have a 19+ age limit and an 8:00 PM start time, but admission is higher than their Soo Blaster gig in May, with $10 advance tickets or a $12 door price. You can buy tickets ahead at Soo Blaster, Sessions Cannabis at 216 Second Line West, or via individual band members. For the record, the band has not made any teasers related to their debut EP in the context of this concert.

That said, they are pulling out all of the stops, so keep an eye out just in case anything is revealed or previewed there.Should be a good time for fans of Fort Creek's hard rock-heavy covers selection and their originals so far, and hopefully there's a good & festive turnout next month! Visit the above links for more details when & if they roll in!

Next up, here's the latest from local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who has been uncharacteristically quiet in the past three months aside from posting memes & other non-musical content on his Facebook page (an inquiry about maybe revisiting his shelved "Neighbourhood Watch" re-recording aside). Those who know Mike personally will know more about what's been going on with him, and I won't overstep any bounds, but he did resurface with some new musical content on Saturday, specifically a new 70 minutes long live video! This is from an impromptu live jam session (venue not given) that Mike played in Thompson on Friday with two other guitarists, surprisingly also uncredited in the description, but the one on the left is Karl Bennett. The live-stream on Mike's YouTube channel began after Mike & friends' first song.

Mike's upcoming new album "All The Best In All You Do" was heavily featured to start this performance, with the unfilmed opener being the partial title track "All The Best" (which is a new confirmation from what I've seen), followed by another new track "Hot & Cold" and the already unveiled "If Only You Could Hear Me". Originals from here on out were previously released, and they started with "Morningstar" and "If Ever Comes The Day", before covering The Eagles' "Take It Easy" with Karl on vocals. The last originals are "The Nature Of The Times" & "Come On Home", and they finished with a trifecta of covers, namely Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World", Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone", (featuring the electric guitarist on the right on vocals), and Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", the latter of which Mike played completely solo, seemingly on purpose.

For the record, a fourth performer hopped in during the Neil Young cover and stayed for "Tuesday's Gone", but he also went uncredited. Mike noted before the Tears For Fears cover that "this might be the last (song) that I play in Thompson for potentially a very long time", so I think it's safe to say here that he's moving from Thompson soon, but I won't undercut any official public announcements on Mike's behalf as per his musical future. The performances here are solid, and it's neat hearing Mike perform with other musicians again, though the jam nature does lead to some meandering moments, and the echo on the audio setup is noted. Give Mike's (perhaps) final live set in Thompson a watch below!

We'll close today with some more recent media from Mike's old Strange Coyotes bandmate Chase Wigmore, who hasn't just had updates regarding his delayed next album "Is This The End Of...?" to talk about! A new song credited to his industrial-tinged solo project Awokest, named "We Are All Going To Die", was uploaded to his "Jason Walker" YouTube channel last week, and the instrumental sonic collage is well put together and still has some guitar flourish buried under the effects, so don't bypass it! In terms of proper videos, there are two new ones on his Facebook page, with the newest video being an original named "Gloria Cantis Decor" which he didn't attach to an album publically, but plans to use it as a teaching aid, even giving the chords for it in the description. It's an acoustic fretboard performance that shows Chase's skills well, but for teaching purposes, I'd use a better camera.

Embedded below is a 25 minutes long practice session branded for his planned 2023 concept album "The Chaotic Rite" (whose album cover he unveiled on October 14th, as seen above), which was posted to Facebook two weeks ago. Visually, there's not a lot to see with the webcam video quality and dark lighting aside from Chase's guitar (seemingly an acoustic-electric guitar), but if you like stream of consciousness instrumental jamming, this will do the trick, and it's a fine showcase of Chase's technical skills, so check it out for yourself below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck), Plus Lots Of Recent News & Updates!!

It looks to be a relatively quiet concert weekend for hard rock acts in the Twin Saults, but we do have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to lead things off with! This is why there was no Defunct Local Band Profile yesterday, I was keeping Thursday open in case any shows were announced in time to get something up the day beforehand, but that feature will hit the site this weekend, guaranteed. Along with the new shows that did come up earlier today, we have some new videos, belated album releases, and more, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for traditional concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! I apologize for the short notice, the band only announced these gigs via their Facebook event page this afternoon, but as fans will know by now, Soundcheck announcing a concert weekend on the Friday of is certainly not uncommon, alas. Fresh off of their regular Thursday open mic night at Reggie's West, TONIGHT & TOMORROW's shows will be Soundcheck's first at the downtown Reggie's in exactly one month, making this their first booking there since vaccine passport requirements were lifted. Mask mandates are still in place for another week and change, but hopefully a good but responsible crowd comes out for Soundcheck's tried-and-tested brand of classic rock, heavier cuts, and select country covers TONIGHT & TOMORROW!

9:00 PM start times, no cover charge, and 19+ age limits are in effect for both nights, and of course, please follow and respect any extant public health guidelines at Reggie's to ensure everyone's safety, and do not forget your face mask, as the mandate won't be lifted until the 21st. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished, who have resumed using their TikTok page after a few months' break! We actually missed this one first, as back in November, the guys posted a video of them covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino that month, which was not posted elsewhere. Solid minute-long clip that shows us more of the venue and some nice angles of the guys rocking out & exploring the space, so give that a look on TikTok! Unfortunately, TikTok's video embed code does not work on the SMS, but luckily, I can embed their brand new TikTok video from Tuesday here, as they cross-posted it on their Facebook page. The video features frontman Alex Traynor decreeing that we (though only he is on camera) are going to shovel "an elderly woman's driveway".

Without spoiling the 14 seconds-long video, it is definitely humorous in tone, which Tarnished was specializing in on TikTok when they were more active on that service. No music to be had here, but it did get a lot of attention on TikTok, so watch its Facebook copy below, and see above for more musical and non-musical videos from Alex & crew!

Also, here's the latest from prolific Sault Ontario extreme metal/folk punk musician Chase Wigmore, as he has some more belated album releases on his Bandcamp page! According to an e-mail notification for registered fans, Chase added nine back catalog albums from both his own eponymous project and Awokest on Monday, including last year's "Ruins of Life" and his Awokest effort "Beyonder", The remaining seven are from 2020 or earlier, so while he didn't put 2021's "The Symphonic Organism" or "Living Divisions" for sale in this wave, he has previously pledged to put all of his back catalog albums on Bandcamp, so keep that in mind! At least this way, you can now see the track listings on the albums that were previously YouTube exclusive, and from what I can tell, all cost $7 for a digital download. See above for much more from Chase on Bandcamp, and stay tuned for more recent updates from Chase's projects as they roll in!

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

 

• I have removed inactive local start-up company Ma Lady Menace from our "Other Sault Ontario Metal Links" section due to the deletion of their Facebook (and last surviving online) page. The Douglas Ewen-led company planned to sell LootCrate-style "crash course crates" for media franchises, and were slated to co-promote the CureCon charity concert festival in August 2017, though neither venture was publically realized and the company quietly shut down. Hopefully Douglas is doing well nowadays!
• I have moved local post-punk/rockabilly duo Orange back to our inactive band links, as the band has not issued any public updates since March 9th of last year, ironically in a Facebook page post where they said that Orange "is coming back, baby!" Orange had originally reunited in 2014 with album plans and a series of "Sunday Sessions" audio uploads, but functional updates ended after March 2015, their promoted return last year notwithstanding. Chris & Matt had some interesting music on hand, hopefully they turn back up in some form down the road!
• Newer local alt-rock/punk duo These Magnificent Tentacles are looking at expanding to a trio, specifically by adding a bassist (frontman Brenton Ellis had been filling that role in studio). The band rehearses at least once a week, and they have space and gear on hand already. If you're interested in trying out or getting more information, message drummer Steve Edwards at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site next!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

It feels like too long since we last had a proper news post on the SMS, but with all of the current restrictions, things have been moving at a snail's pace once again, alas. That said, today's video-heavy post has some new stuff to talk about, including a prolific local musician's recent exposure on a big web-series, new solo performance clips, and leading off, some new original songs from an upcoming album, so here's what you should know!

Let's start with the latest from prolific local extreme metal/folk punk solo musician Chase Wigmore, who has resurfaced after a very quiet fall with two new songs for another planned album on New Year's Eve! Uploaded to his YouTube channel, these are entitled "Angry & Jealous God", and as embedded below, the 13+ minutes long "In The Name Of The Master", which are both slated to be on a new album named "Sonic Apocalypse". I won't give my thoughts on the songs yet, pending a possible review if this album actually goes on sale (all since 2020 have just been free streams), but both of these songs are metal tracks with heavily processed harsh vocals. Note that Chase's other active solo project Awokest posted the album title on their Facebook page in November, but the YouTube songs are credited under Chase's own name, and there's obviously a lot of crossover between the two acts.

As for the above image, it was posted to Chase's Facebook page in November, and while I can't confirm if it is the "Sonic Apocalypse" cover art or not, note that it's not used with either YouTube video. It will be interesting to hear how this album (free or paid) shapes out, so hear both of the first two songs above & below, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's some new solo guitar covers from former(?) Jack Spades/Stegadeth guitarist Tiffany Stocco's YouTube channel! Her first uploads in over a year, one features Tiffany tackling The Distillers' "City of Angels" (which won't surprise fans of her old tribute band Coral Fang), but embedded below is her rendition of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Hate Myself For Loving You". Both featuring Tiffany playing along with the original track in the background, these covers are well done and show solid respect to two well female rock icons, so check out Tiffany's new videos above & below!

Also, here's some new videos from former Sault Michigan progressive metal guitarist Mike Libertoski's YouTube channel! One is a 16 second clip of him shredding on an 8 string guitar (very proficiently at that), but embedded below is this black & white clip from last week of Mike demoing his TC Electronic Ditto Loop guitar pedal. You don't see him actually use it, given how the video is framed, but you can hear it. Effective performance that shows his talent and solid gear, so give it a look below, and follow his current White Lake metal band Bleak Life to hear what he's up to nowadays!

Finally, Sault Ontario/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith has gotten some more good exposure in the Australian YouTube series Your Music Live, as hosted by Studio Live Today's Pete Johns, with songs of his surfacing in even more episodes! We did mention episodes #76-78 on the site last month, but Pete reviewed "From The 55th Parallel" (from "Bridges") third to last in episode #79 from December 17th, calling him "a heck of a creator" and the song "very cool indeed". Also, "Take Back The Moon" from 2020's "If Ever Comes The Day" was reviewed in the most recent episode (#82) from last week, which is embedded below. In this case, Mike's segment is near the middle of the episode, so jump to the 58 minute mark or so. Pete liked the song's great mix and even a choice rhyme as it relates to Australian slang, so fans will like how Mike's music is reaching a new audience! Give these a watch below, and also check out the other talented indie musicians from around the world!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? (March 2020 Update)

For our first post of the month, here's our latest "Where Are The New Albums?" post, looking at the current release whereabouts of upcoming albums from local metal, hard rock, and/or punk acts that have at least began recording sessions! This month, we have five entries, including one restored album and one with updates (both as noted with their title in italics), plus an album has been removed due to it's now-unlikely release prospects. Here's what you should know!

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Chase James Wigmore's new albums

Rumoured Songs: Unknown

Background: Ever the prolific artist and songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore posted on his eponymous Facebook page on August 31st to announce two more distinct acoustic albums and the long-gestating completion of his 33 part rock opera "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". On January 17th, he revealed that a new full-length acoustic album was ready to be recorded (it's not clear if it's one of the ones teased in August), while also promoting the impending release of his long-gestating new Awokest album "Beyonder", which was posted for free on YouTube three days later.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but remember that Chase is very prolific and varied in his musical interests, and not every album of his has seen a formal paid release, either by finishing it's lifespan as a demo, or by being released online for free. Chase did say that he hopes to complete the acoustic album plugged last month "within the next two months", but stay tuned for updates from his camp when they roll in!
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Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide's fourth album

Rumoured Songs: "Lost & Found", "All Broke Down", "No Control"

Background: Revived local Celtic punk veterans Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide began recording sessions by October 2018 at Dustin's own Mission Control Studios, as per their Facebook page. In January 2019, the band confirmed that they were indeed recording a fourth studio album (and first since 2012), which will presumably be released through Tidal Records, and will also be their first album with second guitarist Liam Seymour & drummer Chris Johns. While "All Broke Down" was initially cited as the first single in December 2018 (source here), the first two released singles were "Lost & Found" in March 2019 & "No Control" in December 2020. Credits on the above songs' music videos note that Kyle Whittaker at Strange Pumpkin Studios in St. Catharine's is mixing the album, as he has done for multiple Tidal/Mission Control releases. Dustin did post a new original song named "For Now" on YouTube" in January, but it's not clear whether it is intended to be for The Tide or not.

Current Release Status: When The Tide shared a teaser clip for "Lost & Found", they mentioned that the album was "coming soon", which doesn't tell us much. With recording sessions well along the way, and two music videos now public, it's likely that Dustin and company aren't early in the process, but we'll let you know when more comes out on the album!
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Kraken Mara - "Vibe Check"

Rumoured Songs: "The Woodward", "Vibe Check", "Stratus", "Moon's Haunted", "Kraken Marta (MinMaj)" "Chimera", "Ishka", "Grand Machinations", "Dark Passenger"

Background: The progressive metal project from Late & Loud guitarist Brendan Christie & his brother-in-law Jake Valois, Kraken Mara immediately commenced work on their debut EP upon their April 2016 launch. In sporadic updates on Facebook, Reverbnation, and their website, the band posted & reworked original demos with Reese Wolf working as sound engineer for the tracks, and they even planned for music videos of each song. After October 2017, Kraken Mara went on hiatus partially due to Brendan's overseas work commitments, and after a brief return in late 2019, they came back fully in February 2021 with new videos on their Instagram page, a scheduled video playthrough hitting YouTube on March 12th, and streaming copies of five songs newly posted on their website. With their return, they have named the previously self-titled EP "Vibe Check", and confirmed that the Kelowna, B.C.-based Cliff Aubut will provide drums as a session musician.

Current Release Status: Assuming that the five streaming songs on their website will be the only five songs on "Vibe Check" (nothing was firmly said in that regard), then the EP is very likely done the recording sessions, and it does sound like Kraken Mara are nearing a paid release of some kind! That said, the pandemic is still very much a concern, and who knows what format the EP's release will take, though as a studio-only project with no live concerts or full-time bassist & drummer, they wouldn't necessarily be hamstrung by not being able to play a release show in the near term. Stay tuned for more on Kraken Mara's new EP when it rolls in!
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Mike Haggith - Bridges

Rumoured Songs: "From The 55th Parallel", "Over Indecision", "The Nature of The Times","An Act of Strength","The Catalyst", "Dangerous Town", "Come On Home", "Blue Highway", "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost", "Bridges"

Background: After moving to Thompson, Manitoba in November 2017, prolific local/Windsor hard/alternative rock musician Mike Haggith relaunched his dormant solo project, and soon commenced work on a new CD named "Bridges", which finished recording sessions in early 2019. His Facebook page has documented songwriting sessions, acoustic videos of new original songs, plus solo concerts in Thompson largely featuring new tracks. Despite the unveiling of the cover artwork, three singles, and even a music video for "The Nature of The Times", Mike indefinitely postponed the release of "Bridges" in late 2019 due to mixing delays, personal life concerns, and the quick development of a new album named "If Ever Comes The Day", which was released in June. Note that Mike has released a new studio single named "To Be With You" that has exclusively been aired on The Borderline Radio, but he has not confirmed whether that will be part of a new album of it's own.

Current Release Status: Mike has largely kept his next music plans close to the vest aside from some promising teasers, though he did perform "Come On Home" in Thompson's virtual Winterfest concert last month, and said there that "Bridges" will be released this year. Though this album has been surprisingly delayed since before the pandemic, Mike's typical candor & honesty bodes well if anything sudden occurs. Keep tabs for updates, and watch #LockdownLive IV to hear the whole album unplugged and hear his side of the album's progress and delays as of April!
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The Uncanny Valley's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "The Uncanny Valley", "Glowin'", "Middle Man", “This Love is Psychedelic”, "Stuck In Rotation", “Sweet Like Sugar”

Background: The new classic hard rock band from 2019 Soo's Got Talent winner Adrian Sullivan, fans will have seen original material of theirs right from the start, as The Uncanny Valley debuted their own songs in their first live concert at The Canadian on New Year's Eve 2019. Live concert & jam session videos have followed on their Facebook page featuring their own material as well. After posting a teaser audio clip of "Sweet Like Sugar" in September, they posted the full studio version of "Middle Man" in October, finally confirming there that they are working on their first album, though no other details have followed suit.

Current Release Status: No clue, which isn't helped by The Uncanny Valley's age and relatively unfamiliar profile for many readers, not to mention the complications of the pandemic, and the apparent departure of bassist Adam Fahrer in recent months. That said, they are a talented group who seem to be taking the right steps for the future, and hopefully more updates on their debut album follow when ready!

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As well, we have one album to remove due to the band in question falling inactive and it's now unlikely release prospects, so here's what you should know on that: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Elements' debut EP 

Rumoured Songs: "Liar", "G20", "Triple H", "The Rut", "I Need A Friend", "Riptide"

Background: Arguably better known for their funk, ska, and hard rock covers, local quartet The Elements had been adding original material to their sets since 2015, and have since publically confirmed earlier teases that they are working on a debut EP. Frontman Rob Speers had confirmed in personal conversations in early 2016 that they were working in studio on the release, which would have had at least 5 tracks, and I believe it was being self-recorded, but further public updates were minimal at best. A studio recording of "I Need A Friend" was quietly posted onto their Facebook page on February 17th of last year, following personal Facebook postings that revealed that EP sessions were further along than public statements indicated, though they never elaborated on that publically.

Reason For Removal: As I moved The Elements to our inactive band links on February 17th of this year, that leads me to assume that the EP plans are similarly inactive, though their members (minus James) have been seen in the interim with their acoustic covers-only side project The Wyld Stallyns. Pandemic-related complications are certainly possible as to why The Elements have been A.W.O.L. in the past year, and hopefully we'll see them return to their usual rocking ways (perhaps with EP in tow) when a more normal concert environment can resume!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around April 2nd, while our next monthly feature will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next Wednesday. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site within the next couple of days! Thanks everyone!

Tarnished, Project 906, And Chase Wigmore News & Videos!!

Let's cover some recent news and updates on the SMS today, primarily from a pair of notable hard rock bands in the E.U.P., but there is lots of recent stuff to touch on from a prominent Sault Ontario musician as well. Hopefully there's more where this came from, but here's what you should know!

 

Here's the latest (non-TikTok) updates from Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished, starting with a surprise lineup change, as they have officially parted ways with drummer Gary Croad. Unlike in their prior drummer departure last year, the band did elaborate on their Facebook page on Thursday, where they implied that Gary made the call to leave, as "he's got his own path to follow", but they praised him and the great ride they've had with him. Gary was confirmed as Tarnished's new drummer in May of last year, replacing Tommy Korcal behind the kit, and he played with them at the Rock The Block concert in July, but he only sporadically took part in their videos posted to social media. Tarnished hinted that Gary "got in with Project 906" (if true, ironically replacing Tommy again), but that has not been confirmed by Project 906's camp at press time. We'll keep you posted on if that proves to be an accurate report or not!

Gary's a solid musician, and while he did seem to be somewhat detached from their social media videos, he will be missed, and hopefully we hear from him again soon! Before Gary left, he did feature (at least) one more time with Tarnished in their fourth "Friday Sessions" appearance on 9&10 News' lifestyle newsmagazine series The Four last week! Here, they played their original song "The Path", in a similar setting to their prior CBS performances, but here with more stage lighting. Solid work as usual, and if you missed The Four on channel 10(.1) last week, check it out at the above links! I can't embed videos from 9&10 News' website here.

Next up, here's a new video from the aforementioned Project 906's Facebook page! Apologies for the delay on this clip, which was uploaded on Christmas Eve, but it remains their most recent posting there (again, no word on if they did switch drummers as of this writing). Around three weeks after posting a Chris Stapleton cover as part of a planned "Songs From The Bedroom" solo performance video series, frontman Billy Bernier returned with a new video, this time not visibly in a bedroom, and this time of a new 906 original song! Entitled "Where's The Love?", this acoustic vocal/guitar rendition is obviously incomplete from how the band will play it, but it has a bluesy rock base that fits their usual sound, and it's well sung! That said, I'd have framed the camera better, too much dead space in the top half. Give Billy's new video a watch below, and stay tuned for more from Project 906!

Now let's head north to Sault Ontario for the latest from prolific local singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore! In a lengthy post on his Facebook page on January 17th, Chase revealed that he has a new full length acoustic album ready to be recorded, and while he was in the process of scheduling record time for it, he hoped to finish it within two months. Later in the post, Chase noted that he is planning to release "The Chase James Wigmore Collection" for sale on USB sticks, featuring his entire solo discography, from raw early trials to his more refined and seriously approached work of more recent years, as part of three volumes. He is currently in "Volume 3" of his solo career, which he teased "will probably be the end" of his solo work, but he never plans to stop playing guitar. Hopefully that's not too finite, he still has a lot to offer musically! Chase also teased further work with The Strange Coyotes, who reunited in late 2019 for a one-off gig at the Dryer Fire pop-up venue, but the pandemic is obviously in the way.

At the end, he noted that he's working on writing a book about the guitar, under the title "Ars Cithara" (which stands for "The Art Of Guitar"), and Chase called it "the single most important project I will ever work on" and "perhaps even my life's purpose." No pressure, clearly, but I'd be very curious to read this when completed! The other note from this post regarded his side project Awokest's new album "Beyonder", which had recently been mixed after some prior technical issues, and two weeks later after this post was made, the album came out as promised as a free upload on his new YouTube channel! If you like Chase's electronic and industrial works with a tinge of extreme metal, you should take to "Beyonder", especially as it's free, though this is a primarily instrumental album. Give Awokest's new music a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Chase's camps when it rolls in!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week, plus our latest Defunct Local Band Profile on Monday or Tuesday! Thanks everyone!