LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Plus Lots Of New Videos!!

Here's another news post for your Saturday afternoon reading, so what's on offer today? Mostly new videos from artists on both sides of the border, but leading off, let's start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

Fresh off wrapping up another week of Gliss shows, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will head to The Water Tower Pub TONIGHT as one of many performers at their eighth annual Blues For Food fundraiser concert! Profuse apologies for the short notice, this has been announced since at least November 8th, but we only learned of it via a mention on Tym's personal Facebook page this morning, and given the genre theme, it's never been something to hit our direct radar before. This annual concert features a stacked cadre of blues-leaning local musicians, with all admission fees being either cash or non-perishable food donations to the Soup Kitchen, which is an excellent cause, and hopefully year #8 is another huge success to that end! This is Tym's first publically credited appearance at Blues For Food, so expect a bluesier set from him TONIGHT, while 10 other artists are advertised on the poster. These include (in listed order) Catherine Taddo, blues rockers Five Below Zero, Obsession frontwoman Valerie Powley, Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle...

...Stuart Bolduc, Barn Board Trio/ex-Gianni Gagoots guitarist Liam Seymour, Rusty McCarthy, Rick Wysynski, Mark Gough, and Steve Quesnele. Very talented lineup with many familiar faces from the local blues community and past Blues For Food events, so don't miss them and more special guests TONIGHT! This show starts at 9:00 PM TONIGHT, and you must be 19 or older to attend. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym Morrison live a few years back!



Next up, here's the latest from local punk trio Stegadeth, starting with a surprising lineup shift, as they announced the addition of Bear Hunters/Handsome Sandwich drummer Johnny Belanger to their lineup last month, replacing Daniel MacDonald. The band cited unspecified "health reasons" for Daniel's departure, so hopefully it's nothing too serious, and that we see him back on stage down the road at some point! Of course, Johnny was a bandmate of guitarist Tiffany Stocco's with Jack Spades (Mk 1) through last summer, and he should fit in fine with her and Bill going forward, starting at the Guy Thiffault memorial concert at The Canadian on the 27th! In our first look at Stegadeth Mk 2, the band posted this video to their Facebook page last week featuring their cover of Diarrhea Planet's "Ghost With A Boner" (I didn't title the song or band, don't shoot the messenger!) Filmed by frontman Bill "Orthae" Bennett while playing, the performance is raw and promising, but not a lengthy look at the new lineup yet. Still, check it out below, and don't miss them live after Boxing Day!



Also today, here's some long overdue new videos from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night's Facebook page, in advance of TONIGHT'S Soo Theater concert! Apologies for the delay in these making the site, they fell through the cracks far too often. All via shares from keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page, one comes from November 21st, and it's just a 10 second clip of their version of "The Little Drummer Boy" played through a computer. Sounds good, but very brief! Another one from November 6th is this video filmed at Grooters Productions in Holland featuring ominous instrumentation, though the dark lighting doesn't accentuate things well, especially with no one visibly performing live. Also that day was this video showcasing the beginning of their version of "Silent Night" (again, via computer tracking), though this does reveal that they have pre-taped spoken word introductions on certain songs. Again, this is short, but it's a good preview!

An earlier video from November 2nd features just tracking background instrumentation. Embedded below however is this weekend rehearsal video from the 20th that opens with Craig performing a section, before translating to instrumental performers at Grooters. Arguably the heaviest non-concert video yet from Theatre of Night's Christmas tour cycle, this is a nice preview of what to expect tonight at The Soo Theatre or tomorrow in Pickford, despite the vertical camera angle, so check out these new-ish Theatre of Night videos above & below, and stay tuned for more next week!

 
Finally, here's the first video posted to Sault Ontario hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary's new YouTube channel! An original song called "Childish Leaders", this is Mike's entry into the Serj Tankian Challenge, a contest by System of a Down's frontman where musicians must make a 3 minute-or-less original song that starts with a a provided 7 note progression. Very well put together video with lyrics and animations, and if Mike did this all himself, kudos for a great job! Catchy song with a laid back feel yet serious lyrics, and hopefully it makes listeners think about what's on offer below!



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

Johnny B.'s #Litfam Birthday Sheezy Review!!

It's now time for our review of Saturday night's birthday concert for prolific local metal/punk drummer Johnny Belanger at The Oddfellows Hall, under the curious name "Johnny B.'s #Litfam Birthday Sheezy"! Only a mixed turnout at best, peaking for the last two bands, which may have partially been from the show's branding as a birthday event (maybe people were scared off thinking it was private?) Hot dogs and pop were on sale for the occasion, and everyone even sang "Happy Birthday to You" to Johnny midway through the show, which was a nice moment!

Opening Saturday's show was new local hard rock quartet Heavy Head in their Oddfellows Hall debut, and it's safe to say that they've improved a ton since their VM Radio Battle of the Bands set! The talented quartet seemed more casual and tighter than they did during their early appearances, and seemed to entertain early fans with their set, which seemed to evolve their cover selection away from poppy songs like "Shut Up & Dance" into a better-suited rock set. Actually, punk made up a substantial part of their set, with Blink-182, NOFX, and Sublime getting prime spots alongside a handful of originals (like their closer "Mikey Doesn't Whiskey".) The guys all performed strongly, with Daniel Horton and Jesse Cook having fun interactions, but Mike Gaetano mostly stuck to the mic stand, only rarely bantered with the crowd, and, in what was to recur with later singers, was often inaudible on heavier songs. Heavy Head are definitely turning the corner, and hopefully they keep at it into the summer!

Next up was local modern hard rock quartet Eclipse (also making their Oddfellows debut), and for fans who like their System of a Down renditions, you'll have been quite happy, as the first 7 songs of their 11 song set were S.O.A.D. covers! I often find it hard to critique the same band twice in a short span, as things don't usually have drastic changes in the interim, but this definitely helped! The guys have the instrumentals down well, but I will say that Curtis McKenzie's vocal range doesn't suit certain S.O.A.D. songs with Serj on lead vocals ("Aerials" is a good example.) Closing with originals "Crywolf" & "Silver Bullet" and Led Zeppelin & Billy Talent renditions, Eclipse were in good form with solid energy, with Chris Thompson keeping the beat strongly on drums, and Fred Dunn holding his own on bass! Eclipse delivered a unique set for early fans, and we'll have to see if they repeat it at all in the future!

Third was new local death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora in their own Oddfellows Hall debut, and they delivered a strong, if work-in-progress set that got some light moshing going on Saturday evening! Playing a short 5 song set (including songs like "Evolution By Force" and one that appeared to be called "ABCDEFG"),  Kaepora Gaebora endured some technical difficulties with their own amps and gear to deliver a strong death metal wallop that called to mind guitarist Dan Souliere's Bring the Fallen past! Original B.T.F. drummer Joey Graham proved to be a capable growler, but with vocals muffled for most of the night's bands, I'd want to hear him again before I really compared or critiqued him. It was also nice to see Kevin Overton back behind a drum kit for a local band, his skilled playing has been missed in recent years! Kaepora Gaebora need to get some more songs under their belts, and some more guitar solos, but they're on their way, and hopefully we hear more soon!

Punk/metal quintet Jack Spades took the stage next in Heavy Head bandmates Johnny Belanger & Jesse Cook's second sets of the night, and they were up to their usual entertaining standards on Friday! Unfortunately, the first half of their set had a very low turnout, but with songs like "Breakneck Speed", "To The Left", and covers of the likes of SNFU and The Ripcordz, fans in the hall definitely took to Jack Spades' melodic punk/metal fusion! J.D. Pearce's vocals were as consistent and fitting as ever (just a shame the vocals were quiet all night), while Jesse & Tiffany Stocco provided strong guitar throughout! Jack Spades are a band that really feeds off the crowd, so they've had stronger sets than this, but the guys delivered well!

Jesse Cook stuck around for the co-headlining set from his reunited extreme metal quartet Winkstinger, who showed clear improvement from their new lineup's debut last month! Playing a similar set mixing familiar originals with covers of the likes of Pantera and Anthrax, Winkstinger avoided the technical difficulties and stage rust of their debut with an entertaining metal onslaught, with the new members showing improved stage presences! Keith Gagnon (complete with Little Mermaid poncho) relied less on lyric sheets this time out, and had a fun chemistry & rapport with Jesse throughout the set, while bassist Andrew MacDonald didn't face the back of the stage as much as he had during their return. It was also fun seeing Johnny, Dan, and Bear Hunters frontman Nik Deubel joining in for vocals on Winkstinger's covers, and if Winkstinger continue on this path, they'll be back at their early 2010s peak before you know it!

And finally, your headliners on Saturday were local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters in their first show of 2015, but their set contained the teased special guest appearance, as rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney did indeed return to the fold for the first time since the "Eternal Hibernation" release show in November 2014! It was great to see Josh retake his rightful spot on stage with the Hunters, and he didn't lose a step in the past year & a half, fitting right in like he'd never moved! Busy in studio lately, The Bear Hunters broke out a set full of brutal originals new and old like "Servitude" and "Neckbreaker", plus fan favourite covers of "Guardians of Asgaard" and, yes, "Squirrel Buddy", though the quiet vocals killed the humour of the latter with Mitch Sirie's vocals virtually inaudible. Everyone was on form, with Nik in ferocious form, and Justin Lam strong on bass, and it was great to see The Bear Hunters' full lineup again! Here's hoping it's not another 18 months!

Overall, this was a very fun concert despite the constant vocal audibility issues, and it looks like Johnny had a great birthday party with lots of local talent, including three of his own bands! You can check out our photos from the show at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for or videos, here's Heavy Head playing their original "5 A.M.", Eclipse covering System of a Down's "Hypnotize", Kaepora Gaebora playing "Death Spins", Jack Spades playing "Crossroads", Winkstinger playing an unclear song (let us know if you can help title it!), and The Bear Hunters playing "I Fear No God"!













That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week! Thanks everyone, and Happy Birthday, Johnny!!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Bear Hunters), Plus New Videos!!

We're back with a new news post for your Monday morning, and it includes some new videos from local artists, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a big upcoming all ages show!

Prolific local metal/punk drummer Johnny Belanger is throwing a birthday bash on Saturday, May 21st in honour of his upcoming 27th birthday, in the form of an ALL AGES concert at The Oddfellows Hall! Entitled "Johnny B's #Litfam Birthday Sheezy", at least 7 bands will take the stage in under two weeks' time for what should be a great time, but who all is playing? Timeslots aren't 100% official, but he official hand-drawn poster credits three of Johnny's active bands as playing on the 21st, including his death metal band The Bear Hunters (in their first public concert appearance of 2016) and his punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, alongside reunited extreme metal quartet Winkstinger, and three local bands making their Oddfellows Hall debuts on the 21st, they being modern hard rockers Eclipse, Johnny's hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head, and new death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora (who aren't on the poster, but Johnny confirmed them on the Facebook event page last week.)

The event page also indicates interest in doom metal trio AlgomA joining the bill too, but they are by no means confirmed at this point. As well, Johnny announced last week that "a band" will be making "a special guest appearance" that "you do not want to miss" that night. I honestly don't have any clue who Johnny is referencing, but what band is it? A reunited band that we haven't seen in recent years? A debuting or one-off supergroup? A surprise out of town headliner? Something completely different? Unless there's an early spoiler, be at The Oddfellows Hall on May 21st to find out! Promoted by Johnny in association with Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton, his Litfam Birthday Sheezy is planned to also feature a barbecue if all goes according to plan, so keep that in mind as well. Also, don't be scared away by the private Facebook event page, Johnny confirmed that is a public show too, and to that end, there will be a $5 admission fee, and as of right now, a 6:00 PM start time.

This is shaping up to be a very fun concert, and quite a bash for Johnny's birthday! He's definitely stacking the deck with familiar faces, Oddfellows newcomers, a triple run of sets from his active bands (sans Caveman Morrison and his acoustic work), and not to mention the teased guest band, but there's more to come out on this show in the next couple of weeks! Stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, here's a video of a new local classic rock band that just played their debut concert last week, as they tackled Aerosmith's classic "Sweet Emotion"! The band in question is Red & The Muscle, featuring ex-Sativa Rose frontwoman Marisa Valois alongside Machines Dream guitarist Keith Conway, his former Blues Harvest bandmate Michael DiSanto, and veteran local rock drummer Cliff Alloy, which is a strong lineup to say the least! This video (from their Water Tower Pub debut last week) was uploaded to Keith's personal Facebook page but later shared by Marisa on her solo music page, and it's well filmed from a close angle, but the song isn't the best showcase of Marisa's strong vocal range, and the filmer was in a location where Keith's guitar overpowers the the other instruments. Nicely done though, so keep an eye out for more from Red & The Muscle if you like classic & blues rock (I hear they cover Led Zeppelin too), and here's their first video!



Finally today, here's a new solo guitar cover video from Sault Ste. Marienative and Lethbridge, Alberta-based metal guitarist Paul Melanson's YouTube channel! His first posting there in four months, this is a loose cover of the solo from Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher", and while Paul admitted that it's not note for note, it's a solid rendition, so give it a look below, and follow his current bands Damage Inc. & Bottoms Up as well!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next, and for more news soon! Thanks everyone!

Shit Liver/Bear Hunters Concert Review!!

At last, here's our review of Tuesday night's Shit Liver-headlined concert at The Rednecks Saloon, but be sure to check out the first of this weekend's concert previews in the post below this one! Before we get into the review proper, I wanted to give an outline of the venue itself, as believe it or not, this was my first time ever at the former Nicolet Tavern for a concert. If you only know it from pictures, the stage is to the right of the front entrance, and it's smaller than it looks online. There's a small floor section with tables to the right, and the saloon is fairly long, with the bar in the middle between the stage area and an area with pool tables and extra seating. There are various rustic and country themed items on the walls like at The Canadian, as well as strung up Christmas lights, but I can't verify how much of this was added after the name and theme change. The Rednecks Saloon is cozy and inviting, and though the turnout on Tuesday was medium at best, it'd be nice to see more non-cover shows here!

Opening the show on Tuesday was an acoustic solo set by Jack Spades bandmates Johnny Belanger and Jesse Cook, who you may have seen at assorted recent events, including as "Sleigher" at X-Mess 2. If you've seen Johnny & Jesse's acoustic punk cover sets before, the song selection will be familiar, including covers of the likes of Social Distortion, Blink-182, and The Foo Fighters that definitely got a good reception! The guys kept things light-hearted during the set, with Johnny showing off his singing and guitar ability well that it would be nice to see expanded on beyond just the occasional unplugged gig and he and Jesse continue to have good chemistry in this form! I would like to see more of a range of covers and different songs in their set, but hopefully we see more of Johnny & Jesse together!

Next up was local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din in their Rednecks Saloon debut, and they delivered a very solid set to build on their recent debut shows with this lineup! Mixing renditions of Mike's solo originals like "Cowardly Hearts Beneath The Stars" & "Of Cars & Criminals" with select covers like Live's "Lightning Crashes", the band's recent evolution from extended improvised jam originals to more straightforward versions of Mike's own songs was more fully realized here than ever before, with Mike showing a natural ease up front, Curtis McKenzie demonstrating his underrated guitar ability, and Brandan Glew drumming consistently throughout! Personally, I do prefer the creativty of their old acid jam sets and recordings, and the Live cover is sort of a mood killer during their set, but The Din are on their way!

Third on Tuesday was local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades in a rare set not promoted by frontman J.D. Pearce, and they rocked the stage with a fun and energetic mix of their familiar originals and select covers! Songs like "Fear Corps", "Rise", and the newer "Negative Headspace" joined covers of The Ripcordz and The Misfits (with a Slayer interlude?!) to a positive reception, with J.D. and his new Right Hook Mic making use of his surroundings by exploring the floor throughout! Everyone was on their game musically, with Jesse Cook again delivering some blistering lead guitar work and Tiffany Stocco providing heavy riffs and improving backing vocals as well! It was odd seeing Justin Lam with his hair tied back, but still great to see Jack Spades again, and stay tuned for much more from Jack Spades and their upcoming three-way split release plans!

Co-headlining were local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who brutalized fans with their aggressive originals late in the night! A collection of mostly newer songs like "I Fear No God" and their newest "The Dying Den" joined their cover of Amon Amarth's "Guardians of Asgaard" and two versions of "Collapse the Sun" (the original and a jokey melodic rock version) which fans all seemed to eat up! Though guitarist/promoter Mitch Sirie apologized for his performance on Facebook, he sounded fine to me, and the VM Radio Battle runners-up were at their brutal best for their regular quartet sets, with Nik Deubel's devasating growling on form, and Johnny Belanger showed little fatigue in his third set of the night! Maybe because his windshield was fixed and covered, it helped his performance? Stay tuned for more from The Bear Hunters in the near future!

And your headliners on Tuesday were local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver in their Rednecks Saloon debut and second show of their brief home swing, and if you've missed the guys since last summer, rest assured that they haven't lost a step in the past year! On this stop of their Homeland Debauchery Tour, the guys powered through a somewhat abbreviated though blistering set of originals like "It's Not My Problem", "Helen Kellers", and the debuting "Just Take It" & "It Won't Change", even debuting the use of audio samples like on their album for the live show as well. Josh Penno, a nicely mohawked Mike Kyle, and Matt Baic let their extreme vocals loose with fury, and all kept up their end of the bargain on their respective instruments for a to-the-point set of brutality, even inciting some brief mosh pits! It was great to see Shit Liver again, and hopefully they play here again soon!

Very entertaining show overall, and in a sense, it felt like a throwback to the old Rosie metal nights... only not at The Rosie.... or on a Thursday. Kudos all around, and check out our photos from the event at this link or via our Facebook page! As for videos, we got one of each band, so here's Johnny & Jesse covering Flogging Molly's "The Worst Day Since Yesterday", Mike Haggith & The Din covering Simple Minds' "(Don't You) Forget About Me", Jack Spades playing "Frederick", The Bear Hunters playing their new song "Neckbreaker", and Shit Liver playing three songs in a row: their self-titled song, "You're Scared", and "Fabricated Nonsense"!











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

Jack Spades EP Release Party Review!!

Hey guys, it's now time for our review of last night's Jack Spades EP release show at The Rockstar Bar! Before we get into the performers, I should mention that physical copies of their EP "The First" were $10 at the door, while patches, posters, and more band paraphernalia were also on sale at the door upon entry, and we will give a more in-depth look to the CD this coming week (and yes, our review is also imminent!) Good turnout last night, fans were very active by night's end, but it did start slowly. Now, to the bands!

The night started with a late addition acoustic set from Jack Spades bandmates Johnny Belanger & Jesse Cook, with Johnny reprising his singing & acoustic guitar work from the Sewer Swampstravaganza open mic block last week. Aside from Jesse's addition on second guitar, this set was largely similar in song choices (if not exact) with Johnny's open mic set, mixing punk covers of bands like Flogging Molly and Social Distortion with alternative & indie rock covers from the likes of Blue October and Biffy Clyro. Like then, Johnny has underrated talents as a singer and guitarist, but I remember him playing both when we were still at Bawating in the mid-2000s, and it's nice to see him break out of the drumkit more nowadays! I assume too that his covers reflect more of his own music preferences, so why hide them for so long? Jesse's guitar work was a nice addition, but he seemed a bit out of place at times, though we'd get his more usual fare later in the night. Solid start to the evening, we'll have to see if this goes any further!

Next up was local classic metal quintet Project 421, though with a temporary change up front, as singer Curtis McKenzie is out of town at the moment due to work commitments. They kept it in the family for his mystery replacement though, as his younger brother Travis (who played guitar in some of Curt's early bands) filled in on vocals in his place, though guitarist Blair Burch sang lead on the first two songs. While Travis doesn't have his brother's vocal range, and his stage presence did seem a little forced at times, he does possess a punk tone that fit pretty well on Judas Priest, Kiss, and Metallica covers, and I'd be curious to hear him in a full time band again! Everyone else was in their usual form, with Blair's guitar work standing out, and Larry Mousseau's experience drum skill showing throughout the set! This might not be the optimal way to see Project 421, but Travis filled in nicely, and if the need arises, they should give him the call again!

Co-headlining was local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (replacing Destroilet) in their first show since Medi-Fest in March, and they left a good impression in their Rockstar Bar debut!  Their set featured assorted funk rock covers including heavier songs from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Tenacious D, and Nine Inch Nails (featuring Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce on guest vocals), and they handled each pretty well, though a few were a bit messy. Like when I saw The Elements at the former Roosevelt Hotel, I found them hard to photograph partially due to how animated singer Rob Speers was, but his voice held up well on their songs, while it was nice seeing Alex Hagerman on drums again, and James White's skilled bass work was a constant! The delay before their set was the only major complaint I had, as The Elements have a good thing going that's a bit different from the norm, and hopefully we see them back at it soon!

And finally, your headliners were local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, who tore through a slightly sped-up set of originals and covers in honour of their release of their new EP, and fans were very receptive! Along with all 5 songs from the new disc, Jack Spades' setlist also included newer originals like "Frederick" and "Motorwolf" and Misfits & SNFU covers, and their freewheeling intensity and attitude served them well with the crowd! J.D. Pearce's vocals were up to par from past shows, Justin Lam's bass was excellent as usual, and in his third set of the night, Jesse Cook showed no obvious wear as he tore through some very nice guitar solos! Aside from a late mishap during "To The Left", things seemed to go off without a hitch, and hopefully last night's show kicked off Jack Spades' EP in style! If nothing else, they jacked The Rockstar Bar, and there's definitely more to cover next!

Overall, this was a very fun show, especially with the release party frills and seeing some bands who aren't regulars at The Rockstar Bar at this very nice venue, and be sure to look for more on "The First" this week! Photos and videos from the show can be seen at this link or via our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's Johnny & Jesse covering The Verve Pipe's "The Freshman", Project 421 & Travis McKenzie covering Iron Maiden's "Running Free", The Elements covering Volbeat's "The Mirror & The Ripper", and Jack Spades playing their short originals "Crossroads" & "They Live"!









That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and this month's new poll TOMORROW, plus new news soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Glitch) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Today, we're getting to this weekend's metal & hard rock concert previews on a fairly active weekend in Sault Ontario, including a CD release show (with new band confirmations) and much more, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend! (Updated on Friday at 7:00 PM)

Local classic/hard rock quartet Glitch will return to The Rockstar Bar for another concert THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this was only just announced via the official Facebook event page on Tuesday. Last seen three weeks ago in their debut at the OLG Casino, this will surprisingly be this veteran party outfit's first stop at The Algonquin since January, but it's still their most frequent local concert venue, and hopefully Mark, Mike, Marco, and Sean get a solid reception for their diverse and often heavy covers on Saturday night! Note however that this is a one night only gig due to the Jack Spades EP release show that we're touching on next. Admission is likely $5 for this 19+ show, and a 10:30 PM start time is in effect. For more details, visit the above links, don't miss Glitch's grand return to The Rockstar Bar, and for a preview, here's the guys rocking out at this same venue late last year!



Before that however, a well anticipated CD release show will take place at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT, when local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will officially launch the physical copies of their debut EP "The First"! Though the digital release occurred last month, this will be your first chance to buy the album in a disc format, and that alone is pull enough for many fans to attend, so visit the band's official Facebook page for preview photos of the packaging and booklet for "The First"! There's a full lineup of opening acts scheduled as well to back up Jack Spades' headlining set, so who's on tap? Replacing Destroilet tomorrow will be local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (featuring Jack Spades guitarist Jesse Cook) in their Rockstar Bar debut and their first local concert date since Medi-Fest in March, and they should be a natural fit among tomorrow's performers, so don't miss this newer band's return to the stage! Also making their first appearance at this venue is local classic metal quintet Project 421, though they'll be playing with a guest singer due to Curtis McKenzie's work commitments out of town. The band is keeping the singer's identity a secret, but how will he (or she?) do in this temporary setting tomorrow night?

Also announced after Destroilet's dropout is an acoustic opening set by the aforementioned Jesse Cook and Jack Spades bandmate Johnny Belanger to kick off the night, but how will this sound, and will it bear similarities to Johnny's open mic songs this past Saturday at the Swampstravaganza? Tomorrow's show will have a 10:00 PM start time and a 19+ age limit, and while admission is $5, paying $10 at the door will also guarantee you a copy of Jack Spades' EP upon admission, so keep that in mind, and click here for more info! This should be a great concert on that level, but the EP release side is a solid incentive, and the bands should be rocking, so I'll see you there, and for a preview, here's Jack Spades at The Canadian in March!



Closing with bands playing two nights this weekend, local hard rock standouts The Suicide Kings will return to the site of their local concert debut TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT for shows at the former Nicolet Tavern, now known as The Rednecks Saloon! Last seen at this Albert Street West venue under it's original name last year, this will be their first show since their runner-up finish at the Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish last month, and their first local date in 2 months, so if you've missed the guys' entertaining and heavy originals & covers, take a trip down to the recently renamed Rednecks Saloon this weekend! There's no announced cover charge for this weekend's gigs, you must be 19 to attend, and each night has a 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's been a relatively long time for fans to get their fill of The Suicide Kings on a local stage, but hopefully a big crowd turns up at the new country-themed Rednecks Saloon this weekend, and for a preview, here's The Suicide Kings live at The Canadian!

Finally for this weekend (barring any very late notice announcements) is the return of Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison to The Harp Bar & Grill SATURDAY NIGHT, as his weekly concert arrangement there enters it's 24th straight week! Though his website still lists this weekend as featuring shows both tomorrow & Saturday, Tym will not be playing at The Harp tomorrow due to a set by Jay Case and Frank Deresti, in a similar circumstance as a preemption from last month, but Tym's acoustic hard rock covers will still be in full force on Saturday night! My source for Jay's show tomorrow is a Facebook post shared on one of The Harp Facebook pages by Jay's wife Carrie. Tym's entertaining and prolific covers should find a solid audience on Saturday all the same, so keep it in mind! Admission is likely free for this 10:00 PM show, and you must be 19 to attend. Click here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live in Heyden a few years back!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, and in case there's nothing tomorrow, we'll see you guys at the Jack Spades EP release show! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym & Caveman Morrison), More "Woods V" Reviews, And Lots More!!

It's time for another news post at the SMS, and if you're a fan of Tym Morrison and his band projects, you'll find a lot of news and updates related to them today! Also on tap is some new "Woods V" reviews and this week's classic video, but let's launch things with some Tym Morrison-related LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is staying very busy with his acoustic solo concerts, thanks to another weekly concert arrangement being added to his schedule! According to a new Facebook event page, Tym will bring his unplugged sets of hard rock covers to The Rockstar Bar "every Thursday" starting next week on March 8th, with new shows likely for the following weeks. Assuming that his Saturday afternoon arrangement at Bossy's Pub N' Grub is alive and well, this will be the first time that Tym has ran two weekly concert arrangements simultaneously since last summer's brief run at both The Service Grill & The Tilt'n Hilton in Hilton Beach. Like usual for his non-Bossy's shows, Tym will be on at The Rockstar Bar at 10:00 PM on Thursdsay, you must be 19 to attend, and I'd bring cash for a cover just in case. Check the above links for more details! It'll definitely be interesting to see Tym solo at The Rockstar Bar, but hopefully these shows gain a following similar to his other weekly arrangements, and maybe the nighttime setting will encourage larger crowds! Stay tuned for more on his next solo shows at Bossy's, The Rockstar Bar, and elsewhere as I hear of them!

Also in new concerts involving Tym Morrison, his band Caveman Morrison are returning to the live concert stage at the end of the month! This talented metal trio will make their 2012 debut for a full weekend set at The Nicolet Tavern on March 30th & 31st, over three months after they last rocked the stage, which isn't as long of a wait as some others have been! Notably, these shows will feature the debut of their new lineup, but I'll have more on that in a bit. Admission is likely free for both the Friday & Saturday shows, you must be 19 to attend, and a 9:30 PM start time is listed for both concerts. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page and the band's newly relaunched Facebook group! It's great to finally see Caveman Morrison back rocking the area, and hopefully there's a lot more in store beyond this month from them! While Tym's acoustic shows are always fun, the plugged-in metal onslaught of Caveman Morrison is always a welcome sight, and it's nice to see them back at it locally!

That said, their lineup will look different from it's late 2011 incarnation, as Caveman Morrison have welcomed Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger back to the fold, replacing Rick White. A reason for Rick's departure wasn't publicized, though I heard from both Rick & Tym earlier this year that he'd left amicably. I just waited for official word from band pages to plug it here, which came via the band's Facebook group yesterday. This ends Rick's brief second tenure with Caveman Morrison, but it's great to see Johnny back! He had originally been Caveman Morrison's drummer in late 2010 after replacing Jeff Richards, but didn't play with them long before Willie Bellerose replaced him the following year. He was a good fit with Tym and company, and he'll surely be back rocking it with them later this month! Notably, Johnny's return also reunites him with his former Browbeat bandmate James White, and they had chemistry together themselves, so hopefully Johnny's return pays off all around, and don't miss Johnny's return to Caveman Morrison at the end of the month!

Fourthly today, let's share some more reviews of Woods of Ypres' final recorded album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" today, seeing as there's many more of them to touch on! On February 10th, "Steel Druhm" from the metal blog Angry Metal Guy gave "Woods V" a 4.5/5, calling it "emotionally crippling" and referring to how unusual it was to review given the lyrical content and frontman David Gold's passing, but praised it's simplicity and did call it their best album to date. Nice review, but you can definitely see the struggle in reviewing it, so check it out at this location! Also last month, Doc Godin from the website Metal Storm declined to give "W5" a rating, but still reviewed it positively. He called it a "pretty decent" album, but criticized those who tend to overrate it due to David's death, and he did point out some recycled melodies and boring stretches among some very heartfelt moments. It's good to see a more honest & critical (yet still positive) review of "Woods V", so click here to give it a read! And finally, "GyZ" from the music blog Noise Shaft gave this album a 9.3/10, praising the band for their brand of "underground retro gloom" and calling it a "pleasant surprise", though the review on the whole is written differently from most reviews of this album I've seen. Visit this link to check it out, and stay tuned for more "Woods V" reviews soon!

And finally, here's this week's classic video, and I know this is fairly late in the week, but better late than never! To help spread things out a bit, we're going with a video not tied in with a band playing this weekend, as this week, we're focusing on Shit Liver! The local grime/crust death metal trio haven't been seen on a local stage at all yet this year, but their following is still noticeable, and fans should like this week's classic video of their cover of Dystopia's "Backstabber"! Not a recent sight in their setlists, this comes from (I think) the 5th Roosevelt Hotel metal night on January 20th, 2011. You may have seen a clearer and closer video of this same performance via the band's official YouTube channel last year, but it never hurts to get a different angle on a song! Shit Liver fans will definitely like this video, but as usual, their sound can be polarizing, and non-fans probably won't see this video on the same level. The camera work is shaky and dark too, but I did lighten the quality after uploading this to YouTube. This video was filmed by an attendee and was later posted to Facebook by drummer Matt Baic on January 24th of last year, with the original video still visible at http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=495497494822.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!! All credit for this video goes to Shit Liver and the original filmer, I'm just trying to share this video with a wider audience like it deserves! I appreciate Shit Liver's sound and approach, and fans are bound to enjoy this Dystopia cover, so give it a look below, and watch out for their return no later than next month's Ypres Metal Fest!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Turner Up), End Of Existence & Browbeat News, And More!!

Back to news today, and I sure have a stockpile of stories to get to! We have a lot of smaller news items and such waiting for some SMS love, and we'll get to more of them over the next couple days, but for now, here's what's on tap for today! We have a new video from a pair of local musicians, a drummer switch in a local band, and new songs from a local band, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

I recently recieved an e-mail from Chad Laroue, the manager of The Roosevelt Hotel on Korah Road. He told me that local classic hard rockers Turner Up are playing there on December 18th, with their planned show at The Vibe Lounge that night moved up a day to the 17th. The band haven't confirmed this yet, but The Rosie's new Reverbnation page confirms what Chad told me. It says there as well that they'll be there to "rock the Rosie" for their holiday bash. A 10:30 PM start time is listed there, with a 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. Should be fun to see them back there, even if it is out of the way from downtown! I'll keep you posted with updates from Turner Up, cause they're likely due to announce some new shows soon! Oh, and while we're on the subject, let's detail The Rosie's new page a bit too! On there, it lists some upcoming weekend dates for the next two months, along with some basic info about the venue, including some comments about how The Rosie's getting a facelift to help bring her back in demand where she belongs! Nice to see, and hopefully the concerts keep rolling in there! Check the above links for more details!

Next up, the long wait is finally over! After numerous date resets and postponements, Sault Michigan/Grand Rapids death metal trio End of Existence have finally released their new original songs from their "EP" onto their internet pages! Yes, the nine tracks from "Sun Is Gone" are now streamable in full online, including at their official website, their MySpace page, and their brand new Reverbnation page! If you wanna listen, I recommend Reverbnation or MySpace, as their website only has eight of the songs ("Ending" isn't posted there), and some or all of the songs might not work for you there. You need Apple Quicktime to play them there, and even if you have it, some don't load. Good stuff overall, reminds me of Integrated System of Machines a lot, but it goes in more extremes into both melodic patches and more extreme riffing! Orb Hearthstone has really developed well since the I.S.O.M. days, and it really shows on softer material like "Deathbed"! But on songs like "Inside You" and "Blood On My Hands", they're at their moshable best! Now because these are just posted online for free streaming, I won't consider this an "album" for review purposes on the SMS, but if it gets sold anywhere as an EP, you can bet on a review in the future!

For a video preview, check out more on End of Existence's new "Sun Is Gone" material at their official YouTube channel! There, you can check out another full song named "Crying Tomorrow", which starts off mellow, but it picks up in speed and heaviness around the middle! Solid track with some real emotion, and cool video effects to boot! Check it out below, and more at the above links!



Thirdly, it appears that Sault Ontario hard rockers Browbeat have parted ways with drummer Rick White. A reason for the switch isn't publicized, and though I have heard a reason from one person as to Rick's departure, I think it's probably best to not say it here without online sourcing. A new drummer has been obtained though, as their Reverbnation page has confirmed that Caveman Morrison/Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger is now in Browbeat! Johnny joins his Caveman Morrison bandmate Dutch Vanderploeg on vocals/guitar in the lineup along with Rick's brother James on bass. Johnny's a great drummer, he should fit in nicely with Browbeat, and I can't wait to see them live again and hear more from their new lineup! Stay tuned for more Browbeat updates as they come in, including more new recordings of their original songs!

Finally for today, local experimental hard rock guitarist Mike Cliffe has uploaded one of his more recent original tracks onto his YouTube channel! Back on September 14th, I told you about his progressive instrumental track "Dog's Breakfast" that he recorded with Flat Stanley drummer (and former metal band veteran) Glen Thomas. Well, Mike added some cool psychedelic effects and some assorted photos to a video to go along with the song, and you can check out the results below! This is a very solid track that shows Mike and Glen's talents especially well, and it's heavy too! Hopefully they collaborate some more down the road, but for now, here's "Dog's Breakfast" again!



That's all for now, but watch out tonight for previews of this weekend's metal and hard rock concerts! And yes, we'll have a new news post of some type tomorrow as well, cause I have a bunch of stuff to get to. Thanks everyone, keep an eye out!