Last Month's Poll Results & Our Newest Poll!!

Continuing our daily post streak, here's this month's new poll and the results of last month's poll! As you may recall, I posed this question to you guys last month: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2019? Sadly, this poll only got 8 votes, but there is a definite winner, so with all of that said, here are the final tallies! 

Puddle of Mudd headline Muddfest in Sault Michigan (3 votes, 37½%)

The Offspring & Sum 41 rock GFL Memorial Gardens (1 vote, 12½%)
Long & McQuade music store begins local operations (1 vote, 12½%)
Oh!No festival expands to 2 nights in Leeburn farewell (1 vote, 12½%)
Sailor's Tongue reunite for Rotaryfest Stage 1 set (1 vote, 12½%)
The Killer Dwarfs headline at Soo Blaster (1 vote, 12½%)
The Apocalypse Afterparty place 3rd in The Soo's Got Talent (0 votes)
Banned dissolve & are succeeded by Tarnished (0 votes)
Crooked Music moves across Ashmun Street (0 votes)
Danger Cats alum Summer Stevens passes away (0 votes)
Dave Evans (ex-AC/DC) rocks The Rockstar Bar (0 votes)
Drowning Pool concert in Sault Michigan postponed (0 votes)
Dryer Fire open Bruce Street pop-up venue twice (0 votes)
The Inner City Surfers reunite for LopLops Lounge concert (0 votes)
Joni Radford memorial concert held at Algonquin Hotel (0 votes)
Late & Loud hold one-off reunion concert (0 votes)
Michale Graves returns for reschuled Canadian date (0 votes)
Mike Haggith releases "Ashes of K" soundtrack album (0 votes)
Music City Sault Ste. Marie project launches (0 votes)
Pop Evil & Buckcherry play outdoors at Kewadin Casino (0 votes)
The Rad Zone announces move to Queen Street (0 votes)
The Sick Sons debut at Random Killing concert (0 votes)
Slaughter & Autgraph rock the St. Ignace Kewadin (0 votes)
The Tea Party returns for show at The Machine Shop  (0 votes)
Tripod the Dog permanently reunite (0 votes)
Other (0 votes)

What do you think? Alas, at this rate, I can't be too surprised as to the low vote totals, but for the options that didn't get any vote, I am most surprised that the Inner City Surfers and Late & Loud reunions, and the Pop Evil/Buckcherry and Michale Graves concerts didn't get any votes. For the five choices that tied for second with a single vote (sigh), I'm most surprised that Sailor's Tongue's reunion got some attention, but I'm not overly shocked with the others, as all were big deals in their own way. I didn't expect that a Sault Michigan concert would win out, but November 1st's Muddfest at The Dreammakers Theatre was the victor, as the only option with multiple votes over the past month. That concert had a stacked lineup for fans of nu-metal and 2000s radio hard rock, and despite that Puddle of Mudd cover of "About A Girl" and Trapt's frontman's divisive social media postings as of late, the music on this night clearly won out here. Thanks to everyone for voting!

As for this month's poll, we are winding down our "favourite _____ of 2019" polls, and that continues by posing this question to you guys: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the second half of 2019? I know, it seems like forever ago when concerts took place, but maybe jarring the memory to some of the big shows that took place late last year will bring back some positive memories! Besides, I still have to hold our poll covering all of 2019, featuring the vote-getters from our early 2019 poll! To be included in this poll, concerts must have taken place in Sault Ontario and the surrounding area between July 1st and December 31st, 2019, and anything that was held in 2020 before the shutdown will be addressed in a future poll. Concerts must have had a performer lineup at least half comprised of metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands, so events like Rotaryfest, The Soo's Got Talent, and Toystock are not included, though "Other" is back as an option if you are so inclined. Here are your final 15 choices!

Bands: Random Killing, Jack Spades, and The Sick Sons
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: July 5th
Info: Well over five years after the well received Hardcore Homecoming concert at the same venue, Toronto hardcore punk legends Random Killing (and Saultite frontman Andrew Kiteley) returned for another hard hitting night of old school punk action in July, with support from Jack Spades and the debuting Sick Sons to get things started on the right foot. This was another hit for punk fans, but was it your favourite local concert of late 2019?

Bands: The Inner City Surfers and Love & Rehab
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: August 3rd
Info: A packed house was on hand for the long awaited reunion of local punk quartet The Inner City Surfers after a 10 6+ year hiatus in early August, with their fan favourite original songs and chemistry more than welcomed for the occasion! Also featuring Brad's Toronto-based band Love & Rehab as openers, this concert was a major success, with plans for new studio material and future gigs following, but would you vote for this one?

Bands: Black Crown Initiate, Inferi, Warforged, and Pillory
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: August 3rd
Info: While it's scheduling opposite The Surfers on August 3rd can't have been ideal, this rare Live705 concert will have appealed to any technical death metal fans last summer, with a trifecta of touring bands ready to melt faces, including the returning Inferi from 2018's Rivers of Nihil show. Local death metal trio Pillory also opened in their last live concert to date, helping make this a must-see extreme metal concert, but can you vouch for it?

Bands: Mike Haggith & Jacob Quarrell
Venue: Outspoken Brewing
Date: August 10th
Info: In his only local concert appearance of 2019, former Din frontman Mike Haggith returned home for a late notice show at Outspoken Brewing, which was notable for fans and Mike alike, especially as that Soo trip helped instigate his upcoming studio album "If Ever Comes The Day" in more ways than one. Also featuring folk musician Jacob Quarrell (who will be in Mike's band for his eventual CD release party), did this show earn your vote?

Bands: The Therapists, Kodex, Jack Spades, Planet Rock, Stegadeth, and Slumshine
Venue: Robbie Adamson's church in Leeburn
Date: September 6th
Info: Expanded to a two-day schedule for it's third and final installment before it's planned Sault Ste. Marie move in 2020, the Oh!No concert festival in Leeburn welcomed 5 varied local act to the stage for it's first night in September (including Stegadeth's last concert set to date), before Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists returned for a second straight year as Friday headliners. Did you like Oh!No III's first night the most?

Bands: Pisser, Cross Dog, Lightmares, Femur, Wrecker, Pointless, Garbageface, Lord Hidetora, The Franquilizers, Forest City Aurora, The Dynowaves, Telephone & Address, The Elements, Conika, The Angry Spells, Hannah Lindsay, The Speed Humps, Shae Tull, and Malignant Neoplasm
Venue: Robbie Adamson's church in Leeburn
Date: September 7th
Info: A whopping 19 of the scheduled 25 acts for Oh!No III were booked for the Saturday lineup last year, including all but one of the touring acts, such as headliners Pisser, the return of Mark Rand's Cross Dog, and sets from festival regulars like Lightmares, The Franquilizers, and Forest City Aurora, plus select local acts, including the reunion of indie/punk project Telephone & Address. Was night 2 of Oh!No III worthy of the piano bonfire?

Bands: The Cancer Bats, The Single Mothers, Sharptooth, Forever Dead, and Redundant
Venue: Soo Blaster
Date: September 12th
Info: The last show in Thunder Bay promoters Loffredo & Associates' 2020 streak of local bookings saw a stacked lineup of touring headliners at Soo Blaster last fall, including the Juno-nominated Cancer Bats & Thunder Bay rockers Forever Dead's first local concert sets in many years, plus the local debuts of The Single Mothers & Sharptooth, and the Soo's own Redundant's first official set with Andrew on bass. Was this your #1 show in the poll?

Bands: Michale Graves, Frightlight, and A Dire Setback
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: September 28th
Info: A year and a day removed from the former Misfits' frontman's scuttled first try at a local concert, Michale Graves fans got a windstorm-free night of classic Misfits songs last fall, as both of his albums with them were played from start to finish! The receptive crowd also got to enjoy the latest return of local horror punk favourites Frightlight, plus a solid opening set from A Dire Setback, but was it your favourite concert here?

Bands: Late & Loud and Planet Rock
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 10th
Info: Five years after their "farewell concert", classic metal quartet Late & Loud reunited one more time to help fundraise for and support bassist Benn Garside's wedding that same month, and fans got to enjoy one more night of heavy rockin' hard metal at The Rockstar Bar! Opened in somewhat surprise fashion by DJ Seith's hip hop project Planet Rock, it was great to see Late & Loud back one more, but would you vote for it?

Bands: Parabol 
Venue: Soo Blaster
Date: October 12th
Info: In their final live concert appearance before quietly closing their social media accounts, local Tool tribute band Parabol booked Soo Blaster for a huge headlining concert, featuring their proficient renditions of Tool's back catalog. This was a must-see show for fans of these progressive metal legends, and Parabol had the chops, but was their (unbeknownst to us) farewell show your favourite local concert in the second half of 2019?

Bands: The Elements, The Guitar Gangters, and The Soo Fighters
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: November 1st
Info: J.D. Pearce's 15th annual Halloween party returned to The Rockstar Bar for a rare post-Halloween date last fall, and while it was contracted to a single day, punk and hard rock fans still got their fill from The Elements' turn covering songs already covered by Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, plus the debut of Volbeat tribute supergroup The Guitar Gangsters, and the return of The Soo Fighters. Would you cast your vote here?

Bands: The Ripcordz, A Dire Setback, and The Sick Sons
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: November 9th
Info: Despite the late withdrawal of Jack Spades, hardcore punk fans came out in full force in November to welcome the legendary Ripcordz back to the Soo after over 2 years away, and they delivered another attitude-fueled set of original favourites! Also featuring A Dire Setback's fast-rising attack and the second live set from The Sick Sons, this will surely have had a great reception, but would you agree with that?

Bands: Dany Laj & The Looks and B.A. Johnston
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: November 9th
Info: If your musical tastes didn't lean towards hardcore punk, you may have been at The New A on November 9th instead, where Girl Friday Productions brought Hamilton comedy/folk punk musician B.A. Johnston back to town for another set of irreverent and polarizing originals, as well as headlining Montreal power pop band Dany Laj & The Looks in their (at least) fifth Soo appearance. The musical talent was here, but were you?

Bands: The Offspring, Sum 41, and Dinosaur Pile-Up
Venue: GFL Memorial Gardens
Date: November 19th
Info: The only major punk or hard rock concert to take place at the Gardens post-renaming, many local punk fans flocked to the arena in November to see The Offspring and the long awaited return of Sum 41, with both bands unleashing sets full of their classic original songs for the occasion! Also featuring rising English alt rockers Dinosaur Pile-Up, this concert was very well received despite high admission, but was it your favourite?

Bands: Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide and The Elements
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: December 21st
Info: Of all of the seasonal punk concerts to take place at LopLops in December, the biggest was arguably the pre-Christmas show headlined by local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide on the 21st, and with new material from their forthcoming studio album in tow, this was another hit for this infrequently seen but very talented ensemble! Also including The Elements as support, was this your favourite late-2019 show?

Other: Did we miss your favourite concert from late 2019? For reference, artists like The Apocalypse Afterparty, The Bear Hunters, Black Mastiff, Bon Jovi Forever, Chase Wigmore, The Cover-Up, Doreen, The Faps, Fluid 5ive, Griphook, Just Leppard, Life Like Fire, The Long Nines, Northwest, Re:Born, Sailor's Tongue, Seax, Soundcheck, The Strange Coyotes, Tripod the Dog, Tym Morrison, The Uncanny Valley, Warsenal, Who Made Who, Whoop-Szo, The Wyld Stallyns, and Zoon also played shows in this time period, while other shows featuring bands in the poll also took place. If, for whatever reason, your favourite concert isn't in the poll, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY! You have until May 18th to make your voices heard, and then we will combine the shows with votes from the first half of 2019 poll and this poll for one final poll on the complete year that was. Until then, let's see how this poll goes in the month ahead, so cast your votes while you can, and stay tuned for more news and notes next week! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & This Month's New Poll!!

I hope everyone's having a great long weekend! Here's the belated close to last month's poll and the launch of our newest poll on the SMS, so to start, recall that we posed this question on the site last month: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2018? Sadly, we only got 10 votes in this poll, but there is a clear result in the final tally, so thanks to everyone who did vote, and here are the final results!

Oh!No festival in Leeburn returns for bigger second year (4 votes, 40%)

I Mother Earth & Finger Eleven return to Sault Ontario (2 votes, 20%)

Steel Panther performs in Sault Michigan in December (1 vote, 10%)

Seether and 10 Years rock Kewadin Casino in August (1 vote, 10%)

Re:Born debuts in local scene in early 2019 (1 vote, 10%)

The Din posthumously release "Suburban Sendoff" (1 vote, 10%)

The Bear Hunters release their debut music video (0 votes)

Big Wreck plays at The Machine Shop in February (0 votes)

Chuck Ayotte of Fistmagnet passes away (0 votes)

Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide return with new lineup (0 votes)

The Essar Centre becomes GFL Memorial Gardens (0 votes)

Gliss Restaurant moves to Spring Street (0 votes)

The Gore Street Cafe permanently closes (0 votes)

The Halloween Party launches new local tribute bands (0 votes)

Highway 63 returns to the stage after a lengthy hiatus (0 votes)

Michale Graves concert cancelled due to inclement weather (0 votes)

Mike Haggith fully resumes solo career in Thompson, Manitoba (0 votes)

Pop Evil returns to Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in February (0 votes)

Redundant play at the final Vans Warped Tour stop in Toronto (0 votes)

Rotaryfest celebrates anniversary with Rewind lineup (0 votes)

Scott McLurg retires from drumming in local bands (0 votes)

Shit Liver tour Canada to support new record "Hitting The Fan" (0 votes)

The Soo's Got Talent competition debuts at The Tech (0 votes)

Stiffler's Mom quietly fall inactive after lengthy local run (0 votes)

Theatre of Night hold their second Christmas tour (0 votes)

Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, regarding the options that got no votes, I am surprised that many received no love here, particularly the Big Wreck and Pop Evil concerts and any new studio album releases, but it's all in who votes! Of the single-voted options, this does prove how big the Seether and Steel Panther shows were last year, and Re:Born were the biggest debuting hard rock band of 2018 locally in a lean year for band debuts, but I am surprised that The Din's posthumous live album squeaked into what you could call the top 3 (with ties.) Second place went to last year's huge I Mother Earth/Finger Eleven concert, which was a great night for fans of late 1990s/early 2000s Canadian alt rock, and hopefully it helped encourage more hard rock events at The Machine Shop! The winner of the poll was last year's Oh!No concert festival in Leeburn, which brought over a dozen diverse acts to the church for a full day of entertainment, and I know year #3 will bring more high profile action this September from local and touring bands alike!

Thanks to everyone who voted! As for this month's poll, we are winding down our "favourite _____ of 2018" polls by asking this question: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert of the second half of 2018? Following up on it's sister poll from last summer, I have grouped 15 high profile concerts for you guys to pick from during this eventful 6 month stretch, with shows receiving votes joining concerts from January-June 2018 in next month's poll on shows from the whole year. To make the poll, concerts must have taken place in the Sault Ontario area between July 1st and December 31st (so no Tea Party, for example), while concerts in the poll must have a lineup comprised of at least 50% metal, hard rock, and punk acts. This eliminates such events as Toystock, the Downtown Street Parties, the Northern Vibe Festival, and Rotaryfest Stage 2, but you can vote for those by selecting "Other" if you want. Now, here are your choices!

Bands: Rivers of Nihil, Alterbeast, Inferi, and Pillory
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: July 6th
Info: One of the heaviest shows of last year saw a trifecta of American death metal bands make their way to The Rockstar Bar last July, with Reading, Pennsylvania's own Rivers of Nihil inciting a huge circle pit for their brutal original headlining attack! Alterbeast and Inferi were more than up to the challenge as openers, while local death/thrash metal trio Pillory impressed in their only public show in the past 18 months. Was this extreme metal blast your preferred choice?

Bands: Treble Charger, Mustang Heart, Turner Up, Road Fever, and Tripod The Dog
Venue: Clergue Park (Rotaryfest Stage 1)
Date: July 20th
Info: As part of their "Rotaryfest Rewind" theme of band reunions at the covers-centric main stage last year, our local summer festival loaded up the schedule each night, with a very SMS-friendly Friday lineup to boot! Featuring prominent indie/punk quartet Treble Charger, a one-off Turner Up reunion, and the return of Tripod the Dog alongside festival regulars Mustang Heart and a reunited Road Fever, fans ate up this day's roster, but would you vote for it in this month's poll?

Bands: Id Iota & Great Chamberlain
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: July 20th
Info: Continuing with LopLops Lounge's tradition of booking Rotaryfest Stage 2 acts for nighttime concerts that same weekend, they played host to local indie/hard rock quartet Id Iota and the now-on-hiatus "unorthodox stadium rock" band Great Chamberlain for this concert, held at an unusually late time so as to not conflict with Treble Charger's set. Surprisingly the last Id Iota show to date, this was a well recieved concert, but can you vouch for it?

Bands: The Din & A Dire Setback
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: July 21st
Info: The second post-Rotaryfest show from LopLops last year saw a surprise reunion set from defunct alt-hard rock trio The Din, marking their first local concert appearance since their "Suburban Sendoff" at the same venue last fall! Also featuring their friends in pop punk trio A Dire Setback fresh off of their own Stage 2 set, this "Dinunion" reminded LopLops patrons how big of an attraction The Din were in their heyday, but was it your favourite late-2019 show featured here?

Bands: The Costanzas, Stegadeth, and Winkstinger
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: August 4th
Info: Presented by Six, Two, Oh. and the mysterious "Killenials", The Rockstar Bar played host to Montreal ska/jazz punk quartet The Costanzas on this August night, with their edgy yet amusing brand of originals attracting more fans in the process! Featuring local punk trio Stegadeth and the 2018 debut of extreme death metal veterans Winkstinger, this song delivered for a nice range of sounds, but did you like it the most of all of these concerts?

Bands: Garbageface, Cross Dog, The Therapists, The Franquilizers, Lightmares, Beaver Slap, Fat Cop, Forest City Aurora, Planet Rock, Pointless, The Dynowaves, Jack Spades, Mik & Steve, Winkstinger, A Dire Setback, The Elements, Jackson Reed, and Shae Tull
Venue: Robbie Adamson's Church in Leeburn
Date: September 8th
Info: The aforementioned Six, Two, Oh. brought back their Oh!No concert festival to the familiar church locale in nearby Leeburn on September 8th, and delivered with an even bigger day of music than in 2017! Featuring the long awaited local return of Mark Rand's Cross Dog, the Soo debut of The Therapists, fan favourite returnees from Oh!No I, Beaver Slap karaoke, and even a piano bonfire, would you vote for this fast-rising festival?

Bands: The Gabba Heys, The Cover-Up, and Amy Gabba
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: September 22nd
Info: After an almost 2 year hiatus from fronting bands locally, veteran local punk musician Mikey Hawdon returned home in September with his new Ramones tribute band The Gabba Heys (not the same band as the former Merves), with his AMY/DC bandmate Amy Zucchetto breaking out a Joan Jett tribute set for good measure! Also featuring the online page-less Cover-Up for a set of their own punk classics, was this punk rock lineup your preferred show out of all others in the poll?

Bands: Ten Foot Pole, Jack Spades, and Redundant
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 25th
Info: Helping kick off another big Halloween concert season from Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, his punk/metal quintet helped open for California skate punk veterans Ten Foot Pole last October, with fans over the past couple of decades flocking to The Rockstar Bar to see these cult favourites in person! Also featuring the first local concert set from punk trio Redundant following their EP release in July, was this your favourite show over all of the rest?

Bands: The Elements, Coral Fang, and Poison Girl
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 27th
Info: The first of two Halloween Party concerts at The Rockstar Bar last year from promoter J.D. Pearce, costumed fans bore witness to a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute set from funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (now known as Higher Ground when under this guise), while Stegadeth bandmates Tiffany Stocco and Johnny Belanger pulled double duty in debuting Distillers and H.I.M. tribute bands. Did the first night of tribute action pique your interest?

Bands: Frightlight, Parabol, and Redundant
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 28th
Info: The aformentioned Halloween party continued the following night with a (largely) Weezer tribute set by Redundant and guest bassist Andrew MacDonald, the live debut of new local Tool tribute supergroup Parabol (who arguably stole the show with their proficient set), and a one-off(?) reunion set by horror punk quintet Frightlight, sans St. Mayhem. Each band delivered with their own explosive brand of music, but did this top late 2018 to you?

Bands: Shit Liver, The Therapists, and The Bear Hunters
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: November 22nd
Info: Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver returned home for their second hometown date of 2018 at The New A last fall, and they were up to their usual tricks at this well recieved concert! Also featuring Oh!No fan favourites The Therapists (props & costumes in tow) and the first Bear Hunters concert set in over a year, this well recieved Thursday nighter rekindled memories of Rosie metal nights gone by, but would you vote for it?

Bands: Parabol & The Elements (as "Scar Tissue")
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: December 14th
Info: An encore of sorts from the two night Halloween Party at the same venue, new Tool tribute band Parabol and their friends The Elements (then using the temporary tribute name "Scar Tissue") joined forces for a one night blast of progressive metal and funk rock, rekindling the same good feelings and strong fan responses that made their sets highlights at the end of October! Can you concur and pick for this show in this poll?

Bands: The Cover-Up & Coral Fang
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: December 21st
Info: A busy Christmas season for Tidal Records included a headlining set from label head Dustin Jones' online page-less punk band The Cover-Up, as flanked by new Distillers tribute Coral Fang in their sophomore outing. Fans at LopLops surely enjoyed this double bill of established local names tackling classic punk songs, and there was more to come from them in 2019, but did you like this show the most among the 15 presented here?

Bands: Northwest & K.I.C.K.
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: December 22nd
Info: The good times for local punk fans continued just a day later at LopLops, as indie/punk quintet Northwest launched their sophomore EP "Songs From 2015-2017" to a receptive audience, with their new and old originals alike bolstering their name and reputation among local fans! Also featuring returning indie rock openers K.I.C.K. after a year+ hiatus, was this your absolute favourite concert in the Soo in late 2018?

Bands: Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide and The Steeletown Girls
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: December 28th
Info: After a big return to the local scene following their lengthy hiatus since mid-2016, Celtic punk veterans Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide capped off an eventful year with a big headlining concert at LopLops on December 28th, with support by Din guitarist Tammy Hill's country pop duo The Steeletown Girls. This was a big post-Christmas platform for fans to check out The Tide's established and newer originals, but would you vote for it?

Other: Did we miss a preferred concert that you saw locally last year? For reference, metal, hard rock, or punk bands like Carried Away, Chase Wigmore, Crucify the Whore, The Faps, Fluid 5ive, Handsome Sandwich, James Watterworth, Re:Born, Soundcheck, The Suicide Kings, That's Chester, The Truth Of All Death, Tym Morrison, and The Wyld Stallyns all played live last year, not to mention shows from Sault Michigan-area acts, and un-listed concerts featuring bands already in the poll. If, for whatever reason, the show you want to vote for isn't here, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY! You guys have until around May 18th to cast your votes, and I'm interested to see how things shake out here, especially if there's a decent vote total! Stay tuned for more updates, and for a new news post soon! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & This Month's Poll!!

It's now time to close up last month's poll on The Sault Metal Scene and launch a new one! For a refresher, we posed this question to you guys last month: What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk album of 2018? After our surprisingly strong preceding turnout, we only received 10 votes this time around, which is unfortunate, but there is a clear result all the same. Thanks to everyone for voting, and now, here are your final results!

The Din - Suburban Sendoff (7 votes, 70%)
C.T.W. & Chase Wigmore - A Couple of Degenerate Bastards (1 vote, 10%)
Mike Haggith - From The Nickel Stage (1 vote, 10%)
Shit Liver - Hitting The Fan (1 vote, 10%)
Abhorrent Forest - To See Eternity (0 votes)
Any of Mike McCleary's 2018 albums (0 votes)
Mike Vincent - Apocalypse or Ultimate Chaos (0 votes)
Northwest - Songs From 2015-2017 (0 votes)
Redundant - Redundant (0 votes)
Sykotyk Rampage - Live At The Paris Hilton (0 votes)
Any of SweetKenny's 2018 score albums  (0 votes)
Telephone & Address - Monster (0 votes)
Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, in terms of the albums with 0 votes, I am most surprised that Northwest's new EP didn't get any votes here, especially given it's well received release concert in December, but alas, it's all in who votes! Redundant not getting any is surprising too, but them not having a formal release party in the Soo can't have helped. Of the albums with a single vote, I'm not surprised at all that Shit Liver got one for "Hitting the Fan", and the C.T.W./Chase split picking up one is a good sign for Blood Shed awareness. That said, it's clear that Mike Haggith won this poll via (surprisingly) live albums alone, with his 2018 live album picking up one vote, and most impressively, The Din's posthumous live album getting seven, running away with first place. I wouldn't have pegged a digital-exclusive live album from a defunct band as the winner, but the "Suburban Sendoff" show was a huge deal and appropriately commemorated on this album, so kudos to Mike, Tammy, and Brendan for their victory here!

Thanks to everyone for voting! Now, let's get into this month's poll, where we are posing this question: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2018? Last year remained an eventful, stacked year for the local metal, hard rock, and punk community, and as usual, I had a tough time paring down the year at large to just 25 options (plus "Other"), so hopefully I covered a big cross-section of the events, news stories, changes, departures, and debuts that we touched on in posts last year! To make this poll, the news story in question must have took place in the 2018 calendar year, so anything that occurred between January and March 2019 is not included, but will be considered at this point next year. Also, remember that this poll reflects what you feel is the biggest news story, not necessarily the best or happiest, so keep that in mind when entries of a more negative slant are acknowledged. Now, here are 25 final choices, plus "Other"!

The Bear Hunters release their debut music video: While their 2018 was unusually quiet, local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters (minus Josh) ended the year with a bang when they unveiled the music video for "I Fear No God" in December! Recorded by Spacebag Productions at Robbie's Church in Leeburn, this helped make up for the guys not playing at Oh!No II, and the video was very well shot, but was it the biggest SMS-covered story here?

Big Wreck plays at The Machine Shop in February: After a 16+ year wait following their previous local concert, Toronto hard rock notables Big Wreck finally returned to Sault Ste. Marie last February when they rocked The Machine Shop alongside Winnipeg alt-rockers Attica Riots. Notably, this show was part of Big Wreck's "In Loving Memory Of..." 20th anniversary tour, with fans seeing Ian and company play every song from that album on this night. Would you vote for this one here?

Chuck Ayotte of Fistmagnet passes away: Many local music fans and performers were saddened last winter by former Fistmagnet guitarist Chuck Ayotte's diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, which unfortunately led to his passing in April of last year. A staple of the local punk scene in the 1990s whose legacy lives in via Destroilet's cover of "Evil God Hater", Chuck's death was felt by many friends, family, and bandmates last year, but would you choose it in this poll?

The Din posthumously release "Suburban Sendoff": The somewhat surprise winner of last month's aforementioned poll, defunct local alt-hard rock trio The Din put out their "Suburban Sendoff" live album in February, which compiled their October 2017 farewell concert at LopLops Lounge into a paid release for fans to relive their last show as an active project. Featuring a well received cover of "Blow At High Dough" for the late Gord Downie, does this have your vote again?

Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide return with new lineup: Following their set at July 2016's Hedley concert, local Celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide took a hiatus for 1½ years. Fans welcomed them back with open arms last March at shows here and in Sudbury, and with new members Liam Seymour & Chris Johns in tow, the guys have remained active since with big local concerts and recording sessions. Did The Tide's return earn your vote?

The Essar Centre becomes GFL Memorial Gardens: After months of discussion, Sault Ste. Marie's sports & entertainment center on Queen Street East changed it's title sponsor, as Green For Life Environmental bought the former Steelback/Essar Centre's naming rights for 10 years, and most importantly of all to many Saultites, revived the old Memorial Gardens name. This has gotten mixed responses, but was it your #1 story here?

Gliss Restaurant moves to Spring Street: A regular sight in our local concert coverage thanks to Tym Morrison's long-term concert arrangement there, Gliss closed it's Quality Inn location last July in advance of Johnny's Chophouse opening there, with the popular steak & seafood restaurant packing it's bags for 133 Spring Street, where they re-opened three months later, with Tym's twice-weekly shows resuming there around that time. Was Gliss' big move your top story?

The Gore Street Cafe permanently closes: Rumours of the popular concert venue/laundromat closing or relocating were unfortunately common, but the hammer finally dropped for The Gore Street Cafe at the end of June following a dispute with property owners. Owner Nicole Dyble has pressed on as an events promoter with Dryer Fire, including a well received run of events at the MS Norgoma, but would the end of this generous cafe be your choice?

The Halloween Party launches new local tribute bands: A lean year for debuting hard rock/punk bands reached it's crescendo over the Halloween weekend, when J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party concerts hit The Rockstar Bar, with three debuting tribute bands playing that weekend, and none were one-offs! Distillers, HIM, and Tool fans definitely took to Coral Fang, Poison Girl, and Parabol last fall, but were you one of them?

Highway 63 returns to the stage after a lengthy hiatus: Following a year+ long hiatus from the stage for personal, health, and lineup overhauling reasons, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock veterans Highway 63 came back in full force at Dondee Lanes' Christmas party last year, complete with George Belleau, Brian Drumheller, and Justin Lawless now joining the Switzers in the new-look band. Was Highway 63's return your top story of last year?

I Mother Earth & Finger Eleven return to Sault Ontario: One of the highest anticipated hard rock concerts in Sault Ste. Marie of 2018 saw Juno award winning bands I Mother Earth & Finger Eleven return after decade+ absences for a well received Machine Shop concert last April! Also featuring opener J.J. Thompson, a private acoustic pre-show, and a huge supergroup encore, this concert was a massive hit from fans of both bands, but would you concur?

Michale Graves concert cancelled due to weather: Last September, many horror punk fans were eagerly awaiting the local concert debut of former Misfits frontman Michale Graves at The Canadian Nightclub, but unfortunately, the show was cancelled after severe wind forced the closure of the Mackinac Bridge, leaving Michale and openers unable to make it to the Soo on time. Was the cancellation your biggest story of 2018?

Mike Haggith fully resumes solo career in Thompson, Manitoba: While Mike relaunched his own solo project at the end of 2017, fans locally and in his new Manitoba homebase didn't see the fruits of his labour until last year, including studio work for his new album "Bridges", his first professional music video, his new Thompson band Between The Ditches, and lots of solo shows and press coverage. 2018 was a big year for Mike, but did it earn your vote?

Oh!No festival in Leeburn returns for second installment: After their successful first installment in 2017, Six, Two, Oh. brought the Oh!No concert festival back to Robbie Adamson's church in Leeburn for year #2 last September, with a huge all-day lineup of familiar acts like Cross Dog, Garbageface, The Therapists, and Lightmares, plus many more acts, an organ bonfire, and lots more camaraderie! Did Oh!No II top 2018 to you?

Pop Evil returns to Sault Michigan in February: No strangers to our area via four prior local concert appearances (including three at The Dreammaker's Theater), Muskegon hard rock notables Pop Evil returned to that venue last February for another highly anticipated concert, and with even more rock radio hits under their belt, their show got another great turnout! Also featuring openers Palaye Royale and Black Map, would you say this was last year's top news story?

Re:Born debuts in local scene in early 2018: Arguably the most prominent Sault Ontario hard rock/metal band debut of 2018, Re:Born succeeded Project 421 with a hard hitting power rock sound, carried over & new originals, and many familiar faces in their ranks! Though they only played three shows last year, preceding their vocalist switch from Robert Nevitt to Elly McWatters, they have a big year ahead, and would Re:Born's debut get your vote here?

Redundant play at the final Vans Warped Tour stop in Toronto: After returning from a long stage hiatus of their own last year, local punk trio Redundant returned with a vengeance last year, a return arguably capped off when they got the chance to play at the last ever Vans Warped Tour stop in Toronto in July! Notably doubling as the CD release concert for their self-titled debut EP, was their Toronto road trip your top SMS-covered story?

Rotaryfest celebrates anniversary with Rewind lineup: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Sault Rotary Club, our annual summer festival hosted a special "Rotaryfest Rewind" theme for Stage 1 last year, with a host of bands reuniting for the occasion, such as Treble Charger, The Suicide Kings, Tripod the Dog, Turner Up, and many more. The throwback musical action at Clergue Park was great to see, but would you vote for this in the poll?

Scott McLurg retires from drumming in local bands: A mainstay of our classic/hard rock cover band coverage for much of our run, Scott McLurg retired from active roles in local bands last August for health reasons. From Generation Gap & Lois Lane to Turner Up & Havadder, and most recently with Soundcheck, Scott's talents and friendly nature always carried him well locally, and I hope his retirement is going smoothly, but would you vote here?

Seether and 10 Years rock Kewadin Casino in August: Arguably the biggest hard rock concert in Sault Michigan of 2018, South African post-grunge trio Seether made their long awaited return to the Sault Ste. Marie area last August, with 10 Years also returning for good measure, and another huge crowd turned out for both bands' familiar hit songs! Also featuring openers The Dead Deads, this was another home run for Allstar Promotions, but would you agree with that?

Shit Liver tour Canada to support "Hitting The Fan": In advance of their 2018 Canadian tour, Sault Ontario/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver released their long awaited sophomore album "Hitting the Fan" in March, with physical copies exclusively put out on vinyl records. Fans ate up their fast and furious brand of crusty grind and death metal, including at the local tour stop on April 6th, but was this album your top story in this poll?

The Soo's Got Talent competition debuts at The Tech: In one of the final major concert events at The Tech before it's apparent closure, dozens of local entertainers competed in the first annual Soo's Got Talent last fall, with a few familiar faces competing along the way, including Tym Morrison, ex-Re:Born singer Robert Nevitt, magician/Iron Maiden comic artist Darren Emond, and eventual winner Daniella Brewer. Was this multi-night event your choice?

Steel Panther performs in Sault Michigan in December: While most of their songs are too ribald for rock radio, another sizable crowd hit The Dreammaker's Theater late last year to see Steel Panther's comedic hair metal throwback stage show, and they delivered the musical and humorous goods in equal measure on this night! Also featuring the return of a new-look Wilson as openers, was this concert your pick in this 2018 news story poll?

Stiffler's Mom quietly fall inactive after lengthy local run: While there was no splashy farewell concert or formal breakup announcement, Sault Ontario party/hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom have not been seen since their Esquire Club concert weekend in September 2017, and were moved to our inactive band links last year as a result. Greg, Mike, and Jon gave fans over 2 decades of entertainment locally, but is their apparent end your vote-getter?

Theatre of Night hold their second Christmas tour: Despite the loss of co-vocalist Stacie McCarthy in the interim, Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night returned for their sophomore Christmas-themed tour of Michigan over the holidays, playing a number of metallized Christmas carols for patrons at concert venues and churches alike, including a special Dreammaker's Theatre charity event. Were Theatre of Night's holiday shows your pick in this month's poll?

Other: Did we miss your preferred news story in the local scene last year? Was there a concert, album release, band debut or breakup, closure, change, or just a general item relating to local metal, hard rock, or punk artists that you feel we should have included? If, for whatever reason, your preferred choice isn't here, then vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY! You guys have until April 18th to cast your votes in this month's poll, and hopefully there's another solid turnout of votes for what should be an interesting final result! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & Our New Poll!!

Today's post is all about last month's and this month's polls on the SMS as we continue our "favourite _____ of 2017" poll run! Last month's poll is now closed, as we posed this question to you guys: "What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk album released in 2017?" Only 13 votes, though this was a jump in vote totals from the previous month, so thanks to everyone who case a vote! Now, here are the final results!

The Din - Suburban Dream (5 votes, 38.5%)

AlgomA & Shit Liver - Trading Faces (5 votes, 38.5%)

Other (3 votes,  23%)

Abhorrent Forest - "The End of Life" or "Ethereal" (0 votes)
AlgomA & Hooded Menace's split vinyl single (0 votes)
The Apocalypse Afterparty - Bufflesnort (0 votes)
Mike McCleary - In Ruins (0 votes)
Any of SweetKenny's 2017 score albums (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, given the vote totals, I'm not terribly surprised that digital-only albums and ones from solo acts received no votes, with the soft release of "Bufflesnort" and "In Ruins" being taken down for heavy revisions also not helping their cases here. I'm most surprised by the lack of votes for the AlgomA/Hooded Menace split, but with a longer, entirely local split with it's own release tour also coming out later that year, it's clear which one was a reader favourite. I can't speak for the 3 "Other" voters (perhaps some Pixo Control fans voted for Mike Mikus' solo debut?), but first place was a tie between last year's AlgomA/Shit Liver split cassette tape and The Din's final studio album, which both got high profile release concerts last fall and positive fan responses! As both got 5 votes, my tiebreaker in cases like this is which album was released more recently, as it had less time to get the same fan support, so the "winner" is "Suburban Dream", but that and "Trading Faces" were both solid releases to end 2017 with! Thanks to everyone who voted!

As for this month's poll, I'm once again posing this question to you guys: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2017? For positive and negative reasons, 2017 was a very eventful year for our coverage (aside from one day in July...), and there was no trouble cobbling together 25 choices (plus "Other") for you all to pick from this month! From concerts to album releases, to band breakups, and everything in between, I hope that I covered the biggest stories from our covered genres last year! To make the poll, stories and news items must have primarily occurred in the 2017 calendar year, so don't look for the Big Wreck show or Re:Born's debut here (wait until our 2018 poll!) Of course, if I forgot something major, "Other" is an available choice, as I admit that I had a tough time debating some choices over others. There's lots of options below to pick from, so here's some info on all 25 news stories in this poll from last year!

AlgomA release splits with Shit Liver & Hooded Menace: No strangers to the concept of a split album thanks to their 2016 release with Chronobot, local doom metal trio AlgomA put out two splits in 2017, including a vinyl single with Finland's Hooded Menace in January, and their all-covers cassette tape split with fellow locals Shit Liver in September. Both releases got positive notices from fans, but where these your top story of last year?

Alter Bridge and In Flames hit Sault Michigan in May: One of the biggest hard rock shows of last year saw Orlando hard rock notables Alter Bridge and Swedish alt-metal veterans In Flames join forces for a well received concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino. A lot of videos made their way online from this one, and both bands delivered with their old and new songs alike, but would you pick it in this poll?

Bankshot reunite for Guy Thiffault Memorial Concert: The second annual memorial show for late Hangdowns frontman Guy Thiffault brought numerous bands to The Canadian Nightclub in December, all seemingly returning after a break or a lineup change, but the most notable was the one-off reunion of late 1990s skate punk band Bankshot after a 17 year breakup! Featuring 3 members of their classic lineup, would you agree to select it here?

Bret Michaels rocks Kewadin Casino once again: Already well regarded by Hair Scare loyalists locally from his six prior headlining shows in the Twin Saults, Poison frontman Bret Michaels made it a lucky 7 in November when he headlined at The Dreammaker's Theater once again. As usual, attending fans had nothin' but a good time with his solo and Poison hits alike, and there's surely demand for Bret to roll back through, but would you vote for it?

CKY and The Wild rock The Canadian Nightclub in June: One of the biggest nightclub shows of 2017 in Sault Ontario saw the local concert debuts of Pennsylvania alt-metal trio CKY and Kelowna hard rock quartet The Wild, whose set lived up to their name! Also featuring Jack Spades' then-new lineup and A Dire Setback, this packed show gave fans quality looks at CKY's current sound and The Wild livin' hard & free, but was it the #1 moment of last year to you?

Diamond Head perform at The Rockstar Bar in September: After helping kick of the summer with CKY, promoter J.D. Pearce helped send it out by bringing British NWOBHM legends Diamond Head to Sault Ontario for another highly anticipated local concert bolstered with hits like "Am I Evil"! Also featuring Jack Spades and one of the final live sets by Project 421, The Rockstar Bar sure was rocking on this Saturday night, but does it have your vote?

The Din dissolves following final CD release concert: With frontman Mike Haggith moving to Manitoba late last year, his local alt-hard rock trio The Din announced their breakup following their farewell concert at LopLops Lounge in October, which doubled as their release show for their second and final studio album "Suburban Dream", with a belated live album also recorded that night. This sure was a bittersweet night, but was it also the most notable?

Dokken & Firehouse play at The Essar Centre: After a couple years away from local concert promotion, Sault Michigan's Superior Entertainment returned to that area in September with the regional returns of hair metal legends Dokken and Firehouse, though curiously across the border at Sault Ontario's Essar Centre rather than The Dreammaker's Theatre. Despite comparatively low attendance, the bands delivered for assembled rockers, but were you among them?

Gnaeus suddenly disbands in March: In one of the biggest SMS-covered band breakups of 2017, local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus surprisingly announced their demise last spring, despite publically storyboarding a music video the previous month. This talented quartet came out of nowhere in 2014 to become one of the most prominent local bands of the mid-2010s, including 2 battle wins and their "Meditations" CD, but did their end win here?

Grooves Music reopens as Crooked Music: A long-time staple of Sault Michigan business and music equipment changed hands and names last spring when Gary Hatch sold Grooves Music to solo musician/ex-Half Stupid frontman Zac Crook, who changed the music equipment store's name to Crooked Music and promptly refurbished the business, including bolstering their stock with a large selection of records. Things sound good at Crooked Music, but would you vote for it?

Handsome Sandwich debuts: In a lean year for metal, punk, and hard rock band debuts, Handsome Sandwich were one of the few to make a notable impact on concert stages with any regularity. Featuring Bear Hunters, Elements, and Winkstinger alumni, this punk/alternative trio became a fan favourite sight on local stages last year with their varied array of covers. We haven't heard much from them yet in 2018, but was their launch your biggest story last year?

HMV closes and is replaced by Sunrise Records: After a decade-long run as The Station Mall's resident record store, HMV began liquidation sales early last year as part of the entire chain's closure, shutting it's doors for good at the end of March. However, the location didn't stay vacant for long, with Sunrise Records coming to the Soo in it's place as part of their newfound national expansion. It's great to have a new music store, but would this change be your choice?

Jack Spades return with lineup overhauls: After a 9 month hiatus, local metal/punk quintet Jack Spades returned to the stage at the CKY concert in June, but it was the public start of major lineup changes in their ranks, with all but J.D. being replaced in time for that show (including new guitarist Daniel Horton), and by year's end, Rob Speers would join on bass, and they'd welcome back Tiffany Stocco and Johnny Belanger for good measure. Was this your top story in 2017?

Lita Ford & Great White's outdoor concert in St. Ignace: As part of Kewadin Casino's summer concert series at their St. Ignace branch, a rare outdoor concert took place there in June, where hard rock legends Lita Ford and (Jack Russell's) Great White took the stage for fans on the waterfront! Despite the drop-out of April Wine, this concert was well received and seems to have helped encourage more St. Ignace bookings, but does it earn your vote?

NLFB Meltdown battle takes place at LopLops Lounge: The only battle of the bands-styled event to take place in Sault Ontario last year was a local branch of the annual NLFB Meltdown competition at LopLops in April, with six acts competing to earn a slot on the Northern Lights Festival Boreal festival lineup last summer. Solo artist M.D. Dunn pulled off the surprising win over bands like The Din and Id Iota at this well recieved event, but was it your #1 choice?

Oh!No Music Festival debuts in Leeburn in September: Promoters Six, Two, Oh! revived plans to host a large-scale concert festival when they held the first annual Oh!No Music Festival at "Robbie's Church" in nearby Leeburn, Ontario last fall, which was a big hit with attendees and campers! Bands like Lightmares, Beaver Slap, Artificial Dissemination, the reunited Winkstinger, and many more took to the stage, and with year #2 announced, would you vote for year #1?

Pop Evil returns to The Dreammakers Theater: The first major headlining hard rock concert in the area of 2017 saw Muskegon rock standouts Pop Evil return to Sault Michigan on February 25th to wake the lions at Kewadin Casino once again! Featuring openers Badflower and Kaleido, this concert was another hit for the increasingly popular band and their array of rock radio hit singles, and fans surely are hoping for a return engagement, but is this your preferred option?

Project 421 breaks up in October: Another major band breakup in 2017 was the demise of llassic metal quartet Project 421 after a four year run (shortly before sister band Eclipse's quiet second and final breakup.) 421's end was more surprising, especially given their high profile resurgence in mid-2017, but they accomplished a lot in the mid-2010s and made lots of new fans that will hopefully follow to their successors Re:Born. Is this your top pick?

The Quiet Riot & Rock the Border Fest cancellations: In early 2017, Sudbury promoters CSA International announced plans to bring metal pioneers Quiet Riot to The Machine Shop in March, and then the Josh Todd-headlined Rock the Border Fest at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in June. However, both were cancelled for differing reasons, with restless fans and online discussion a big point of discussion in the latter case. Did these sagas win your vote here?

Skeyes of Seven return after 2 year stage hiatus: Despite a talented pedigree with Sense of Truth, As It Stands, and Half Past alumni, local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven's live concert appearances have been sporadic at best, with their opening set at September's Project 421 show at The Canadian being their first since 2015. Fans welcomed them back with open arms, and while their debut EP and next show are still up in the air, was Skeyes of Sevens return your top story?

The Tea Party headline free ONTour concert in July: As part of the Ontario Government's ONTour concert series in honour of the province's 150th birthday, Toronto hard rock trio The Tea Party came back to Sault Ste. Marie for the first time in almost 20 years with a free concert at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion to a rousing response! Also featuring Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, Andrew Hyatt, and McLean, this was a nice surprise over the summer, but do you agree?

Theatre of Night launch their Christmas tour in December: After years spent as a 2-3 man studio project with occasional female vocal input from overseas, Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night announced a Christmas tour for the holidays, including shows at the renovated Soo Theater and in Pickford, plus dates in Jackson and Midlothian, Illinois. Their metalized Christmas carols gave a boost to the holidays, but were they your favourite item out of all others here?

Theory of a Deadman end year with Kewadin show: Ending 2017 with a bang, Allstar Promotions brought Burnaby, B.C. hard rockers Theory (of a Deadman) back to Sault Michigan for a sold out new concert, with fans eager to hear old and new originals alike, including their new hit "Rx (Medicate)"! Also featuring a return east from Munising hard rock quartet Infathom as openers, was Theory's December 30th show here your top story last year?

Treble Charger return for LopLops headlining concert: Despite promotion being oddly under the radar for a while, local/Toronto punk/indie quartet Treble Charger played a sold out "sneak peak" concert at LopLops Lounge last summer to end a 2 year public hiatus, with a Kingston festival date also following. Also featuring A Dire Setback as openers, it was great to see Greig, Bill, and company back, but would you agree?

Vol. debuts: Last year's other major hard rock band debut in Sault Ontario, Vol. (pronounced "volume") merged Pixo Control and Aldous alumni into a high energy indie/hard rock outfit that became a frequent sight at shows in mid-late 2017, including a trip to Leeburn for the Oh!No Fest, and preliminary plans for a debut album were also announced. We haven't heard much from Vol. yet this year, but was their debut your #1 story?

Other: Did we miss your favourite story of 2017? Perhaps a band debut, concert, album release, or general news event that we didn't address was your pick as last year's biggest story on the metal, hard rock, or punk spectrum? If we missed your preferred choice, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until April 18th to cast your votes, and it'll be interesting to see what comes out on top over the month ahead! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & Our Newest Poll!!

As promised, here is the results of last month's poll at the SMS, plus our newest poll! You'll probabl remember that we posed this question to you guys last month: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2016? We only got 16 votes last month, which isn't as high as I was hoping, but we've had far less before, and there was a clear winner, so thanks to everyone who voted, and here are the final results!

A Dire Setback & Live705 launch in November (6 votes, 38%)

The Din release their debut CD "Give In To The Din" (2 votes, 13%)

Stegadeth make their local concert debut (1 vote, 6⅛%)

The Ripcordz headline all-ages show at The Canadian (1 vote, 6⅛%)

Gnaeus release their only CD "Meditations" (1 vote, 6⅛%)

The Pixo Control disbands (1 vote, 6⅛%)

Tidal Records acts tour Ontario in April (1 vote, 6⅛%)

Id Iota release their debut EP "Maudlin Fair" (1 vote, 6⅛%)

K.I.C.K. win the VM Radio Battle of the Bands (1 vote, 6⅛%)

Other (1 vote, 6⅛%)

AlgomA release split EP with Chronobot (0 votes)

Bay Mills Bands Together holds first fundraiser event (0 votes)

Bret Michaels returns to Kewadin Casino in November (0 votes)

Brian Davie returns to Scott & Brian In The Morning (0 votes)

Darren Emond's Iron Maiden comic book released (0 votes)

The Fishbowl Festival debuts at The Gore Street Cafe (0 votes)

Guy Thiffault's passing & tribute concert (0 votes)

Hedley returns to Sault Ontario in July at The Yard (0 votes)

Jay Perron's sudden passing (0 votes)

Jesse Merineau & Caroline Divine win the Speak Easy Battle (0 votes)

Pillory play their first live concerts since 2014 (0 votes)

 Project 421 & Eclipse part with singer Curtis McKenzie (0 votes)

Shit Liver go on their second Canadian tour (0 votes)

Sky's The Limit fundraiser held at The Tech in May (0 votes)

SNFU headline at The Rockstar Bar in September (0 votes)

Winkstinger reunite after a three year hiatus (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, I am surprised overall that over half of the listed choices went without a single vote, with any Sault Michigan items or musician passings surprising me the most by their lack of attention from readers who chose to vote. Aside from the winning option, votes were very spread out, but it seems that album releases and concert debuts were a favourite of voters, with only 5 votes going to options that weren't related to either (though I can't speak for what the "Other" voter intended.) I can see why most of these choices received a vote, but I do admit that Tidal Records' April tour run is a little surprising as, after all, this was a tour run that only partially took place in the Soo. The Din's CD release in August finished in second place, and honestly, when you launch an album with that much hype and at a formal auditorium, I would expect a good fan response, and deservingly so!

However, the poll winners were the joint debuts of A Dire Setback and Live705 in November, and given how fast they took hold in the local punk scene as a band, and in the concert scene in general as promoters, I can see how they'd win both this poll and the "favourite new band" poll from earlier this year! 2017 has already had a good start with A Dire Setback and Live705, and here's hoping more is on the horizon for both!

Thanks to everyone for voting! As for our next poll, we're getting into the home stretch of our "favourite _____ of 2016" polls by posing this question to you guys: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the second half of 2016? As is the annual case at the SMS, we have divided our poll on your favourite concerts of the year into two halves, with shows from January 1st-June 30th already addressed in our poll on last year's first half from July, so if you were hoping to vote for a late June concert, wait for our full year poll next month! I have chosen 20 concerts from July-December of 2016 for this month's poll, and to be included, the show must have had a lineup at least half populated by metal, hard rock, or punk acts. This notably excludes all Rotaryfest stage lineups, Six, Two, Oh.'s holiday funk show, and the Soo Zombie Walk, among others, but we have included "Other" as a choice if your favourite late-2016 concert didn't make the cut for any reason. There were a lot of big concerts to end last year, so here are your choices!

Bands: Hedley, The Beaches, and Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide
Venue: The Yard
Date: July 1st, 2016
Info: The second half of 2016 began with a bang when Abbotsford power pop/punk favourites Hedley returned to the Soo for the first time in 5 years as the headlining act for the first half of The Yard's Canada Day Kicker!  This well received show entertained many fans of the Juno-winners, while fans of The Rising Tide also rejoiced for the local openers' only Soo show of the year, complete with Mikey Hawdon back behind the kit! Would you cast your vote for Hedley's local return?

Bands: Cocaine Moustache, Gianni Gagoots, and War Baby
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: July 12th, 2016
Info: An intriguing meld of styles hit The New A in mid-July when touring Vancouver acts Cocaine Moustache and War Baby came east to give local fans a taste of their bluesy hard rock and grungy punk originals respectively! Sandwiched in between was the local concert debut of funk/hard rock instrumental group Gianni Gagoots, who began their local ascent with their creative improvised stage show for assembled fans! Would this show be your favourite of 2016's second half?

Bands: Pillory, Iskra, Rotopsy, and AlgomA
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: July 14th, 2016
Info: Despite an unusual lineup order that saw the headliners playing second and AlgomA opening, this all ages concert from July gave fans an aggressive blast of extreme metal, with Victoria grindcore veterans Iskra making their long awaited return to the local stage after 12 years away! Notably also featuring the first non-battle of the bands appearance at a normal concert venue by the reunited Pillory, this show definitely melted faces of attending fans, but did this one earn your vote?

Bands: Gnaeus & The Din
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: August 5th, 2016
Info: After months of preparation, now-defunct post-punk quartet Gnaeus launched their only CD "Meditations" with a highly anticipated release concert at The Rockstar Bar in August, with the show and album both getting a positive reception from fans! Also featuring an opening set from their friends in The Din, the release of "Meditations" was one of the highlights of the summer season for local music fans, and it's a shame they broke up, but would you vote for their release party?

Bands: The Din & Gnaeus
Venue: The W.W. Baldwin Auditorium at The Tech
Date: August 12th, 2016
Info: Just one week after Gnaeus' CD release concert, the two bands switched places when The Din launched their own debut studio album "Give In To The Din" at The Tech's auditorium, with Gnaeus now opening the proceedings. Despite a pre-show fire alarm at the former St. Mary's College, the show was also well recieved, even becoming the basis of Shaw TV's first OnStage episode, and The Din's CD also won praise from fans! Would you give in to this show in this poll?

Bands: The Ripcordz, Jack Spades, Project 421, and Eclipse
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: August 13th, 2016
Info: The idea of an all ages concert in the Soo with The Ripcordz as headliners had been teased for many months, and that came to fruition when Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce brought the Montreal hardcore punk legends to The Canadian in mid-August for another hotly recieved Soo show from Paul Gott and company! Also featuring a special guest appearance by Dayglo Abortions bassist Willy Jak(!) with Jack Spades, did this night of all ages punk & metal action top late 2016 to you?

Bands: SNFU, Jack Spades, and The Elements
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: September 1st, 2016
Info: You can always expect a raucous crowd when Mr. Chi Pig brings SNFU back to Sault Ste. Marie, and though total attendance could have been higher, fans brought the big show feel when the Vancouver hardcore punk legends rocked The Rockstar Bar to kick off September! Notably also featuring the final appearance of Jack Spades' classic lineup, and the first live set by The Elements in four months, will you open up and say "SNFU!" for your vote in this poll?

Bands: K-Man & The 45s, Artifical Dissemination, and The Elements
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: September 17th, 2016
Info: Making their fourth concert appearance in as many autumns, Montreal ska-punk fan favourites K-Man & The 45s brought their high energy original material and usual "Ska-Mones" covers back to the The New A for another concert for their growing legion of local fans last fall! Hamilton garage punk rockers Artificial Dissemination also made their way west for this concert, while the aforementioned Elements opened for a second straight year. Would you vote for this concert?

Bands: Gnaeus, DJ Seith, The Din, and K.I.C.K.
Venue: Queen Elizabeth Park
Date: September 24th, 2016
Info: Essentially a half-sequel to Tidal Records's annual Go Skateboarding Day events, they brought The Gnar-BQ to the skatepark outside of The John Rhodes Center, with three bands and DJ Seith as the musical backdrop for skateboarding demonstrations and contests, and true to the event's name, there was even hot dogs and other refreshments available! Notably featuring two battle of the bands winners and a runner-up on the same bill, did The Gnar-BQ earn your vote?

Bands: Castle, AlgomA, and Gianni Gagoots
Venue: 180 Projects
Date: September 28th, 2016
Info: San Francisco doom metal trio (and Juno Award nominees) Castle made their local concert debut last fall when they headlined at a rare metal show at 180 Projects, giving fans a taste of their dark yet psyhedelic originals! Also featuring local fan favourites AlgomA and Gianni Gagoots' first concert set with new guitarist Liam "Blanci Mangia-Cake" Seymour, this Gore Street concert definitely satiated attending fans, but were you among them?

Bands: Moon Tan, The Din, and The Elements
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: October 6th, 2016
Info: Though locally announced on less than a week's notice, this Six, Two, Oh. concert left a big impression on fans last October, especially helped by Winnipeg prog-funk trio Moon Tan, whose creative moon phase-themed costuming and technical skills helped them stand out among other headliners of late 2016 in the Soo! Also featuring well recieved opening sets by The Din and The Elements, would you vote for the Moon Tan concert in this poll over other options?

Bands: Norilsk, AlgomA, Pillory, and The Bear Hunters
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: October 28th, 2016
Info: A stacked Halloween weekend for local concerts was kicked off by it's heaviest show, as Gatineau, Quebec doom metal quartet Norilsk made their local debut with a brutal set of crushing original material for all ages! Featuring a stacked local openers lineup including AlgomA, Pillory, and the second & final concert set of 2016 by The Bear Hunters (who unusually played first), this show will have delivered for extreme metal fans, but would you concur with that?

Bands: The Black Mirrors, Eclipse (as "SSM of a Down") and The Elements (as "The Plaid Martens")
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: October 29th, 2016
Info: J.D. Pearce's 12th annual Halloween party concert took place at The Algonquin Hotel's downstairs bar on October 29th, with a tribute band theme in full effect, including The Elements flashing back to the 1990s, Eclipse turning into System of a Down for a night, and ex-Fitswitch members reuniting for a late notice Misfits tribute set as The Black Mirrors. J.D. always delivers a fun show for the Halloween weekend, but would you vote for his annual party here?

Bands: Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities, AlgomA, and Rotopsy
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: October 30th, 2016
Info: The fifth and most recent installment of Six, Two, Oh.'s punk rock bingo series took place on Devil's Night last year, with Saskatchewan southern rockers Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities headlining in their first of two shows last fall, with local metal openers AlgomA and Rotopsy also playing to start the show on a heavy note. Whether you were in attendance for the music or the irreverent bingo with caller Brent Ellis, was this concert your favourite of late 2016?

Bands: Eclipse, The Elements, Project 421, and The Autumn Roots
Venue: The Rednecks Saloon
Date: October 31st, 2016
Info: Despite a mixed crowd on a Monday night, a talented lineup hit the former Nicolet Tavern on Halloween night last year for the Halloween Nightmare, with Eclipse and The Elements playing their second seasonal event in three nights, and indie rockers The Autumn Roots debuting on a local stage to kick things off. Notably featuring the last concert sets to date from Project 421 & Eclipse (though the latter will return later this month), did the Halloween Nightmare earn your vote here?

Bands: K.I.C.K., A Dire Setback, Electric Church, The Din, Talk Shit, Stegadeth, and Jizzy Baby
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: November 19th, 2016
Info: New local concert promoters Live705 and their featured band A Dire Setback made a big splash in November with their first concert and only Oddfellows Hall appearance to date, with a nice variety of local acts on display for fans! Notably also including the first live set from T-Rex Manning successors Stegadeth, punk quartet Talk Shit's first live set in seven years, and a breakthrough set from blues rockers Electric Church, did this intriguing concert top late 2016 in your eyes?

Bands: Bone Yard, The Peace Vibe, The 3 Day Millionaires, The Din, The Band Camp Rejects, The Elements, Mojo, Redundant, Guitars & Tequila, and Case's Music students
Venue: The Grand Gardens North
Date: November 20th, 2016
Info: The fifth annual Toystock fundraiser concert for Christmas Cheer took place at the former Riuniti Hall last November, with 10 bands again gathering to help raise funds and donations for those in need for the holidays, which is always great to see! Featuring sets by familiar bands like The Din, The Elements, and many more, plus an increasingly rare set by punk trio Redundant, and appearances by Santa Claus(!), did Toystock V and the Christmas spirit win your vote here?

Bands: Mike Mikus & Id Iota
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: November 26th, 2016
Info: Following a well recieved Ontario tour run, former Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus debuted his new solo project on a local stage in late November when he headlined at LopLops, with alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota (who joined him on tour) opening ith a set full of songs from their upcoming full length CD. The two acts played off each other well as Mike unveiled his pop rock solo project to local fans, but would this show earn your vote this month?

Bands: Gnaeus, K.I.C.K., and The Din
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: December 26th, 2016
Info: The second last collaborative concert from these three bands took place on Boxing Day when Tidal Records hosted their own holiday season concert at LopLops, fitting in neatly between The Gnar-BQ and Searchmont's Skateapalooza. The post-punk stylings of Gnaeus, alt-hard rock sound of The Din, and indie rock grooves of the Keep It Cool Kids were always welcomed on the same stage, and this show proved to be no different, but was it your favourite hard rock show of late 2016?

Bands: Bin Hawdon & The Taliband, Destroilet, Rotbottyrot, Talk Shit, The Business Suit Trappers, Nebraska Arms, AlgomA, Stegadeth, and A Dire Setback
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: December 27th, 2016
Info: The sudden passing of ex-Hangdowns frontman Guy Thiffault in December was extremely sad, but his friends and former bandmates quickly came together to host a benefit concert for his family over the holidays, which included returns to the stage after a year+ away from Bin Hawdon & The Taliband, Destroilet, and two of Guy's former bands to a raucous and emotional reception from attending fans. This was a huge concert to end 2016 with, but was it your favourite?

Other: Did we miss a show you'd rather vote for? For reference, bands like 1971, 9 Lives & Counting, The Anti-Queens, Astral Gunk, Big Brother, Bizotic, The Blackwood Sinners, Bloody Diamonds, Crucify the Whore, Debutaunt, Dumpster Mummy, The Franquilizers, Griphook, Havadder, Long Shot, Mourning Wood, Mulligrub, The Nailheads, Nameus (now Soundcheck), Northwest, Stiffler's Mom, Still of the Night, Sykotyk Rampage, Telephone & Address, That's Chester, Them, Tym Morrison, and Vintage Slang all played locally between July 1st and December 31st in shows not included in the poll otherwise. Did one of them have your preferred concert of late 2016, or perhaps a show featuring bands in the poll that isn't listed? Vote for "Other" if you need to!

VOTE TODAY! You guys have until May 18th to cast your votes, and remember, the (top?) vote getters will return for a full year showdown next month to determine your favourite local concert of 2016! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!