Sykotyk Rampage - "WYRD Radio 2: Kype The Jesus Boots" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 157th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and easily the longest album yet I've looked at in this series, namely local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage's sixty-fifth album "WYRD Radio 2: Kype The Jesus Boots "! Depending on its sale location, the title is extended, but this is just what's on the cover art. Officially released on June 1st, this is just their fifth album since their last live concert date in 2016, but despite some long dormant periods, the masters of the crash never disbanded outright. A sequel to 2015's "WYRD Radio" in loose format but not much else, "Kype The Jesus Boots" was recorded locally at River Front Recreation Studios as usual, with their tried-and-true method of improvising the songs on the fly, and it features their current lineup, including singer/drummer Paul Becker, his brother Dirk on guitar and vocals, guitarist Shane Kokis, and bassist/vocalist Tony Briglio.

"WYRD Radio 2" is on sale for $25 on Bandcamp or $9.99 on Reverbnation (yes, you can stream it for free too), and the high Bandcamp fee is justified when you consider that this is a triple album with forty tracks and a run-time of over two & a half hours! As such, to rein in the length of this review, I'm going to be more succinct with the song reviews to try and keep this post at a more manageable length (famous last words), but note that about ten of the tracks are spoken word announcements. Between the Reverbnation and Bandcamp postings of this album, track titles are sometimes not identical across both platforms, so I'll lean towards using the Reverbnation titles (which are laid out cleaner) unless there's a massive discrepancy that Bandcamp can fill, so look for brackets. Also, for readers of a more religious/Christian faith, be advised of the subversive and not always family friendly basis of the lyrics & concept.

To start, "WYRD Radio" is Sykotyk Rampage's fictional radio station (no link whatsoever to the actual WYRD stations in South Carolina), with station IDs read by Tony (I think) and on-air DJs being synthesized computer voices. As revealed in "Announcement 1" (a.k.a. "Intro), the female robot DJ (named Lisa) informs us that we'll be listening to a rock opera of the three gospels according to Paul (each of the three "albums" reflects a stage in the life of Jesus Christ), with Sykotyk Rampage pulling a Chris Gaines by playing these albums under the band name Kype The Jesus Boots. Unlike the DJ (who doesn't shy away from content to be heard in the albums), the actual gospel narrator is a straight-laced British male voice who plays it 100% straight and doesn't (initially) let on about any of the ribald or violent lyrics ahead, starting with "Book 1" on the gospel of Jesus' birth. If you wanted a Sykotyk Rampage Christmas album, here you go!

The first true song is "Place Of My Own Creation",  which is actually a re-recording from their 2016 album "Kock Block Rock". A standard bluesy hard rocker that Sykotyk Rampage fans will be very accustomed to, it also has a long bass intro & some spacey effects. but Paul's vocals only come in late and more spoken than sung. Solid opener for fans! Next is "Donkey Saves The Day" (complete with bookended donkey noises), which keeps with their usual M.O. with a bluesy hard rock base and brisk tempo, though Paul is really buried on vocals. Fun jam rocker with trancey guitars, if not a sonic jump from their best known originals! "Influence Of The Innovator" concludes the trip to the manger, and this is the only song on the first two books with Dirk Becker's quavery punk snarl on lead vocals, if very buried in the mix. This track is a long and slow stream of consciousness piece that does meander a little too much for my liking on the whole.

Strong drumming, but the quiet vocals and deliberate pacing do interrupt the album's prior flow for me. "Announcement 2" (a.k.a. "Birth of Jesus") follows with a word from our sponsors, namely the audio of the infamous Flintstones TV commercial for Winston cigarettes, before the narrator sets up events in the manger immediately after Jesus' birth. The next actual song is "Star Shine", which has more of a slow, ethereal beginning before the usual Sykotyk tropes fall into place, and while the speed ebbs and flows, it gets into the usual chaos in time! Paul's vocals are also very prominent here, and vary well as the mood changes, but I prefer their songs that are more full-bore heavy. "The Sky Is Burning Bright" follows with a spacier fuzz guitar motif underneath their standard Paul-fronted crash music intensity, and while the song is fun for fans, the extra static from the effects doesn't help for clarity (despite a VERY clear guitar outro).

An album-low 13 seconds long intro track follows, namely "Announcement 3" (a.k.a. "Jesus Travels"), with the narrator setting up the voyage of the Three Wise Men. The next proper song is "See Right Through Me", which is a mid-tempo rocker that has some fun extended guitar solos, but the extended progression is very simple and kinda flat, and for me, it's just not as interesting as their heavier and faster originals. The relatively short "We Three Kinks" (sic) is next with the return of the spacey effects of "The Sky Is Burning Bright", but this is a quicker, more free-wheeling driver of a song, and it's fun while it lasts aside from Paul being nearly inaudible on vocals. No, this isn't a cover of "We Three Kings". Then we have "Give You Anything", and things fall together for what I like out of Sykotyk Rampage here, with a clear listen to them delivering up-tempo bluesy hard rock!

The extended bass-and-drum bridge lets Tony show his stuff well too, and without extra effects or processing, Paul's crystal clear vocals add to the experience, so fans will be right at home here! Shame about the abrupt fade-out though. The last song of the first "album" is "Jesus Boot Boogie", a fast dancey song that sticks to Sykotyk Rampage's wheelhouse, if in a hazier, less clear recording style. Hard to hear Paul's singing again, but the guys don't do anything out of the ordinary as pure musicians, so it's a fun closer to the nativity portion of the album(s)! "Announcement 4" (a.k.a. "Jesus Gets Laid") has "Lisa" recapping her amusingly oblivious thoughts about the prior songs and Jesus' early life, before setting up "Book 2" about the life of Jesus in his 20s. A commercial break comes next, with audio from classic 1960s cereal commercials for Cheerios (with Bullwinkle), Beep Beep (with the Road Runner)...

... and Alpha Bits (with Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd). The narrator finally returns to introduce the second album about the gospel of Jesus' life, starting with John, chapter 9, where Jesus encounters a blind man and helps cure his eyesight, leading directly into the first song of this book, "Jesus Left You Blind (On Purpose)". This song doesn't reinvent the wheel for the masters of the crash, with the bluesy hard rock you've come to expect, but the guitar riff is extremely repetitive and aside a couple of choruses, it never lets up. Still a solid clear rocker for fans! Next is "Kype The Jesus Boots", after the band name Sykotyk Rampage have taken on in the album's universe, but don't expect a shift in sound here. A driving rock song with a more varied structure, this is another one to really muffle and layer the vocals, but beyond that, the fun riffing and bouncy music will appeal to fans! We even get a drum solo from Paul late, which is neat!

"Remember That Girl" (spelled "Grrrl" on Bandcamp) follows with an outsider-ish opening before the full band jumps in, and while the song is slower, bassier, and more discordant than normal for them. The noise rock and abrupt ending alone puts this low on the album for me, but Paul's clear singing does give it some extra points. Next up is "Jesus Booty Call", which is a return to form for Sykotyk Rampage, with Paul's forceful bluesy vocals driving the action, though in this case, the band proper are quieter and more used as incidental backing music. Fun track though, if very risque in theme! "Announcement 5" (also named for the next track on Bandcamp) follows, with "Lisa" introducing a vintage TV commercial for the women's headache/pain relief medicine Cope before the narrator quotes passages from Luke and Mark to introduce Mary Magdalene, who is definitely portrayed as Jesus' love interest here.

For further proof, the next song is entitled "Magdalene Is A Screamer", which is the most punk-based song on the album yet, and while it is a little one note for a 5+ minute song, it's fun hearing the guys rock out like this, and Dirk & Shane's riffing meshes well together! The mid-way point of this triple album is reached with "Jesus Love Potion", a slower plodding blues rocker that isn't energetic or varied enough for my liking compared to many earlier songs, but it is a good lyrical showcase for Paul while it lasts. The second half of "WYRD Radio 2" begins with "Eat Shit Bitch", which is similar in sound and pacing to the preceding track, but it is livelier in structure and lyrics, and the title does hint towards some extra fire and intent in this way! Better song, but I like my Sykotyk Rampage with more rampage. The last song of the second album is "Devil Dance For You", a seven minute song bookended with minute long soundscapes of samples.

Once the band proper is in action, this is another relatively slow track, but very impactful with strong vocals, good effects usage, and a nice energy that helps set it apart from the other recent mid-tempo or slow songs! "Announcement 6" (a.k.a. "Dinner") wraps up the book of Jesus' life, with "Lisa" giving her thoughts about Mary Magadalene, and giving alleged insight into Mary Magdalene's life after this point, before setting up "Book 3", the last third of the triple album about Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The narrator then quotes Bible passages relating to the Last Supper and Jesus' betrayal, though here, there are obvious new lines of dialogue relating to what exactly they were eating and Judas' future hopes. The first song of the final album is "Life Without Me", which is a return to form for fans who want more upbeat rock, though the vocals aren't super clear.

Fun rocker that would go over well live, but for fans boring through the whole thing in one sitting, it's nothing you haven't heard before. Next is "Last Supper Whine" (sic), which is a distortion-heavy song that serves more to showcase Paul's bluesy singing, which is back to direct clarity, but you do get some solid bass from Tony and a bit of a fun guitar solo in the background. Not super heavy, but fun for what it is! "By Your Hand" follows with a chugging train-esque riff that never seems to stop, only varying when Paul chimes in with some sporadically timed lyrics and shouts, all fuzzily mixed (and with no drums). Announcements aside, this song is the most like filler on here, and it's almost 5 minutes long! Speaking of which, we have "Announcement 7" (a.k.a. "The Cross") next, which leads off with the audio from a 1960s TV commercial for Chesterfield filtered cigarettes.

The narrator then returns to set up Jesus Christ's crucifixion (albeit with way more off-kilter details not in the Bible), before moving to the quick 2 minute song "(The) 12 Steps Of Rehabilitation". This is actually an instrumental, and it is more of a garage rock song, so it's an interesting change of pace, though whether it fits the lead-up to the crucifixion is subjective. Things return to musical normalcy with "Only 1 Nail To Hang A Picture Of Jesus" (they have a point), which has a bit of a funk rock vibe while sticking to the tried-and-true sykotyk formula! Paul does chime in a bit on vocals late, and someone suggests a smoking break at the end, but this is effectively another instrumental, and it's interesting to see that the guys are opting not to add lyrics at the most dramatic part of the story. Reminds me of Gonzo and Rizzo skipping Stave 4 of The Muppet Christmas Carol. Fun song though!

Track #30 is "Purple Jesus", which ends the album's instrumental break with Paul back on proper lead vocals. A fuzzy and hazy blues rocker, the lyrics do resonate more than some others at this stage, and while it's not a bad song, I do wish it was clearer and more direct. "Announcement 8" (a.k.a. "Life Again") is next to set up Jesus' resurrection with some comically archaic and subversive dialogue about Mary Magdalene discovering that he has returned. The shortest of the thirty actual songs is next, namely the 99 seconds-long "You Changed It All", an against type (mostly) acoustic ballad that lets Paul's distinctively bluesy voice shine, and it's a shame that it's so short! "Save Me From Myself" follows with a return to musical form with a distorted heavy progression, if very muddled, with drums & vocals coming in & out,  a lot of feedback, and some eerie backing vocals. Noise rock fans may dig this, but I'd want structure.

In the next song, "Damn Living Again", we tie things back to what Sykotyk Rampage do best outright, with a direct bluesy hard rock structure, solid instrumentation (including a quality guitar solo) and clear production, with Paul letting off some surprising screams at varying points! Definitely a late highlight for me, and not overlong either! Next is "Same Shit Different Day", a more drawn out, deliberate song that lets the guys jam out but isn't as blatantly engaging for fans of the crash side of their "blue Chinese metal crash punk". Well constructed and clear, but it does drag a bit for me. "Announcement 9" (a.k.a. "Jesus Bus") gives us a 31 second narration about the resurrected Jesus and Mary Magdalene taking off in their rock n' roll bus (it makes sense in context), before we get the song called "Jesus Rock N' Roll Bus" next, which finally sees the return of Dirk on lead vocals for the second time.

A chugging rocker with punk influences, Dirk gets his "Lowest of the Low" on for both of his verses, but they're not the primary feature of the song. Not a bad rock number while it lasts, and the non-sequitur turn helps add to the album appeal! We shift gears next for a rare studio cover of theirs, namely of "The Watcher" (titled by them as "Jesus Is The Watcher") by British space rock band Hawkwind. Many of you will know that late Lemmy Kilmister was their bassist in the early 1970s, and he wrote this song and later played it with Motorhead, so it will not surprise Sykotyk Rampage fans to learn that Tony is on lead vocals for their cover. Is the idea that Tony is voicing Jesus singing this song while on tour in the rock n' roll bus? Presented as a faux live recording with a canned audience track, this version hews closer to Hawkwind than Motorhead, and while not mimicking Lemmy's vocals here, Tony gets the job done!

The song proper is a little meandering and out of Sykotyk Rampage's comfort zone, but it's not bad, and it would be interesting to hear them cover more established songs! "Announcement 10" (a.k.a. "End of Show") concludes "Lisa"'s broadcast day, where she sums up reactions to the gospels, sets up next week's "show" about alien abduction cases (if this will be "WYRD Radio 3" or not, I can't say), and introduces the final track, a fan request for a song by Sykotyk Rampage, who sound a lot like Kype The Jesus Boots! This is a re-recording of "White Stallion" from their 2009 album "22", and is again presented as a faux live recording with a raucous crowd added in post. The longest song on this triple album, this is the third and final track on offer with Dirk on lead vocals, and I do remember it from back in the day (impressive given the 900+ tracks in their discography!) The song proper is unchanged, but this is definitely a re-recorded version.

A dark yet punk-infused song that makes great use of Dirk's distinctive vocals, this is a fun closer to the album with strong instrumentation, and while not linked to the Jesus stuff at all, I enjoyed hearing it again! Alright, after thirty songs and ten announcements, what are my final thoughts on "WYRD Radio 2"? It's one hell of a marathon to listen to in a 2½ hour sitting, but pre-indoctrinated fans of Sykotyk Rampage with their environ-mental suits on will be right at home! This is easily the longest album I've ever reviewed for the SMS, so it does help that the Beckers, Shane, and Tony didn't change their existing formula too much, and most of what's on offer delivers the blues-laden improvised hard rock fans know and love, even if the rate of album releases has dramatically slowed since the mid-2010s. The conceptual theme, while perhaps controversial for more religious people, is amusing and I wasn't offended by it.

I haven't reviewed the first "WYRD Radio" (linked to this album only by the radio station conceit), but high concept stuff like this is always impressive to see from local bands, and kudos to them for sticking with it for three albums' worth! Songs like "Give You Anything", "Jesus Booty Call", and "Damn Living Again" capture their original, distinct sound very well, but there's way too much to succinctly sum up. For negative points, my biggest issue was the inconsistent clarity, with too many songs recorded in fuzzy conditions with Paul's vocals buried in the mix. Also, the lyrics could have went even further to tie into the religious subversion themes than they did. For newcomers to the original crash band, I do not recommend starting your sykotyk voyage with this album though, as it's a lot to take in at once. I'd start with either "22" or one of their "Greatest Hits" albums, so you get a feel for their best known songs first.

Plus, fans of Dirk's lead vocals will be disappointed by him only singing lead on 10% of the actual songs, where many of their shorter albums had a higher percentage for his vocal input. Still, if you're prepared for a ribald conceptual marathon of new Sykotyk Rampage music, "WYRD Radio 2" will deliver the goods more often than not, and hopefully they emerge from The Cave with more new stuff down the road! I hope you liked this month's CD review, and we'll have a much, much shorter review in August when we finally look at local indie/punk quintet The Northwest's new EP "All In"! Look for that then, and for more on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

Ruptured Birth/Thekillingfield Concert Review!!

For the first time since last summer's Iskra concert, I made it to The Oddfellows Hall to review a show there, as last night saw the return of Ruptured Birth and Thekillingfield to Sault Ste. Marie! Before we get into the bands, here's some other scattered notes from last night. In case you missed our late update to Saturday's news post, this show only featured four bands, as Crucify the Whore quietly dropped out of the show last week due to"technical & equipment difficulties", as per promoters Heavy North Entertainment on the Facebook event page. Disappointing, especially given the wait for a new C.T.W. set at a public venue, but hopefully we see Tyler Gibson back at it soon! A search for a replacement band was unsuccessful, so last night only had 4 bands. Regarding the attendance, the show only bounced around 2 dozen attendees for most of the night, but that number easily doubled for The Bear Hunters' return set, which was encouraging for them, but I wish more people had stuck around for the out of town headliners.

Tyler is an accomplished and reliable promoter, but this needed a lot more advance word, especially with no local poster or announced cover charge until the day of the concert. Hopefully things get ironed out for H.N.E.'s next shows! Also, the new sign outside of The Oddfellows Hall will take some getting used to, but it at least looks newer and more vibrant.

Last night's action was opened by online page-less local death metal duo Twistory in their first public concert set in about a year, and the first time that I've been able to see them live, so what are my thoughts on them? There's work to do, but they sounded promising! Fronted by former Pillory guitarist Josh Amendola (and featuring that band's frontman Robert Sartini on drums), the guys have obvious chemistry and a solidly heavy sound that fit their backgrounds, with Josh even sharing some vocal resemblances to Robert at times! That said, their set was short, didn't have a lot of clear breaks between songs, and often felt more like an extended jam session, and the lack of a bassist was at times noticeable. Josh did admit that they've only jammed a few times to prepare for this concert, but they had a brutal and raw sound that was a perfect fit for the occasion, and I am curious to hear much more from them in the coming months!

Next up was the long awaited return of The Bear Hunters after a 7 month stage hiatus, and they picked up where they left off with a crushing set of old and new death metal originals alike! Alongside newer songs like "The Dying Den" and classics like "Bloodthirst", the guys also broke out their fan favourite "Guardians of Asgaard" cover, and even got an encore to cap off their set with, which was awesome to see! Having missed last fall's Norilsk concert, this was my first time seeing The Bear Hunters live in over a year, and it's great to see that the guys haven't lost a step, and sounded on par with their past four-piece shows! Nik Deubel's vocals were inaudible on their opener, but the sound was quickly fixed so we could hear him, and he was on form from their early 2015 and early 2016 gigs, while Mitch Sirie shone on guitar, and Justin Lam held his own on bass as usual! Very solid return for The Bear Hunters, and here's hoping we're not waiting 7 months for their next show!

Third up in this show full of returns to the local stage was North Bay tech/death metal trio Thekillingfield in their first local concert set in 5½ years, and closer to their first tour in 2 years! It's a shame that this show didn't have more promotion, as Thekillingfield were definitely a favourite touring attraction here in the late 2000s, and they picked up where they left off in 2011 with a blistering set of progressive death and extreme metal! If you're familiar with Thekillingfield, you'll know that they have a lot of instrumental material in their sets, and last night was no exception, with vocal-less songs like "Mass For Shut-Ins" joining familiar tracks with lyrics like "To Be Joedy" for about a 50/50 split, but screaming or not, TKF had remaining fans right where they wanted them! A now-bald Justin Robinson still screams and shreds with the best of them, and Dean K.'s drumming was reliably complex, adding up to a welcome return for Thekillingfield, and here's hoping we see them back soon!

Finally, your headliners last night were Sudbury sci-grind/death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first local concert appearance since opening for Vesperia two years ago, and they delivered another heavy and devastating set of originals to send remaining fans home happy! This was my first time seeing Ruptured Birth live, and I definitely enjoyed their set, which was chock full of brutal and well written originals with some technical flourish, and I liked their usage of pre-recorded backing tracks on many songs to help set the mood. Last year's full length CD "Transmutant" was a frequent source for their setlist, including such songs as the title track and "Projectile Copremisis", and former Before the Black Gates singer James Bok gave brutal voice to them all, though his stage presence of mostly walking back and forth can be worked on. Musically, everyone sounded good, including guitarist Shane Scovron and former Archelon bassist Aaron Cividino, and I'd definitely be interested in seeing these guys on a local stage again soon!

Overall, this was a very solid night of death metal action, and while I wish there was a higher turnout, everyone delivered musically, and given that none of these bands have played on a local stage in 7 months or longer, it was extra unique and notable on that basis! You can check out our photos from last night at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's Twistory playing "The Retribution", The Bear Hunters playing their newer solng "The Wrath of Angmar", Thekillingfield playing their instrumental "Apple of Eden", and Ruptured Birth playing "Blood Siren"!









That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

Ruptured Birth Concert Preview, A Unique Drum Cover Video, Upcoming Concert Notes, And More!!

For the first time in a week, we have a post that's primarily about news and updates at the SMS! Yes, there is one concert preview for an impending metal concert, but also, we have some assorted recent updates, perhaps some bad news for an upcoming concert, and a new drum cover video, so here's what you should know! (Updated on Sunday at 12:20 PM)

Heavy North Entertainment are back for their first concert of the year, and it will see the return of two Northern Ontario extreme metal bands to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at The Oddfellows Hall to cap off their Grime Life mini-tour of Northern Ontario! The featured headliners are Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first Soo stop since opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub in 2015, and with many brutal sci-fi inspired originals in their repertoire, prepare for a face melting good time tomorrow! North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will make their long awaited local return tomorrow as co-headliners, marking their first local appearance since 2011, with a pair of 2014 sets cancelled in the interim. It's hard to believe we've been waiting over five years for Thekillingfield to hit the local stage again, so welcome them back with open arms and horned fists as well! Local opening acts will include the return of local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters in their first concert of 2017, so how will they sound after their 7 month stage hiatus? Find out tomorrow!

Online page-less death metal duo Twistory will round out the lineup in their first public concert set in almost a year, while a planned opening set by Crucify the Whore has been cancelled due to equipment difficulties, as per the Facebook event page, and they have not been visibly replaced. This ALL AGES show has an 8:00 PM start time (with doors opening at 6:30 PM), and there will be a $6 cover charge at the door. Death metal fans should be very excited by this show, including a number of long awaited returns to the local stage, particularly Thekillingfield's progressive-tinged explosion, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Ruptured Birth live!



Next up, here's a pair of new videos, starting with this unique clip of As It Stands drummer John Mignacca beating the electric drumskins all over Sault Ste. Marie! Uploaded to his new "Flo McNasty" YouTube channel on Tuesday, the video (filmed by John's former A.I.S. bandmate Nathan Bouliane) features John drumming along to his old band Skeyes of Seven's original "Cognitive Dissonance" in various locations, including outside of the "Algoma's Friendliest City" sign, the International Bridge, the Roberta Bondar Pavilion, and inside the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center. Very creative and well shot, this is well worth checking out for fans of local landmarks, John's drumming, and Skeyes of Seven, though after watching, I was also thinking of other places he could drum for a sequel! One outside of concert venues might be interesting, particularly ones John played at frequently. Give it a look below, and don't miss As It Stands return at The Canadian on THURSDAY!



Also today, here's some recent clarifications and updates regarding a teased concert event for later this month. Though there has been no formal confirmation, numerous postings on it's Facebook event page have indicated that the Rock The Border Music Fest at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on June 18th is no longer taking place. Pessimism and unconfirmed personal reports don't paint a good picture, especially as this show was promoted by some of the same organizers behind the called-off Quiet Riot show (CSA branding or not), and while the ticket sale page is still online, there haven't been any public updates to this event from organizers since May 7th. Based on available reports, I'm reluctantly inclined to remove the show from our links, but if there's any official confirmation that it's still on in some form, we will redact this! If true, this is all very disappointing, especially given the hype and the chance to make up for the Quiet Riot concert, but if it's off, hopefully ticket buyers get full refunds promptly!

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

• The Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed CKY drummer Jess Margera for this article that went in the newspaper and on their website on Monday in advance of THIS THURSDAY'S headlining show at The Canadian Nightclub.Within, Jess discussed the band's move to a three-piece lineup following Deron Miller's departure, their recent collaboration with Mastodon's Brent Hinds for their new single, fan response in their recent tours, why you won't hear much from their last album "Carver City", and more, and it's a solid read in advance of this highly anticipated show, so check everything out above!
• The previously announced CureCon festival from new local company Ma Lady Menace on August 12th will reportedly not be taking place at The Royal Canadian Legion hall on Great Northern Road, as per the venue's Facebook page earlier today. The Legion apparently has had "NO dealings" with the promoters, and while I won't get into the online rumous and mixed feelings within, note that Ma Lady Menace have not updated their Facebook page in two weeks, when they acknowledged website maintenance. We'll remove CureCon from our concert calendar due to the lack of venue, but if it's still held elsewhere, we'll let you know!
• The Machine Shop confirmed via this press release last week that March's postponed Quiet Riot concert is now officially cancelled, citing a "breach of contract" between the headliners and promoters CSA International, and told people where to get refunds for tickets if they had yet to do so. This story resurfaced because the originally planned rescheduling was for May 26th, but CSA had previously redacted that on their own. The discussion about the promoters and refund process has sparked more pessimistic online debate, but all I'll add here is that I hope everyone still looking for a ticket refund gets theirs soon, if they haven't already.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as the month of June progresses! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rock The Border Music Fest & Ruptured Birth!!)

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Phlashback/Kick Start singer & guitarist Terry Becker, who passed away on Friday at the age of 65, according to numerous personal Facebook postings. Details on his services have yet to be announced, but definitely stay tuned to local news media for updates on that front. Though not known for work in hard rock bands (moreso country and blues rock), Terry will be familiar to many fans as a brother of Sykotyk Rampage mainstays Paul & Dirk Becker, and was once scheduled to join them with a solo set at 2015's Soo Zombie Walk, though he later had to withdraw from that event. I own an autographed copy of Phlashback's 2006 CD "Ride the Wind", on which Terry was the primary songwriter, where you got a sense of Terry's musical & vocal gifts, and he was definitely a talented musician and instructor, so our condolences are definitely with the Becker clan at this difficult time. R.I.P. Terry!

Now, today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS regarding two concerts taking place next month, one a long awaited festival announcement, and the other seeing returning Northern Ontario extreme metal bands after 2 years away or more, so here's what you should know!

Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth and North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will each return to Sault Ste. Marie for a concert at The Oddfellows Hall on Thursday, June 4th! Featuring former members of Before the Black Gates, fans may recognize Ruptured Birth from opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub back in 2015, and their crushing science fiction-inspired originals should brutalize local fans when they make their return to the local stage next month! As for Thekillingfield, this show is a long time coming for them, having not travelled west to the Soo since headlining at the former Roosevelt Hotel back in 2011, with two early 2014 Oddfellows Hall sets being cancelled in the interim. Thekillingfield played here a lot around the turn of the 2010s, and it's awesome to see them finally come back after nearly six years away, so don't miss out on their return on June 4th! Local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore will be among the openers in their first public set of the year, and fans should enjoy Tyler's solo return also!

At least one more opening act is to be announced, so stay tuned for updates on their identity. Promoted by Heavy North Entertainment in that agency's first event since September's Dumpster Mummy concert (and just their second since the fall of 2015), a 6:00 PM start time is currently advertised for this ALL AGES show, but admission prices have not been posted yet. This should be a brutal and heavy good time for local metalheads, including some acts we haven't seen enough of locally, so visit the official Facebook event page for continued updates!

Next up, the long-delayed lineup announcement for the Rock the Border Music Fest on Sunday, June 18th has finally been made, and organizers have confirmed that Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay will headline the show in a side project group! The two of them are actually in two side bands, the newer hard rock outfit Josh Todd & The Conflict, and a rap/electronic rock project named Spraygun War, but organizers just said that they will play "a little of everything". I'd be inclined to believe that The Conflict are the band coming, but we won't list them as such until/unless there's confirmation. Josh & Stevie D. are no strangers to the area, as fans who saw Buckcherry at Kewadin Casino in 2011 will know, but how will they sound in this side band next month? Stay tuned! The teased Australian band will be Sydney hard rock quintet The Lazys, who will hit the Soo as part of their Summer Ontario Fun Tour. Lively yet old school sound, they should find a solid audience when they rock the Soo next month, so give them a listen!

Three more bands are to be announced, but aside from at least one being Canadian, none have been confirmed publically as of this writing. Now that the lineup has finally been partially announced, what else should you know on the concert? Well, it's now advertised to take place at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion instead of The Machine Shop, marking a rare local hard rock concert under the tent downtown, and it will be nice to see some live concert action there after too long of a wait! This is an ALL AGES show, though it is licensed, and an early 2:30 PM start time is advertised. Tickets are on sale for $45 for early birds (no word on when the discount ends), $55 for advance admission, $60 for general tickets, and $75 for VIP passes, which allow close access to the stage, a drinking section, and line bypass upon entry. As well, there will be a $100 meet & greet VIP pass that allows you to view the soundcheck and get an autographed poster, so keep all of the packages in mind!

You can get tickets online at this link, though no word on local in-person availability as of this writing. Also, just for clarification's sake, a post on the Facebook event page from organizers indicated that this is not promoted by CSA International (they of the postponed Quiet Riot concert), despite the fact that the "About" tabs on CSA's Facebook page & the Rock the Border Facebook page both list the same phone number. Given that, there must be a common person involved in both, but if they say this isn't a CSA event, who am I to argue? As for the show proper, I know there's already some pessimism online regarding the two week+ delays and the perception of the lineup quality so far, but remember, there are three more bands to be announced, Buckcherry fans should come out in force, and if this concert is a hit, more big hard rock shows will come to the Soo, from these promoters or others! Stay tuned for continued updates on the Rock The Border Music Fest as it comes in!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Shit Liver & Wilt), The New Bare Episode, And More!!

For this Saturday, here's a new post featuring assorted recent updates, a new performance video, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall and TONIGHT, so here's what you need to know!

A long teased Heavy North Entertainment house party concert will indeed go down TONIGHT, as a venue has been found! Apologies for the obviously short notice, the show was announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday but we held it for this weekend's previews & for a venue announcement. TONIGHT'S show will be headlined at 12:30 AM by local/St. Catharine's death metal/crust punk trio Shit Liver in their first local concert of the year (and first of their brief return home on their current Canadian tour), so if you can't make it to The Rednecks Saloon on Tuesday, keep TONIGHT's show in mind for their grimy death metal intensity! The listed band order will also see local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters take the stage at 11:30 PM for the first time since their VM Radio Battle run, while Blood Shed Productions acts will fill out the lineup, including solo goregrind project Crucify The Whore at 10:30 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 9:30 PM, and rappers Phat Boii & Mikey Thomas splitting the opening 9:00 PM set.

Note however that the lineup is "subject to small change", and we'll let you guys know if something is announced! To be held at 124 Anna Street in the east end, this definitely publically-advertised show is ALL AGES, and admission is by donation, though Shit Liver will have merchandise on sale too. For more details, visit the above links! If you've enjoyed other recent H.N.E./Blood Shed house parties, this will be right up your alley, especially with the local return of Shit Liver, so don't miss out TONIGHT AT 9:00 PM, and here's Shit Liver live last year!

Also in new concert announcements, here's the last of the currently announced Gonqshow events in J.D. Pearce's summer concert series at The Algonquin Pub, as Winnipeg black metal quintet Wilt (I believe) are scheduled to make their local concert debut there on Saturday, September 26th! If we have the right band named Wilt, then look for a night of intense atmospheric and drawn out extreme metal from this talented band that fans of Wolven Ancestry should take to! Openers are to be announced, but we are five months out from showtime, so we have lots of time for word on that front. Like most other Gonqshow events this year, this will be a 19+ event with a $5 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, but again, there could be announcements to the contrary over the summer. For more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more Gonqshow updates in a bit!

Next, here's the long awaited episode of Local2's stripped-down music performance series Bare, featuring local indie/punk band Northwest! Uploaded to Bare's YouTube channel yesterday, this has Northwest frontman Wayne Watkins and guitarist Greg Callaghan playing their song "Young & Wild", notably still with electric guitars. In a sense, it sounds like extracted master tracks in this form, and it's solidly done, but I do wonder how this would sound if unplugged? Nice work, so give Northwest's Bare episode a look below, and check out their new SooToday article on their CBC Searchlight run at this link (VOTE TODAY!!)



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter updates from the last while, including to two of the upcoming Gonqshow events! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• This recently came to our attention following a recent push to name a local concert stage in honour of late Case's Music founder, musician, and teacher Mike Case, as it turns out that the bandshell at Bellevue Park (which infrequently hosts heavier shows) was already named the Harry R. Pearse Memorial Bandshell in 1971 after the conductor of The Band of the 227th Regiment in the early 1900s. However, the outdoor country stage at the Chippewa Trading Post is being named after Mike, which is a great gesture! Click here for more on recent tributes.
• The planned Of Tall Tales-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub that was scheduled for Saturday, July 18th will apparently be moved to a different date, as per a recent update to the Gonqshow's event page that now lists it's date as "to be announced". A reason hasn't been announced, but hopefully it does take place, as Of Tall Tales are a solid band! Stay tuned for updates!
• Two Sudbury metal bands have been added to the Vesperia-headlined Algonquin Pub show on Thursday, July 23rd, those being new "sci-grind" quartet Ruptured Birth (featuring members of Before The Black Gates) and death metal trio Fractal Generator (featuring members of Wolven Ancestry). Great additions, it's nice to see more Sudbury bands coming out west! Also, this show now has a listed $8 cover charge.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Banned), Sault Michigan News, And Some New Videos!!

Happy Sunday, everyone! The long weekend is in full swing in Sault Ontario, but today's post largely focuses on goings on in Sault Michigan (with one exception), so read on below for a new video from a local record label, new live performance clips, some updates from two bands with Nixxon Dixxon alumni, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning an annual music festival!

Kinross hard rock quartet Banned are returning to The Sugar Island Music Festival this coming weekend! The annual festival in nearby Sugar Island is back for it's 12th installment from Friday through Sunday, and there will be plenty of family activities, vendors, and entertainment all weekend long for attendees to take in, so click here to see what's on tap! As best as I can tell, Banned will be the only hard rock band this year (the other heavier bands from last year, Free Refill & The Highest of Fives, have been dormant in recent months), but they'll bring their hard rocking and classic covers & originals to the outdoor stage on Sugar Island at 8:00 PM on Friday, which is a 2 hour improvement from last year for their set! The Friday headliners are 3-ZIP at 10:00 PM, with The Foster's Sportsmen's Club Band at 9:00 PM, and Banned will be preceded by Missy & Chelsea, Hillsdale indie band AllArms, and solo performer Frank Kieronski from 8:00-6:00 PM. Note that online information on these acts is generally minimal, but from what I understand, the bands that play at The Sugar Island festival tend to lean in a softer folk/country direction, so Banned are somewhat of an outlier. The Saturday and Sunday schedules contain no visible hard rock, but each Friday band except Banned and Frank Kieronski will return for at least one more set, so check the above links for more details!

Like last year, admission will be $6 for a single day and $10 for a full weekend pass (there's no deal for just 2 days), but children under 10 can get in free. Admission buttons can be purchased on site this weekend or in advance at Grooves Music in Sault Michigan or at Ed's Bayview Store, The Hilltop Bar & Grill, or the Westshore Convenience Store in Sugar Island. Camping and other activities have their own costs, so click here for all admission details! Though this year's festival doesn't contain as much heavy music as past installments, it should be another great weekend of music & family entertainment in Sugar Island, and hopefully Banned rock the stage well in their return! Stay tuned for more on the Sugar Island Music Festival as the week rolls along!

Next up, here's some more Sault Michigan news relating to two bands featuring Nixxon Dixxon alumni! First, the new local hard rock project The Hubbard-Menard Band have revealed a setlist that they're working on, which is surprising given that they're still just a two man project. Featuring 42 songs (one's double counted), it's split in three categories: All 15 of their original songs, 15 Van Halen covers, and 12 covers of other bands, and this looks very promising if The Hubbard-Menard Band become a performing act at some point! Van Halen-heavy for the covers, but Chris Hubbard is a huge fan of theirs and can do the songs justice (his solo YouTube videos are proof), so old Nixxon Dixxon fans should be excited! Click here for the full setlist, and stay tuned for more from them! The other news is that local indie rock quartet The London Gentlemen (featuring Chris' ex-bandmates Kyle Beaumont & Jake LaLonde) have been named as the local openers for the Buckcherry/Fuel concert at Kewadin Casino on August 13th (one week from Monday.) That news was broken on The London Gentlemen's Facebook page last month, but Allstar Promotions or Kewadin Casino have yet to publically confirm the local openers. This is a great opportunity, as even though they're not a real genre match, the talent's there!

Plus, all of the members have opened for major bands at Kewadin, including Steve Sivret & Mike Russo opening for Buckcherry in March 2011 as Fallen Heroes, and Kyle & Jake's numerous opening slots with Nixxon Dixxon, so they're all well suited for this event! Tickets are still available from the fifth row back for $35, so click here to order online, and stay tuned for updates!

We'll close this post with some new videos, and first, here's the latest footage from Sault Ontario grunge trio Haggith! Uploaded onto YouTube user paperclipprojectX's channel (which I believe is ran by guitarist Daniel Horton) last week, these newest two videos are also from their Canada Day weekend sets in Goulais River, and they're of their original songs "Rage Train" and (as embedded below) "Living It On The Run" and "Wanko"! The former song on the second video is brand new to me, but it has a nice contrast in softer verses and an aggressive chorus, though they have heavier originals. Solid stuff, but I wish the camera was consistently closer than it is. Check out Haggith's newest videos above and below!



Finally, here's a short video from Eckerman, Michigan studio/label Werehold Records entitled "The Birth of Werehold". Uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday, it features the logos of 8 of the label's bands (including the yet-to-be-revealed Awaken Eidolon, but not Wearwithal or Orb Hearthstone's solo project) fading in and out of view along with the label logo, with text stating that "the birth of Werehold" is "coming soon". I'm curious as to what this means, as Werehold Records already exists, so what's being born? A full relaunch? Live concerts by their band roster? Album releases? Something else? Time will tell, but check out this video below and see if you can decipher anything!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes very soon! Thanks everyone!