A New Album Release, LemmaFest Fallout, And More From Sault Michigan!

Before we touch on fallout from the Heart concert this past weekend, we have an all-Sault Michigan post on this Tuesday morning, including some fallout and updates from this past weekend's LemmaFest, some assorted recent notes, and first, news on a recent album release, so here's what you need to know!

Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock artist Kenneth Sutton (a.k.a. SweetKenny) released his ninth solo album "This End Up" last week, and our sincere apologies for being late to the party on this one! Self-described as a "heavy rock, beer drinking, bar band, high energy, fun album", this album features 10 songs (including instrumentals and tracks with vocals), with Ken promising freestyle playing and something for everyone to enjoy within! Like on most of his past records, Ken handles all instruments and vocals, with no credited guest input. Copies of "This End Up!" can now be bought on Bandcamp for $12, and while physical copies are likely in the works through CDBaby, he has yet to post sale copies there. In any event, you can stream all 10 tracks at this link, which also includes brief info on the songs' themes. Everything sounds good for this newest album (with SweetKenny's next CD "Amazonian" already in the planning stages), but when can you expect a review of "This End Up!" on the site?

Perhaps as soon as next month if all goes according to plan, as our review of Mike Haggith's newest solo CD is still in the works for this week(end), though I'll note that we have yet to review either "Ink" or "Cracks In The Wall" from his recent repertoire either. The latter is a bit old now for a "new" review, but I plan to listen to both of his 2014 albums to pick the heaviest for our next SweetKenny review, and we'll let you know when that's determined! Pick up "This End Up!" and more SweetKenny albums above!

Next up, here's some early fallout from the fourth annual LemmaFest, which was successfully held this past Saturday outside of the Dondee Lanes! While we await some extra lineup and sound confirmation from Nightmare Grin and Mr. Fister (plus the usual giant photo album), the first known concert video from this year's installment is now online courtesy of local alternative hard rock trio Plastic, so what should you know? Obviously, the tarp over the stage from 2012 didn't make a comeback, but aside from that, the staging was similar to past years. The video below was filmed by attendee Christy Nealen (and publically shared by Plastic yesterday from her personal Facebook page), and it's of their cover of Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song", so how does their new lineup sound? The audio quality could be a bit cleaner from the video, but the guys have a good handle on this classic, with Zac Crook's vocals fitting nicely, and Aaron DePalma fills Paul Burns' shoes well on drums! Check out the full performance below, and hopefully more videos turn up!



Also in the realm of LemmaFest videos, local filmmaker Wayne Kozeyah released his short documentary about LemmaFest and the late Mike Lemma at Saturday's event, but he finally gave the OK for fans unable to attend to check out the final product on YouTube, as per his post on the LemmaFest 2014 event page! Originally uploaded to his YouTube channel in April (albeit in a still unlisted form), this was produced as part of a course project at Lake Superior State University over the past year. Along with host bumpers & narration from Wayne, remarks from Mike Lemma's friends (including LemmaFest founder Scott Green) are included where they remember Mike and their time hanging out with him, their reactions to his sudden passing in 2010, and the inception and organization of LemmaFest the following year and beyond. Assorted clips of some bands from last year's event and scattered other gigs are featured along with numerous event photos, and for reference, Scofflaw's Barney Gravelle contributed a music piece named "Lex" for the film as well.

This documentary short is great to see why LemmaFest is such a well anticipated event, and it does a great job of selling it to prospective attendees, so kudos to Wayne on a job well done! It'd have been nice to get more remarks on Mike or the festival itself from the band members, but that's all I'd have recommended. I urge fans of LemmaFest to give the documentary a look below, and stay tuned for more on this annual event!



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

• Due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in recent months, I've replaced defunct local funk/hard rock band Clownsack's link on the SMS with their still-active MySpace page, which still features songs, videos, and photos of theirs from their mid-late 2000s heyday. They were a unique and entertaining band, hopefully they reunite at some point down the road!
• I've deleted defunct Pickford metal band Dust N' Bones from our local band links, as their Reverbnation page has been converted into a repository for the members of Theatre of Night's collective music ideas that aren't guaranteed to make it to official T.O.N. material. This isn't a Dust N' Bones evolution or officially a new band, just an apparent space for stuff they're working on in general, but there's some promising ideas, so give the new Harrison/Giles material a listen via the above link!
• Power Slug/Nose Dive drummer Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone) has made his long awaited return to metal singing, albeit in a non-local project. The band is Astrogenta (a self-described "internet band" largely based out of the Ukraine), who actually added Orb to their lineup last October, and they're currently working on an album named "Distance Does Not Matter", which you can hear samples of (with vocals) at this link. Hopefully he finds some big success with Astrogenta, so keep an eye on them!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow morning (featuring Heart videos), and I'll see you guys at The Canadian TONIGHT for Anciients, Havok, Wretched, Black Wizard, and The Revolution! ALL AGES, $20, don't miss this awesome metal lineup! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Striker & The Suicide Kings), Plus Many More Recent News Items!!

We're clearing most of our recent news items in this post, and there's some big stuff to get to in it, so what's in store? We have lots of recent news from The Suicide Kings, and a pile of other shorter recent news stories from the area, but leading off, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for big summer shows in Sault Ontario, so read on below for what you need to know!

Edmonton heavy metal quintet Striker will hit The Roosevelt Hotel for a headlining concert on Tuesday, June 25th! Presented by local concert promoter J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce, this show should appeal to fans of classic metal and NWOBHM bands, and if you enjoyed recent local shows with bands like 3 Inches of Blood & Skull Fist, Striker and their tour-tested, very heavy sound will be completely up your alley, so check them out at this location! Two local opening bands are being sought, but no one has been publically confirmed as of this writing, but message J.D. at this location if your band is interested in opening. There will also be an attached costume contest for the best 1980s metal outfit worn by attendees, with prizes for the winner(s?), so keep that in mind for the 25th as well! Admission will be $5 for this 9:00 PM concert, and I'd assume this is a 19+ event unless indicated otherwise. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome concert, and I'm really digging Striker's sound, so stay tuned for updates!

Also, our first public indications of metal or hard rock at Rotaryfest are now in, as Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands winners The Suicide Kings have revealed that they will be performing on the main stage at Clergue Park on Friday, July 19th! This really caught me off guard, as they play original material, whereas the edict from Rotaryfest organizers is that the main stage bands have to be covers-only, but maybe they're only playing covers for their set? Time will tell, I suppose, but this is a big opportunity all the same! The posting on The Suicide Kings' Facebook page from yesterday indicates that they'll be on at 9:00 PM on July 19th, which is one of the top timeslots, so absolutely keep that in mind during Sault Ontario's annual summer festival next month! The full schedule has not yet been officially unveiled, but Rotaryfest's website indicates that the headliners on Saturday, July 20th will be Rolling Stones tribute band The Blushing Brides (keeping with the recent trend of an out of town tribute band headlining the main stage on the Saturday), while I assume the jazz/blues theme for Thursday the 18th would still be in effect.

Also to note, The Suicide Kings' Facebook posting indicated that they'd be "the only band in the genre" on the main stage, though we won't know if that's definitely the case until an official lineup is posted. Admission should be free, and this is ALL AGES as usual. Check the above links for more details! The Suicide Kings should leave a good impression for their Rotaryfest debut, even if they're not on the more original-friendly Second Stage, but best of luck come July, and stay tuned for updates on the full entertainment lineup as we hear it! In other Suicide Kings news, the same posting above indicated that their forthcoming debut EP "King of the World" is in the mixing process, and they'll be using the recording time won at the Rockstar Bar Battle to record drum tracks towards it. Good art takes time, so hopefully everything turns out awesome when finished! Finally, have you seen postings on Facebook relating to a Suicide Kings/Haggith concert TONIGHT that we haven't covered on here?

Well, that's an invitation-only gig at Haggith's label/studio PaperClip Productions' headquarters, so because it's not publically attendable, we didn't call it on here. If you're invited, go check out the Rockstar Bar Battle's top 2 bands tonight, and hopefully there will be some shareable fallout to come out of it!

Finally for today, here's six assorted recent shorter news stories (mostly from across the river), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, company, or venue name:

• On May 20th, Mackinac City classic rock station The Bear (which picks up here on better radios) finally changed it's FM frequency & call sign to 97.7 WOEZ out of Cheboygan (not 106.3 out of Onaway as was previously indicated) via recent station trades. The new position is just one notch off of it's old regional home, 97.9 WIHC (now Strong Tower Radio) out of Newberry, but I assume any interference will depend on where you're located. Make note of the change though!
• Barring a return to activity by Wednesday, we'll soon be moving mid-2000s Sault Michigan-area hair/classic metal band Dust N' Bones to our inactive band links. Led by Theatre of Night's Craig Harrison (and later becoming a T.O.N. side project upon their early 2012 reunion), Dust N' Bones have offered no public updates since June 12th of last year, but hopefully Craig and company revisit this entertaining material down the road!
• In case you weren't sure, LemmaFest (the annual Mike Lemma tribute concert outside of Dondee Lanes) is returning for a third installment on Saturday, June 22nd! Early plans & information have been made public at their official Facebook page from May 30th onward, which is oddly late compared to the past 2 years, especially with no bands confirmed yet that I know of. Stay tuned for updates though, and hopefully this year's a hit like the others!
• As best as I can tell, former local concert venue Madison's Pub (in the Food Basics plaza on Pine Street) is undergoing renovations this month for it to become an Irish themed bar named The Harp Pub & Grill, as per postings on this event page for an upcoming local musician showcase event being held there. Madison's hadn't been a visible metal venue since the end of 2009, but maybe things might pick up with it becoming The Harp? You never know!
• A local singer named Marika Suha is looking to join a local band, and though she didn't give a genre indication, she's hoping to join a "very very cool kick ass band", so that could mean metal for all we know. If you're interested in seeing if she'd be the right fit, message her at this location or check out her post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from Wednesday morning!
• Half A Man frontman Erik Rintamaki has started his own concert sound company & recording studio named Superior Sound Company to provide live event sound & professional song recordings in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. No indications as of yet of metal/hard rock work, but we all know Erik's local music background is a good sign for that, so message Superior Sound at the above links for more info, and they're now in our Other Sault Michigan Links section!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as it comes in, along with our Defunct Local Band Profile on Insipid Brutality on Monday! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: The Georgian Skull

It's hard to believe that we're profiling our 39th band in our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile Series today, but we've now hit that number with this latest band that featured a Sault Ste. Marie native in their lineup at one point! This month's profile is on a band that only briefly had a direct connection to Sault Ste. Marie, but what a connection this was, so check out this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile below, and if anything's missing or incorrect, please let me know! Yes, this is the same band we mentioned would be next last month, they just changed their name in links newer than the one I originally sourced.(UPDATED: November 27th, 2013)
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The Georgian Skull (Windsor, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; members not in their last full lineup in italics. This information is incomplete. E-mail me at robertfigures@outlook.com if you have any additions or corrections!)

Alex "The Yeti Bones" Petrovich (vocals/guitar)
Steve "Beard" Dugal (guitar)
Sash Wilczynski (bass)
Adam Saitti (drums)

William "H. Skulls" Cochran (bass)
Rob Hare (bass)
Anderson Lunau (bass)
Aaron Palmer (bass)
Karsten Shreve (bass)
David Gold (drums)
Adam Michalzuk (drums)
Kevin Mitchell (drums)
Ace Piva (drums)
Derek Gibson (?????)
Jeff Ohler (?????)

Official MySpace page (1): http://www.myspace.com/georgianskull
Official MySpace page (2): http://www.myspace.com/misterbones
Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/pages/georgian-skull/8282374683

Local Info: Only one local musician is known to have been in any of The Georgian Skull's lineups, that being late Woods of Ypres frontman/drummer David Gold! Years before Woods of Ypres' local peak and his drumming stints in all kinds of far flung metal bands, he briefly drummed for what was then Mister Bones in 2001 early in his time living in Windsor, but he left the band to form Woods of Ypres the following year (alongside Mister Bones bandmate Aaron Palmer) before their first CDs were recorded, though he & his old bandmates remained good friends after the fact. While information on David's tenure with Mister Bones is lacking, you can read all about frontman Alex Petrovich's close friendship with & respect of David in this memorial article he penned for The Windsor Zene earlier this year.

Band Bio: Launched in 1999 following the band's initial conception in Montreal, Mister Bones were active in the Windsor metal scene through the mid-2000s with varying lineups, including a high amount of differing bassists & drummers, with only Alex and guitarist Steve Dugal surviving through each incarnation. David Gold's stint with Mister Bones was brief and the timeframe of when each member was in the band is hard to source. They released two studio albums & one live album under the Mister Bones name from 2002-2006, along with playing many high profile concerts & tours alongside bands like Brand New Sin, even attracting the notice of major artists like Zakk Wylde & Pepper Keenan with their blend of doom and stoner metal genres. After changing their name to The Georgian Skull in 2007, the newly renamed band and their last lineups also saw noticeable success, releasing two EPs and a full length album "Mother Armageddon, Healing Apocalypse" by the time of their 2009 dissolution. Since then, Alex and final drummer Adam Saitti have been highly visible in the Windsor metal scene in their current (and similar) metal band Gypsy Chief Goliath alongside members of other dissolved Windsor-area metal bands.

While I'm more familiar with Alex & Adam's current work in Gypsy Chief Golitah, I will give The Georgian Skull/Mister Bones a lot of credit for their blend of doom and stoner metal that definitely has an old school feel! Sort of if a band like Crowbar or Down were launched in the early 1970s. Probably their main difference from Gypsy Chief Goliath based on my experiences is that The Georgian Skull have less of a jam session feel and take things a bit more seriously, but that may vary on the person. Alex Petrovich's gruff singing voice fit his older material well, and Steve Dugan's guitar work meshed well for their heavy (though often slow) riffing! I can't comment first hand on how David Gold contributed in his brief Mister Bones stint, but I'm sure he was as good there as he was on Woods of Ypres' early work. As for how Mister Bones compared to their later Georgian Skull work, I'd say that The Georgian Skull were a bit heavier and tighter than they were with their old name, but no matter what, they delivered some great material in their decade run that doom, stoner, and G.C.G. fans should really enjoy! Nice and sludgy with plenty of grit, and a to the point sensibility that helped get the message across on their albums and live, so definitely give Mister Bones/The Georgian Skull a look!

There's a good selection of media online to satisfy any craving for Mister Bones or The Georgian Skullfootage and audio recordings! Most of their songs from their albums are floating around online on YouTube and torrent sites and so on (and on their pages linked above), but their CDs are all likely out of print, so I can probably encourage you to download them (though The Georgian Skull's full length CD is on iTunes, so you could support them by buying it there!) YouTube has dozens of live videos and audio tracks of the band in action from their more recent live concerts, but I'll feature The Georgian Skull's 2008 promo video for their song "Hunting The Ghost" here to check out, so give it a look, and go check out Mister Bones/The Georgian Skull!


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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month, we'll be taking a look at Beyond Haven, a Barrie hard rock quartet who feature Sault Ontario native Jason Graham on lead guitar. We've featured them in a poll on out of town bands with Saultites you guys would wanna see here once, but we haven't talked about them a lot, so on or around September 26th is as good as ever! Watch out for that profile next month, and stay tuned for more news (and our review of Oddfellow's CD "Go") in the next few days! Thanks everyone!

Local Band Returns & Some New Local Hard Rock Videos!!

Let's get some more news up on the SMS for you guys to check out, and it's a tale of band returns and new videos today, which includes a lot of classic sounds, unexpected news, and more, so read on below for all that you guys need to know!

Sault Ontario glam/punk quartet Dirty Virgin are apparently reuniting once again! The talented but infrequently seen local band will reportedly play their first concert in 11 months on March 30th, as they've been added to the lineup for that night's Lust Boys-headlined concert at The Canadian Nightclub! My source is the show's Facebook event page, and while Dirty Virgin themselves have yet to officially confirm the news, note that their online pages aren't frequently updated. This will mark just their second concert in the past 27 months (following their opening slot for Motley Crue tribute band Crued at The Canadian last April), and it remains to be seen if this will be a one-off gig or the start of a new active run. If this is 100% true, it'll be good to see Dirty Virgin back out there! They had a good sound & style going for them, and could handle glam rock and harder edged punk stuff pretty well, so whether this is another one-time thing or not, they'll fit in well with classic sounding metal bands like The Lust Boys and fellow local openers Late & Loud come March 30th! If I hear more on Dirty Virgin, you'll absolutely hear it here!

Also of note on this show briefly, Late & Loud guitarist Jonathan Tiberi had mentioned to me that another band has been added to this concert, though official pages have yet to confirm that news. I'll wait until official confirmation comes out to mention it here, but stay tuned for more on that!

Next up, another local band has resurfaced, and it's the local hair metal project Dust N' Bones! No, not the Guns N' Roses tribute band from Toronto that just played Sault Ontario earlier this month, they just share a name & genre. This is another project from End of Existence and Theatre of Night bandmates Craig Harrison and Steve & Greg Giles (with Craig on vocals), but compared to the darker & heavier sounds of their more prominent groups, Dust N' Bones is a tribute to 1980s hair & classic metal that doesn't take itself too seriously. Dust N' Bones have been active for a few years in the area, and we covered them a bit more often in the SMS' infancy, but they're resuming frequent public updates for the band after a public posting absence due to old band member issues with the material (probably the best way to put it.) According to the band's online pages, they have enlisted notable local musicians like Ben Huyck (NoXcape), Chris Leask (Powerslug), and Bart Rennels (I.S.O.M.) in their past lineups, but recent postings haven't acknowledged them as still being band members. As part of their public resurgence, they've updated their Facebook & Reverbnation pages, and have even posted a new song named "Ain't No Goin' Back" to go along with 7 other older original songs and one old live video from a 2008 concert!

The new song is, like their other originals, a complete departure from I.S.O.M. or E.O.E. material, but it's got a solid old school sound that should definitely find a local audience! Craig's singing is nice and melodic and fits the material, but I'd like to see him add some more grit. Still, if you enjoy 1980s hair metal, you should get a kick out of the local band named Dust N' Bones, so check them out once again at the above links!

We'll close with new videos, including one from the defunct local hard rock trio Browbeat... well, that and a couple of newly posted songs from their frontman Dutch Vanderploeg, who's keeping busy on his new solo project's Facebook & Reverbnation pages! Among the new media on Reverbnation are two newly posted original songs, including his old solo original "Eyelids Fall" and a new track named "So They Think". I've critiqued "Eyelids Fall" before for it's solid hard rock sound & unique chorus with dream-like elements, but "So They Think" has a great aggressive vibe and a nice solo, and I can definitely see Browbeat playing it live if they were reunited! Check them out at the above links, and as for that video? It's a previously unseen clip of Browbeat playing their song "Skeletons" at what looks like a jam session with their last lineup (including Caveman Morrison's James White & Johnny Belanger on bass & drums) circa early 2011, as posted to Dutch's brand new YouTube channel yesterday. It's not the first video we've seen of Browbeat from this set, but it's good to see again! More melodic with a nice hard rock vibe and awesome bass work, and it's nice to hear "Skeletons" in clearer fashion outside of a concert! Check out this newest Browbeat video below, and stay tuned for much more from Dutch and his various projects as I hear of them!



And finally, here's a new live concert video of a local band covering a hard rock song! Flat Stanley/Wishbone drummer (and local metal veteran) Glen Thomas uploaded this video of his old local rock band The Werx covering The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" at what looks like Korah Collegiate & Vocational School's 40th Reunion at The Essar Center in the fall of 2007! I'm assuming that it's that event by the band's similar attire and staging of Glen's other video from that show, where they covered U2's "I Will Follow". Also featuring Trish Halliday on vocals, Glen's old Huckster bandmate Sean Halliday on guitar, and former Driver bassist Scott Kennedy, this is a solid cover with nice soulful lyrics from Trish, though I've always found "She Sells Sanctuary" to be one of The Cult's more overplayed tracks. Glen also accentuated this video with some inset shots of their set, though they don't necessarily line up with the main center video. It's always good to see some bands of a non-metal persuasion cover something a little heavier, and The Werx pulled this one off well, so check out their Cult cover below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news, this week's classic video, weekend concert previews, and hopefully my "W5" review as the week wears on! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Valentine's Day Massacre), New Canadian Concert Videos, And More!!

It's time for another news post, and this one's got a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next week, new videos from a couple of Canadian Nightclub concerts last week, and news on a local hard rock band's latest lineup change, so read on below for this latest news, and also check out this week's Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile from our current mini-series in the post below this one!

Three local metal bands will grace the stage next Friday for a concert at The Speak Easy! Local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre (who appear to be putting this show on), hardcore standouts As It Stands (in their second concert in a two night span), and death metal quintet The Bear Hunters will join forces for the first time together in a somewhat rare metal concert at Algoma University's bar/concert spot! I don't think either The VDM or The Bear Hunters have ever played at The Speak Easy before, while I don't think As It Stands have since their 2010 reunion, so this should be a fun (but different) spot for this concert! It goes down this coming Friday at 9:00 PM, there's no cover charge, and at least for now, it's 19+, but that could change. The Speak Easy is generally a better bar for all ages concert ratios, but if the age limit is removed, I'll let you guys know on here. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like fun to me, and there's definitely a solid and rising lineup of local metal talent on this show, so definitely circle it on your calendars for next week! Stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, a new concert video from this past Sunday's Dead In The Van fundraiser concert at The Canadian Nightclub has been posted online, and it's of the first 12 minutes of local classic metal quartet Late & Loud's set from that night! The video features Late & Loud's covers of Judas Priest's "The Hellion" and "The Green Manalishi (And The Two-Pronged Crown)", followed by their originals "Whisper Of The Damned" and "Fast As A Bitch", as filmed by an attendee of the concert. Guitarist Jonathan Tiberi handles lead vocals mostly in the video, though guitarist Brendan Christie (who uploaded this video onto his YouTube channel yesterday) sings on "Whisper Of The Damned", and "The Hellion" is an instrumental. The video is nice quality, with clear audio, though the filmer could have gotten a bit closer to the band maybe. Nice work overall though! It's a solid video for sure, and the band sounds about as good as you'd expect, so check out the first four songs from Late & Loud's Dead In The Van set below, and stay tuned for more Late & Loud news as it rolls in!



Thirdly today, here's the latest news from local hard rock quartet Borderline Divine! The band formerly known as Stillbroke have added Skull After Betrayl guitarist Justin Polutanovich to their lineup as their new bassist, replacing Jake Hache. The lineup change was quietly confirmed on their Facebook page late last month, which seems to indicate that it was Borderline Divine being referred to in guitarist Mitch Sirie's bassist search post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last month. A reason for Jake's departure from the band hasn't been publically announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and best of luck to Jake in his musical future! Justin now becomes the band's sixth bassist in the past four years, but hopefully he can stick around for the long term! I'm not familiar with his bass work, but he's definitely a solid guitarist in Skull After Betrayl, and hopefully his talent carries over to this new band! For the record, I don't know if this indicates anything negative towards Skull After Betrayl's future, but I'll absolutely let you guys know if I hear anything good or bad. Hopefully Borderline Divine are back on a positive track again, as it's been over two years since we saw them take the stage, so if I hear anything more, I'll have it here!

And finally for today, here's some more concert videos from a recent tribute band's concert in Sault Ontario! We don't get a lot of videos from those types of concerts, but YouTube user dradawetz uploaded two videos from Toronto-based Guns N' Roses tribute band Dust N' Bones' concert at The Canadian Nightclub last Friday onto his YouTube channel the next day! The videos are of Dust N' Bones playing the GNR classics "Sweet Child O' Mine" and (as embedded below), "Welcome To The Jungle", but how do they sound? I'm getting a mixed vibe from them, mostly thanks to the singer, who's definitely trying and has a good range, but he doesn't really have the tone or stage presence yet to pull off Axl Rose on a Gunz N' FN' Rosez level. It's especially noticeable on "Sweet Child O' Mine", but I figure with more experience and fine tuning, they'll pick it up more! They're fairly new as tribute bands go as it is. Check the above links for more, and here's Dust N' Bones playing "Welcome To The Jungle" in the Soo last week!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our next Defunct Local Band Profile on Paraside TOMORROW, along with some more news probably! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison) And This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Tomorrow's a big day for feature posts at the SMS, as we not only have this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post to upload, we're also kicking off our Battle of the Bands Rewind Mini-Series with a look back at the Skid Row Battle of the Bands from the spring of 2008, with six more profiles coming over the next six Fridays in the leadup to next month's Sault Humane Society Battle of the Bands! That's all tomorrow, but first, we have weekend concert previews tonight for this weekend's metal & hard rock concerts in the twin Saults, including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for Saturday night, so here's what's on tap on the heavy side of things through Sunday!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is back at Bossy's Pub N' Grub THIS SATURDAY for a ninth straight acoustic solo concert! After a one week move to a normal nighttime timeslot, Tym will be back on at 2:00 PM this Saturday as was usual for his currently weekly concert arrangement, though it's not publically known if last week's time adjustment was temporary or a dropped experiment in moving the shows to nighttime. So if you enjoy Tym's acoustic solo concerts at their afternoon timeslot, you should be happy to see them back there on Saturday night! Also, I apologize for being late to announce this concert (Tym posted the Facebook event page on Tuesday), we had a backlog of news while I was away that pushed this back. As mentioned above, Tym's back on at 2:00 PM on Saturday, I don't expect there to be a cover charge, and there's no cover charge, so check the above links for more details! It's good to see Tym back for another intimate acoustic concert, and he's sure to have some hard rocking material in store for fans on Saturday afternoon, so don't miss him if you can help it! For a preview, here's Tym and special guest Luke LeBlanc covering Extreme's "More Than Words" a few years back!



Now to the previously announced shows, starting with a brief stopover in Sault Michigan, as local hard rock quartet Powerslug are returning to the stage tomorrow & Saturday night! The band formerly known as River Witch will make their first concert appearances of 2012 (that I know of) at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino this weekend, and because the band no longer has an online page to my knowledge, my source for these shows is Kewadin Casino's entertainment page. From what I can gather, these shows will be 10:00 PM affairs (more or less) with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Check the above links for more details! I wish I knew or had more on Powerslug to go by in terms of their bio and covering their concerts, but with Scofflaw, Kilacel, and Blind Baby alumni among their ranks, the talent is absolutely there to go far locally, and hopefully this weekend's concerts are their biggest yet! Stay tuned for more on Powerslug if I hear it, and don't forget about their shows this weekend at Kewadin Casino!

We'll close this preview post with a series of concerts at The Canadian Nightclub this weekend, starting with another hard rock tribute band that The Canadian are bringing in, and this time, it's Toronto-based Guns N' Roses tribute band Dust N' Bones! Remember, they're no relation to the Sault Michigan-area band of the same name featuring members of End of Existence. I don't know a lot on this band specifically compared to other similarly named tributes (especially thanks to the lack of an online page that I know of), but I think they share at least one member with local tribute favourites Crued, and they're a relatively new act on the Southern Ontario scene. Even if you're a Gunz N' FN' Rosez loyalist, you should give Dust N' Bones a shot this weekend, as they have a solid sound that does pay tribute to GNR pretty well, though the vocals are a bit more varied in the videos I've seen. The show starts at 10:00 PM on Friday & Saturday night, you must be 19 to attend, and I'd expect a cover charge of around $5. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! If you're in the mood for some Guns N' Roses classics, The Canadian Nightclub is the place to be this weekend, so keep these shows in mind, check out more from DNB at their official YouTube channel, and for a preview, here's their rendition of "My Michelle" from this past December!



And finally for this weekend, The Canadian will be rocking all night long for "Dead In The Van! The Locals Attack!", a special fundraiser concert where proceeds will go towards funding local horror punk quintet Frightlight's plans to get a tour van and "bring the fright" to other cities! As such, they'll be headlining this massive concert on Sunday night (in their first show in over 4 months with new drummer Chris FreaknStein), and 7 other local & Desbarats acts will join in to help support the cause and rock the house! The co-headlining band is local hardcore quintet As It Stands (making their first appearance at The Canadian to my knowledge since their 2010 reunion), and in descending order from there, the remaining acts include local punk trio Redundant (in their first show of 2012), local deathcore rockers The Valentine's Day Massacre (formerly View To A Kill), classic metal quartet Late & Loud, Desbarats metal bands For All That Is Lost (in their Canadian debut) and Inhuman Methods (making their first ever local concert appearance), and Business Suit Trappers guitarist "Evil" Greg Callaghan in a solo set to open up the festivities!

How's that for a stacked lineup? It could also be a preview of the Humane Society Battle of the Bands next month, seeing as only Redundant, Greg Callaghan, and Frightlight (minus T. Rex Manning's Johnny Pints) aren't competing at the battle, so keep that tidbit in mind! Above all else though, this concert is to help Frightlight's evolution and get them touring and spreading the dead, so definitely consider coming out to support the cause! Admission will be $10 (more than fair for the value of the bands performing), the show starts at 5:00 PM (so be there early), and this is an ALL AGES EVENT! Yes, you can go if you're under 19, and hopefully this helps bolster what should already be a well attended event! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This is shaping up to be a huge concert, and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be there on Sunday to rock out with you guys! Frightlight deserve the support, and look at the lineup, this is worth every penny for all ages! I'll hopefully see you guys there, and for a preview, here's Frightlight covering The Misfits' "Helena" at The Canadian in January!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post and the debut of our Battle of the Bands Rewind Mini-Series TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Dust N' Bones), Plus New Videos!!

After a post-free holiday, it's back to work on this Tuesday morning at the SMS, so here's what's in store! Today, we've got a new trailer video for an upcoming local release, a new video from a major 2011 hard rock concert, and leading things off, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next couple of weeks in the Sault Ontario area, so here's what you need to know!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is returning to Bossy's Pub N' Grub on Saturday for an eighth straight week, but not for his usual 2:00 PM matinee show. Rather, Tym confirmed on this concert's Facebook event page that this weekend's Bossy's gig will be at the usual 10:00 PM start time for his other solo & Caveman concerts, so if you're more used to going out on Saturday nights than Saturday afternoons, this should work out better for you! I don't know whether this is the new time for his Bossy's arrangement or just a one week change, but I have heard about some low attendances from some recent Bossy's matinee shows that Tym played, so if this is permanent, it should be better on paper for attendance. As stated above, Tym will be on at 10:00 PM on Saturday, there shouldn't be a cover charge, and given the timeslot, I'd assume this is a 19+ event. For more details, check the above links! It'll definitely be more familiar to see Tym rocking the stage at night with his acoustic hard rock covers, and hopefully a good crowd turns out on Saturday to take in the music! Stay tuned later in the week for more on this concert!

Also in new concerts, The Canadian Nightclub are bringing another hard rock tribute band to Sault Ontario next month, and if you like Guns N' Roses, you should like this! Toronto-based GNR tribute band Dust N' Bones (no relation to the Sault Michigan band featuring End of Existence & NoXcape alumni) are scheduled to roll through The Canadian for a full weekend of classic Guns N' Roses hits on March 2nd & 3rd! I don't know much on this band specifically as I honestly can't find an online page beyond a YouTube channel for them (though there are many similarly named GNR tributes elsewhere.) They appear to be relatively new, but the videos I've seen are very promising with a good Guns N' Roses sound & look, and I believe they share a drummer with popular Motley Crue tribute band Crued, so I have faith they'll rock the house next weekend! Both the Friday & Saturday shows next weekend have 10:00 PM start times and 19+ age limits, and I'd expect a cover charge of around $5 both nights. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! From what I can detect, Dust N' Bones should satisfy local Guns N' Roses cravings next month, and even if you're a loyalist for Gunz N' FN' Rosez, I say give DNB a shot and check them out on YouTube in advance of what should be a solid weekend of music! Stay tuned for any possible updates if they come in!

We'll close this post with some new Sault Michigan-related videos, starting with a brand new video from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' headlining concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino from last October! YouTube user Shannon Grehan uploaded this video onto her YouTube channel on Sunday, and though it's one of four Joan Jett videos on her channel, it's the only one from the local concert. It's of the then-brand new original song "T.M.I." (or "Too Much Info"), and though we've seen video of this exact performance already (and in full), it's nice to get another angle! Shannon was to Joan's right and fairly close to the stage, which helps the view, but the audio's fairly scratchy, and she didn't capture the full song. Still, this is a solid video, and kudos to Shannon for finally posting it online, so check out Joan Jett rocking her song "T.M.I." at Kewadin Casino last year below!



And finally for today, here's the third trailer/teaser video for Sault Michigan/Grand Rapids metal quintet End of Existence's planned debut album! Posted to the band's YouTube channel yesterday, it's the longest of the three trailers so far (extending past 2 minutes), but it's initially similar to the second video with it's effects-layered band member photo, only this time of singer Bob Helsten, followed by the band's globe logo with information scrolling across it. Nothing new is revealed here (like a track listing, specific release details, price, or so forth), but it gives some nice previews of two songs from the album, and definitely check it out in advance of the album's scheduled release next Wednesday below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news very soon, along with our Candle Hour YouTube Channel Profile TOMORROW and much more to come! Thanks everyone!