The Bear Hunters - "Collapse The Sun" Single Review!!

It's now time for our 160th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and after a long stretch of new album reviews, nothing new that isn't in our anti-bias buffer period is left for local metal, hard rock, or punk bands, so we're dipping into the archives. I usually give precedence to artists who played live this month in some form, and as two members of this band played live with Handsome Sandwich at The Soo's Got Talent finals earlier this month, let's take a look at inactive local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters' 2014 single "Collapse The Sun"! Released on November 6th, 2014 as a pre-release teaser for their debut studio album "Eternal Hibernation" later that month, the single was produced at White Wreckords with producer/ex-Redundant bassist James White, and was sold & mastered through guitarist Mitch Sirie's own imprint Edge of Eden Productions.

"Collapse The Sun" features The Bear Hunters' classic lineup, including Chronic Demonic singer Nik Deubel, Mitch and ex-Bring The Fallen frontman Josh Stephney on guitar, Exploring Detritus bassist Justin Lam, and Mitch's Handsome Sandwich bandmate Johnny Belanger on drums. Copies of the "Collapse The Sun" single were exclusively sold on a limited print run of 50 CDs, each costing $2, and I have never seen one in the wild since 2014. Featuring three songs (well, one song in three versions) running for 11 minutes, let's begin this review, but be advised that my computer's primary external disc drive would not read this disc (possibly due to the paper label), so I had to play it off of a back-up drive.

All three songs are "Collapse The Sun", starting with the song as heard on "Eternal Hibernation", which I reviewed on the site in December 2014, so visit my original thoughts at this link. Lyrically about bringing doom and despair on the population (making the sun collapse would help in that goal!), I originally praised this song for its catchy groove-inspired structure, "sing-along" chorus, and solid instrumentation that sounds like the guys were having fun in studio. I also noted that the song lacked in technicality compared to newer songs included on the full album, and with the power of hindsight, the production quality is lacking compared to how their 2020 sophomore album "The Dead Testament" sounded. The raw, somewhat tinny audio won't be to everyone's liking despite solid performances, but it's definitely an early highlight of The Bear Hunters' all-too-short catalog!

The first alternate version is a live take of "Collapse The Sun", which was actually filmed by yours truly at The Roosevelt Hotel (now Reggie's West) when The Bear Hunters opened for 3 Inches of Blood there on July 9th, 2012. Those were the days, huh? Full disclosure, the band didn't inform me ahead of time that they were using my footage for this, but I was totally okay with it, and I was credited in the booklet. You can watch my original video at this link, but for this review, I'm going off of the audio copy from the CD as it was touched up in studio before the CDs were printed. This live performance is a little slower than on the studio version, but the performance is sound, and I can see why Mitch and crew chose it to represent the song on a CD! Of course, I was filming it for the SMS, on a worse camera than I have now, and had no clue that it'd be repurposed like this, so any static or clarity issues are apologetically noted.

The final track is the only one not accessible online, namely an instrumental demo of this song that Mitch had recorded in 2011, early in The Bear Hunters' run. The audio quality is honestly better, so if you ever wanted to do Bear Hunters karaoke or submit an audition tape if Nik wasn't part of a reunion, get this CD! Structurally, the instrumental demo is longer thanks to an extended outro, but has a higher tempo. This is a nice bonus that captures this fan favourite song in a new way, and because of the existing groove structure, it bounces along well while melting faces even without the lyrics! With all of that said, how would I grade a single of this kind? Honestly, this is more something for Bear Hunters diehard fans and/or completionists to track down nowadays. "Collapse The Sun" is one of my favourite songs of theirs, full stop, but the only exclusive content here beyond the packaging is the instrumental, as clean as it sounds.

I have no idea if physical copies of "Collapse The Sun" would be charged at a premium if they turned up at (say) The Rad Zone or if their $2 sale price would still be accurate, but with only 50 printed, this will be something ride-or-die Bear Hunters fans will surely want to keep an eye out for in case it turns up for sale. Solid bonus, but for casual fans, I'd say stick with the full "Eternal Hibernation" album and go from there if you choose. I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and as for next month, projections look like I may be reviewing Chase Wigmore's new album "Is This End Of...?", which is slated to come out on October 30th, but due to proximity to month's end & the possibility of it being delayed, I held it for next month. Stay tuned for more on that album on the site soon, plus more news and notes in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Brutally Fatal), Bear Hunters CD Release Fallout, And More!!

With concert reviews taking up the last few days, we finally have our first news post of December for you guys today, and yes, this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post is guaranteed to be next! Today, we have a new guitar video, plenty of updates from a recent CD release and it's launch show, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month!

A new house party concert from Blood Shed Productions will take place on Boxing Day (Friday, December 26th), and yes, it's location is publically advertised! Termed a "Bloody Boxing Day Basement Jam", there's a huge lineup currently planned for this event, so who all's playing? The scheduled headliner is Strange Coyotes guitarist Chase Wigmore in a solo set at 11:30 PM, while Blood Shed death metal acts Brutally Fatal and Rotopsy are slated for 10:45 & 9:15 PM. Notably, local metal/rap project The Apocalypse Afterparty will play a local set for the first time since September at 9:15 PM that night, but how will their set look and sound given teased lineup additions and their own recent songwriting? We'll know for sure then! Goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore will take the stage at 8:30 PM, while the 8:00 PM slot is currently vacant, and we'll let you know when it's filled!

The opening four acts are all rappers, including Mikey Thomas at 7:30 PM, Legitly Logic (formerly Dillionaire, a.k.a. Rotopsy's Dylan Taylor) at 7:00 PM, Miracle Man at 6:30 PM, and Phat Boii at 6:00 PM. To be held at 11 Hearst Street (downtown/centrally located) and partly as a makeup for a halted Boxing Day private gig last year, this ALL AGES show has no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like a stacked event for the Blood Shed, so keep it in mind if you love similar events, especially given the season!

Next up, here's some fallout from The Bear Hunters' CD release party at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday! The show and release was covered before and after the fact in separate SooToday articles by Donna Hopper, so what's in them? On Saturday before the show, an article went up to hype the event, which featured remarks by guitarist Mitch Sirie on the troubled recording process for "Eternal Hibernation", their work with White Wreckords to complete the album, and why he went the do-it-yourself route to complete the CD. Solid read, if dated now given that it was pre-show! As for after it, Donna's article recapping the event went up on Monday, where she called "Eternal Hibernation" a "powerful 10-song release", and remarked briefly on the event itself. As expected, she got some great photos that night (albeit in black & white), including 15 of The Bear Hunters and 5 of Brampton's Livid & The Bloodthirsty, though sadly, none of Haggith's opening set.

Excellent photos as always, so give them a look above! Also, video cameras from Local2 were on hand, presumably for an upcoming Tuned episode, so we'll let you know when they make it online! As for The Bear Hunters' CDs themselves, here's some info on the contents of each! Both "Eternal Hibernation" ($10) and the prior EP "Collapse The Sun" ($2 in limited quanitites) were released & mastered through Mitch Sirie's new independent company Edge of Eden Productions, and were recorded at White Wreckords with producer James White. Both professionally packaged with album booklets, full lyrics, and artwork by Kevin Powe, "Eternal Hibernation" is dedicated to late original rhythm guitarist Andres Duchesne, who has a tribute photo & message on the inner tray liner. It's booklet includes large individual photos of each band member, along with full credits, shout outs, and thanks to everyone who helped along the way.

Of note for the lyrics, singer Nik Deubel wrote almost every song himself, save for "Succumb To Eternity" (which bassist Justin Lam wrote), while Nik & Justin both wrote "Casualties of War", and Nik & Mitch both wrote "Render This Void", so there's some insight if you didn't know the minds behind the words! As for the "Collapse The Sun" single, that features the studio version of "the title track, a live version of said song, and a 2011 demo instrumental of it, mainly to show how it's evolved since the early days. The live version was recorded at the 3 Inches of Blood concert at the former Roosevelt Hotel (now Reggie's West) on July 9th, 2012, and to my surprise, it's actually a mastered audio copy of the video I shot from their set at that show! I'm not complaining, I'm glad to see that the guys liked it and put it to a greater use! "Eternal Hibernation" t-shirts are forthcoming within the week, apparently, while The Bear Hunters' attention now shifts to new CDs.

According to their Facebook page on Sunday, the guys plan to have an online store up and running in the coming weeks to sell digital copies of their CDs (no word on if it'll be on Bandcamp or not), while tentative plans are to release their "Aftermath" EP (featuring leftover songs from older songwriting sessions) "early next year", with their second studio album "The Dead Testament" following late next year. No word on Rad Zone availability yet, but it looks like The Bear Hunters are well on their way, and it's great to finally have the CD out! Look for our review of it later this month, and stay tuned for more from their camp!

Finally for today, here's a new solo guitar performance video by Exiled guitarist Joe Jenkins! Uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday, this is of the Sault Michigan-area guitarist jamming his own original compsition "Pitch Black", which he previously demoed on his YouTube channel in March via this link. Shot from below, you get a good angle of his playing with this video, and the song remains a solid hard rock number that would be neat to see fleshed out with a full band! Solidly done, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Joe & Exiled!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post either tonight or tomorrow, with weekend concert previews and more to follow! Thanks everyone!

The Bear Hunters' Single Release, Mike Cliffe Videos, And Much More!!

In our first of two posts today (this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles are next), we're mostly clearing out back news stories and updating our band links, so we have new videos, lots of assorted updates, and news concerning a recent single release, so here's what you need to know!

Local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters released their single "Collapse The Sun" on CD format on Thursday, and you can now buy copies of it for just $2 (and tickets to their "Eternal Hibernation" release concert at The Canadian Nightclub on November 29th) at The Rad Zone and through band members! The single features the final studio copy of the title song plus a live version and a 2011 instrumental demo of it, and there are currently just 50 copies of the single pressed, though pending demand, 50 more can be made (but the band are capping the limited run at 100.) This is the full final artwork, as posted on their Facebook page on Thursday, so make use of it if you need it on iTunes or a similar player! A planned lyric video is still in the works, while you can of course hear the full album at month's end upon it's release. I have yet to pick up the "Collapse The Sun" single, but it's great to finally see it out, and it's a positive sign for the pending full CD launch! Stay tuned for updates, and get your copy of "Collapse The Sun" A.S.A.P. for $2!

Next up, Audiofumes podcast host/creator and local solo guitarist Mike Cliffe has posted some new videos onto his YouTube channel in past couple of months, including this test collaborative online jam clip in August (solid listen), and most recently, this play-along video of him covering Robin Trowe's "Little Bit of Sympathy"! Though the camera angle's a little tight, Mike handles this classic rock number with ease, and at times, you do forget that he's playing along with the original recording! Mike doesn't post solo videos as much as he used to, but give his newest video a look below, see more above, and check out his entertaining Audiofumes podcasts as well!



Finally for today, here's nine assorted shorter stories from the last little while, including a number of bands being moved to our inactive band links! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• We've moved Sault Michigan hard rock band All The Dirty Words In One to our inactive band links, as they've passed our one year inactivity threshhold, last updating their Facebook page in October 2013. This band was a work in progress, but had some promise via acoustic cover postings, and hopefully we hear more from Josh, Cody, and Dan in the future!
• While we await their first live concert since December, local country/punk favourites The Billy Bastards confirmed in a comment reply to new jam session photos on their Facebook page in September that they are working on new music. Is a fourth CD in the works, or are The Billys just preparing for their return to the stage? Stay tuned for more from their camp!
• In another inactive band note, we've moved prolific Sault Michigan guitarist Mike Libertoski's tech-metal solo project Galactic Alignment to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. Mike last uploaded their page in October 2013, though he's stayed active since in the cover rock band No Decision. Mike's an extremely talented guitarist, and hopefully we hear more from his solo original output in the coming months!
• We've removed local death metal solo project Gorrifier from our band links due to the deletion of their Reverbnation (and only online) page for unannounced reasons. Led by Pillory/Crimson Crusade guitarist Robert Sartini, Gorrifier joins other recent page deletions for his and Shadowthrone bandmate Sabrina Strange's 2014 band projects, but hopefully everything's alright, and that we hear from both again soon!
• Local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith have been confirmed as the new openers for The Bear Hunters' CD release show at The Canadian Nightclub, replacing Destroilet in the 10:00 PM timeslot. Not a perfect match genre-wise, but Haggith's talent speaks for itself, and they'll have songs to play from their own upcoming CDs, so come early to see them! Remember, this is ALL AGES!
• We've moved local hard rock quintet Sailor's Tongue to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The band last played live at last July's Rotaryfest Second Stage, and have not made a public posting in the year+ since, though it should be noted that members Kyle & Dean McKey currently live out of town. It's possible the band is just quietly songwriting, so we'll restore them to the active links if we hear that they're alive, but if not, best of luck to Kyle, Blake, Liam, Jeff, and Dean in the future!
• We've also moved ex-Late & Loud frontman Jonathan Tiberi's Soviet Space Program solo project to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, last updating their Facebook page in October when he teased new recording sessions. Jon has stayed musically active since moving out of town, so hopefully we hear more music from him in some form in the near future!
• The full Toystock schedule has been announced via the annual Christmas Cheer fundraising concert's new Facebook event page, and it's near identical to the given order on SooToday's press release, just with The Stumpy Coldwater Trio bumped from the co-headlining slot to opening the day at 12:00 PM. See above for the full schedule for at The Canadian on November 30th, including the confirmation of afternoon performer Lorrie Bolduc's band's full name, Lorrie Lynn & The Sinners!
• The Rednecks Saloon's live band karaoke series Urawk (which featured 3/4ths of Beaumont Avenue and Havadder' T.J. Case as the house band) will end it's 4+ month run this Thursday, as per it's Facebook event page. A reason for the series' end wasn't announced other than to say "all good things must come to an end", so if you want to take the stage to sing with a real band one more time, come out to the former Nicolet on Thursday!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Toystock), Plus Revolution & Bear Hunters Updates!!

As expected, we have been in a post-Halloween slowdown for news on the site, but we have some notable stuff to touch on today, including updates on an upcoming CD release and a band's surprise member departure, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a returning charity concert!

The official lineup for the third annual Toystock fundraiser concert has officially been announced! As per a SooToday news release by promoters Maxx Entertainment, the event will return to The Canadian Nightclub once again on Sunday, November 30th, and will once again see 10 bands playing all day for Christmas Cheer, so who all is playing this year? Surprisingly featuring only three returning bands from past Toystocks (but still maintaining it's Rotaryfest-esque veteran cover band focus), an official band order hasn't been confirmed, but we'll treat the SooToday band listing as chronological for now. If true, local country quartet Bone Yard (who rocked Toystock in 2012) will be headlining this year, as preceded by three Toystock newcomers, including local blues outfit The Stumpy Coldwater Trio, newer local alternative/jazz rock quartet Mannapool, and local country/rock trio Mourning Wood, all of whom should give a varied shot of energy to the proceedings!

The lineup also includes local alternative/hard rock veterans Lucky 13 (who will become the only band to play at all three Toystocks), all-female classic rock band Domina (featuring alumni of bands like Obsession & Mid Life Crysis), local country favourites Thin Ice (surprisingly making their Toystock debut), young local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control, and local country solo musician Lorrie Bolduc, with Mike Case's Junior All-Stars (in their second straight Toystock appearance) rounding out the lineup. As usual, this year's Toystock is ALL AGES, will start at noon on November 30th, and admission is via a donation of a new (or slightly used) toy, a non-perishable food item, or a cash donation. All proceeds go to Christmas Cheer to help families in need over the holidays, the Stuff-A-Bus returns to transport donations to the Christmas Cheer depot, Santa & Mrs. Claus will be on site to meet the kids, and there will be prize draws too, so everything's sounding great for this year for Toystock's third installment!

Sounds like another great installment of Toystock, and after missing last year's event due to family commitments, hopefully I can make it out to see some bands I don't get chances to see a whole lot! That said, White Cowbell Oklahoma's the same night... we'll see how things fall into place! It's a little odd not seeing Boxcar Junction, Obsession, or Stiffler's Mom back for a third go-around, but there's plenty of newer and established talent for every taste, including The Pixo Control and Lucky 13 for hard rock fans, and I'd expect bands like Domina and Mourning Wood to have some heavier covers too! Stay tuned for updates on Toystock 2014 as they happen!

Next up, here's some surprising news from newer local doom/punk trio The Revolution, as the band has parted ways with bassist Rainey Vincent, less than a week after their Devil's Night set at The Oddfellows Hall. The news was revealed on the band's Facebook page yesterday, and while a reason wasn't announced for Rainey's departure, a post indicated that "the band's going through a rough patch." For what it's worth, recent personal Facebook posts by Rainey have hinted that he may move from the area, so that could be related. Rainey was a solid bassist for the former Brutaly Fatal since joining the band in the spring, and hopefully everything's alright for him in the future, no matter what! Oddly, the news came just a day after the band revealed that they would be opening for AlgomA at their yet-announced CD release party at The Moose Lodge on Friday, November 14th, but they've since confirmed that they won't be playing it now. This is the first I've heard of AlgomA hosting a local release show, but we'll keep you posted on official public word!

With that said, The Revolution still plan to play at Sault Band-O-Rama at The Primavera Banquet Hall on November 21st "with or without a bass guitarist", but they are looking for a replacement. If you're interested in trying out, message The Revolution at this link or surviving members Austin McCrae or Brandan Glew on Facebook, and stay tuned for more on them (and AlgomA's CD release show) when it comes in!

Finally for today, here's some more concrete info on local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters' upcoming CD plans, specifically their hyped "Collapse The Sun" single release! On October 26th, the band revealed on their Facebook page that the single would feature the fully mastered studio version of the song in question, plus a high quality live version of the song and a 2011 instrumental demo that guitarist Mitch Sirie recorded, as a way to see how the song has grown over the years. This is the artwork (done by Chronic Demonic guitarist Kevin Powe) in a small resolution copy, originally from the cover photo on the band's Facebook page, as they have yet to post the full large version. The single was delayed from it's originally announced release on October 25th due to "printing issues", but as of the next day, Mitch was impressed with how it was turning out, which is a good sign! When released, the single will cost $2 and will be available in limited quantities of 100 copies, while an official YouTube lyric video is planned for the coming weeks as well.

Given the obvious delays, I wonder if The Bear Hunters will delay the release of the "Collapse The Sun" single until November 29th's release party at The Canadian for their full length album "Eternal Hibernation", but either way, there wasn't a show to time the planned October 25th release with either. For the curious, an SMS review of "Collapse The Sun" isn't a priority given the imminent release of "Eternal Hibernation", and for locally released singles, we generally wait until after we cover that band's existing full length discography in our reviews. Either way, keep an eye out for more!

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