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

It's poll day at the SMS! After a month's worth of voting, our recent (and very topical) poll has came to a close, and thanks to all 30 of you who voted! Decent number, enough to get a good sample of people's thoughts on the question. We'll also debut this month's new poll, where I'm trying something a little different for it's content, but first, let's go over last month's poll results! As you may remember, I posted this question to you guys: What's your opinion on noise complaints for local concert venues? That said, here are your final results!:

Don't live near concert venues if you don't like the noise (13 votes, 43%)
Loud music rules! (5 votes, 17%)
If they're not breaking a law, don't complain (5 votes, 17%)
We need clear definitions on what is "too loud" (3 votes, 10%)
Venues should control/lower all concert audio levels (2 votes, 7%)
It depends on the band/genre (1 vote, 3%)
It depends on the venue/location (1 vote, 3%)
Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? I'll say that the results on the whole didn't surprise me, with a few exceptions. I see only two people thought the matter depended on the sound or location of the band/concert, which is slightly odd given what I thought would be a larger reliance on musical tastes. I'm very surprised two people suggested that all venues should control or lower concert audio, but there are people who dislike loud noise or want there to be restrictions, and maybe they came here just to vote for that reason? I dunno. Fourth place went to wanting a better definition on what is too loud, which makes sense, given the complaints, as then we could prove whether a law was broken, or the person complains easily. A second place tie with 5 votes each went to "Loud music rules!" and "If they're not breaking a law, don't complain", both of which scored high like I assumed. Both are great points, especially the latter, but the expected winner, with 13 votes and 43% of the total, was "Don't live near concert venues if you don't like the noise", which definitely seems to be a consensus thought from fans and supporters of bars like Feedback that get hit with noise complaints.

This issue still exists, as evidenced by the cops being called on local punk band Redundant on Halloween night due to noise, but we know that Feedback owner Rich Moreland is working on making things right with the city and neighbours to avoid this in the future. Yes, people's wishes and tolerances should be respected, but Feedback and it's prior names have had concerts for years, and they shouldn't have to operate with the hovering threat of a police visit. As long as a rule isn't being broken, they should be allowed to have whatever bands they choose, but that's just my opinion. Something will be done, I know it! Thanks again to everyone for voting!

Now, what poll are we launching this month? Well, I wanted to experiment a bit with another "choose a band" poll to see if we can get some good results, and considering that it's nearing the end of the year, I thought this question would be an interesting topic. That said, this month's poll features this question: What's your favourite NEW local metal band of 2011? There's always band turnover in the local scene, and you know that there can be a ton of talented new bands born in a given year. Look at 2010, for example, which featured the local debuts of Winkstinger, Half A Man, The Bear Hunters, Elipzis, State of Misery, Shit Liver, Splitshot, Changing Waves, Hammerspace, Sativa Rose, Late & Loud, and Powerslug, just to name a few! This year has been noticeably quieter for debuting new bands, but a few notable bands have formed or launched in 2011, and I'm curious to see which one you guys enjoy the most. I've picked 10 bands for the poll, and to be listed, they MUST have already played a live concert in 2011 so far. They also must have either debuted or launched to the public this year, so if there's proof they publically existed in December 2010, they're not a choice in the poll. I'm also experimenting with adding Sault Michigan bands in this poll, to see if the response will be enough to include them in monthly polls more often, as in the past, voting wasn't as high for topics based around the States. So without any further adieu, here are your choices!

Banned: This new hard rock trio from the Kinross area has quickly made a name for themselves at varying concerts and events in the Sault Michigan area, including a slot at The Sugar Island Music Festival! Alex and Don Traynor's talents and diversity are ever present, but are they your favourite new band of 2011?

Beyond The Surface: Launching in January, this young hard rock outfit from Pickford has survived a number of lineup changes to rock at a number of gigs through the first half of 2011. Promising band, and despite a lack of news since the summer, their profile is growing! Are they your top new band of the year?

Bring The Misery: Amidst lineup and name changes, the deathcore band born out of the ashes of Bring The Fallen & the then-defunct State Of Misery left a shoe-less mark on the Sault Ontario metal scene this past June, including some notable TV exposure, before quietly going inactive later this summer. That aside, would you still say they're your favourite new metal act of 2011?

Great Bodily Harm: When alumni of End of Existence, Half A Man, Powerslug, and Hammerspace unite, you can expect heavy things, and Great Bodily Harm have delivered on that so far! Though they have no internet pages, their posted demos and sets at The Merchant's Bar and LemmaFest helped share their groove metal/hardcore attack with a local audience! Are they your top new group of the year?

The Highest Of Fives: Another Sault Michigan band without an online page, The Highest of Fives showed promise earlier this summer with likely hard rock covers, and a good lineup featuring Free Refill, Seeking Reverence, and 7/47 alumni! Despite no visible activity since the summer, are these Guitar Studio products your #1 new band of 2011?

NoXcape: Formerly MK-Ultra, this new local hard rock quintet featuring the classic Absolute lineup and Shift/Krosswalk axeslinger Joey Beairl make a quick and noticeable impact on the Sault Michigan concert scene earlier this year, with a slate of hard rocking covers that fans surely enjoyed! Is there "no escape" from them as your top new band of this year?

Skull After Betrayl: Despite a two month breakup this summer and a change in metal subgenres, Skull After Betrayl have shown steady improvement and awareness in Sault Ontario since their debut this past spring, which led them to a few notable concerts, like when they opened for The Dayglo Abortions in June! Is this local hardcore quartet your favourite new outfit of 2011?

Sounds From The Green Room: A newer hard rock project from SBD & ex-No Arrow bassist Brad Griffith, this metal duo rocked the local stage twice in the first half of 2011, along with playing a show with RedD Monkey in Ottawa. That said, they have no online pages or posted material, but are they your ideal new band of this past year?

Swayze Train: After Electric Motor Fish dissolved this summer, members formed Swayze Train and turned up the dial to deliver some heavy modern rock/metal covers at local venues over the past few months! Surely one of the highest profile new bands of the year, are their proficient blend of genres your favourite debuting sounds from 2011?

View To A Kill: A new local deathcore band featuring State of Misery, Sativa Rose, and Chillum alumni, View To A Kill made their short notice debut as openers for Skull Fist earlier this month, showcasing a nice blend of extreme styles and talent to go around! Is their debut enough for you to name them your top new local band of the year?

Other: Got another band in mind for your favourite new act of the year? This is the option for you! Is your favourite new band a solo project (like Eden Plague or Galactic Alignment), or have they just not played live yet (like Social Suicide or Chained Memories?) Or maybe there's one I missed altogether, or from a different genre? Vote here if that's the case!

VOTE TODAY!! You have until December 18th to make your voices heard, and then we'll have another "best of 2011" poll ready to go for you guys! If Sault Michigan bands get a decent segment of the vote this month, we'll include them in more future polls, so keep that in mind as well. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news hopefully this weekend! Thanks everyone, and get voting!

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

It's time to go over the results of last month's poll and debut this month's new poll on The Sault Metal Scene, and our new poll is quite timely! First though, let's outline how you guys voted last month, and thanks to the 18 of you who voted! Less than some months, but enough to get an idea of what you guys thought. As you may remember, last month's question was What would you like to see to help increase support in the local metal scene? So, what'd you guys think would be the best option? Here are the final results!

More booking opportunities (4 votes, 22%)
Better/larger concerts (3 votes, 17%)
Higher concert attendances (3 votes, 17%)
More concerts in general (2 votes, 11%)
More local press/coverage (2 votes, 11%)
Better concert advertising (1 vote, 5.5%)
Higher band awareness (1 vote, 5.5%)
We have enough support already (1 vote, 5.5%)
Other (1 vote, 5.5%)
More CDs/merchandising (0 votes, 0%)

Going in ascending order, I am surprised that no one picked wanting more CDs or merchandise from local bands, yet two people picked either an unlisted option or the belief that the scene has enough support. We could always stand more, in my opinion, and merchandise and material is great to get bands' word out, but hey, it all depends who votes! The other one vote choices seemed a bit lower in support than I imagined, as you'd assume a better awareness of bands and concerts would be a benefit. Tied in 4th place with 2 votes each were a desire for more concerts and more press coverage, both higher in rank where I figured, as both could stand be to be ratcheted up a bit! A second place tie with 3 votes each went to bigger/better concerts and higher attended concerts, and I can see why both would be higher! It'd be nice to get Napalm Death-level stuff more often, then both of those would be addressed, so we'll have to see! But the winning choice with 4 votes, 22%, was more booking opportunities, and I'm slightly surprised this was the top voted option, as we have a lot of venues in town that book shows. Looks like most of you who voted did want more opportunities for bands to get local bookings, and hopefully this area can be improved in the near future!

Thanks to everyone for voting! As for this month, we're tackling a timely issue in the local music scene, and if you've followed the whole Feedback/Foggy Notions/City Council noise complaint issue, you'll probably have an idea of what the question will center around. As you may remember, City Council brought concerns about the Queen Street bar's history of noise complaints from area residents to light just as new ownership of the former Foggy's became public, leading to mass support in the local scene towards Feedback, the new owners, and local music and concerts in general. Though Feedback opened as scheduled this past weekend, and the staff are making steps to appease neighbours and the city, it's still a present thought, so it's the focus of this month's poll! So I'll pose this question to you guys: "What's your opinion on noise complaints for local concert venues?" There's 10 options to choose from this month, so let's take a look!

Loud music rules!: Metalheads tend to like louder music, and concerts are (more often than not) usually pretty loud, but is that the only way you'll take your music? Do the complaints of others fail to faze you? Pick here if you think so, and want all concerts to be loud, regardless of what anyone thinks.

If they're not breaking a law, don't complain: You know if you're a Foggy's concert frequenter that occasionally, someone calls the police on the bands due to the noise. When it's happened at shows I was at, no one was arrested, the audi was just turned down. Some people are more sensitive to noise, or don't appreciate the sound, so they might complain even if nothing was violated. Are you of the opinion that noise complaints should only be made on local concert venues if an actual law is broken?

Don't live near concert venues if you don't like the noise: In the case of what's now Feedback and some other venues, they're situated near homes or apartments, so area residents may be liable to be against louder music from said venue. I'm sure in many cases, a person moved there when concerts were already going on, and everyone's different to begin with in terms of noise tolerance. If I was voting, I'd pick this option, but do you feel that people shouldn't live near bars and concert spots if they don't want to deal with the noise?

It depends on the band/genre: Metal or not, bands often play at different volumes, and certain genres are sure to be less acceptable to picky ears than others. That said, if The Bottoms Up Lounge can get concerts shut down over noise despite having primarily acoustic bands, then who knows what people will be able to handle. Would you base your noise preferences on how loud a band or or what they play before taking action?

It depends on the venue/location: Some concert spots are in good locations for business, attendance, and convenience, while others may be in bad spots or prone to complaints from area residents. Others may just deal with structural or soundproofing differences that would make their concert audio levels differ from otherwise similar venues. Is the soundproofing issue on the venue itself moreso than the bands or the people who complain?

We need clear definitions on what is "too loud": Though I'm not in a position to know what city bylaws say, I'm of the understanding that the city's noise bylaws are vague and outdated, and were written before heavier bands became more common at local concert venues. Should a clear bylaw or description of what is "too loud" for local concerts be drafted before you make a more definite opinion?

Venues should control/lower all concert audio levels: Are you someone who believes that local bands, venues, and sound companies should abide to the city's wishes, lower the general volume, and avoid angering anyone? Maybe you are someone who dislikes or has complained about concert volume levels in your area? This would be the choice for you!

Other: Did I miss an opinion or option? Pick this option if I did!

VOTE TODAY!! You have until November 18th to cast your votes, and I'm interested to see the results! I have a feeling of what choices will win, but we'll have to see. Keep those votes coming! That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews, more Napalm Death videos, our next YouTube Channel Profile, and more! Thanks everyone!