Local Metal Video Showcase!!!

Anyone in the market for some new local metal videos? I've got some for you today, including another Sewer Swampstravaganja video, a brand new music video, and the latest from Meatplow, and our latest weekly classic video, so let's get things rolling! And before anyone asks, yes I'm aware of the Woods of Ypres tour vlogs from Toronto, but I'm gonna feature it/them when completely uploaded in a Woods of Ypres-centric post. Stay tuned for that! Now, it's time for some new videos!

It's only fair to go in alphabetical order for the videos I didn't newly post, so let's start with Frightlight! You may remember yesterday when I mentioned Chantal Hopper's videos of As It Stands' set from Saturday's Sewer Swampstravaganja show at The Oddfellows Hall, but she has one more on her YouTube channel from Frightlight's set! It's just 1:25 long, but it features some good moshing footage from the floor! Like her As It Stands videos, the audio is VERY scratchy, but at least I can make out the song! Now before you freak out over the video's title, I want to note that this is NOT of Frightlight covering Limp Bizkit. I assume Chantal got this song confused with what sounded like a Limp Bizkit song, but I am 100% positive that this is of Frightlight playing their original "World War Z", which capped off their set. No worries though, I appreciate her posting it online, I just hope she corrects that before someone wrongfully assumes Frightlight are covering that band! Check it out below, and more at the above links!



Next up, here's a video that got a rather low key debut online, but should be seen! Last year, you may remember when Garden of Bedlam posted their music video for "The Truth Shall Set You Free", as produced by CML Productions and filmed by former Amethyst frontman Rick Dellavedova at a December 2009 concert. Well, the latest CML-produced music video of a Garden of Bedlam original is now online! It was quietly uploaded onto the band's YouTube channel yesterday, which is odd given the lack of promotion or advertising for it. Despite my own assumption of a new album track for pre-promotion, this is of their song "Shallow" from their 2009 debut EP, which is now available on iTunes and Amazon! Like their first video, this is largely in black & white and has a similar video quality, but the main difference (beyond the song) is that it lifts footage from multiple Foggy Notions concerts AND from their jam room! There's also some minimal colour use as well. Though similar in feel to the previous video, this stands on it's own and it supports a great song, so give it a look below, and click here for more Garden of Bedlam videos!



Thirdly, here's the latest video footage of the band (formerly?) known as Meatplow! Singer/drummer Phil Temporao uploaded a short new jam session video from a "private rehearsal" onto his YouTube channel yesterday, and it's of a teaser of a song named "Skeletonz Song"! The band looks a bit different here, with Dennis Porter on drums, Phil only singing, and for the first time, Mike Thiffault on guitar in the actual video! (If I have his name wrong, let me know.) From what we hear on this video, the band does sound a bit lighter than we're used to, with a simple and bouncy guitar melody, but Phil's vocals are still aggressive and rangy. I'll be interested to hear a full version of this song! The video and description for it also point out some new band details, like plans to release a DVD, and a mention that they are "the next upcoming 'Hottest Band' yet with no name", implying that they have dropped the Meatplow moniker. I'm for a change if it's true, as Meatplow suggests they'd sound like The Stone Temple Pilots, which isn't accurate. I'll keep you posted with updates on (formerly?) Meatplow as it comes in, but check out the new video below, and more at the above links!



And finally, here's this week's classic video! I decided to flip back to Sault Michigan for this week, especially considering the well hyped Half A Man concert on Saturday night, and wouldn't you know it, that's the band we're focusing on for this week's video! This comes from Half A Man's debut performance on July 17th of last year in Brimley at last year's Superior Whitefish Festival, and it's of the band playing their original "Drunk" to cap off their set! This video's unique in a few respects, in that it's of their first show, and of the lineup, which was shuffled from later incarnations. Then-drummer Doug Reed was absent, so bassist Gary Croad filled in for this set, and guitarist Denny Breslin handled the bass. So how did "3/8ths A Man" sound? Not bad, you honestly can't tell that two members are on different instruments, and the song has a heavy groove and a catchy quality that is making it a live favourite! Good stuff, and the video quality is awesome too! The original video can be seen at http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1493561548534 and NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED! This deserves to see a wider audience, and all credit goes to Half A Man & the original filmer! With that said, here's "Drunk"!



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

News From Destroilet, Half A Man, Meatplow, And A New Festival!

Get ready, guys, for this is a triple post Saturday! We'll start today with a new news post featuring some new scattered updates. we'll have some more news and the latest March Mayhem updates this afternoon (YOU HAVE UNTIL 2:15 TO VOTE!!), and then tonight, our review of Woods of Ypres' debut EP "Against The Seasons: Cold Winter Songs From The Dead Summer Heat"! This is a big day, hope you guys come back frequently today! Now, to the news, as we have new pages, new songs, new concert details, new videos, and kicking things off, a new concert event! Here's what you need to know!

On June 25th, a special concert event will take place at Dondee Lanes in Sault Michigan named LemmaFest, and apologies to everyone if I'm missing or misstating anything here. The event is being held in memory of Michael Lemma, a Dondee employee who tragically passed away on July 2nd of last year at just 38 years of age. He was a funny, well liked, and respected guy that was frequently seen at area concerts, and his loss was definitely felt in the Sault Michigan area last summer. From this sprung the first annual LemmaFest, which will be held on June 25th at the Dondee, and it will be an all day concert, with bands playing from 12:00 PM to 2:00 AM! Other events like a 50/50 draw, prizes, special bowling deals, horseshoes, and beach volleyball are also planned. I'm not aware of an admission price yet, I'll keep you all posted on that. I never knew Mike, but from everything I've seen and heard, I can tell he deserves all the love and respect that people are giving him, and this is a great way to honour his memory one year later! As for bands, a full schedule and official announcements on most bands aren't out yet, but I have seen visible interest and preliminary confirmation from hard rock acts Half A Man, Scofflaw, and River Witch, along with other area bands The Hixx and Fallen Heroes, so make note of their likely involvement!

I can't speculate too much on other possible bands, but as word trickles in, I'll let you guys know! This sounds like a great event for a great purpose, and I will absolutely keep you guys posted as more official word comes in! For more details, visit the official Facebook page, event page, and fan page in Mike's memory!

Next up, are you guys craving a new local metal or hard rock album already? This isn't quite that, but it'll do until it comes out, as Destroilet have posted unmastered mixes of every song from their upcoming debut EP onto their MySpace page! Their originals "Hypocrite" and "My Life" along with their cover of The Billy Bastards' "Mile 58" are now available to stream on there along with the previously posted tracks, so now you can hear the whole EP before it's release! Of course, things won't be 100% the same though from the final copy, as these are unmastered mixes. That's why I'm not rushing to review it immediately, there are changes and improvements to come before the CD pressing begins, but Destroilet have moved at a rapid pace to get this material out there! The EP only clocks in at around 13 minutes long, which isn't as short on the whole as six Detroit songs, for example, but it will still will fly by, especially with only one song exceeding 3 minutes in length! What do I think of the new songs? Again, I'll hold complete thoughts until the EP actually comes out, but if you enjoyed the first three demos for the EP, your opinion will be the same on the latest three! Check the above links for more details, and remember to vote for them to make The Warped Tour's Montreal stop at this location!

Thirdly today, have you been wondering what's been up with the local metal band Meatplow? Honestly, so have I, especially given their long break from real band news. Guitarist Dennis Porter frequently posted links to the same videos I shown you early last year on his personal Facebook page, which sounded promising, but nothing new has popped up until this month! Five very short HD videos of recent jam sessions were uploaded by singer/drummer Phil Temporao (ex-Amethyst) onto his YouTube channel over the past week, and they do show and tell us some more! They tell us that they were recorded in what is now called GreenTown Digital Recordz, which appears to be Phil's name for their recording studio, but nothing implying the name Meatplow is thrown about in the videos. Same members though! The new videos are a heavy groove metal improv section, a clip of a cover of Alice In Chains' "Them Bones", a bass solo with drum accompaniment, a drum solo, and a short guitar riff, so click each link to check them out!

Again, guitarist Mike Thiffault (I think that's his last name) isn't in any of these videos, but they again show the unique promise that Meatplow had from last year! Phil's vocals are heavy and suit their original improv songs, the songs still retain a groove/industrial feel, and everything fits as well as I'd expect! I wonder what we'll hear next from Meatplow (if this is in fact still their name) and GreenTown Digital Recordz? Check the above links for more, and here's a clip of Phil and Dennis jamming out some improv groove metal!



Finally, here's some new Half A Man news! The Brimley hard rock quartet have been keeping busy recently with lots of scattered updates and developments, including a ton of new logo concepts (judge for yourself at their Facebook page), but there's some other interesting news to share! For one, the band was talking about doing some touring and possibly taking part in a self-organized local concert featuring them, Detroit hard rockers Fifth Way (featuring Saultite Zak Stelmaszek), and a major headlining band from their own contacts. They threw Skid Row out there as a possibility, but this is talk at the moment. It'd be cool if it happened though, so click the above links to join this conversation! As well, their April 16th headlining concert at The Merchant's Bar (poster on the left) has been bolstered with the addition of a new band making their live debut as openers! Originally hyped as a "secret" opening band, I can now confirm that they are called Great Bodily Harm! The band will feature former Hammerspace singer Kirk Labadie, former Half A Man drummer Doug Reed on guitar, River Witch guitarist Chris Leask on bass, and End of Existence frontman Bob "Orb Hearthstone" Helsten on drums! How's that for a supergroup of sorts? No word on them beyond the members, but if I hear more, I'll let you know! Check out the above links for all of this Half A Man news, and more!

That's all for now, but stay tuned this afternoon for our second of three posts today, as we hopefully cover some more news, as well as unveil the results of the first four March Mayhem opening round matches, and start the voting for the next four! Remember, you have until 2:15 PM TODAY to vote, so if you want to help swing the results the other way, or secure victory for the current leaders, you still have time! VOTE TODAY, and I'll see you guys real soon!