Hey guys, it's time for our review of last night's opening half of J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party concert, so what should you know? While night #1 was forced to move upstairs to The Rockstar Bar for the first time due to The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub's Halloween dance party, it was confirmed last night that TONIGHT's second half will return downstairs, with Cherry Crush performing a full solo concert for the season in The Rockstar Bar, so keep that in mind! There was a solid turnout with lots of costumes brought out for the occasion, and though I can't confirm who won the Friday night costume contest, there were many worthy candidates! I was one of the guys with a court jester hat, albeit with real bells. However, the lineup took a hit before showtime, as Toronto groove metal headliners Decatur (the former Caym) were unable to make it to the Soo due to inclement weather and road closures up near Marathon. Very disappointing, but hopefully they can make it here again in the future! Due to the late notice, they were not replaced.
Opening up last night's concert was new local Foo Fighters tribute The Soo Fighters, who are of course a side project from three members of tomorrow night's Rockstar Bar headliners Cherry Crush. Playing a set of 8 classic Foos songs from their debut album (like "This Is A Call") to 2000s material like "The Pretender", their jamming and pre-existing chemistry paid off, and fans responded in kind to these familiar hard and alt-rock classics! Frontman Jules Cote even looked a little like Dave Grohl with the long wig he put on for their set! He and Jeremey Salatuk paired well on guitar, while the Amendolas kept the rhythm up nicely, and if there's anything I can complain about, it's only by wishing that some other favourite Foo Fighters songs made the cut, like "Something From Nothing" or "Let It Die". Also, nice touch in having Mentos (well, "Sootos") on hand for "Big Me"! Solid set, and hopefully we see The Soo Fighters out and about again in the near future!
The mid-point of the show belonged to local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, under the guise of "Spinal Remains" for a set of Misfits covers. This seemed like a slam dunk idea given J.D. and Chris Thompson' past work together in Fitswitch and Frightlight (who covered The Misfits often), and we did get familiar songs from the horror punk legends like "Hybrid Moments", "Dig Up Her Bones", and "Last Caress" during the set's first half! However, Spinal Remains soon gave way to a proper Jack Spades half-set, which is honestly just as well, as it was obvious that the guys weren't firing on all cylinders on this set (remember, Jack Spades don't tend to cover The Misfits live.) However, they made up for it with an explosive stretch of their own originals like "Motorwolf" and "To The Left", plus covers already in their back pocket like "All My Friends Are Dead" and "X". The tribute set idea was a great one, if only they'd had more time to prepare and get the songs down!
Also, special props to bassist Puff the Magic Dra... I mean, Rob Speers, who I'd never seen live before with Jack Spades, and he was a solid fit, with melodic backing vocals where needed! As Spinal Remains, they were fun & engaging but still ripe, while Jack Spades was well done as usual!
With Decatur's withdrawal, local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters took the headlining slot for their long anticipated turn as "Mount Doom", where they covered Swedish death metal notables Amon Amarth's 2008 CD "Twilight of the Thunder God" from front to back! Love the band, that album, and it's artwork, so I was on board! Nicely adorned in their best viking outfits (albeit at various states of dress), Mount Doom tackled everything from the title track to their regular cover to "Embrace of the Endless Ocean", and yes, "Guardians of Asgaard", with the most packed crowd of the night responding very well to the viking metal brutality, including some moshing! The guys welcomed Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton as a special guest to fill things out, and he definitely played up the theatrics for the duration, while he and Mitch Sirie kept the riffs and solos flowing, and Nik Deubel looked and sounded the part, even utilizing a drinking horn, hopefully with mead!
Brutal and crushing way to end the night, and kudos to The Bear Hunters and Dan for delivering a classic album in full for a local audience! Fun night of Halloween concert action, and if you can help it, don't miss TONIGHT'S second half for System of a Down, Nirvana, Blink-182, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes tributes! You can check out our photos from the show at this link or via our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's The Soo Fighters covering "All My Life", Spinal Remains/Jack Spades playing both "Halloween" and their own "Fear Corps" (one each to reflect both halves of the set), and Mount Doom playing "No Fear For The Setting Sun"!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, it's finally time for our review of Monday night's Shit Liver split release tour finale at The New American Pub, so what should you know about this one? Surprisingly, this was my first ever concert at The New A, so I should start with some thoughts on the venue as a whole. Overall, it's cozy (especially before organizers moved tables out of the way), and the bar's placement in the middle of the building took some adjustments, but it looks like it's fairly inviting and would be of good use for downtown patrons, complete with a few modern flourishes! Also, how many other bars have a popcorn machine? In terms of the "Trading Faces" cassette tapes, I got mine upon entry to the Bay Street venue, and this is a high-res recreation of the album cover in it's physical layout (I haven't found one via official sources.) Aside from dedications in the liner notes, there's no missing information that isn't already given on Bandcamp, but there is something satisfying about holding a newly released cassette tape in 2017! I just wish that the tape itself wasn't green, and perhaps had a track listing on each side.
Before getting to the bands, I did listen to the tape on a Sharp surround sound system from the 1990s, which seemed appropriate given the retro format, and it sounded great, though AlgomA's half seemed a little quieter than Shit Liver's. As the synthesized woman's voice said at the end of side A, "All I know is that it's good!"
The concert started with a set by local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who were up to their usual tricks with a brutal set of old and recent originals alike! Playing originals like "The Omen", "I Fear No God", and "The Dying Den" (though curiously not ending 'er with "Render This Void"), everyone sounded great, even frontman Nik Deubel, who noted being under the weather and having a rough voice to the crowd. Luckily, it didn't show, and he delivered another ferocious performance, with Mitch Sirie's solid lead guitar and Justin Lam's skilled bass work complimenting everything to a T! The only real surprise of the set was their Amon Amarth cover, trading "Guardians of Asgaard" for "Free Will Sacrifice", as a teaser for their upcoming tribute band turn at The Halloween Party under the name Mount Doom on Friday the 27th. Nik told us that they'll be playing the Amon Amarth album "Twilight of the Thunder God" front to back during their Halloween tribute set.
The other new public announcement is that The Bear Hunters have enlisted Jack Spades & Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton to play rhythm guitar in "Mount Doom", marking a very rare instance where they've enlisted a guest guitarist rather than play as a quartet with Josh out of town. This will all be very interesting to witness in a few weeks, but as Amon Amarth have two guitarists, this makes their set more true to the original band. Watch for Mount Doom on October 27th at The Algonquin Pub, and Monday night's tune up show was a good one for The Bear Hunters!
Next up were local extreme metal quartet Winkstinger, in the first time I've seen them since their latest reunion this summer, so what's different? Well, they've had more change than just the vocalist position, as it looks like former bassist Ryan Sherman is back in their lineup, replacing Andrew MacDonald. A reason for Andrew's apparent departure hasn't been publically announced, but keep in mind that the band's Facebook page is barely updated. Hopefully nothing bad happened, but it's great seeing Ryan back in the fold, assuming I have him identified correctly! This was also the first time that I've seen Winkstinger with Twistory's Josh Amendola on lead vocals, giving the band their most death metal-influenced vocals yet. Josh's vocal style suits the material, but it could be a little more distinct. That said, his stage presence was enjoyably chaotic & hard to photograph, and Josh was more at ease on stage than Keith was last spring, so he's off to a good start!
Of course, band mainstays Jesse Cook and Jonas Gasperas were on form, and while Jesse laid down some great solos as usual, he seemed a little restrained compared to some recent sets of his. One visible difference from Winkstinger's run of spring 2016 shows is that they seemed to play more originals than they did last year, with covers put on the back burner, so fans of Alan-era Winkstinger will appreciate the setlist. There's more polish to put on the wheels, but it's great to see Winkstinger back (again), and hopefully we hear more new stuff from them soon!
In a mild surprise, local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver hit the stage next rather than the headlining slot for their first local show in a year & a half, and they delivered a brutal assault of originals and covers that got the most packed crowd and mosh pit of the night! Alongside originals like "Sir-Osis", "It's Not My Problem", and "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops" (complete with sampled intro tracks for over half the set), they also played a handful of selections from their side of "Trading Faces" like "Blame It On God", though I was surprised that they didn't play more of it. No one seemed to mind too much, with a punishing onslaught capped off by Josh Penno, Mike Kyle, and Matt Baic' three-pronged vocals, while their punk-tinged death metal originals were as fast paced as ever, often flowing into each other nicely. It's not for everyone, but if you love brutal grindcore, Shit Liver gave you exactly what you wanted on Monday night, and hopefully we see them again soon!
Finally, your headliners were local doom metal trio AlgomA in their sole appearance of the "Trading Faces" tour due to doctor's recommendations following guitarist Boyd Rendell's recent health concerns. As a result, I wasn't sure if he'd appear to be 100%, but he was none the worse for wear during their set, playing his suitably heavy and down-trodden riffs with intensity, and even singing (well, screaming) to his usual standard on a couple of songs! Alongside older originals like "Fell Down A Well" and selections from older splits, AlgomA played their entire side of "Trading Faces" to end their set, which was a nice way to wrap the tour. Kevin Campbell was just fine with his pounding bass and gritty vocals for most songs, and Jamie Vincent's drumming kept the rhythm going at a slow pace, until their faster covers came in, and he transitioned just fine! It was great to see AlgomA back in full force, and who knows what their next album will be! Perhaps another split on a retro format? Maybe get your 8 track players ready?!
Overall, this concert was a crushing good time for fans of death metal, and as a relocated homage to old Rosie metal nights, you have to appreciate this lineup, as you don't see even three of these bands on stage together very much anymore! You can check out our photos from Sunday night at this link or via our Facebook page, and as for our videos, here's The Bear Hunters (or Mount Doom) covering Amon Amarth's "Free Will Sacrifice", Winkstinger playing their original song "From Bullshit To Buzz (Lies = Weed)", Shit Liver covering Dystopia's "Socialized Death Sentence" & Macabre's "Hitch-Hiker", and Algoma covering Kittens' "Great Dane"!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this weekend's concert previews next! Thanks everyone!
Here's another news post for this Friday afternoon, but are you wondering where my review of yesterday's 45th Roosevelt Hotel metal night is? I was there, and it's definitely coming, but my Changing Waves video is out of sync for who knows what reason (blame my camera), so I've gotta edit it and re-sync the audio. It's noticeable, especially for the vocals, and you can see for yourself by clicking here until I replace the video. So until then, we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for THIS WEEKEND, a local band's return under a new name, a prominent out of town band's search for a new local date, an upcoming battle of the bands' new updates, and more, so read on below for all of the new stories! (Updated on Sunday at 2:57 PM)
I apologize for the short notice on these concerts, but Sault Ontario classic hard rock quintet Turner Up will hit the stage for two more shows TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT! These new dates, which will see them return to The Nicolet Tavern once again following their shows there last month, were only announced yesterday, so I again am sorry for the late word. Keep the weekend's shows in mind though, as if you wanna hear Turner Up rock some solid covers with a bit of a harder edge than most of the band's Havadder work, then don't miss them at The Nic tonight or tomorrow! They may be sans bassist Travis Sharpe this weekend according to their Facebook page, but that info was oddly put on the "About" section there, so I can't attest to if that refers to this weekend or not, or which member's playing bass instead. If anyone knows for certain, let me know! Admission should be free, both of these gigs should be 19+, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! These should both be solid concerts from Turner Up, as always, so don't miss their classic hard rock attack tonight or tomorrow! For a preview, here's the old Turner Up covering a Guns N' Roses classic at The Rockstar Bar last year!
Next up, do you guys remember the short lived Sault Ontario death metal band Bring The Misery, last known as Unleash The Blackened Sky? Well, they're back..... sort of! Their Facebook page has been reactivated to reflect the band's return (having last done any real band updates last July), although there's a lot of differences. They've changed their name to March Into Regression (no word on why they dumped the U.T.B.S. name), and their current lineup now only includes guitarist Ray Cowan & drummer Travis St. Amour, indicating that 2011 members Steve Rhodes, Daeson Lesage, and Travis's brother Tyler haven't been retained. Note that Ray's other group Social Suicide's Facebook page hinted that Ray was doing a "different band", though it's not clear how linked the two are otherwise. However, recent postings indicate that March Into Regression plan to write new original material and play shows once again, hopefully including some touring. While I thought that Bring The Misery's two concerts last June were works in progress, I'm glad to see Ray & Travis keep the band alive, and the new name is definitely an improvement! They're back in our active Sault Ontario band links, and stay tuned for updates from March Into Regression as I hear them!
Thirdly, here's the latest updates on the Battle for the Blood! The recently announced battle of the bands to find a second local opening band for 3 Inches Of Blood's show at The Roosevelt Hotel on July 9th will apparently be moving to a later date than the original placement for it this coming Tuesday. The move was necessitated due to scheduling conflicts with Desbarats death metal quartet For All That Is Lost, as guitarist Brook Moreau has to work on Tuesday night, according to postings on the Facebook event page. Originally, F.A.T.I.L. just dropped out of the battle, but I'm glad to see that they're looking into rescheduling for a few reasons. F.A.T.I.L. deserve the opportunity (and singer Tyler Sperry suggested the battle concept early on), you need at least 4 bands for a good battle (none recently in the Soo have had less), and if it's postponed, it gives more time to advertise and get the word out, so this can only benefit the battle itself! Stay tuned to the SMS for more details on the Battle For The Blood & when it will take place as I hear of it!
Also today, a prominent Northern Ontario metal band are looking to come back to Sault Ste. Marie for another concert, but they need help and/or contacts to make it happen! Empyrean Plague frontman "Builder" Mike Burge contacted the SMS' Facebook page earlier this week asking if I could help the North Bay black metal standouts get a concert booked for the Soo, presumably later this year. I forwarded him some contact information, but I don't believe they have anything firm set up yet, so I thought I'd spread the word on here! As you may remember, Empyrean Plague headlined the 34th Roosevelt Hotel metal night last September, and were among the featured out of town bands at the Ypres Metal Fest in April, so they're certainly no strangers to Sault Ste. Marie! Their brutal black metal stylings fit in very well at local shows, and it's be great to see the guys back here, so if you can help Empyrean Plague get a new local booking later this year, contact Mike at this location or the band at the above links! Let's get some more Northern Ontario black metal up here!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or musician name:
New local grunge band Haggith posted an acoustic version of their original song "Rage Train" onto their Facebook page yesterday! I can't embed it here, as it's a Facebook video, but it's a nice different take on the song, so give it a look at the above links, and remember to see Haggith's debut at The Canadian Nightclub on Sunday!
Mike Gaetano from Docks Riverfront Grill (and a former metal booker at The Other Place) is looking for a guitarist and bassist for a current band project that he's a part of that primarily plays 1990s alternative rock covers. If anyone out there is interested in trying out for this band, message Mike at this location or through his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last night!
YouTube user Toxic Doll has uploaded 8 videos from the David Gold memorial concert in Toronto on April 5th at this location, including all 7 songs from Chicago doom metal headliners Novembers Doom's set (including their cover of Woods of Ypres' "Wet Leather") and frontman Paul Kuhr's guest spot with Musk Ox covering "You Are Here With Me", so give them a look at the above links! Fuzzy video quality, but the audio's very good!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for my review of last night's Rosie metal night later tonight! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, it's finally time for my review of Saturday night's Ypres Metal Fest, so what went down at our local David Gold memorial concert? This extended review should tell you, but first, I wanna apologize for both the delay of the review (11 video files take time to upload) and for the lack of a Wolven Ancestry video, but I'll get to that later on. So the concert on Saturday was, at it's peak, comparable in attendance to the Kiss Battle of the Bands Finals in 2009, and it was great to see so many new and old faces out in David Gold's memory! There was plenty of band merchandise for sale from the performing acts, including Woods of Ypres shirts and CDs, and I can proudly say that I bought a tribute concert t-shirt, Woods of Ypres toque (with the band logo in "gold"), and "Woods V" on CD for the cause, and the free tote bag, pick, and bottle opener were nice touches! As rumoured beforehand, each band covered at least one Woods of Ypres or Proposition 86 song during their sets, and some featured special guests, but we'll get to the individual covers as the review goes along. Now, to the actual bands, so here's my thoughts and observations!
Most of the bands had abbreviated sets of around a half hour in length, so I'll be a bit more concise with my thoughts than usual, but there's still a lot to say! The opening band was local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre, who launched the Ypres Metal Fest in style with a cover of "Halves & Quarters" from "Woods IV", and they did a solid job on it! Their set featured other originals like "Vampiric" and "My Sweet Delilah"", and they shown good brutality and aggression to kick things off, though it was sorta odd seeing Kyle Umgeher behind a normal drumkit. Andrew Angelic's guitar work was great as usual, and they set the tone well for the bands to come! They were followed by the last local band to ever open for Woods of Ypres, death metal quintet The Bear Hunters, in what was actually the first time I've seen them live in 8 months! Their set began with a cover of part 2 of "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)" from "Woods V", though with bassist Justin Lam on lead vocals and singer Nik Deubel on third guitar. Well played, but Justin's singing needs work, and Mitch Sirie's guitar was tuned way too low. Their originals were about as good as I expected, ranging from the brutal "Collapse the Sun" to their newer original "Deception", and they got more fans on the floor for their set, which was good to see! Pretty good all around, but hopefully I'll see a longer set from them soon!
Third were local grimecore notables Shit Liver in their 2012 debut and first concert in 4 months, and they knocked off 11 songs during their set, including two brand new songs ("Pennotration" and "It's Not My Problem"), and if you can appreciate their crusty and grimy take on punk and death metal, you'd have had no problem moshing out to their set! In fact, they were the first band to get pit activity last night, which is a good sign! Their Woods of Ypres cover was of "The Shams of Optimism" from "Against The Seasons", and they made it their own to end their set with! They're still an acquired taste, but Shit Liver definitely left their mark last night, and that works for me! Fourth were the night's only non-metal act, local punk trio Redundant, but frontman Justin Langlois left a great impression on Saturday by telling some stories of his and David's time together in bands during their teen years, and Redundant covered songs like "Tomorrow" by Silverchair and "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer that Justin & David played together back in the day! Redundant sounded at their punk best last night, including on Green Day & Scary Uncles covers, along with their set closing cover of an old Proposition 86 cover featuring Giwakwa's Jason Bourcier on vocals, and it was great to see them on Saturday!
The final local band of the evening was Garden of Bedlam in their own 2012 debut, and they unleashed a very entertaining set of their high quality originals! Though shorter than normal for them, Garden of Bedlam played hits like "Against The Grain" and "Torment" from their 2011 album "Everything Will Die" for the huge crowd at The Canadian, and they were on form completely from what I'm used to, especially with Josh Belleau's excellent guitar work and Buzz's always impressive singing! Their Woods of Ypres cover was an early highlight of the evening, as they were joined by special guests for their cover of "I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery", including Woody Sims/ex-Sense of Truth guitarist Steve Myers on the keyboard and Blues Harvest's Josh Norling on the saxophone. This was an interesting choice of a cover, but they all handled it extremely well and played it excellently, which was a great way to cap off their set!
Sixth on the lineup on Saturday was the first out of town band, North Bay black metallers Empyrean Plague, and if any band called to mind Woods of Ypres' black metal roots, it was these guys! I've never seen Empyrean Plague live before, but they displayed some nice brutal extreme metal and kept lots of fans up front to rock along with them! Mike Burge's black metal singing lived up to their heavy attack, and I was impressed with Dave Strba's lead work as well! If there was any flaw, it was that their set seemed to go by way too fast, and I'd like to see more of them, but their set ending cover of Woods of Ypres' "Shedding the Deadwood" from "Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth" was pretty good! Mike's singing didn't flow as well as I hoped, and I honestly would rather have seen them do something like "Awaiting The Inevitable", but it worked nicely, and the fans responded in kind! Nice work overall, and hopefully Empyrean Plague come back soon with a longer set!
Following them was the special acoustic set by Joel Violette & Rae Amitay from Woods of Ypres' final lineup, and even though bassist Brendan Hayter couldn't make it, local fans were surprised to see Gates of Winter guitarist Bryan Belleau (Woods' lead guitarist from 2008-2010) come home to join Joel & Rae for most of their set! The three of them switched instruments often for their songs, ranging from Woods of Ypres songs like "Silver", "Shedding The Deadwood", "Song of Redemption", and "A Meeting Place & Time", to a cover of Katatonia's "Omerta" (I believe), and though the quality varied, the emotions were very real, and the performances were top notch! Joel's singing range was honestly limited, but when Rae took over lead vocals, she was surprisingly really good, and when she sang on "A Meeting Place & Time", she shown a lot of potential as a clean singer, even throwing in black metal vocals when she sang "I hope it's cold every day where you are"! The highlight for me was when Gypsy Chief Goliath frontman Alex "Yeti Bones" Petrovich joined the Woods alumni for a cover of "Shards of Love (Hurt Forever)" that everyone on the floor started singing along with, and that was a surreal and very cool moment that I have my fingers crossed completely that someone filmed! This was the emotional highlight of the evening, and hopefully Joel and Rae continue to work together musically in the future!
Surprisingly, the next band on the lineup was Chicago doom/death veterans Novembers Doom, despite being the advertised headliners. No matter, as their set made me an official fan of theirs, because they tore it up! Possibly the most similar to late-era Woods of Ypres material of the bands on Saturday, these guys delivered some very heavy and moshable material, and up to that point in the night, they had the most raucous reaction up front! Paul Kuhr's vocals ranged from sorrowful doom melodies to devastating death growling, and on songs like "Harvest Scythe", they were even more impressive and heavy! Their words about David before their set were also really nice, as was their cover of Woods of Ypres' "Wet Leather" from "W4", which got a great reception from fans! I hope that Novembers Doom can come back to Sault Ontario under happier circumstances in the future, as I was really impressed by them, and I'll definitely wanna hear more of their death & doom sounds live!
After them was, again surprisingly early, London metal quartet Kittie for one hell of a set! The people around me seemed to agree, as it was a claustrophobic's nightmare of metalheads on the floor! It was as congested during Kittie's set as I am with this cold! Though some may still see them as the all-girls band who did "Brackish", they've grown and developed so much since then, and they blown the roof off the joint with brutal originals like "I've Failed You", "Never Again", and "Mouthful of Poison", along with an emotional version of Woods of Ypres' song "Everything I Touch Turns To Gold (Then To Coal)" from "Woods IV", and they sounded great for the whole set! Morgan Lander was spitting venom on vocals, and her and Tara McLeod's guitar work was solid, though I was hoping for more guitar solos. Mercedes Lander's drum work was fast and brutal, and Trish Doan's bass lines kept things heavy on the low end throughout! Morgan also shared some nice things about David and how much she missed him, which was awesome, and hopefully Kittie come back to town at some point, after the reaction and support they got on Saturday!
With Kittie's set done by midnight, a noticeable number of fans left after they wrapped up, but they should have stayed for the final three bands, starting with Windsor stoner metal outfit Gypsy Chief Goliath! They had an amended set due to time constraints, but they had lots of time to deliver some solid music, which reminded me of if Down were a jam band... and had a harmonica player. Solid stuff, and Alex Petrovich's vocals flowed well with their material! Nice different sound compared to the bands around them, and their cover of the "W4" song "Suicide Cargoload (Drag That Weight)" got a great reception! Following them after some very noticeably delays (and using Hallows Die's drumkit) was Sudbury black metal standouts Wolven Ancestry, in their first local concert since opening for Woods of Ypres in the fall of 2008. I know they performed a good set, but I think they need a do-over, as the sound quality of their set was off, with Lord Defiler's singing almost inaudible and the music almost blending together. Plus, their set was slashed to just three songs due to the aforementioned delays, including the removal of their full Woods of Ypres cover, though I heard elements of "A Meeting Place & Time" late in their last song.
I enjoy Wolven Ancestry, and I'd love to see them come back to town soon for a full set without any sound or time concerns. If they do, hopefully they can do their Woods cover in their next Soo stop, as I didn't know what would happen and failed to get a video from their set as a result. My apologies to Wolven Ancestry and their fans, I'll make it up somehow! The delays forced the final band, Toronto death metal quartet Hallows Die, to play just two songs, and both after 2:00 AM with the house lights on, but their set was fast and brutal, and I was glad to finally see them live, even if briefly! For their final song, Hallows Die were joined by Woods of Ypres guitarist Joel Violette and Ypres Metal Fest booker Rich Moreland for a cover of "The Northern Cold" from "Woods III", and they tore it up to end the night, and with some gracious words thanking everyone to cap off the night, the Ypres Metal Fest ended nicely! Though delays hampered later set times, and the sound occasionally had some concerns, this was an amazing night of metal, and I'm so glad I didn't use my sick card and not go! By the end of the night, I was exhausted and overdue for Nyquil, but it was all worth it to pay tribute to David Gold's memory and all he's done for independent music, local metal, and metal in general!
Part of me still thinks that, with David's messages on "Woods V", he may not have approved of the tributes to him, but he is certainly deserving of all of these great tributes to his memory and music, and hopefully somehow, somewhere, he enjoyed what went down on Saturday and on Thursday. A special thanks goes out to David's family, Rich, the crew and workers who kept things running this weekend, plus all of the bands, Jason, Steve, and Josh for their guest spots, and Joel, Rae, and Bryan for coming to the Soo for this amazing event! I hope that it returns next year, but even if it doesn't, it was something very special, and I'm very glad to have went and supported the Gold family, metal, and David's memory! R.I.P. David!
To close this post, here's all 11 videos that I shot on Saturday (apologies again to Wolven Ancestry, and to the bands whose songs I missed the beginning of.) That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Today's post is focused entirely on one major concert preview for TOMORROW NIGHT, as one of the biggest local metal events of 2012 goes down tomorrow at The Canadian Nightclub for the planned first edition of the Ypres Metal Fest! Stemming from existing plans for a yearly metal festival between Dismembertainment's Rich Moreland and late Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold, this will not only be the realization of that goal, but it will also double as the local tribute concert in David's memory following his tragic passing in December. It's the second of two official David Gold tribute shows (following yesterday's "Woods V" CD release party in Toronto), and both shows share many bands, themes, and goals. The Ypres Metal Fest is Dismembertainment's first concert in about four months, but they've outdone themselves in securing a 12 band lineup featuring 6 bands based out of town, and from what I understand, most (if not all) of the bands tomorrow night will be covering David Gold compositions, be they from Woods of Ypres or his pre-Woods local band Proposition 86, which should be intriguing to say the least! So, who's on tap for this massive tribute concert event?
Going in rough order from the poster, the headliners are Chicago doom metal notables November's Doom, who headlined the Toronto tribute show and have shared the stage with their good friends at Woods of Ypres numerous times in the past on their American tour runs. Their mix of death metal, doom, and Gothic influences have helped them achieve a noted following, and they'll fit perfectly as headliners tomorrow night! Co-headlining the Ypres Metal Fest are gold selling London all-female metal quartet Kittie, fronted by David's close friend Morgan Lander, and since their 1999 debut album "Spit" became a major success, they've just gotten heavier and faster, so you know they'll be worth the wait tomorrow in their local debut! I'm curious to hear their Woods of Ypres cover especially, knowing Morgan & David's friendship, and hopefully they'll hit the perfect balance between mourning and face melting tomorrow! North Bay black metal standouts Empyrean Plague will also hit The Canadian tomorrow night for their first local concert appearance since the 34th Rosie metal night last September! Despite being the last confirmed lineup addition, their brutal black metal sounds will be welcome, as they surely were at the Woods of Ypres concerts they opened, so don't miss their fast paced "Against The Seasons"-esque set!
Also on the bill are Windsor stoner metal outfit Gypsy Chief Goliath, and though they're not an outward genre fit with the black, doom, and death metal surrounding them, they have an interesting slower and catchy metal sound that Down fans will appreciate, so don't sleep on these guys tomorrow night! Toronto melodic death metal quartet Hallows Die will also hit The Canadian tomorrow in their third local stop in the past year, following sets opening for Farewell To Freeway & Napalm Death under the Dismembertainment banner in 2011! I've heard rave reviews from their local sets last year, and hopefully they shred some brutal originals tomorrow night, as they have at the Woods of Ypres concerts they've opened in the past! The out of town bands are rounded out by Sudbury black metal standouts Wolven Ancestry, who are the only non-local band not at last night's Toronto memorial show, but they'll absolutely rock the Ypres Metal Fest tomorrow! Fronted by Mark "Lord Defiler" Howitt (whose company Archaic North Entertainment are helping produce the Woods of Ypres tribute CD), Wolven Ancestry are local favourites stemming from many local appearances in the mid-late 2000s, and tomorrow's set marks their first Sault Ste. Marie appearance in 3½ years, ironically at a show headlined by Woods of Ypres!
Notably, a special acoustic tribute set is also planned at this concert featuring Joel Violette and Rae Amitay from Woods of Ypres' final lineup, though details on it specifically are scant. Will we see special guests or surprise covers? I don't know, but it's fun to speculate over!
The local contingent of this concert is headed up by the 2012 debut of Garden of Bedlam, in their first concert since their "Everything Will Die" CD release party on Boxing Day (and frontman Buzz's back injury that postponed their Rockstar Bar gig last month.) They should deliver a great set tomorrow night, and it'll be good to see them again no matter what, so don't miss their metal fury! Local punk standouts Redundant are also scheduled, and though they might seem like an anomaly, frontman Justin Langlois was a very good friend of David Gold's since childhood, and that alone makes them perfect to be on this concert, so expect some great music from them tomorrow night! Musicians who opened for Woods of Ypres at their last local concert last March will also feature at the Ypres Metal Fest, including ex-State of Misery singer Steve Rhodes (with his current deathcore band The Valentine's Day Massacre) and the very last local band to open for Woods of Ypres (melodic death metal quintet The Bear Hunters, in their Canadian Nightclub debut) so expect fast and furious sets of their quality original material tomorrow evening, and hopefully they'll leave huge marks!
The local bands are rounded out by grimecore trio Shit Liver in their first concert set of 2012 after a 4 month break (and their first Canadian Nightclub appearance), so it'll be a long time coming to see these guys brutalize the stage! Check out all of the above links to hear the entire lineup for the Ypres Metal Fest! With all of that said, how can you go to this major concert event? Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, Northland Music, Bossy's Pub N' Grub, or through Rich Moreland, David's sister Marie, and possibly some of the local band members playing tomorrow (contact them on Facebook if you can!) Tickets will be available at the door pending availability, the show starts nice and early at 5:00 PM, and unlike last night's memorial show in Toronto, the Ypres Metal Fest is ALL AGES!! Yes, if you're 18 or younger, you can go, and it's still licensed for those of you legal to drink, so hopefully this ensures a huge turnout! Like last night, all proceeds from tomorrow's event will go towards covering David Gold's final expenses and the David Gold Music Scholarship at Sault College, and from what I can gather, band merchandise (including "W5") will be on sale tomorrow as well. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!
This is going to be one of the biggest metal events we've ever had locally, and it's all for a great cause! Sure, David sang about not wanting to be posthumously immortalized, but he's far from undeserving. All of these bands are very talented and entertaining, and whether it's the rememberances of David, the Woods of Ypres covers, or just the glory of 9 hours of metal, this is definitely a can't miss event! Hell, I'm currently battling my third cold in four months, and I'm not missing this for the world! Will we see any surprises, special announcements, or anything like that tomorrow? We shall see, but all I know is that this could be the best concert for the best cause of this year, and I will 150% see you guys there tomorrow evening! Stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow featuring more on this event and some other stories from the local scene, and for a preview, here's November's Doom's video for their song "Harvest Scythe", but definitely check out all of tomorrow's bands to get hyped up for the Ypres Metal Fest! Thanks everyone, and see you guys there at 5:00 PM tomorrow!
It's time for a very exciting post at the SMS which is split into two related halves, one dealing with a major upcoming album release, and the other dealing with a major LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's all that you should know!
The David Gold memorial concert in Sault Ontario is indeed official, and I can now tell you guys some official details on the event! Titled the Ypres Metal Fest, it's being held by Dismembertainment in their first announced metal concert of 2012, and quite a stellar lineup of metal bands will gather at The Canadian Nightclub in honour of late Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold on April 7th, so here's who to look for at this huge concert event! London, Ontario all-female metal quartet Kittie (fronted by David's girlfriend Morgan Lander) will headline this huge concert in what should be a fast and furious set of extreme metal! Though best known for their gold selling 1999 debut CD "Spit", Kittie have released much more (and heavier) material since then, and they should deliver a brutal set for fans in attendance on April 7th in their local debut! Joining them at the Ypres Metal Fest are veteran Chicago doom metal band Novembers Doom, who played with their friends in Woods of Ypres at a few of their American tour dates in recent years. Their death metal and gothic inspired sound is a very good fit at this concert, and they should impress all who attend with their heavy and brutal metal assault!
Also, Sudbury black metal standouts Wolven Ancestry will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on April 7th, after a three and a half year absence, having last played here in November 2008 at The Grand Theater (with Woods of Ypres on the lineup too, ironically!) Wolven Ancestry have always been one of Northern Ontario's highest profile extreme metal bands, and it'll be great to see them back in the area after so long! Toronto melodic death metal quartet Hallows Die will make their third appearance in the area in the past year as well, last being seen opening for Napalm Death at Feedback in October. After sharing the stage with Woods of Ypres a few times themselves last year, they should also deliver a solid and brutal set of their original material on April 7th as well, so don't miss them! The out-of-town lineup will be rounded out by Windsor stoner metal band Gypsy Chief Goliath in their Sault Ontario debut, and they have a unique sort of sound you don't get much of in the area, and they'll be sure to leave a good mark on fans at the Ypres Metal Fest! There will be local openers as well, and I know who's tentatively lined up, but they're not 100% finalized yet, so stay tuned for official word on that front!
Timeslots, admission prices, and other more specific details on this major concert have not been revealed yet, but given it's location, I assume this will likely be a 19+ event. Stay tuned for more official details as they come in, and thanks to Dismembertainment's Rich Moreland for telling me about these first details and giving the go-ahead to announce them! This is shaping up to be a huge concert for both the local metal scene and in David's memory, and if you love metal, do yourself a favour and reserve April 7th on your calendars! I know Rich and David had been planning for a while to launch an annual metal festival in the Soo, and it's a shame that this is happening without David around to help bring it to fruition. I'm sure it'll feel like he's never left when this all goes down though! Stay tuned for updates on this show as word comes in, as Rich is outdoing himself with this great lineup of bands, and hopefully it's a huge hit to ensure future Ypres Metal Fests in the area!
Also of note as a related concert, a David Gold tribute show will take place two days before the Sault show on April 5th in Toronto at a venue to be announced, and it will serve as the "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" CD release show. Specific details on it haven't been announced beyond a post on the official David Gold tribute Facebook page, but it'd be cool to see former Woods of Ypres members play at that in some fashion. I'll keep as you posted as word comes in for it!
Also in Woods of Ypres-related news today, the band's label Earache Records recently addressed many of the lingering questions that fans have had about the release of "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" and some other future band notes. In direct reply to a question from fan Chris Schneck on their "Ask Earache" blog, you can read the full post at this location, but here's the new and major stuff addressed in that post. At the time of David Gold's death on December 21st, "W5" was being mixed by British producer John Fryer, and their new lineup was scheduled to play their first ever overseas gigs next weekend, including sets opening for Evile in Manchester, England and Xerath in Nottingham, England, and though David's passing prevented either from happening, you can get details on what would have been at this link. The "Ask Earache" post briefly noted David's downbeat and world-weary outlook in December phone interviews prior to his death, and later discussed what to expect from the "W5" release. The North American release for the CD will take place two months after the official release on February 13th due to longer pressing plant lead times over here, so although it won't appear in physical stores until April, the American release date does coincide better with the Ontario tribute shows!
The extra track "Keeper of the Ledger" was also addressed, and it was noted that it wasn't in the free leaked copy of "Woods V" so it would be an album exclusive, which is why the second "Kiss My Ashes Goodbye" track (which doesn't look like it will be on the actual "Woods V" release) replaced it in the free copy we got in December. The track listing was also altered from what we downloaded to better reflect David's preferences for the album, and "Ask Earache" also noted that no band photos will be present in the packaging, as David hadn't chosen which ones he specifically wanted in the booklet. Though not addressed in the post, I've read on Woods of Ypres' forum that the "W5" t-shirts that are being sold on Earache Records' online store along with the CDs originally had a "David Gold, 1980-2011, R.I.P." message on the back (as seen here), but it was later removed at the request of David's family. Seems odd to me, but hey, if it's what they want, it's better to honour their request! Finally, the "Ask Earache" post noted that they still hope to re-release Woods of Ypres' first three albums under the Earache umbrella in 2012, though it's not known if "Woods 4.5", any other older releases or singles, or any unreleased material will see the light of day through Earache Records. Check the above links for the new "Woods 5" updates!
It's very nice of Earache Records to offer an honest and detailed answer to many of the "Woods V" questions we've had recently, and hopefully we'll hear a lot more about this album and any future posthumous news on Woods of Ypres this year! There's a lot of exciting stuff to come, and it's sad to know that David isn't here to be a part of it, but he still lives through his music! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes from David, Woods of Ypres, and anything else in the local metal scene in the next week and beyond! Thanks everyone!
As promised, here is yet another Woods of Ypres-centric post! Once I clear out my Woods cache more, I'll probably stick their news back in with normal posts, but I feel that lumping them together into one like this will spread them out more. So today, the bulk of the post is new videos from the band's current U.S. tour, but I do have a few "Woods IV" reviews tacked on the end for your reading pleasure, so let's get this post underway! (And remember, for the latest from Garden of Bedlam, MK-Ultra, a new sound company, and our newest classic video, check the post below this one!)
First for new videos is the first new Woods of Ypres tour vlog from their current tour leg! Uploaded yesterday onto frontman David Gold's YouTube channel, this outlines their first few tour dates from earlier this month, including their shows from Thursday to Sunday in the Northeastern United States! Closer in line with their tour vlogs from last year, this encompasses many dates and has less concert footage as a result, but here's what to look out for! Along with footage of their merch table and some footage on the open road between dates, you'll find the band's encounter with November's Doom in Brooklyn (and some footage of them on stage), Joel's rendition of a pair of Woods of Ypres songs on piano, and more! Also, the included concert footage, though less than in the last vlogs, feature some different tracks than on their "Green Album" release tour, including the returns of "Awaiting The Inevitable" & "The Sea Of Immeasurable Loss" to their setlist and the debut of "Woods 4.5" tracks from the "Home" vinyl release! Though more condensed than we've been used to, this is more quality video for you guys to check out, so here's Woods of Ypres latest tour vlog!
Also newly added by David on YouTube is a rare full live video upload, which we haven't gotten a whole lot of from them lately! This one's special though, as it's from their Wilmington, Delaware show on Sunday night where they shared the stage with Chicago death metal band November's Doom again. Why is that special? Because November's Doom guitarist Larry Roberts joined in on backing vocals for Woods of Ypres' performance of "Wet Leather" at this show! Honestly, Larry's not very audible, but the performance is good, and they're playing as well as you'd expect them to play this song! Check it out below, and also make note of the November's Doom clip at the beginning, containing an homage to "Wet Leather"!
Finally for new videos, here's two new concert videos from their show on Friday in Boston! YouTube user GASPetc uploaded these onto their channel on Saturday, and these are of Woods of Ypres playing "Wet Leather" & "By The Time You Read This (I Will Already Be Dead)" at this concert! Great quality on both of these, with HD dimensions, clear sounds, and a nice angle of the band in action on both. Also, it's cool to see David growing his hair out again too, long hair's always welcome! There's bound to be lots more Woods of Ypres videos to come, so check the above links to see both of these new videos, and because I already have a "Wet Leather" performance embedded above, here's "By The Time You Read This (I Will Already Be Dead)" from Friday night in Boston!
Finally for today, here's a few newer "Woods IV: The Green Album" reviews! I have more to share as well, but of course, click here to see all the ones the band knows about, as there's likely a few more I've missed that I haven't mentioned here either. One review is from Jordan Campbell of Metal Review, who gave "Woods IV" an 8.2/10 in a review posted on Sunday, calling it a "classic"! He uniquely divided his thoughts into three chunks for the three distinct tones the record had, highly praising it though saying that David had a self-editing problem in terms of the size of the album. Nicely structured, check the above links to read his review! Another review was posted on Friday by Chuck Hoffman on his blog The Centipede Farm, which is very well worded and full of constructive praise for "W4"! He calls it a potential breakthrough record that's well executed and relatable, though it may turn off more "underground" purists. Not bad at all, click here to read this review! Finally, Raymond Westland from Alternative Matter reviewed "Woods IV" recently, comparing them to many different bands while still praising their unique sounds and their emotional depth, even going so far as to say he has a "love affair" with the band! Nice review as well, click here to check it out, and stay tuned for more in a future post!
That's all for today, but stay tuned as our post marathon continues! Early tomorrow, we'll have a concert preview post for shows taking place between tomorrow & Saturday, and then we';; have our Destroilet EP review, finally! Keep watching the SMS for all of this, and more, as the days roll on! Thanks everyone!
Hey everyone, it's new poll day on the SMS! But first, let's go over the results of last month's poll. And afterwards, I have news on the Doom Cannon show (yes, it could still be on), and another classic local album I have uploaded! Let's begin!
So last month, I asked you guys this question: "Four months after the postponement, what are your current feelings towards our future Kiss concert?" Of course, it's around five months now, but still. 35 of you voted, a decent number, enough to get a feeling for a general consensus on the matter, or two, or three. We now know Kiss are coming no earlier than August, but we still don't have a firmly stated new date for the show, so luckily, the results are still as relevant as they were last month! Let's go over how you guys voted, in ascending order. In dead last with no votes was "It will be a disappointment". Good, no one assumed Kiss will mail it in when they show up, that's promising! Tied for 6th place with one vote each were "The tickets are still to pricey" and "Other". I can't comment on "Other" without knowing what that person had in mind, but I'm surprised that more people didn't voice out over the ticket prices! $100 can't be considered reasonable to everyone, can it? 5th place was "It will be alright", which garnered just 2 votes. Looks to me like Kiss fans expect the band to deliver an excellent performance, rather than just being "alright" when they come here.
The top 4 feature the vast majority of the votes, and they seem to split in three different directions in regards to feelings towards Kiss and this show. Tied for third with 6 votes each are "It's still going to be awesome!" and "It's losing it's appeal". Nice to see a number of you are still interested in this show, I expected that, and I honestly did see people's feelings towards the show waning as the wait drags on. Remember, the campaign to demand Kiss started early last year, this must be an eternity to some Kiss fans! But the winning vote getters sure speak volumes of a section of local music fans. 2nd place with 9 votes was "Kiss sucks, I'm not going", and in 1st with 10 votes, 28% of the total? "I don't think they're coming at all". I hate sounding like a skeptic or a Kiss hater (cause I'm not), but I expected those choices to get some good vote totals. Kiss are somewhat polarizing to some, be it musical preferences or not, I know many who don't like them. And really, since day one, there's been skeptics all over claiming and suggesting that Kiss would not and will not play here, despite all evidence to the contrary. I'm not here to reiterate what we already know, but this really looks like SMS readership splits down three ways: People who like Kiss and are at some level anticipating this concert, people who dislike Kiss and wouldn't go see them, and skeptics who think they're not coming at all. What say you guys, is my assumption accurate, or is there one group more dominant?
So there are the results for last month's poll! And now, after a while to think about a subject last night for the new poll, I found one that's relevant to recent times in the scene, and I'm really interested to see people's thoughts on it! It concerns the battle of the bands. None in particular, just the concept of local bands taking the stage to wow the audience and judges to win prizes. We've seen a number of battles of the bands in the area, with bands like Garden of Bedlam, Bring The Fallen, and Sense of Truth taking top honours in some of the more prominent battles we've seen in the last three years! And with another, "Downtown Showdown", scheduled for May 28th, I thought the time was right to see what people thought of them. So I pose this question to you guys: Do you like attending or competing in Sault-area battles of the bands? I have given you guys 7 choices to vote from this month, hopefully they encompass most of your feelings on the subject! Here they are:
Yes, I love going to/playing in them!: Are you one of those guys that just loves to hop on stage, play in front of local music fans, and attempt to win some prizes and gain some exposure? How about as a fan, do you just like to head to a venue, enjoy the music, and discover some new bands? Many people I know look forward to battles of the bands for the above reasons, no matter what! Are you among them?
Only if the bands are good: No battle of the bands is created equal. Extremely few have genre restrictions, so when you go to one, a mixed bag of bands is likely in store. For example, the Kiss battle ranged from death metal (Bring The Fallen) to punk/country (The Billy Bastards), while the recent Scotties Tournament/Sault College battle gave us everything from Sykotyk Rampage to Blackwater! This is a subjective choice, it depends on how you constitute a lineup worth attending. My personal criteria is if I enjoy half of the bands. No matter how you judge, do you only go for specific acts?
Only if the prizes are good: This choice is more geared towards the bands, but this can have an impact on ticketholders too. Does it really depend on what rewards lie ahead for the top bands for you to submit your name? Some offer cash prizes, others will have free recording time or new gear. Or how about the ones offering big time spots on major concerts, like the Skid Row and Kiss battles? Does the prospect of cash and prizes act as your main reason to enter? Does the ultimate prize act as encouragement for you, as a fan, to show up to see who wins?
Only if ticket prices/entry fees are reasonable: Battle organizers generally want to make a profit. This explains why at most, you pay to get in or enter your band. Some battles go for cheaper costs and fees, often using sponsorship to even it out. Others will raise the prices depending on the prizes, the venue, and the lack of sponsorship. Some have free admission for fans too, and who doesn't love that? Is the simple fact of the cost to attend/play the main deciding factor for your appearance at a battle of the bands?
There's too many of them: In 2009, the YMCA, Algoma University, and Rock 101 all held battle of the bands in Sault Ontario, with varying success levels. In 2010, Sault College already put one on, with the Sault Youth Association's own battle of the bands taking place next weekend. Some fans love to see more of them occur, but I know a few of you who feel that if there's too many battles of the bands, they'll be overexposed and not be as individually special. Would you be among this group in the voting?
No, I don't see the point of them: There are a number of you who don't like or see the point of attending or playing in battles of the bands. I've heard some who feel that bands shouldn't need to "compete" with each other, while others see better ways to get band exposure and new opportunities than enter these. From a fan standpoint, I know a few people that would rather see a few bands play full sets, rather than many bands play just a few songs. Are you a battle hater?
VOTE TODAY!!! I'm really interested in seeing your thoughts on this! And for the record, I love battles of the bands, they're great opportunities for so many local bands, but as always, I'm not voting. It's up to you!
Two quick stories to cap this post. Firstly, have you still been wondering if that Doom Cannon concert scheduled for tonight was a go? Well, here's the story. The event page was deleted from Facebook, so at first, I assumed that they'd finally pulled the plug. Not true though! Promoter Jasmin Nott's Facebook page confirms that Doom Cannon are in Sault Ste. Marie today, and were hanging out at Station Mall selling merchandise and meeting fans! That's all well and good, but is there a show? Here's what one of Jasmin's status updates said today: "(Doom Cannon) GOT ROYALLY EFFED OVER FOR A SHOW HERE. PLEASE HELP OUT! WE NEED A BASEMENT OR OUTDOOR SHOW. IF ANYONE'S WILLING TO HELP, CALL ME AT 705-257-9413!" If we're to believe what Jasmin says, the planned booking at The Oddfellows Hall fell out at some point. At last word, a performance of any type from Doom Cannon in Sault Ontario tonight has not been confirmed, but if something new is revealed, I will let you guys know on The Sault Metal Scene's Facebook page! And if you can help, call Jasmin!
And finally, remember yesterday when I uploaded Foothill Road's debut album "Seventy" to YouTube? Well, the fun doesn't stop there, as I have uploaded another Foothill Road album to The Sault Metal Scene's YouTube channel! This time, it's their self-titled second CD, which was released around 1996. It was produced by Andrew St. George at Toronto's Comfort Sound Studios, and later mastered at Le Mix in Etobicoke. It was the band's only album with second guitarist Mark Oliverio, who you may recognize from bands like Tripod The Dog and Boogie Fever! I won't share detailed opinions on it yet, that can wait for an eventual review of the disc, but if you want some quality mid-90s hard rock, you can't go wrong! Thanks again to guitarist Mario Carlucci for hooking me up with this album! I'll embed track one from "Foothill Road" here, which would be the song "Cavern", but click here to check out the other four songs from the CD! Enjoy, and stay tuned to the SMS to see if I have anything else Foothill Road-related in store!
That's all for today, I'm anticipating another news post in the coming days, with some interesting updates in store! Also, expect my new profiles of out of town bands with local members (Summon and Human Disorder, if you're paying attention) by Monday, and sometime before then, my review of Duane Roy's first book, "Castle Stories: A Rock N' Roll Scrapbook"! Stay tuned for all this, and more!
Greetings everyone, another quick post to tide you local metalheads over with! We have a newly started local music webzine to plug, along with a story you musicians might be interested in from it, and more smaller assorted stories from the last while to run through. Let us begin!
Prolific local rock drummer Glen Thomas (most notable from his recent work in Flat Stanley) has been a constant source of music and divisive opinion for many years, and now, his newest music venture is "The Barking Eye: The Sault's Music News Blog", a new local music-based magazine! It's a new creation that Glen launched on Tuesday, where he looks to talk about more local music, past and present! Do NOT write it off as an SMS copycat, it has many differences! It looks to be more expansive to other genres, and Glen appears to be talking more about older stuff as well, and he injects some cool personal opinion and reflection into his stories, largely from his diverse history in the local scene. Also, individual posts are just one story each, and he put his graphic design skills to great use, I love the look! There's lots of room to grow this, I just hope he keeps it up! Click here to check it out, and remember, websites need readers to grow, so follow it and read the stories! Also, thanks to Glen for adding the SMS as a link, I have returned the favour!
So many local music blogs/sites/magazines/et cetera have died from a lack of dedication or support, so I really hope Glen keeps this up! After all, he's managed to keep his forum Freq's Music Planet going strong for years, and message boards are very hard to start and keep alive (I know that from experience), so hopefully this will succeed! Plus, as I tell people all the time, I wish other people would do exactly what I'm doing for their own musical preferences or viewpoints. Maybe this will help open the floodgates? We cover metal and hard rock, and hopefully Glen covers even more genres to give them even more coverage!
Now, seeing as this is a local music news source, no matter how recent it is, I've already found a new story there that will be worth your while, particularly to band members. Did you know that there actually is a local musicians union? Yes, you and your band can be unionized, by becoming members of The American Federation of Musicians, Local 276! Don't be fooled by the name either, the AFM is based out of Toronto. I'll give you guys info on how to join in a second, but are you wondering why joining a union would help you and your band? Glen points out that one major benefit to joining the AFM is that they will help you figure out how to work through red tape to play shows outside of Canada, particularly across the river. I'm not a musician or legal expert, but rest assured, it's not just a "grab your gear and go" situation. The AFM can help you figure out any legal issues your band may need to worry about, so you can focus on your music. This also includes contract issues and copyright-related stuff, so you and your band can get back to music and not worry too much about legal crap. There are many benefits to joining, and their website will fill you in on anything else you may want to know. Also, read Glen's piece on the AFM, Local 276, at this location!
The AFM is a legit union, it's been around since 1896 (our chapter was born in 1918), and has 90,000 members across Canada and the United States. This could be very beneficial to bands out there who hope to make it big, rather than just play local bar shows on weekends. So what else should you know? If you join, your annual membership dues are $125, $75 if you want to pay semi-annually, with initiation fees of $10 (local) and $65 (national). If you want more information from the AFM, Local 276, e-mail afm276@soonet.caor dragonslayer52ca@yahoo.ca, or call 254-2210. Click here for their full mailing address, fax number, key personnel, and more information! At least consider joining this, guys, this could benefit your music career going forward! And if you Sault Michiganders are wondering if you have a local AFM chapter, you do not. There isn't even one in the Upper Peninsula. If you want to be unionized, you'll either have to join Local 276 (whether Americans can join a Canadian chapter, I can't say), or you'll have to try the nearest American chapter, which is Local 57 out of Saginaw. If you're at all interested in joining Saginaw's AFM branch, click here, but try for the Sault Ontario one first, one must be open to letting you guys in!
Now, three more assorted news stories for today, still clearing those out! I have more to come, but those will be in my next major news post. These are, once again, in alphabetical order by band or event name:
If you're a fan of Vancouver death metal band Doom Cannon, you're probably aware of the still-pending show they may or may not be headlining at The Oddfellows Hall on...Tuesday. With 4 days left until then and no official announcements confirming it from the promoters, what is it's status? Unclear. While the event page still has no new updates, Doom Cannon's new tour poster DOES list a "Saulte Ste Marie" show for May 18th, spelling as printed. Honestly, I doubt the show's on, especially with such little time to promote and advertise, but if I hear otherwise, you'll of course hear it here!
The Downtown Showdown battle of the bands on May 28th at The Oddfellows Hall is still looking for local bands interested in competing! But is that upper age limit of 25 still in your way? Well, this might help. Organizer Tiffy Thompson confirmed in a post on the 705 Video Magazine forums that 25 can be the maximum AVERAGE age for your band too! So if you have someone 26 or older, but your combined average age is 25, you can still enter! Contact info at the links above if your band wants in! So if your band has people 22, 24, 26, and 28 years old, you're good to go!
Sault Michigan solo artist/Grooves Music instructor Mike Libertoski posted an update to MySpace friends of his inactive death metal band Slackjawed Rats that he has a new solo song posted on his MySpace page! It's called "By Rights", and it's a slower jazzier number. Not bad, but if it's not your thing, he has heavier recent songs up too, my favourite being "A Lifelong Burden"! Great stuff he's putting out, still like to get a hold of his albums though. Check his solo work out!
Finally for today, have you been following my CD review schedule closely? Probably not, but I've deliberately not been reminding you guys just to see if you'd remember what I have coming up! And yes, tomorrow, I WILL be posting my re-review of Garden of Bedlam's debut EP! I originally gave it a review upon my purchase of it last April, but since I started monthly reviews, my style has grown and honestly, I really don't like my initial review of it. Not nearly as in-depth as I'd like. So that's tomorrow at some point, stay tuned for it! As for my June album review? I'm actually gonna keep my choice secret for now. Two reasons: A. I don't know if any local bands will have a release for June, as there could be a new release of note next month. And B. I want my review next month to connect to something, rather than just be a random selection from the library of local albums I have. Remember when I reviewed Fitswitch's E.P. in October to coincide with Frightlight's debut show? Yeah, same deal. So as shows pop up for June, keep in mind albums that those musicians might have played on, cause a review of that album could very well be in store! As for a timeframe, look for it to be between June 16th and 22nd, unless a link to a certain day or an album release is too good of a day to pass up.
That's all for today, my next news post will likely be Sunday or Monday, and my next post of any type will be TOMORROW with my revisit of Garden of Bedlam's debut E.P.! Also keep an eye out for a post on Tuesday, where we close down our current poll on Kiss' upcoming concert, share the results, and get down to business with a brand new poll! Busy stretch coming up, so stay tuned!
The mid-point of the show belonged to local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, under the guise of "Spinal Remains" for a set of Misfits covers. This seemed like a slam dunk idea given J.D. and Chris Thompson' past work together in Fitswitch and Frightlight (who covered The Misfits often), and we did get familiar songs from the horror punk legends like "Hybrid Moments", "Dig Up Her Bones", and "Last Caress" during the set's first half! However, Spinal Remains soon gave way to a proper Jack Spades half-set, which is honestly just as well, as it was obvious that the guys weren't firing on all cylinders on this set (remember, Jack Spades don't tend to cover The Misfits live.) However, they made up for it with an explosive stretch of their own originals like "Motorwolf" and "To The Left", plus covers already in their back pocket like "All My Friends Are Dead" and "X". The tribute set idea was a great one, if only they'd had more time to prepare and get the songs down!
