It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, our last selecting from our band links before we started adding defunct and inactive punk bands to our coverage! This month's randomly selected choice is fitting though, as their successor band recently returned to the stage after a lengthy absence (nice to see Rachel healthy and rocking again), so this monthly profiling of a defunct/inactive band from the Sault area ties in well that way! Read on below for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elipzis
Genre:Hard Rock
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie/Muskegon, Michigan
Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics)
Audio/Video: Though only together for around a year or so, Elipzis have a fair amount of material online from their run! The band circulated a six song demo CD at concerts in 2010 featuring their original lineup, and you can hear songs from it on their MySpace page and at this link, but no formal paid albums came out. There's also a handful of videos on YouTube to check out from their run, mostly from Lower Peninsula gigs, including two live television appearances in Southwestern Michigan (such as this acoustic performance), so check YouTube to see Elipzis in action, and here they are playing their song "Six Shots" live on Grand Rapids' NBC affiliate (preceded by an interview with singer Rachel Kiger) in the fall of 2010!
Info/Analysis: Making their first public splash by opening for Meat Loaf at July 2010's Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Summer Festival, Elipzis soon became one of the most prominent local hard rock bands over the following year, playing solo headlining gigs & battles of the bands alike at regional venues (mainly at The Corner Pub), while also playing a number of Lower Peninsula gigs, including opening for the likes of Pop Evil & Adema. After Wally David replaced Bob Helsten on drums, the band played their last shows in early 2011 (including one last Soo date that March), preceding Rachel Kiger & Ryan Harrison's full time move to Muskegon. Elipzis dissolved that summer, and were immediately replaced by RedStone Riot, a similar Muskegon-based band that featured all of Elipzis' last lineup (sans Chris Webster.) While RedStone Riot are carrying Elipzis' torch for sure, the prior band has a similar merit level, with great melodic vocals, strong guitar riffs, and a nice friendly chemistry, which I was lucky enough to see live in Warren at the WRIF Jingle Ball! It'd have been nice to see Elipzis together longer, but follow RedStone Riot for a similar sound!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! With our biggest band selection pool yet to pick from now that we're covering punk bands, what's coming in September in this series? Sault Ontario's next in the queue, and through 100% random selection, we originally picked defunct local cover hard rock cover quartet Glitch next, but as they probably won't have enough information for a full profile, we'll pair them up with a randomly picked Sault Michigan band, that being defunct Absolute successors NoXcape! If Glitch do end up with more info than projected, NoXcape will lead off a joint October profile, so they're coming too regardless. Watch out for our next defunct profile on or around September 10th either way, and stay tuned for more news and notes later today! Thanks everyone!
Well, this is sure turning out to be one of the more depressingly memorable days in recent history for the scene, isn't it? It's still very disheartening to know that David Gold from Woods of Ypres has died, and we're gonna feel this one for a while yet, but I thought I should boost some morale with some happier news for this post tonight, which half relates to David, with some general positive news from the scene at the end. That said, definitely check out my tribute/memorial post to David below this one for early details on the accident, a brief retrospective, and my own thoughts.
Now, let's get this post started with some very cool news for you Woods of Ypres fans, as the band's label Earache Records has released Woods of Ypres' final recorded album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" online for free in David's honour! This is 100% legit, as reported earlier today by the popular metal news site Metal Injection, and if you want to download "Woods V" for free, just click here, select "Download Files to My Computer", and go from there! The download includes 11 songs (8 of which we haven't heard before today) and it also includes lyrics for each song, though no album artwork is included, oddly enough. Still, this is a complete class act of Earache to release this material early for fans & friends of David and the band, and hopefully "Woods V" spreads like wildfire across the metal community! That said, I have no idea what the future holds in terms of formally releasing "Woods V" through Earache, as in delays or changes to the material, but knowing that Woods of Ypres as a band have likely died with David, I'm not entirely sure what's next. For now though, definitely enjoy "Woods V" by downloading it at the above links!
What do I think? It's way too soon to accurately say, I'm just glad to have this material available at this time. It's definitely dark with a lot of morose and depressing moments, but there's some hard hitting doom tracks as well. I can't accurately assess anything yet, and I still plan to formally review "W5" next year. If you don't want to download the album or are having trouble doing so, YouTube user malaise666 has uploaded all but the opening two tracks (which are already on YouTube anyway) onto their YouTube channel, so click here to stream the rest of "Woods V" there, and here's a haunting new song named "Alternate Ending" to check out. The lyrics definitely have more of an impact knowing what happened yesterday, I'll say that much.
Also in David Gold news, some more news sources in the Barrie area are covering the accident that appeared to take David's life. CTV News Barrie's Facebook page reported yesterday that a 31 year old man was killed on Highway 400 on Wednesday (a day earlier than we had thought) after being struck by oncoming traffic, and a later article by The Barrie Examiner has confirmed that David was indeed killed in said incident. According to The Barrie Examiner's article, which is very complementary of David & his musical past, the cause of the accident is currently under investigation. The Sault Star reprinted the Barrie Examiner article on their website earlier today as well. I'll absolutely keep tabs on this as more word comes out, cause I'm sure many of you want some more answers, but for now, click the above links for updates.
In happier, yet still sad news, David's sister Marie has confirmed details about a memorial gathering in his honour which will take place Wednesday, as she previously hinted towards on his personal Facebook page. It will take place at The Canadian Motor Hotel (upstairs, presumably) at 410 Pim Street on Wednesday from 1:00 PM-6:00 PM, though it will likely go later than that. It'll be a casual get-together for friends, family, and fans, and Woods of Ypres t-shirts and merchandise are encouraged to wear to the event. Pizza, wings, and beer will be on hand for attendees who wanna remember David. For more details, contact Marie at (705) 975-2700. Formal details about his final arrangements have not been publically released beyond this get-together, nor has an obituary been posted online to my knowledge that could have details to that effect. It's nice to see David's family organizing a get-together for everyone to come and remember him by, and hopefully there's more happiness and joy in remembering the great times and music he gave us among the attendees. Myself, I want to at least make an appearance, but we're only getting back from Detroit that day, so it depends on timing, I suppose. Fingers crossed, but regardless, this will be something that anyone who knew David won't want to miss, so stay tuned for updates on that and other arrangements. R.I.P. David!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, I know that David is obviously the biggest story of the day, but there's other news to report, and I want to lighten the mood a touch, so here's a couple extra stories from the local scene. Firstly, Brimley hard rockers Half A Man have announced the addition of Infathom singer Dillion Semasky to the band, officially making them a quintet (maybe a quartet if Denny Breslin did leave? I don't know for sure.) The news was broken on the band's Facebook page yesterday, though it's unknown how this could impact the album that Half A Man was working on for much of this summer. Dillion is best known as the singer in the Ishpeming metal band Infathom, who you may remember from LemmaFest this past June. Though not locally based, Dillion does live in the area, and it'll defintiely be interesting to hear how he adds to Half A Man! His singing style strikes me as more aggressive and extreme than much of Half A Man's material, which always had a Black Label Society vibe in my opinion, but we'll be sure to see some awesome material and progress from this new look Half A Man lineup in the coming weeks! Check the above links for more details!
And finally, here's our latest Christmas surprise, and like yesterday, it's another full demo from a local band, this time from defunct Sault Michigan hard rockers Elipzis! Featuring alumni of End of Existence, Riot! By Night, Kilacel, and One Past Mars in their lineups, this talented quartet made a quick splash in the local music scene during their brief one year run, playing numerous high profile concerts all over Michigan, including a number of stops in the Sault area. Elipzis disbanded this summer after 3/4ths of the band formed a new Muskegon-based hard rock quintet named RedStone Riot, but fans are sure to remember their local work fondly. Last year, many of Elipzis' concerts featured a demo CD on sale for interested fans, and though it was just a burned CD with no real packaging, it featured 6 nicely recorded original songs from their original lineup, and I was able to buy one when I saw Elipzis at the WRIF Jingle Ball in Warren, Michigan last December. The featured songs are "Six Shots", "Freedom", "Take Me On", "Missin' You", "Forensic Truth", and "Father", and in honour of the holiday season, I've posted each one onto our YouTube channel for you guys to check out, so click the above links to hear each song!
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!!! All credit for these songs goes to the former members of Elipzis, I'm just trying to share this out of print material with the world like it deserves! Also note that all of these songs except "Missin' You" & "Father" are posted on their MySpace page as well, so you can here them there also. This material is really catchy with some great melodic singing from Rachel Kiger and some nice hard rock grooves, and even if this material doesn't find it's way into RedStone Riot setlists, it's worth preserving and enjoying, so check out the opening song on Elipzis' demo below, and much more at the above links!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for continued coverage of the passing of David Gold & the future of Woods of Ypres over the next while, along with weekend concert previews, our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on Repetitions, and more news as we roll closer and closer to Christmas and the end of 2011. Thanks everyone!
Yes, my review of last night's Mares of Thrace concert is coming, but the videos I shot are giving me a lot of grief. The timing's off on a few of the videos so the music doesn't line up, and these are large files to convert and upload as it is. They're coming though, stay tuned to our Facebook page today for the new videos and photos as they get uploaded!
We have a new local band today, and it's a new Sault Ontario metal project named The Dead Kings! The band features 3/4s of the now broken up Skull After Betrayl (more on that in a second), with guitarist Mike Vincent, drummer Anthony D'Agostini, and bassist Adam Brett joining this new group. However, Adam will switch from bass to vocals in this new band, which should be interesting! I've found his bass skills needed a lot of work, so hopefully he can make his mark singing with The Dead Kings! Joining this new band on bass is Willis Tholberg (Mike and Adam's old bandmate in Despised Eyes), while Jacob Cere has also joined as their second guitarist. Will's a good pickup, but I admit not being familiar with Jacob as a guitarist, though me & him did both attend Bawating around the same time. How will The Dead Kings sound? Not sure yet, but their Facebook page hyped a death metal and hardcore sound, with influences seeming similar to those that influenced the members' older bands. With a new singer and lineup though, The Dead Kings will be interesting to hear once they debut, so stay tuned for updates, and become a fan while we wait for material at this location!
With that said, it's basically clear that Mike, Adam, and Anthony's old band Skull After Betrayal has broken up. Though no statement was officially made concerning their demise, their old Facebook page was quietly deleted recently, and The Dead Kings' Facebook page refers to SAB as one of their members' "past bands". I can say that the breakup did follow their split with guitarist Justin Polutanovich in late July, but rather than replace him, the guys opted to start a brand new band out of respect to Justin. This ends a five month run of public activity for Skull After Betrayal, which included a few high profile sets like opening for The Dayglo Abortions & Titans Eve at The Roosevelt Hotel, and being one of 11 local bands on the massive Sewer Swampstravaganja all ages concert in April. It's disappointing to see Skull After Betrayal end so suddenly, as they were definitely improving with each show they played, but I have a feeling that ending the band to move on to The Dead Kings will work out better with the new lineup and likely sound. We'll be watching, and of course, best of luck to Justin in whatever he moves to next musically, as he is a talented guitarist that would be a worthy addition to another local band!
The other newly broken up band is Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Elipzis, with an announcement posted on their Facebook page late last night. The breakup is due to the formation of a new Muskegon-based hard rock band named RedStone Riot that features Elipzis frontwoman Rachel Kiger, bassist Ryan Harrison, and drummer Wally David in their lineup. Guitarist Chris Webster is not taking part in the new band, despite his own Muskegon connections, with RedStone Riot enlisting two guitarists: Wally's old One Past Mars bandmate Tony Hulings, and a former guitarist in the Muskegon band Tracing Yesterday, though band pages have yet to confirm his name. Rumours had been flying on band pages concerning future Elipzis developments since Rachel and Ryan moved to Muskegon full time a few months ago, but now we know what the big news is. I have faith that RedStone Riot will be a successful and high impact hard rock band, but it is disappointing to see Elipzis end after such a promising run last year and this year, including TV appearances in the Muskegon area and a high profile appearance at least year's Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Festival.
When I saw Elipzis in Warren, Michigan in December, they put on a great show, and the guys were all class acts! That will surely be the same for RedStone Riot, and I have a feeling that even though they're not locally based, we'll be mentioning them on here again before you know it! Check the above links for more on RedStone Riot, and also, best of luck to Chris too in the future, he's very talented and we'd love to see him back out there in a new band!
And finally for today, here's this week's classic video! With Hempfest's local return coming fast, I knew this week's video had to connect to a band playing this year, and it was an easy choice, as the band we picked is Half Past! They're returning too after a six month hiatus while they found their new singer (Jordan Rains), and with that in mind, I found a video of theirs not previously on YouTube! This comes from former singer Luke LeBlanc, and it's of a June 2009 jam session where Half Past (then known as Fingerbone) covered "Hypnotize" by System of a Down! Though credited as a "drunken version", the band do a good job, though Luke definitely handles Serj's vocals better than Daron's when you compare to the original song. The video quality's good, but you only really see bassist Arthur Lacasse in frame, with Luke and guitarist Alain Fletcher only visible minimally on the sides, and drummer Chris Thompson isn't in frame at all. Good cover though, but remember, this is an old lineup, so go see Half Past 2.0 THIS WEEKEND at Hempfest, they'll be sure to impress!
Posted onto Luke's personal Facebook page in July 2009, you can view the original video at http://facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1045003220450. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED! All credit goes to Half Past for this video, they did all the hard work! Good stuff, so check out Half Past's cover of "Hypnotize" below!
That's all for now, but stay tuned hopefully tonight for my Mares of Thrace concert review, and my Defunct Local Band Profile on State of Misery tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Today's weekend concert preview post is mostly Sault Michigan-based, as this weekend is surprisingly light for concerts in Sault Ontario. We'll lead off with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS though, including what's going on at The Roosevelt Hotel tonight and a prominent local hard rock band's return (plus news on this band's lineup), so let's get this post started!
There will in fact be a punk night TONIGHT at The Roosevelt Hotel, and yes, there will be some metal content! Local grime/hardcore trio Shit Liver will return to the stage on short notice tonight as the middle band on tonight's lineup! If you wanna enjoy some dirty and crusty death metal with a punk attitude, The Rosie will be the place to be tonight! Headlining this punk night will be last week's opening band, RedD Monkey, whose cello/punk attack is always a welcome sight locally! Note of warning though, you may hear a Motorhead cover, so be prepared for that occasion! Opening tonight will be "The Midnight Meme Makers", who I believe are one and the same as The Night Owl Meme Makers, who opened at the Rebel Spell concert earlier this month which was also from the same bookers. They definitely have a unique sound, very hard to explain, so click on the link above to check them out! Apologies on the short notice of this show too, nothing about it was made official until this morning. As usual, it's a 19+ affair, there's no cover charge, and everything starts at 9:30 PM or later!
For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like a fun night of punk rock with a heavy edge, head to The Rosie tonight if you can! Check the above links for more, and for a preview, here's Shit Liver playing their original "(Friendly Old) Uncle Joe" at The Rosie in January!
Also new for this weekend is the return of Elipzis! They're back in Sault Michigan THIS SATURDAY for their first local concert in almost three months! The band were last seen on New Years Eve at The Corner Pub Bar & Grill, and they'll be back there on Saturday for a set full of original hard rock! Apologies for the short notice on this show, I only first heard about it early yesterday on band members' pages. Everything starts at 10:00 PM, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge, but have money just in case if you go! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like fun, it's nice to see them back up here! They don't come up here as often as most other bands, so keep this one in mind! Again, apologies for the short notice! As it's on Saturday, here's a video preview as well, of Elipzis playing their song "Take Me On" in Warren, Michigan this past December!
With that said, there will be one changed element of the band on Saturday, so here's what you should know. Elipzis have parted ways with drummer Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone.) No reason for his departure has been given at present, though this could explain his absence from their TV performance in Grand Rapids earlier this month. Bob had drummed with Elipzis from their local debut last year through earlier this month, and it's a shame to see him leave! He's a very nice guy and a talented musician, but at least he's still going in End of Existence and with his solo work! So, who's drumming with them on Saturday night? As it turns out, it's Muskegon based drummer Wally David III, best known for his work in the defunct Muskegon hard rock band One Past Mars, who shared a similar sound to Elipzis. He also appears to be a talented graphic designer and coder, so those skills could be put to use by the band! I haven't heard too much of his work, but the guys in Elipzis know how to pick musicians, so this should work out well! So remember, check out Wally's debut with Elipzis THIS SATURDAY at The Corner Pub, and check the above links for more on all of the Elipzis news!
Now, we move to tomorrow night at The Eagles Club on Trout Lake Road, where Tym Morrison is scheduled to make his return! After the cancellation of his Big Cheese concerts due to outside issues, this will be his first local concert in two weeks, so if you've been missing his acoustic solo work, you know where he'll be next! I should note that Tym hasn't been promoting this show on levels compared to his earlier Eagles Club concerts, giving me a bit of doubt to whether it's "on" or not, but it's still listed on his website, so I'll treat it as if nothing's wrong for now. Regardless, this is his last verified solo show on his website's calendar, so who knows what's up in April and beyond! Friday's show should have a 10:00 PM start time and a 19+ age limit, and there is no announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details! If it does go forward, it should be a good concert with lots of entertaining acoustic versions of hard rock classics, so make it out to The Eagles Club if you can! For a preview, here's Tym covering Extreme's "More Than Words" at The Big Cheese circa November 2008!
Now to the remaining concerts in Sault Michigan, and we'll start at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino, where local hard rock quintet River Witch will return for their first of four concert weekends this year! They'll take the stage tomorrow night and Saturday night at around 9:00 PM to rock out with what I assume is a covers heavy set, but they haven't posted media or a setlist for me to know either way. Both concerts will have 21+ age limits, and neither have a cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! News on River Witch is sparse when we get it (even playing concerts in January that they never publically promoted on band pages), but luckily, we heard about these in advance! I wish I could tell you more about River Witch and their sound, but hopefully in time we'll know more! Check out the above links for more, and check them out this weekend!
Finally for this weekend, Marquette hard rockers Nudge will return to Sault Michigan on Friday night and Saturday night for a short notice weekend of rocking covers at The Satisfied Frog! These concerts are unique in that Nudge will be short a member, as guitarist Tim Prisk will be in California with prior commitments, so things will sound a bit different this weekend. Still, Nudge are proven as an entertaining hard rock band, so they'll do just fine this weekend! Both concerts will start at 10:00 PM, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like these will be some good concerts, Nudge alsways entertain, and a short notice weekend is better than no shows at all! Check the above links for more, and for a preview, here's Nudge covering Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Coming Home"!
That's all for now, but I'll have a new news post either tonight or tomorrow night, and yes, our new CD review will be on Saturday! Will it be "Woods I" or something new? Stay tuned! (Also, VOTE TODAY in our first 4 March Mayhem polls, time's ticking!)
Hey guys, here's an assorted news post for your Monday, collecting a bunch of older news stories and some short notice LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so let's get this post up and running!
Marquette hard rockers Nudge are coming to The Satisfied Frog THIS WEEKEND! These shows are definitely more of a short notice announcement than we're used to, having not been included on their tour itinerary when I initially added their 2011 local dates to our concert listings, so make note of their return this Friday and Saturday! It should be noted as well that Nudge will be a three piece this weekend only, as guitarist Tim Prisk will be out of town, so this could be a more unique concert than you're used to. As is standard for Nudge's local stops, they'll be on at 10:00 PM both nights, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, check the Facebook event page! It's always nice to see Nudge back in Sault Michigan with their hard rock cover attack, even if it's short notice and minus one member, so make note of their return this weekend when plotting your concert schedules! Stay tuned for updates, or if none come, watch out for a preview of the concerts later in the week!
Next up, here's the latest from Frightlight! Firstly, I forgot to mention this, but new rhythm guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe actually made his debut with the band at that "secret show" at Coch's Corner earlier this month that also featured Motion Carried. I won't detail too much else though, it was secret for a reason. Now, to the big story, as Frightlight (like Garden of Bedlam) are also attempting to make it on this year's Vans Warped Tour through the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands! Like before, your votes can help send Frightlight to the Warped Tour stop in Mississauga on July 15th, where they can compete for big prizes, but you know what's happily surprising? They actually have a ton of votes so far, 1,240 at last count! This puts them at 22nd overall for the Mississauga voting, just a little over 500 votes from the top 10! Nice to see their votes so high, hopefully this leads to some big things, even if they don't make it to the Warped Tour! I've voted, hopefully you guys do as well! Click here to vote, and if you haven't registered an account to vote with yet (it's free and painless), the site will follow you in the right direction. Also, you do need Internet Explorer to hear the posted audio tracks (which are all songs from the "It's A...Live!" EP), as the player won't load in Firefox. Check the above links for more, and get voting!
Next up, here's the latest lineup news from Caveman Morrison! The band has announced the addition of drummer Willie Bellerose to the band, replacing Johnny Belanger. I've actually known about Willie's addition to Caveman Morrison for a couple months now, but he wasn't added to the band's lineup on their Facebook group until recently, so I hadn't posted it here. Johnny played with Caveman Morrison briefly last fall after replacing Jeff Richards in the band. A reason for Johnny's departure wasn't given on band pages, but he actually left late last year shortly after his Browbeat bandmate Dutch Vanderploeg left, and I believe their departures have a connection. Best of luck to Johnny though, his current bands seem to be doing well! I don't know much about Willie's drumming background, but from conversations I've had with frontman Tym Morrison, he is a very good drummer, so we'll have to see how he sounds when the band returns! Caveman Morrison have yet to announce a new bassist publically though, I'll keep you posted on that front! Tym has a good ear for musicians, so hopefully the new lineup will deliver when they return to the local stage! When more comes in on their new bassist and/or next concerts, I'll let you all know!
Fourthly, here's some more new Woods of Ypres footage from their current East Coast tour! These comes from their New York City concert on Wednesday at The Bowery Electric, as uploaded by YouTube user shesblonde the very next day. Two videos were posted, including a full clip of the band playing "Everything I Touch Turns To Gold (Then To Cold)" and a short portion of "By The Time You Read This (I Will Already Be Dead)", so click on each link to check them out! The audio quality's actually really good, very clear, though the video is darker than the audio would suggest. Only the Madden brothers seem well lit, and Joel Violette isn't seen too often at all, but the audio quality makes up for it! The filmer's camera died during the latter video, so I'll embed "Everything I Touch Turns To Gold (Then To Cold)" below, so check it out, and stay tuned for more Woods of Ypres video footage and updates in our next news post!
And finally for today, here's a collection of the newest out of town concert dates for three local bands, in alphabetical order by band name! Firstly, local hardcore quintet As It Stands have announced a concert date on June 18th at The Sharon Hall in East Gwillimbury, which is a Toronto suburb, click here for more details! I also want to apologize for missing their show last week in Ottawa at Cafe Dekcuf, it completely slipped me by. Also, Sault Michigan's own Elipzis have announced a number of downstate concerts for the next few months, including shows in Grand Rapids & Muskegon in May, a weekend set in Mears in August, and most surprising of all, a show at a baseball park in August, where frontwoman Rachel Kiger will sing "The Star Spangled Banner"! Nice, I hope that goes well! Click here for info on all of their upcoming tour dates! And last but not least, Sault Michigan metal quartet Hammerspace will make their first ever out of town trip on April 27th when they head to Topinabee, Michigan for a show at Breakers Bar & Grill! Congratulations to them, hopefully this helps lead to bigger things for them as well! Click here for details, and check out the above links for news on all of these new out of town shows!
That's probably all for today. I have a lot of school work to get to, but I'll have more news and notes very soon, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!
Anyone want some more local metal news and updates? I've got you covered with another post full of some newer stories, including some band removals from an upcoming concert, the newest video from a local band, and a pair of new demos, and three LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! But before all that, if you guys have heard anything about a secret show tonight, you won't hear it from me. If Motion Carried areplaying tonight at Coch's Corner after 10:00 PM, I've heard noooothing official.... hint hint. So if there is a secret show tonight, you didn't hear it from me! Now, to the non-secret new shows!
Sault Michigan progressive metal quartet Hammerspace have announced their next concert, to take place one week from Thursday! This show will take place at one of their favourite local stops, Zim's on Ashmun Street, on March 17th at 9:30 PM! This should have a 21+ age limit, and there's no announced cover charge. The band are hyping their setlist as being original with a few covers thrown in, which is cool, make sure to check out their page linked above to hear some of their demos! For more details, visit their official Facebook event page! Nice to see them back out there, and the pictures I've seen from their last few Zim's concerts look cool! Zim's itself has a nice design from what I can see, hopefully the concert itself goes well itself! Stay tuned for more on Hammerspace as news comes in!
Meanwhile, that same weekend, Sault Ontario hard rockers Browbeat are back at The Roosevelt Hotel a month after their current lineup's live debut! The band officially announced on their Facebook page this afternoon that they will rock The Rosie on March 18th and 19th for a pair of weekend concerts! Now, the entry on SooToday's "What's Happening" event listing on their entertainment page says that Browbeat are playing there in exactly one week, but that's just a simple mistake, so don't head to The Rosie on Tuesday expecting Browbeat! Both of next weekend's shows have 10:00 PM start times (or later), there's no cover charge, and both are 19+ shows. Check the above links for more details! I regrettably missed Browbeat's return last month during my cold, but I have a hunch that I'll be there next weekend to check them out again! Hopefully the bookings pick up too, they deserve more! If more comes in, I'll have it here!
Thirdly tonight, how's about some new demos from a pair of local bands? I know of two new ones you guys should check out, so let's start in alphabetical order with Brimley hard rockers Half A Man! This got delayed a lot by other stories, but I'm finally giving it due credit, and it's the demo of Half A Man's newest song "Bad Way"! It's unfinished with no guitar solo yet, but it's well produced and pretty heavy! I think when it's finished, it will be one of Half A Man's better songs, it's hard hitting and makes good use of the band's talents! As it's no longer a front page story, click here to visit their Facebook info page, which features their posted songs to hear it! Good stuff! The other new demo is from Sault Ontario death metal quartet State of Misery, in what is their first posted audio track since their inception! Entitled "Devils Never Cry Cry, They Bleed", it's now posted and available to stream on their new Reverbnation page! I've heard they've wanted to get a demo CD started for a bit now, and this would be a good addition, though the production could use a boost. It's very heavy though, and the band sound in top form musically! Death metal fans will wanna check it out, see what you think! Check the links above for more on both bands!
Fourthly, here's the latest news on the massive April 9th all ages concert featuring 12 bands at The Oddfellows Hall! Now called "The Sewer Swampstravaganza", the lineup has taken a hit with the exit of two of the announced bands. One is local experimental grunge trio SBD, who dropped off of the show due to personal reasons. I won't go into detail why here, but it involves commitments for a band member that will keep them from performing. The other exited band is planned co-headliners The Fury, because frontman Paul Stanghetta will be out of town when the show takes place. It's a shame that both bands are out, but hey, hopefully quality replacements are found! This leaves the 6:45-7:30 PM and 10:30-11:15 PM slots open for new bands (I assume), though further lineup shuffling could happen for all we know. Click here to message concert organizers if you are interested in joining this concert! Note that Bring The Fallen are still scheduled to take part, but their status as an active band is still in question. If I hear anything on that front, I'll let you know! Fingers crossed for the lineup as a whole, but no matter what, this will be a huge show with tons of local rock talent, and hopefully you guys will be there! Stay tuned for updates, thanks to Dann Pichette and Steve Mozarowski for some of the above information, and click the above links for more details!
And finally, here's the latest video footage of Sault Michigan hard rockers Elipzis! Earlier this month, they played some concerts in the Grand Rapids area, and while down there, they stopped by Fox 17 in Grand Rapids on what looks like their morning show (am I wrong?) for an interview and acoustic performance! Frontwoman Rachel Kiger talked about where they were from, their plans for a new album this fall, the accomplishments they've made in just eight months together, what it was like opening for major bands, their writing process, and more! I'm surprised Ryan Harrison and Chris Webster didn't chime in more, but Rachel handled everything well! Then, the three of them (drummer Bob Helsten was absent) played an acoustic version of their song "Freedom", and they pulled it off pretty good, it translates well to an unplugged format! Rachel's singing is great, but the lack of drums does hurt the performance a tiny bit. Well shot and performed, you can check out Elipzis' Fox 17 interview and performance below, and thanks to YouTube user baileyboy321 for the upload! (If you want to skip to just the song, start the video two minutes in.)
That's all for today, but I have more news to share tomorrow, including our next weekly classic video and more! Thanks everyone!
Hey everyone, sorry this post couldn't come earlier, I've actually been battling a cold recently, so this hasn't been my first thought all of the time. I actually took a sick day from my classes yesterday, which isn't normal for me to do. But I have lots of news today, including some new out of town shows, some band updates, and a couple new songs from some local solo artists, but first, here's a very notable LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!
They're baaaaack! 19 months after their last concert in our burial ground, local black/doom metal quartet Woods of Ypres will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on March 10th to kick off their CD release tour for the "Woods IV" rerelease! This will be their first local stop since August 16th, 2009, when they rocked The Speak Easy with North Bay metal band Inflict and what is now Bring The Fallen, and will also mark their first ever local concert with current guitarist Joel Violette. This time around, Woods of Ypres will rock The Roosevelt Hotel (likely their first show there), and yes, this appears to be another Roosevelt Hotel metal night (March 10th is a Thursday.) Sounds good to me! Full details haven't been released yet, but I imagine a 9:30 PM start time, no cover, and a 19+ age limit will be par for the course. Local openers will also join Woods of Ypres at this show, but they have not been confirmed at present. For all current details on this concert, click here! It's awesome to see Woods of Ypres back home, I'm definitely hitting this show! Stay tuned for updates as they come in, and I hope to see you guys there!
While we're on the subject of Woods of Ypres, here's some more scattered updates from the last little while! A new review of "Woods IV: The Green Album" by Sara Heitman was newly posted on the metal site Blistering, and you can check it out by clicking here. She rates the album with a 7.5/10 and calls it an "emotional rollercoaster" Open and fair with constructive criticism, give it a look if you want! As well, frontman David Gold was interviewed by the British metal site Cack Blabbath recently, and you can check out the review at this location! David discusses his music's meanings, the subject matter and themes of "Woods IV", their signing with Earache Records, their new music video, how their music is created, the status of "Woods V", his beard, and more! Good insightful interview, though the messages concerning "Woods V" don't sound as positive as I'm sure we were hoping. Thirdly, Woods of Ypres are now on Tumblr! This is new for me, as I'm not familiar with Tumblr at all, but it appears to be sort of a combination of Twitter and Blogger, if that makes sense. Looks nice, and it's very custom to the band and "The Green Album", we'll have to see what pops up there! Click here for more, and I'll have more on Woods of Ypres in a second!
Now we'll get to a pile of out of town concerts to add to the SMS listings, as a few local bands have more out of town dates this year! Firstly, Sault Michigan hard rock trio Monkey's Uncle have confirmed six upcoming concert weekends at The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace, including the weekends of February 11-12, April 8-9, June 10-11, August 12-13, October 14-15, and December 16-17. Check the above links for more details! Secondly, another Sault Michigan hard rock band, Elipzis, have announced 5 upcoming dates at McDuff's in Wayland, Michigan, which is roughly a half hour south of Grand Rapids. 4 are weekend dates (March 4-5 & April 15-16), while the last of the 5 on June 24th is a headlining show at a bash for Grand Rapids rock radio station 101.3 The Fox! For full details, visit Elipzis' official Facebook page! And finally, Woods of Ypres have added a lot of out of town dates to their itinerary next month, including headlining shows in Barrie, the Northeastern United States, and the maritime provinces! These join their supporting slots in Sudbury and Toronto, and of course, March 10th at The Rosie, in their Eastern North America tour for the "Woods IV" rerelease! For full details on these shows, and how to help get them gigs in Quebec and elsewhere next month, click here!
Oh yeah, Monkey's Uncle's dates at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino on September 16-17 and November 25-26 appear to still be on. These were among the deleted concerts from Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, but again, Monkey's Uncle included them on their MySpace concert listings, so they must still be on. Not new concerts, just reminding you guys that they're on still!
And finally, a pair of local hard rock solo artists have unveiled new solo material! One is the new song from local experimental guitarist Mike Cliffe, who posted his new song "Evil Tuba" onto his Reverbnation page! It features fellow local musician Glen Thomas on bass, drums, and tuba, with Mike handling the guitar and the tuba at the end of the song. This is a well played number with some nice progressive instrumentation and a fun sort of feel while retaining it's heaviness! The tuba parts are an interesting addition too, not necessarily meshing with the song, but setting tones well! Good stuff, hopefully Mike has more stuff in store! The other new song today is a new acoustic solo song from Tym Morrison entitled "Someday"! It's in the same vein of his last new solo track, "How I'm Wanting You More", as it's an acoustic love ballad, but definitely check it out if you enjoy his solo concerts! Well performed and you can feel the emotion! Also check out Tym's YouTube channel for some funny parody videos he's recently posted as well, particularly if you don't find yourself a fan of 50 Cent or country music! Check out the above links for more on Mike and Tym's latest solo work!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our weekend concert previews either tonight or tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
After three straight days of concert reviews, it's time to return to a sense of normalcy, if for only one post before 2010 ends! I have some special posts coming over the next little while, but for tonight, it's business as usual, including a concert cancellation, two concert previews for New Years Eve shows, and first, a MAJOR LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!
Remember in March when I reported that Philadelphia glam metal legends Cinderella were coming to Kewadin Casino in May, only to find out a day later that it was actually a live production of the PLAY based on the fairy tale, NOT the band Cinderella? That was one of my strangest errors ever since starting the SMS, but I'm sure many of you could see where I was confused. Kewadin Casino frequently books hair metal bands, Cinderella had just announced a new tour, and you don't usually hear anything about live stage plays there, let alone ones who share names with a band who seem likely to play there. Well, I can finally make amends for that, as yes, Cinderella (the band) ARE coming to The Dreammaker's Theater on April 14th, in the second announced major hard rock show there in 2011! I can verify that it's the band this time around because The Sault Star reported this show earlier this afternoon at this location, so unless they got their Cinderellas mixed up too, then we're 100% in for some hair metal goodness in April! Best known for hits like "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)", "Coming Home", and "Shelter Me", they've sold over 7 million albums since their 1983 inception on the backs of their exciting hair metal sound!
This concert will take place on April 14th, 2011 at 7:00 PM, with possible opening bands not announced yet. Tickets are now on sale for $39.50 at Kewadin Casino's ticketing page, at their box office, or by phone if you call 1-800-KEWADIN! Hair metal fans should be right at home with this concert, which promises to be a hard hitting night of classic songs...that is, unless it's the play again. It can't happen a second time, can it? If it does, I'll change all this, but I think we're good this time around! Stay tuned for updates as they come in!
Now for previews of the known metal/hard rock concerts taking place on New Years Eve, or tomorrow night! But first, here's a cancellation, as the planned Turner Up concert tomorrow is completely cancelled. Originally scheduled for The Nicolet Tavern (according to Robert Brown on the band's Facebook group), they were later added to the New Years Eve lineup at The Rockstar Bar along with Obsession and local comedian J.P. Naphan. No official word on why the Nicolet booking was off, but it would have been cool to see them at The Rockstar Bar! However, since that announcement, band members' Facebook pages have since retracted that statement and now, there's no Turner Up this weekend at all. Odd to see a weekend with no shows from them, but I imagine they'll be back in full force in 2011!
Now to the shows that are still on, and we'll start at Foggy Notions, where four of the newest and brightest metal bands in Sault Ontario hit the stage one more time to end 2010! The headlining band is WinkStinger, four days after they dropped out of the Nightmare After Christmas Party at Foggy's. Hopefully Alan Wells' voice is back for the show, so that WinkStinger can unleash their assault of extreme hardcore metal to ring in 2011 in the heaviest way possible! Also scheduled are two of the newest death metal bands in town, State of Misery and The Bear Hunters! Both are sure to devastate with their heavy and aggressive takes on death metal, which have both gotten some high notices since their respective live debuts! And yes, if you're wondering where the new State of Misery videos are, I'll have them in my next news post. The picture on your left (and the Facebook event page) also confirm that local metal cover trio Sativa Rose have also been added to the lineup, essentially replacing Bring The Fallen as the fourth band tomorrow night. They've also been making waves since their debut this summer with their very proficient classic metal covers, so watch out for them as the openers tomorrow night! Check the above links for more on the scheduled bands!
This show takes place at 9:00 PM tomorrow night at Foggy Notions, with NO COVER CHARGE! You must be 19 to enter. This is probably the best and heaviest way you can end 2010 with, so if you are free and have no other plans, then head to Foggy's for this show! I regrettably can't go, as we have family plans tomorrow night, but I am VERY overdue to see Sativa Rose, The Bear Hunters, and State of Misery, and you have my word: I WILL be at shows with these bands in 2011, hopefully sooner rather than later! WinkStinger too, I've loved their concerts! For now though, check the above links for more details, and for a video preview, check out this brand new video of WinkStinger playing their original song "Where'd We Go Wrong" from the Garden of Bedlam concert earlier this month! Thanks to YouTube user WhiskeyBar1 for the upload!
And finally, in Sault Michigan, the place to be is The Corner Pub Bar & Grill, where a prominent local hard rock band make their long awaited local return tomorrow night! For the first time since July's Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Summer Festival, local hard rockers Elipzis play a local concert, as they close out 2010 with a New Years Eve bash! This was no hiatus though, they've been rocking all over Michigan, and are poised for a big homecoming tomorrow night! A 7:00 PM start time is listed on the official Facebook event page, with no announced cover charge. Like most bar shows, I would expect a 19+ age limit. It's always good to see Elipzis back in town, and their brand of melodic hard rock has attracted fans all over Michigan, so they should deliver a nice set of music tomorrow night to celebrate the New Year! Plus, who knows when they'll be back home for a concert? Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Elipzis playing their song "Take Me On" earlier this month in Warren, Michigan!
That's all for tonight, but stay tuned tomorrow for a special post where we look back at 2010 and the events, shows, debuts, demises, releases, and stories from the past year! Thanks everyone!
The holiday season is in full swing, and tomorrow is what I'm calling the first day of our holiday concert season at The Sault Metal Scene, with at least nine metal/hard rock concerts confirmed through the end of 2010, and that doesn't even count some additional metal shows that promoter Rich Moreland has yet to officially confirm! Because of the amount and consistent stretch of shows, I'm breaking them up a tiny bit by previewing tomorrow's concerts ONLY tonight, with more to come on or around Friday. So we'll get to that soon, but first, here are some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!
We'll go in chronological order, starting with the long awaited local return of Sault Michigan hard rockers Elipzis! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is their first local concert set since July's Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Summer Festival! After five months of shows all over Michigan, they're back home for a New Year's Eve concert at The Corner Pub Bar & Grill! A 7:00 PM start time is announced, and they'll be rocking well into 2011 at this concert, taking place one week from Friday! No cover charge has been announced, and given that this is a bar, you must be 21 to enter. It's great to see Elipzis back in town one more time to cap off the year, and I can safely say after finally seeing them live that they'll rock the house with their energetic brand of music! For more information, visit the above links and the official Facebook event page! Also, if you guys are Pop Evil fans and don't mind travelling, Elipzis will be supporting Pop Evil at a show in Traverse City on January 21st, get more details on it at this location! Stay tuned for more from Elipzis as I hear it!
The other new show involves a local hard rock musician's return to The Big Cheese in Heyden, just outside of Sault Ontario! That musician is Tym Morrison, who brings his acoustic solo project back there after quite a long hiatus from shows at that concert spot. The last one I can remember was in December 2009, so this has been a long time coming! He's confirmed for a show there on January 7th, with a 10:00 PM start time and a likely 19+ age limit, so if you live in the Heyden area, circle that on your calendars! But that doesn't appear to be all, as the Facebook event page hypes that Tym will be at The Big Cheese "every Friday". Additional dates after January 7th haven't been announced yet, but if this holds, he'll be there every Friday on a similar arrangement to his weekly Sunday night shows at Foggy Notions. It's great to see Tym booking so many shows so consistently, but I have to ask, what will happen with the Big Cheese arrangement once Caveman Morrison return? Usually, they do shows on the Friday and Saturday of a given weekend, so something likely has to give at some point once the new Caveman Morrison lineup debuts! For now though, get ready for Tym twice a week, every week for the next little while, and as the next Big Cheese dates after January 7th get announced, I'll let you all know!
For now though, we still have Tym Morrison solo dates in 2010 to get to, so here's a preview for one taking place TOMORROW NIGHT! Tym returns to The Bottoms Up Lounge for the first time in two months tomorrow for a set full of acoustic metal and hard rock classics, and more! This show is part of The Bottoms Up Lounge's Christmaspalooza concert week featuring some of their favourite local performers hitting the stage for the Christmas season! None of the other scheduled performers are in the hard rock/metal vein, but if you want to see what's on the horizon there, click here! Tym's likely to be on at 10:00 PM tomorrow night, with no announced cover charge and a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's always fun to see Tym Morrison live, he has a huge setlist and lots of talent to go around, so hopefully you guys can make it out to see him tomorrow night, or on Sunday at Foggy Notions, which we'll preview on Friday!
For more from Tym's solo project, visit his official website, or check this video out! Yes, we finally have video footage of Tym Morrison solo, thanks to YouTube user Dave Running, who posted this video of Tym playing a very solid cover of Eric Claption's "Tears In Heaven" from his Foggy's show this past Sunday onto his YouTube channel! Check it out below!
The other local metal show taking place tomorrow night is the next metal night at The Roosevelt Hotel, who recently announced on their Facebook page that they'd be expanding the schedule to include metal nights every two weeks! Awesome to hear, hopefully it sticks! For now though, we focus on tomorrow's concert, featuring a slate of four local metal bands! The announced headliners are, in their live concert debut, local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters! Featuring 3/5ths of the classic D.O.T.H. lineup, plus singer Nik Deubel (ex-Dark Salvation) and guitarist Mitch Sirie (Stillbroke), they're sure to turn heads in their first official concert appearance! They'll be joined by three other local bands, including local grimecore trio Shit Liver, in their first live show since opening for Total Chaos last month! Whether you get their sound or you don't, they'll leave an impression with their dirty and grimy take on punk and death metal! New local death metal band State of Misery also return for this show, after debuting at the last Rosie metal night concert! I've heard and seen good things from their first concert, here's hoping the success continues tomorrow night! And finally, local classic metal cover trio Sativa Rose return to the stage for the first time since September to rock The Rosie in their debut at this venue! They may not growl or have originals that I've heard, but they've gotten a good response since debuting, so look out for them as well! For more on each band, check out the above links!
There is no announced cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time for tomorrow's show, and yes, you must be 19 to enter. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! None of these bands are al that established locally yet, but they all have their own style of music that will find fans locally, as these four bands could be a vital part of the local metal scene in years to come! Definitely head to The Rosie tomorrow night if you can! For a video preview, here's The Bear Hunters playing their song "Casualties of War" (minus Nik Deubel & Mike Vincent, and plus former guitarist Andres Duchesne) from a jam session earlier this summer!
Before we wrap up today's post, here's one more Bear Hunters note, that being a brand new audio sample! Posted three days ago on their MySpace page, it's an instrumental take of their original song "Collapse The Sun". It's the first audio recording of the band that we've seen, and it's also the first time we've heard them with current guitarist Mike Vincent, though once again, Nik Deubel is nowhere to be found. I wonder why we've heard nothing with vocals yet? The song itself is actually really impressive, the riff's proficient and catchy, and the band show good chemistry and heaviness! I really like Mitch's solo too! If "Collapse The Sun" is a sign of things to come, than fans should be VERY excited! Click here to check it out! That's all for tonight, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the next few days, along with more concert previews on Friday night, and more to follow! Thanks everyone!
Hey everyone, I apologize for the lack of updates over the last little while. I was in Detroit for family Christmas stuff, and my uncle's computer (and lack of Firefox) didn't make SMS posting easy. Plus, we've been busy as well, but on Saturday, I had good reason to not be around that night: I was at a concert with a local band! That is this post's first story, but stay tuned afterwards for some VERY exciting news from Woods of Ypres! Firstly though, here's what went down at that concert on Saturday night!
A few weeks ago, Elipzis bassist Ryan Harrison offered me some complimentary tickets to a show they'd be playing on December 18th, which was the WRIF Jingle Ball in Warren, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. Because I was going down there that weekend anyway, and because I'm overdue to see this rising local hard rock band in action, I agreed! However, after an issue involving a hacked Facebook account, there wasn't any follow-up on Ryan's offer. Then, Elipzis announced last week that they were holding a contest for three prize packages from the band and GHS Strings, the guitar company who sponsor guitarist Chris Webster, including lots of GHS swag and two tickets to the WRIF Jingle Ball. Fans could enter by e-mailing their MySpace page to suggest what song they should open their set with. Still hoping to go, I entered and suggested they open with "Six Shots". Not long after, I was informed I won, so it was off to The Ritz in Warren for me! Before I discuss their set, I want to add that all four members of Elipzis (and their manager) are complete class acts who were all welcoming, kind, and completely lacking any rock star egos! I couldn't say enough nice things about them, and I want to thank them for the hospitality, the copy of their demo, and for everything else they've said, done, and offered before and since!
Elipzis were fourth on the bill, smack dab in the middle of the show, following three other female fronted Michigan rock bands: Anderson Valley from Oakland County, and Detroit's own Mound Road Engine and Fillmore Slim. I missed half of Anderson Valley's set (I didn't figure they'd start so early), but they got in the Christmas spirit and sounded alright, though nothing about their sound or set really stuck with me. Mound Road Engine were heavier and I loved their frontwoman's stage presence, but her voice had an odd nasal tone. Her range was very nice though, and the band were energetic and had some good sounds! Fillmore Slim were more original, especially from their look, though not as heavy. More of a glam rock sound, with decent aggression and some catchy songs, but the singing wasn't as rangy as I'd have hoped. When Elipzis hit the stage, the audience was sadly pretty sparse up front, but the band sounded really good! I hate sounding locally biased, but I'm 100% honest: They were the best band to that point! I have praised frontwoman Rachel "Fizz" Kiger's singing before on the SMS, but live, she sounds pretty close to the studio tracks, so theres little to complain about there! I like the operatic quality her singing can take on certain songs, and she honestly had the best vocal range of the singers from the bands on Saturday night!
Chris Webster shown off some nice riffing and solos during Elipzis' set, and though he seemed a bit tucked away in the corner of the stage, he shown a high energy level and seemed into each song! Ryan Harrison, who I previously was most familiar with as a singer in the now-defunct Riot! By Night, proved to be a more than capable bassist as well! His lines and notes sounded good when they were audible, though some solo sections would be nice to hear once in a while! Drummer Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone of I.S.O.M. and End of Existence fame) was very much into into each song on drums, never faltering, while offering some brutal backing vocals on "Take Me On"! That's something I'd like to hear more of, as you can never be too heavy! What struck me about these guys (and girl) especially was their chemistry. It was evident on every song, be it the originals on their demo or their covers of songs by Evanescence and Halestorm! After their set, the band members expressed disappointment (or worse) concerning the sound at The Ritz and the audio feedback they heard throughout the set, but I honestly couldn't tell, they sounded just fine to me!
It was really nice to see Elipzis after months of covering them here, and I never would have guessed that my first time seeing them live would be somewhere other than Sault Michigan! I honestly would rank them very high, if not #1, of the bands that played at the WRIF Jingle Ball, as they had the best mix of hard rock, top level singing, and visible chemistry of the bands on the bill! Radio hard rock fans will be sure to enjoy Elipzis, so the next time they're back home, make sure to check them out! And because of the fact that a "review on the run" for the SMS is a new thing (and it's the Christmas season), I took two videos, so check them out below, Elipzis playing their originals "Take Me On" and "Forensic Truth"!
The rest of the concert featured three more bands, including Detroit hard rockers 60 Second Crush, California solo artist The Fabulous Miss Wendy, and Detroit rock quintet Sponge. It's interesting to note that all seven bands on Saturday except Sponge had a female member, and of those, all but 60 Second Crush had a female singer. Women were definitely in control on Saturday in two different respects: on stage and on stripper poles, where a raunchy Santa Claus' "naughty pole dancing elves" provided entertainment of their own. No I didn't get pictures, in case someone asks, I don't want to invoke any negative responses in case someone finds that stuff offensive. Of the top three bands, 60 Second Crush had a solid sound but the frontman's singing was pretty standard and didn't stack up to the female singers of earlier. The Fabulous Miss Wendy really impressed me with her guitar skills and energy, and the fans responded well to her! Former Kid Rock guitarist Kenny Olson also joined in during her set, which was cool to see, especially from a guy who enjoyed Kenny's work with Kid Rock before he went country on us. Sponge though, I have to admit, didn't grab my attention at all. They weren't all that heavy, the songs seemed to just lie there, and nothing seemed glaringly original. They had awesome crowd support, but I can't say I really enjoyed them.
The atmosphere was also really nice, with holiday wreath raffles (I won one from No Fun Records), merchandise from Chiller Drive-In and Fourtwenty Clothing, and live broadcasting for Detroit rock station 101 WRIF! This was a fun concert, and different from what I usually see locally, which isn't a bad thing! I made out with lots of prizes, a great first impression of Elipzis, and some good music to boot! Maybe down the road, I'll review more sets from local bands if they play a concert out of town when I'm in the same area!
Finally for today, here's some big news from local doom metal band Woods of Ypres! Remember last August when I mentioned the interview that frontman David Gold conducted with the Canadian comedy metal podcast The Governor's Ball? Well, a new interview with David is featured in the newest "blackened holiday" episode of The Governor's Ball that was posted online on Friday! Conducted while David was still in Kuwait (he's back home in Canada now), The Governor asked David about why he went to Kuwait, what it's like for him out there musically, Woods of Ypres' signing with Earache Records, why they finally signed a label deal, their upcoming new album "Woods V: You Were The Light", Earache's reissue plans for "Woods IV: The Green Album" (how does a vinyl release sound?), plans for some unreleased newer material, and the things he'll take back from his Kuwait experience. The absence of talk of Woods of Ypres' fake breakup is odd, but it's a nice long interview that covers a lot of ground about the band's past and future! The Governor lets David talk about anything and everything without interruption, which is nice, and he also injects some humour into the proceedings! His "horror villain" voice is especially unique, it always has been! I don't listen to The Governor's Ball as often as I really should, but I have got to amend that!
The interview starts about 1:30 into part 2 of the current episode, and runs until about 20 minutes into the file. We can't leave it there though, as pretty much as soon as the interview wraps up, music plays underneath The Governor's speaking, evolving into...A NEW WOODS OF YPRES SONG! It's their new album's title track, "You Were The Light", and it's a very solid number that feels like a more upbeat (but still doomy) version of a "Woods IV" song! I won't pass detailed judgment until we review "Woods V", but it won't get a negative review! It runs from around 20 minutes in until roughly 26 minutes in, and after a short commercial for The Governor's Ball, it's time for ANOTHER new Woods of Ypres song! Entitled "Falling Apart", it's much heavier than the first track, and also a really cool song, but again, I won't give a detailed critique until "Woods V" is in our hands! This song runs until around 33 ½ minutes into the file. So, how can you listen to the interview with David and both of the new Woods of Ypres songs? Just click here! It opens as a QuickTime file on my browser, but it works on other media players if you download it. Check out the rest of the podcast at this location, including Part 1 and the latter half of Part 2, featuring guest co-hosts Silenoz from Dimmu Borgir and Ivar Bjornson from Enslaved talking about metal and their bands with The Governor! This is well worth your time, give The Governor's Ball a listen TODAY, and I'll have more from Woods of Ypres as it comes in!
I'd normally say that this is all for today, but I just remembered: I have a Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile to post tonight! It is on S.C.A.R., featuring local solo artist Mike Haggith, so watch out for that in the next few hours! Stay tuned!
Elipzis
Info/Analysis: Making their first public splash by opening for Meat Loaf at July 2010's Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Summer Festival, Elipzis soon became one of the most prominent local hard rock bands over the following year, playing solo headlining gigs & battles of the bands alike at regional venues (mainly at The Corner Pub), while also playing a number of Lower Peninsula gigs, including opening for the likes of Pop Evil & Adema. After Wally David replaced Bob Helsten on drums, the band played their last shows in early 2011 (including one last Soo date that March), preceding Rachel Kiger & Ryan Harrison's full time move to Muskegon. Elipzis dissolved that summer, and were immediately replaced by RedStone Riot, a similar Muskegon-based band that featured all of Elipzis' last lineup (sans Chris Webster.) While RedStone Riot are carrying Elipzis' torch for sure, the prior band has a similar merit level, with great melodic vocals, strong guitar riffs, and a nice friendly chemistry, which I was lucky enough to see live in Warren at the WRIF Jingle Ball! It'd have been nice to see Elipzis together longer, but follow RedStone Riot for a similar sound!
