Today's post is designed to get ourselves caught up on two distinct local solo projects featuring guitarists from past metal bands flexing their solo muscle on original studio material, so here's what you should know from them over the past so many months!
Let's take a long overdue look at recent news & updates from local industrial metal project Molten Imp! Be advised that many of Molten Imp's posts on their Facebook page are vague or cryptic by design, often hinting at general upcoming work moreso than something finite about new material or concert dates or whatnot. Back in November, they teased a "one man electric jam" that has since been deleted from their Soundcloud page, alas, but it would have been interesting to hear! In December, project leader/AlgomA alum Boyd Rendell teased having "a great video call with an old friend about new stuff coming up", and while it may have been for the since released "Pyrolytic Punishment" split with goregrind project Crucify The Whore, I can't 100% confirm that. On January 4th, Boyd did hint that the initial plan for the split was a three-way release also featuring Chase Wigmore, but that obviously didn't pan out.
On January 29th, Boyd revealed that the movie Awakenings inspired AlgomA's old original song "Extinct Volcanoes", and if you know what that movie was about, you'll understand the symbolism! As we alluded to when Mike Haggith launched MorningStar Records in the spring, Molten Imp signed on as one of the first non-Mike acts from the Soo, and on March 8th, they announced plans to release a "double EP" through this imprint in the fall. That season is arguably less than a month away, so we'll have to see if that planned release is indeed still in the cards! Also in the spring, Molten Imp launched an official store (via MySpreadShop, a manufacture-on-demand deal like Redbubble) so you can buy various official fabric items with their new logo. That is pictured here on the cover for their fourth digital single, fittingly named "IV", which came out on their Bandcamp page on April 25th!
Yes, it came out on that day, but it has already been taken down. Why? Because Boyd bundled the songs from all four of their virtual singles onto one compilation album named "Bloom Closing: Singles ('23-'20)" that was released on Bandcamp on May 13th! Yes, this means that "IV" as a standalone digital single was only on the market for a maximum of 18 days, but at least you can still buy it (and more). Mike Haggith equalized the songs for this compilation, and it was hinted that the Bandcamp paid download-exclusive bonus songs are similarly included here. You can buy "Bloom Closing" for $16.75, and if you find that price to be steep, the whole thing can be streamed for free there as well, albeit sans any bonus songs. Boyd also hopes to release "Bloom Closing" on CDs, and he has since confirmed that this will be handled via MorningStar (I don't know if this is the previously teased "double EP" or if plans changed).
Two new electronica songs have been posted to Soundcloud in the last two months, namely the sample-heavy "UVW 'And Another One'" and the more industrial "Bessemer Process", but again, many posts from Molten Imp are cryptic, personal, or vague by design, and often show off Boyd's gear and equipment more than finished products. In a rare Facebook video, however, Molten Imp did sample a newer original song on May 10th with a video pointed at a speaker grill, and it's a fun, in-your-face techno number with a good drum-and-bass element! That is embedded below, but get much more from Boyd's creative blend of industrial metal at the above links, and hopefully we don't fall this behind on Molten Imp again!
Finally, here's the latest from ex-Winkstinger guitarist Jason Ladouceur's solo rap/metal project In The Sun (née Less Than Zero), who we haven't talked about on the SMS in five months, so what have they been up to? Well, in April, they changed their name again, first toying with Broken By Design before settling on Failure To Remain, as per updates to their Bandlab page. Unlike the switch to In The Sun last year, a reason for the name change(s) was not announced, but I do think that Failure To Remain suits Jason's genre better than In The Sun did. New and reworked material has been steadily shared to both the Bandlab page and their YouTube channel in recent months, and on July 21st, Jason compiled 19 original songs as an "album" named "Quantum Affiliation", representing the project's evolution and as "a mix of everything meaningful".
Now, this isn't a pure "album" release, as it is a free download and you can only even get that if you have a Bandlab account, but it is the most convenient place to hear Jason's solo music in one place in the form he currently intends (he has reworked and altered a lot of his songs over these months). Failure To Remain's songs continue mixing rock and rap styles with lots of experimentation and post-production, giving them a unique sound that other local bands really aren't trying (The Apocalypse Afterparty would share the most musical DNA), but Jason's vocals can still lack in force and confidence. Check out Failure To Remain's material above, and here's a solid newer cut, "Occupied Affiliation Creation"!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Die Mannequin frontwoman Caroline Kawa (a.k.a. Care Failure), who just passed away according to numerous social media postings at the age of 36. Read her obituary at this link. A standout presence on the Toronto alt-rock scene from Die Mannequin's launch in 2005 onward, Care will be familiar to SMS readers from her set with Die Mannequin at the former Roosevelt Hotel in May 2012, when they and Dearly Beloved stopped in town on their Danceland Tour, but a planned June 2014 return gig at The Rockstar Bar was cancelled. Die Mannequin peaked in the late 2000s and early 2010s with songs like "Bad Medicine" and "Dead Honey", and would land songs on the final two Big Shiny Tunes CDs in the process. Care also had a well received turn as an actress in the 2010 film Hard Core Logo 2, with the band factoring into the plot & soundtrack of the long-awaited film.
I wasn't at Die Mannequin's local concert, nor can I find public videos from it, but Care was an original and a very talented musician who crossed punk and alternative genre boundaries to strong effect, and it's a shame to lose her at such a young age like this. Do check out Die Mannequin's original material and live videos, and consider donating to Musicares in her name to pay tribute. R.I.P. Care! Now, here's a new tribute song to another musician we lost, and first, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local rap/party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty will be among the openers at TOMORROW'S Madchild-headlined concert at Soo Blaster! Apologies for the short notice, organizers R-Evolution Media only confirmed The A.A. for this show in promotional materials posted online this week, though the Stanghettas were previously teasing their involvement on their personal Facebook pages. This marks a trilogy for rap concerts at Soo Blaster with The Apocalypse Afterparty as the lone rock band outpost, following their appearances at last fall's Tech N9ne and Afroman gigs, and clearly things went well for Paul & Amanda's minimalist hybrid sound to get called back TOMORROW NIGHT! Madchild is the Vancouver rapper best known from the Juno and MuchMusic Video Award winning rap group Swollen Members, who were easily one of the biggest domestic rap acts of the 2000s, so fans will want to note that aspect!
I don't know that Madchild does many Swollen Members songs live, but it'll be interesting to see him in town TOMORROW, and he has a deep solo catalog that dips into horrorcore now, even! Guelph rapper Robbie G (who also opened for Tech N9ne & Afroman here) is the top billed opener, and the other opening acts include Sound Syndrome, Sawbe & Stoney, RyxnNick, Ille$t, and Superskunk Lucas. For reference, Sawbe & RyxnNick were also seen at the Afroman show, and there may be other ties to the Tech N9ne and Afroman lineups if you count solo rappers who were seen in groups or ensembles (and vice versa). While uncredited on the poster, Madchild's own Facebook promotion of TOMORROW'S concert confirms that his DJ on this tour is Dow Jones. A later 10:00 PM start time is in effect, and tickets run for $34.11 online at this link or $25 if bought through local openers.
Note that at there are higher priced VIP packages for meet & greets and signed posters and whatnot, plus a deal on a booth for 6 people, while at least The Apocalypse Afterparty were selling two tickets for $40. Also note that the online sale page says that this is all ages, but use your best judgement on that given the locale and timing of the concert. Should be a fun night for hip-hop fans, with The Apocalypse Afterparty back to bridge the gap between the rap and bass-led metal worlds, so keep TOMORROW'S show in mind, and here's The A.A. live at Soo Blaster!
We'll close today with a tribute song to a local musician who passed away two years ago, namely former Highway 63/Monkey's Uncle frontman Henry Switzer. A staple of the Sault Michigan scene since the 1990s, Henry died in February 2021 after a heart ailment at just 49 years of age, and he would have turned 52 this past Monday. In honour of his birthday, Soundcheck drummer Glen Thomas (who played in a band with Henry back when he taught guitar across the river & remained friends long afterwards) posted a song in tribute to Henry named "Forever Highway 63" on his YouTube channel. Glen had actually been working on this song since the spring of 2021, as Facebook friends of his may recall, and he elaborates about how quickly the song came together and what he went through writing it in the description (yes, it is a lyric video too). His old Flat Stanley bandmate Tony Kajnar provides lead guitar in the outro.
Other than some directly music-centric lyrics late, the song isn't hyper specific to Henry, but it comes from a place of loss and respect, and it shows in Glen's voice. He's not a skilled vocalist and he admits as much in the description but the mood is right and I'm sure Henry would appreciate Glen's gesture here! Glen has other original songs with him singing on his YouTube channel, and while they're generally not musically heavy, his talents are present! Give "Forever Highway 63" a listen below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!
