The Latest Updates & Album News From The Realignment Project!!

Let's talk about local industrial metal solo project The Realignment Project in this single-topic post today, so what have they been up to since we last left off with them in November? Well, on the 7th of that month, project leader Matt Hicks revealed that their fourth EP would be called "Let You Fall", which he had already finished recording at that point (remember, T.R.P. released three EPs last year alone). On November 10th, Matt confirmed both the final album cover and the release date of January 2nd (this past Friday!), with the track listing following on the 16th, notably specifying that "Scatterbrain" was retitled from "Nitwit" for one reason or another. You can see "Scatterbrain", "Where Did You Go?", and "By Myself" from that album being tracked in vertical videos linked here, here, and here from their Facebook page that same month. In a surprise announcement on November 24th, Matt announced that The Realignment Project had signed a label deal!

As teased in this video, he is working with East London Recordings, a British indie label that help independent artists release physical albums, and they have released T.R.P.'s first two 2025 EPs "Afterthought" & "The Frustration Sessions" together on vinyl, one EP on each side! East London uses a print-on-demand method from ElasticStage for making albums, which is also what Mike Haggith's MorningStar Records utilizes for physical album pressings, but I have no idea if Matt was aware of that prior. It does appear that ElasticStage's 12'' vinyl records have a 23 minute limit per side, which affects "The Frustration Sessions". Rather than drop a song, Matt opted to edit down four of its songs to fit ("Minor Outburst" alone is chopped down by 50 seconds). Keep that in mind before buying, but if you want some local industrial rock on vinyl, it costs $43.90 at this link!

This would imply that their third EP ("War Songs") & "Let You Fall" will be similarly combined for a vinyl release, but if East London does release them thusly, note that both EPs exceed 23 minutes, so expect edits on both sides. "Let You Fall" was successfully released on Friday, and if you believe promotional postings, it is "available everywhere". Definitely not true, as it isn't even on Amazon Music at press time, among other services, but you can currently stream it on YouTube (with lyric video postings ongoing), Apple Music, Spotify, Boomplay, and KKBox, and it is buyable on Bandcamp (name your price) and iTunes ($5.94). Given our ongoing album review backlog, The Realignment Project are currently pencilled in for April, as No Arrow, Sykotyk Rampage, and Handsome Sandwich all had albums that beat the yet-to-be-reviewed "War Songs" to market.

In the event that "War Songs" and "Let You Fall" get a joint vinyl release by April 30th, I would review both at once, as that would be a singular local album release, but if this was a one-and-done, we'd just review "War Songs". Either way, I'll be looking at new music from The Realignment Project in the spring, and Matt never stops, as he was already working on his fifth EP as of December 13th! Also last month, Matt was interviewed about The Realignment Project by David Oman of the British blog PlayedByDavid, where David interviews various indie musicians, seemingly all being posed the same questions. In Matt's interview, he outlines his musical background, favourite original songs, his songwriting and recording process, favourite musicians, future plans, and more, and he gives some good detailed thoughts on the topics at hand! In terms of scoops, the biggest one is that he's planning to release T.R.P. CDs.

This would be through ElasticStage (no word on if he'd be combining them like on vinyl), and while Matt is not planning on playing live in this project, he hasn't ruled it out either. It's great to see The Realignment Project staying exceedingly productive, and hopefully 2026 sees more quality music from them, so stay tuned for more from Matt soon, and here's the lyric video for the opening/title track from "Let You Fall"! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations) & The Fall Of Earth Concert Preview!!

A quiet weekend is upon us for the first concert weekend of October 2023, but because shows being covered today have extended write-ups, we still have to bump a pair of shows (Fyrbird's shows at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino) to our next post coming hopefully tomorrow morning. As such, we're staying in Sault Ontario with a big update to a metal concert tomorrow night, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (two on SHORT NOTICE), so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! Apologies for the short notice, drummer Tony Santoro announced the shows on their Facebook group on September 24th, which regrettably slipped me by at the time, though note that the venue's Facebook page has not confirmed these shows as of this writing. After taking last weekend off partially due to singer Valerie Powley's judging commitments at The Soo's Got Talent (more on round #2 on the site soon), these will be Generations' first shows at the former Reggie's West in almost three months. It is worth noting that their full current lineup will be on hand TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, after guitarist Tony Kajnar had to miss their Reggie's Place gigs last month due to prior commitments. Replacing him two weeks ago was veteran local guitarist Mike McDonald.

Mike's not familiar from our coverage, but he has ample music experience out of town, recently in the Toronto-based Rolling Stones tribute band The Beggars Banquet, and you can click here for a biography on him. Hopefully he fit in well with Generations! While we're on the subject, Tony S. also confirmed more October dates for Generations on their Facebook group on Sunday, which include returns to Shooters Downstairs Lounge on Friday, October 13th, Reggie's Place on Saturday, October 14th, and October 20th & 21st at The Esquire Club. Now, it is worth noting that on their fall concert calendar, The Esquire Club had Generations tapped for the 13th & 14th, and The Steeltown Playboys playing on the 20th & 21st instead. Clearly, something has changed for Generations to move ahead on week, but I cannot confirm if they swapped weekends with The Steeltown Playboys or if there was another change.

We'll let you know if something is said publically! TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT's Jay's concerts and their upcoming dates at Shooters, Reggie's, and The Esquire Club are all 19+ events with no announced cover charges, and expect 9:30 PM start times more or less across the board, though likely 9:00 PM at Shooters. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Generations live earlier this summer!

Next up, here's one more concert preview for this weekend, namely the local debut of Edmonton melodic deathcore quartet Fall Of Earth TOMORROW NIGHT, but now at a new venue! Originally slated to take place at Soo Blaster, this rare post-pandemic extreme metal show was moved to The Queen Of Hearts Club (the upstairs venue above Shooters Downstairs Lounge) on Monday. A reason for the venue change was not publically announced, but hopefully nothing too serious happened, as Soo Blaster is a good venue for bigger shows like this! We have yet to cover a legit concert at The Queen Of Hearts Club, but this upstairs space has hosted events concurrently with Shooters downstairs, and will do so tomorrow with Bourbon Blue playing in the lounge. Fall Of Earth will bring their fresh hybrid of extreme metal subgenres to Soo metalheads tomorrow night, so don't miss out on their brutality then!

Perhaps an even bigger drawing card than the touring headliners tomorrow is the return of local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters in their first public concert (unlike the event in Leeburn) in almost two years, and if you don't count pop-up venues, their first at a permanent advertised locale since 2019. It's great to see The Bear Hunters out of their eternal hibernation, and hopefully they're back with a vengenace tomorrow above Shooters! Newer local metal trio The BAG will open the proceedings, and their talents and rising profile bode well for one of their bigger stages since forming! This 19+ concert has an 8:00 PM start time, and while a $15 advance ticket fee was announced when the show was still at Soo Blaster, post-move advertising only notes the $20 door charge. Inquire within if you're unsure about advance ticket availability.

If you've been missing an extreme metal show like this, especially one with touring headliners and bands with more than one or two people, then you won't want to miss out on Fall Of Earth, The Bear Hunters, and The BAG tomorrow night! Honestly, the interior of The Queen Of Hearts Club does remind me a bit of the late lamented Oddfellows Hall (also on Dennis Street), so keep that in mind as well. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Fall Of Earth live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for the Fyrbird previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fall Of Earth & Mean Bikini), The Ripcordz Concert Preview, And New Videos!!

We are officially in the fall months, and let's kick things off with a packed post on this Friday morning, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one more weekend concert preview, and some new live videos. Here's what you should know to kick off your Labour Day long weekend!

Cumberland, British Columbia punk quartet Mean Bikini will make their local concert debut on Wednesday, September 27th when they headline at Algoma University's on-campus nightclub The Speak Easy! It is great to see The Speak Easy being used as a metal/punk venue again, as we haven't covered a SMS-amenable show there in over five years (pandemic acknowledged). A unique band in the sense that half of their lineup is non-binary, Mean Bikini's intense brand of skate and hardcore punk (dotted with some political lyrics) should find a very receptive audience later this month, and while all of their music on Bandcamp so far is relatively new, you have to start somewhere! Online page-less local folk punk/emo solo project Agnosticism (led by Vanity First/Hails guitarist Mikhal Muto) will open the proceedings in their first gig since playing at a private house party event with multiple other acts on August 19th.

This concert is one of four being put on by local promoters Dryer Fire this month, half being at The Speak Easy, and I hope that both do well to encourage more promoters to resume booking concerts there, especially after they completed some big renovations post-pandemic! This mid-week concert has an announced 7:00 PM start time, tickets are $10 in advance at this link or $15 at the door, and while one assumes this will be 19+, many past Speak Easy concerts were open to underage attendees if they had valid Algoma University student ID, so inquire within if this still applies. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, if you've been craving a proper metal show, this should help, as Edmonton melodic deathcore quartet Fall Of Earth will make their local debut on Friday, October 6th at Soo Blaster! Another relatively newer band with no posted media before the 2020s, Fall Of Earth bring a hybrid of metal subgenres to the table along with a standout live performance, and as they hit the road in support of their new album "From The Ashes", hopefully local metalheads come out in full force for this one next month! Reunited local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters will play their first public concert in almost two years as openers, and if you discount that Mellow D's Underground-hosted event given the venue's pop-up nature, this will be their first truly public show with a permanent address since 2019, when The Bear Hunters opened for Seax & Warsenal, also at Soo Blaster. Hopefully there's much more from Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny to come, and it's great to have them back!

The opening band will be newer local metal trio The BAG, fresh off of their set at Lopstock in July, and they should set the tone with their in your face (if mostly untitled publically) original slate and select covers! Promoted by Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger (who also hosted the big, yet private & friends-aimed event in Leeburn last month), this concert has a 7:30 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and admission of $15 in advance or $20 at the door. I am not sure if they're selling tickets online or if they will be solely available through local openers/the venue, keep posted for updates on that front. This should be a great time for metal fans, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Now let's wrap up this weekend's known hard rock and punk concert previews within an hour of city limits, and it's the big one, as Montreal hardcore punk trio The Ripcordz will make their post-pandemic return to the Soo TONIGHT at The Loft at The Algoma Conservatory of Music! Like The Bear Hunters above, this will be Paul Gott & crew's first stop at a permanent local venue since the fall of 2019, but they've never stopped, we just had a pandemic and the move of usual local promoter J.D. Pearce to contend with. Now they're back for another furious night of hardcore punk originals old and new, and if you saw their seven local dates from 2013-2019 or their numerous trips prior, you won't want to miss out on tonight's festivities! Local support will come by way of alt-punk trio A Dire Setback (who opened for The Ripcordz the last time they came here) and newer local punk rock quartet Far From Fine.

Fresh off of their sets at The Northern Vibe Festival, hopefully their Loft debuts go swimmingly tonight! Promoted by ex-Destroilet drummer Matt Waples in his debut booking, tonight's 19+ and 8:00 PM show has $25 tickets on sale at this link, and uniquely, Matt plans to hold a $500 raffle IF the show sells out of online tickets. Ploy to sell out the concert or just trying something different? I don't know, but if you want a shot at $500, don't wait to buy at the door! This should be a fun concert for hardcore punk fans, and long overdue in many respects, so visit the official Facebook event page for more on tonight's action, and here's The Ripcordz live!

We'll close today with new videos from Nostalgic Band frontman and veteran acoustic singer/guitarist Tym Morrison! This past Saturday, he took the hour+ drive east to Thessalon for a private booking of some description at the Pinecrest Tent & Trailer Park there, and as luck would have it, Christopher Paci was there that day and decided to film some of his set for his YouTube channel! How their paths crossed, I don't know, but Chris filmed Tym covering Toto's "Africa", Oasis' "Wonderwall", and as embedded below, Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive". Granted, this is the only one not zoomed in, but it is the longest of the three, and allows us to see the cabin space that Tym was playing at on Saturday at a little better. I'm not a huge fan of these songs, but Tym performs them as strongly as you'd expect, and his full solo concert setup came with him to Thessalon, so check these out above & below, and don't miss Tym TONIGHT at The Trading Post!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Kim Mitchell & Marianas Trench) And Details On The Mocha Concert Series!!

A special five day concert series will take place at GFL Memorial Gardens in September featuring major Canadian headlining acts for five consecutive nights! Named The Mocha Concert Series, these shows are fundraisers for The Mocha Fall Ceremonial, an annual convention for the Mocha Shriners Masonic society, who are based out of London but are affiliated with the Sault Shrine Club on Albert Street East. I'm not well versed in the Shriners outside of their fez hats and tiny cars, but they do great community work for local charities, children's hospital care, and sponsoring youth sports teams, and it is neat that the Mocha Shriners are holding their Ceremonial six hours north! If you're curious as to non-musical events at the convention, the program and the above links will fill you in, but of course, many of the events are primarily geared at Shriners members rather than the general public (there will be a parade though).

The Mocha Shriners clearly have the right connections to make a big deal out of the Ceremonial, partnering with national concert promoters F7 Entertainment to make all five of these shows happen, though be advised that the Facebook event page for the concert series says this is an "online event" despite tickets going on sale at the Memorial Gardens' box office tomorrow. If there is an online streaming component, I can't say, but these are in-person concerts. Of the five concerts, two have hard rock performers, the first truly heavier shows at the Gardens since the Offspring/Sum 41 show in late 2019, so these have been a long time coming! The three non-hard rock shows include Burlington indie pop band Walk Off The Earth & indie rock trio The Monowhales on Monday, September 19th, Calgary country singer Paul Brandt & Toronto country artist Owen Barney on Wednesday, September 21st,...

... and former Guess Who frontman Burton Cummings closing the concert series on Friday, September 23rd. Huge names for three very different genre ranges, and Owen aside, all have won Juno Awards, so definitely keep all three in mind if they interest you! That said, what about those two hard rock-featured concerts? Here's what you should know on them!

On Tuesday, September 20th, prepare for a wild party from a wild party, as former Max Webster frontman Kim Mitchell will return to the Soo for the first time in over fourteen years when he headlines at GFL Memorial Gardens! Well known domestically for hit singles like "Go For Soda", "Lager & Ale", and "Patio Lanterns", Kim has been a staple of Canadian rock radio for decades, and with his fun live show and excellent guitar work, fans won't wanna miss out in three months! Hard to believe he last played here at the Bell Border Jam at Runway Park in 2008. British Columbia alternative rock quintet 54-40 (of "Since When", "Casual Viewin'", and "Lies To Me" fame) will open in their first local concert appearance in recent memory, and while not as heavy, their own familiar and accessible range of hits should appeal to a wide array of fans this fall! Shame that all of these shows (Burton Cummings aside) are work/school nights.

The other concert during the Mocha Concert Series will see Vancouver pop punk quartet Marianas Trench return to the Soo for the fourth time when they headline at the Gardens on Thursday, September 22nd! You could call this the long delayed rescheduling of their planned November 2016 show there before an in-band illness forced it to to be cancelled (as such, this will be their first show here since playing at the then-Essar Centre in April 2013). I admit that my punk tastes lie elsewhere, but Marianas Trench have netted lots of familiar hit songs in Canada like "Shake Tramp", "All To Myself", and "Haven't Had Enough", so long-time fans will be chomping at the bit to see Josh & crew's pop rock stylings in town again! Nova Scotia hard rock quintet The Trews will open on September 22nd in their first local concert appearance since an acoustic gig at The Grand Theatre in 2009!

However, Trews fans have been waiting since their May 2008 gig at The Canadian to see them in their plugged-in splendor (Kim Mitchell fans can relate!) Well known from hit songs like "So She's Leaving", "Hold Me In Your Arms", and "Highway of Heroes", The Trews' rootsy and melodic brand of hard rock has been making fans for 20 years, and as someone who got into them relatively late, I'm glad to see them finally coming back to the Soo, even as openers! All shows in the Mocha Concert Series are all ages with announced start times of 8:00 PM, and while individual ticket prices are not out yet, this Sault Star article announcing the shows says that they will be in the $60-$80 range apiece. Written by Brian Kelly, the article features remarks by Shriners representative Dylan McLay, and it notes that concerts have replaced circuses in their event strategies, which seems like a good move.

Brian did incorrectly say that Marianas Trench did play the cancelled 2016 show here, but its a good article that paints an optimistic picture for this unusually stacked week of concerts this fall, and I hope these shows do well for the local concert scene and the Shriners alike! Any reason to encourage major touring headliners to stop here and play shows rather than drive straight on through to Thunder Bay or Sudbury! Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM at this link & at the in-person box office, and note that Shriners members will not get priority ticket availability. Visit the above links for much more on The Mocha Concert Series, and stay tuned for more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Lots Of Defunct Local Band Link Updates & Deletions!!

Today's news post is a little different, but by no means lacking in information, and it constitutes some long overdue updates to our defunct band links, as a number of past local bands listed on the SMS have seen their primary link deleted, either by band members directly or via the closure of the site that the page was hosted on. I was able to salvage some names, but not all, and you will find information on the first 12 links below in alphabetical order! All are from Sault Ontario unless otherwise stated:

• I have changed the link for mid-2000s local punk band A Fall From Innocence due to the deletion of their page on Bandspace, a music networking service that quietly shut down without any visible warning in early 2017. I now have them listed via their MySpace page, which barely has enough surviving material to warrant a present link. Hopefully everyone's doing well nowadays, and don't miss alumni Wayne Watkins & Marc Santos with their current band Northwest once they can play live again!
• I have changed the link for late 2010s black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest from their  now-deleted Facebook page to their Bandcamp page, which still hosts copies of their three studio albums. As one of the few acts to carry the black metal flag locally, I hope Old Man Wyrn resurfaces with new music of some kind!
• I have removed early 2010s Sault Michigan acoustic hard rock band All The Dirty Words In One from our band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page in the last few years. A.T.D.W.I.O. had some promise, and hopefully Josh, Cody, and Dan are still working on new music in some form!
• I have removed mid-2000s ska punk band Break The Violence from our defunct band links due to the quiet deletion of their Tripod page at some point in the last few years. In this case, this isn't a massive loss, given that most of the band would form the far better regarded As It Stands shortly afterwards, so be sure to check them out!
• I have removed early 2000s Sault Michigan death metal band Bludgeoned's posthumous Reverbnation page from our defunct band links due to it's quiet deletion in the last couple of years. Given their original run was two decades ago, we should be glad this existed at all, but hopefully the guys are still active in music!
• I have changed the link for 2000s-early 2010s metal cover trio Caveman Morrison from their now-closed website to their Facebook group. Tym's Flash-heavy band and solo websites were well made and useful for content, but his musical and personal approaches have evolved so much since then. Look for Tym Morrison's next live-streamed solo concerts on Tuesday & Thursday!
• I have changed the link for mid-2000s noise metal duo Das Skalpell Kampf from their now-deleted Facebook page to their Bandcamp page, which still hosts two original songs and relevant band information. "Fonzy" and "Chachi" had an intriguing thing going with their extreme metal attack, and hopefully the guys have new music in the works in some form, regardless of stage name!
• I have changed the link for late 2000s metal band Despised Eyes from their now-deleted Facebook page to their MySpace page, which still has barely enough material to be a replacement. It would have been nice to see Despised Eyes pick up where D.O.T.H. left off, but hopefully everyone's still musically active!
• I have sadly removed early-mid 2010s classic/hard rock band Havadder from our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in the last couple of years. Other official pages survive, but they have nothing of substance that is publically viewable, alas. Jason and crew had a good 7 year run, and hopefully we hear more music from their wide array of band members!
• I have changed the link for early-mid 2010s progressive metal solo project Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe from their now-deleted Facebook page to their Bandcamp page, which still hosts their 2014 self-titled EP. Project-leader Matt Parr has since moved back to his hometown of London, where he has since joined the alt-rock quartet Czech Hotel, so give them a listen to see what he's been up to!
• I have removed mid-2010s punk supergroup Killer from our defunct band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in the last few years, and I don't believe they had a page elsewhere. Non-seasonal successors to the one-off Rude-Offs from Toystock IV, this band had an impressive lineup, but never got off the ground in 2016 as planned. Look for members in Destroilet, Treble Charger, and Bone Yard once the pandemic ends (hopefully!)
• Lastly for now, I have removed 2005 local punk/emo band Murder By Romance due to the deletion of their Tripod (and only surviving online) page at some point in the last few years. An all-female punk band in this era was definitely intriguing in concept, and hopefully their members are still musically active in some form!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bon Jovi Forever & Tarnished), Plus Peril Concert Previews!!

As promised, we are capping off this surprisingly busy hard rock concert weekend preview cycle in today's post by tackling a familiar band's St. Ignace gigs, but we also have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this and next month, an apology for a missed show, and a new live concert clip to showcase as well. Here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished have announced a few new local dates for this fall, starting with a set as part of this year's Fall Festival (formerly Oktoberfest) on Saturday, September 28th! As seen on the poster on the right, Tarnished will be playing in acoustic duo form that afternoon at 1:00 PM, as part of the Crooked Music Sound Stage, presumably outside of their Ashmun Street storefront. Of course, there's a lot more going on at the Fall Fest besides music, with family entertainment, games, contests, and activities downtown in just over two weeks' time, so click here for full non-musical details. All of the entertainment is in the daytime, with acoustic rock duo The Tavern Stool Townies (featuring I.S.O.M. alum Bob Helsten) headlining at 4:00 PM. Alt-rock musician Kathleen Connelly and folk solo artist Magnet Moslov (not Moslav) will play at 3:00 & 2:00 PM each, while student dancers from the Academy of Performing Arts will open at 12:00 PM.

This event is absolutely ALL AGES, and there's no cover to see the music. Sounds like a fun time with lots of solid entertainment from various fields, so don't miss out later this month downtown! Meanwhile, Tarnished's own Facebook event pages for upcoming solo dates largely reflect road-trip dates to Gould City and Mount Pleasant, with the November 21st Kewadin Casino date here (picked up after Banned dissolved) is still on as advertised. However, Tarnished did play at Biggby Coffee this morning, a show that they only plugged this morning at 10:07 AM, just twenty-three minutes before showtime. As such, it does appear that their "every Thursday" run is absolutely still a thing, but why not advertise these dates sooner, or at least put up a Facebook event page to list them all? In any event, I apologize for missing this week's, but to make it up to them, we now have their Biggby Coffee matinees listed for Thursday, September 19th and 26th, with October to be addressed later.

As usual for this arrangement, Tarnished's upcoming dates here for tips and coffee will be 10:30 AM matinees with no cover charges or age limits. See above for more details, and before we move on, here's a new video of Tarnished at Biggby Coffee last week covering 3 Doors Down's "Kryptonite." A bit of a slower, more laid back interpretation (even beyond the unplugged setting), Alex and Josh are on form here, and the vertical camera angle takes nothing away in this case, but I wouldn't have filmed where a table could cut off the lower section. Give it a look below!

Next up, let's take a detour north to Sault Ontario, where Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return to the Soo on Saturday, October 5th at The Canadian Nightclub! We're no strangers to Bon Jovi tribute acts up here, with bands like Keep The Faith and Bon Journey providing their own takes in the past decade, but Bon Jovi Forever themselves are the most recent, last playing here at The Rockstar Bar in May 2016. If you love Bon Jovi's early hair metal hits and newer contemporary material, this band will deliver the visual and auditory goods, as seen in their videos and concert reviews, so Hair Scare loyalists won't wanna miss their return next month! Notably, this is the kickoff to The Canadian's run of "Rocktober" tribute concerts next month, with Journey and Tragically Hip tributes also playing there in the following weeks, and a C.C.R. tribute in November also.

No local opener is advertised, we'll let you know if one is announced. A 9:30 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ event, which has $15 advance tickets available at The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, with the door price jumping to $20. If you love Bon Jovi, this show is well worth your time next month, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Finally, let's cap off this abnormally busy stretch of weekend concert previews by heading back to Michigan, where Traverse City classic metal trio Peril are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the Northern Michigan veterans' first local concert weekend since rocking St. Ignace in late July, and this should be a prime chance for E.U.P. fans to see Jeff, Adam, and Brooks rocking out at a familiar locale once again! It's worth noting that these shows coincide with the annual Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show in St. Ignace, so might things be busier this weekend as a result? Find out tonight and/or tomorrow! As usual for their Kewadin bookings, these shows are 9:00 PM affairs with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Awokest's New Song, And Much More!!

Today's news post (possibly our final of the month) is half devoted to lots of assorted shorter stories as of late, but we also have a new video upload to take note of, and first off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW, giving this weekend at least one SMS-fitting concert to cover! Things will be busier in October, I guarantee it. Here's what you should know!

On this unusually quiet concert weekend, we do have one hard rock show to take note of, as local acoustic singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will be playing TOMORROW at the Fall Fest at... Scott Coffee Co.?! Apologies for the short notice, neither Tym nor the venue have publically confirmed his involvement, though he is mentioned in personal Facebook advertising. This special event will be taking place at the coffee shop at Lowe's Plaza at 248 Northern Avenue (beside Golden Dragon), and Scott Coffee Co. will have free samples and seasonal blends ready for patrons, while there will be face painting, a vintage clothing sale, and a used book sale from the Friends of the Library Bookstore at the Centennial Library downtown, so keep those aspects in mind for TOMORROW! Tym is cited as performing at the Fall Fest alongside at least two other solo acts, namely indie standout Jackson Reed and folk/jazz veteran Britta Wölfert (whose personal Facebook page confirmed the lineup.) Solid and diverse array of performers, so look for all three inside (outside?) of Scott Coffee Co. TOMORROW!

A special early start time of 4:00 PM is in effect for TOMORROW'S Fall Fest, and while I can't confirm when Tym's set will be, the event is advertised to end at 9:00 PM. This is n ALL AGES event with no announced cover charge, so if you're up for some seasonal coffee, local vendors, and live music, swing by Scott Coffee Co. TOMORROW, even if you're already shopping or just curious! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live! (FYI, he's not playing at La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing this weekend, that restaurant closed for the season after last weekend.)



Next up, here's a new "EP" from new local grindcore solo project Awokest's YouTube channel, as uploaded there two weeks ago. This appears to be one 10+ minute song rather than a traditional EP, and it has an incredibly long name to match (too long for the video's title!) It'd be easier to just call it "Screams of the Primordial Lord...", which saves 38 words. The music on display here is of the instrumental cyber-noise variety, with heavily processed vocals in the background. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but you can't say it's not original locally, so give Awokest's new song a listen!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, event, or venue name:

• New local jazz/hip-hop quartet Bom Kronik have been added as a second opening act at the Faps concert at LopLops Lounge on Wednesday, as per a quiet update to the Facebook event page. Local rap followers may have seen this band open for Naughty By Nature in July, and their lineup is comprised of vocalist Conika (who's still advertised with a solo set) alongside Honest Job's Mister Tahti on keyboard, Strange Coyotes bassist James Watterworth, and ex-Gnaeus drummer Brendan Garlick. Eclectic and talented lineup, so look for some intriguing tunes from Bom Kronik before The Faps' noise-punk attack, and stay tuned for our preview!
• Hudson Street adult nightclub & occasional concert venue Studio 10 formally changed it's name to The Dime in June, following a two month period of renovations, as per it's Facebook group and radio advertising. The name change goes along with the venue's "new look" and "great vibes", though I believe The Dime was an informal nickname used by some regulars already. SMS readers will best know Studio 10 as the site for a few late-era Havadder concerts, and we'll let you know if live bands return to The Dime!
• If you've noticed a Facebook event page floating around advertising a Jackyl concert at The Machine Shop on December 14th, be advised that the show is not taking place in Sault Ste. Marie. The show is actually taking place in Flint, Michigan (4 hours south of here), where they also have a concert venue named The Machine Shop that long predates ours in that usage. Similar confusion arose regarding Devildriver's show in Flint in November. It'd be great to welcome Jackyl back to Sault Ontario, but alas, not yet!
• Following the brief advertising of J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween party concerts at Soo Blaster, the Queen Street sports bar/arcade have announced their final Halloween events for the same days, via the Facebook event pages linked here and here. Friday's will be a dance party with live DJs, while Saturday's will feature rappers, including familiar names like the aforementioned Conika, Rick-E, and Kodex. I don't know whether these events are due to or the cause of J.D.'s concerts moving to The Algonquin Pub, but keep them in mind if you want some turntable mixes or hip hop for Halloween!
• Sykotyk Rampage have belatedly posted their last 31 studio albums for sale on their Reverbnation page, after originally going online as free streaming copies only. This includes everything from 2011's "Genius Mushrooms With Thoughts Of Intellect" to 2016's "Sanctuarium", joining their prior releases and their newest album "Live At The Paris Hilton" in having $9.99 or $10 sale copies. It's great to see the option finally available, so visit the above links to pick up these albums if you are so inclined to buy tons of original crash music! Yes, we could review these on the site down the line.
• Toystock is returning for a seventh annual installment on Sunday, November 25th! As per organizers Choose Maxx's Facebook page, the Christmas Cheer fundraiser concert will return to The Grand Gardens North for it's fourth straight year, with appearances from Santa Claus and Mr. Bon Soo planned alongside kids entertainment, plus another stacked musical lineup. Performers have not been announced yet, but the last 6 Toystocks have proudly featured "10 bands in 10 hours", and I'd be shocked if Bone Yard weren't involved, given that they've only missed one installment. Stay tuned for the lineup reveal when announced!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Lee Thomas Maines & When They Fall

At last, here are this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles, but be sure to check out late notice concert previews and more assorted updates in this morning's post below! Like usual, this month's installment of this feature series looks at 1-2 defunct or inactive local bands, all randomly selected, in order to profile their work, run, and successes for current readers! This month's two choices include a holdover from last month after the first act then proved to have enough info to sustain a solo profile, but we have two concise looks at intriguing though short lived projects, so here's what you should know for these profiles!
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Lee Thomas Maines

Genre: Progressive Metal

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members:

Lee Maines (Gates of Winter), all instruments/programming

Info/Analysis: After previously manning a short-lived solo project under the name Septicon in the late 2000s, Gates of Winter frontman Lee Maines accomplished more under under his own full name from 2008-2009, where he was working on a 5 track EP that was "loaded with crushing rhythms and futuristic themes" that he hoped would "reach a new level of diversity & technicality", as influenced by acts like Meshuggah, Ihsahn, and Samael. The solo project's main activity coincided with Gates of Winter's 2009 hiatus, but after their return at year's end, Lee's solo act has fallen inactive, and he's focused on new Gates material since. Only one full solo instrumental ("Sol") made it online, which gives fans a strong prog-metal attack that showcases his multiple talents and progressive dynamics well, but it does lack vocals and a guitar solo. Give it a listen below, but of course, give Gates of Winter's newer material a listen too to hear what Lee's been doing since!


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When They Fall

Genre: Metal/Screamo

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members: (This information may be incorrect concerning members' full identities, as all but Devon were credited solely by their first names. If you can correct anything, let us know!

Devon Richards, vocals
Dan Linklater (The Dirty Few, The Vertically Impaired), lead guitar
Jaime Jacques (The Boatload Killers), rhythm guitar
Tyler St. Amour (Them, Fountain of Betrayal), bass
Travis St. Amour (Bring The Fallen, Fountain of Betrayal), drums  

Audio/Video: When They Fall posted no media on their MySpace (and only online) page, but said page formerly described them as influenced by "anything that gives you a kick in the pants & makes you fall to your knees while we blow your eardrums straight out of your head." Later bands from the St. Amour brothers would likely harbour influences with When They Fall's sound, particularly the early 2010s deathcore project March Into Regression. 

Info/Analysis: A short lived hardcore metal band that only used their MySpace page from August-November 2007, When They Fall formed between friends & musical acquaintances, then all in high school, for something fun to do. While their MySpace page once noted that they played "one small gig" with an unidentified singer before Devon joined, few updates of major activity otherwise survive there, aside from photos of all band members but Tyler. When They Fall dissolved by early 2008, and members have diverged in wildly different musical paths since. With no posted media, it's hard to say how When They Fall sounded, but most members have found notable success in other later bands, so be sure to follow them to see where they went!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Next month in this series, we'll stay in Sault Ontario, as our next random selection has given us... Ashes To Dust, a more recent local hard rock band who you may remember from the second Swampstravaganza and various Superior Heights gigs! Look for that on or around October 10th, and stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

VM Radio Battle Of The Bands Updates, New Treble Charger Footage, And An Older Punk EP!!

For today's news post on the site, we have an archive album purchase that I recently made that I thought might be interesting to share, along with new videos concerning a major local band playing live TONIGHT, but first, here's the latest on one of next month's anticipated battles of the bands, so here's what you should know!!

The latest updates on the lineup for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands are now out, so what should you know? Promoter J.D. Pearce revealed on the Facebook event page yesterday that there are currently 9 bands finalized to compete in the battle, which takes place on each Wednesday in March at The Canadian Nightclub, so who's in and out? There are two new confirmed bands, those being the previously hinted death metal rockers The Bear Hunters (who will look to claim their second straight battle win next month) and newer local hard rock trio Infamous (as seen at November's Sault Band-O-Rama), who still lack an online page as of this writing, but would be making their battle debut after the Rock For Dimes Battle's cancellation. They join the previously confirmed Danger Cats, Gnaeus, Haggith, Honest Job, Mannapool, Project 421, and Revolution on the lineup, but three bands that had had announced reserved slots are not listed at present.

Those missing acts are rap/metal project The Apocalypse Afterparty, hard rock quartet Late Shift, and newer metal trio Them, and while reasons for their absences haven't been announced, keep in mind that the latter two bands don't have online pages to confirm anything, and The Apocalypse Afterparty have recently been hinting at lineup changes. Plus, Them's Anthony Boudreau is also a member of Infamous, so they may have replaced Them. It's entirely possible that the three bands are still pending a registration form submission, but J.D. is publically hyping that there are now only 3 open slots for the planned 12 band lineup, so there's still time if you or your band want in! Message him at this link or visit The Rad Zone A.S.A.P. if you want to register! Remember, there is a $100 deposit required, but you get that money back (and more) by selling the ticket packages you get upon registering. Stay tuned for full updates and the complete schedule when announced, and click here for full details!

Next up, here's new videos of local/Toronto alternative punk veterans Treble Charger, just for good measure before TONIGHT'S headlining show at The Machine Shop for Bon Soo! On January 13th, the guys played an acoustic set live at The Bradshaw Hotel in Stratford, Ontario as part of their Preview Day, which saw that historic building re-opened as a student living facility and performance art space for the University of Waterloo. One video is mostly about university staff and area notables talking about the development, but 80 seconds in, it does feature interview remarks from Treble Charger's Greig Nori & Bill Priddle about the re-purposing of the building, even mentioning the Soo when discussing the concept (which we're also seeing with the Mill Square redevelopment.) Their section is short, but it's worth a look! The other video is of Greig & Bill playing an acoustic rendition of "American Psycho" at The Bradshaw Hotel, so what should you know on that?

An intimate rendition of one of their most popular songs (albeit sans touring members Darcy Yates & Jason Pierce), this video was excellently shot on multiple cameras, and captures basically how the MCTV commercials for TONIGHT'S show would sound if played out in full and with Bill contributing. The Bradshaw Hotel people got some great footage, and though not of their full live lineup, it's a nice preview of what to expect at The Machine Shop, so give it a look below!

Finally for today, I wanted to acknowledge a new archive punk CD that I recently acquired! On one of the local Facebook auction groups earlier this week, I won a bundle of CDs for $5 that included defunct local pop punk/emo quintet A Fall From Innocence's self-titled second (and final) EP from February 2006, and I've since uploaded it to our YouTube channel for posterity! According to the liner notes, this album features singer Larry Babic, guitarists Matt Durette & Jeff King, bassist Waylon Bougie, and drummer Marc Santos (now of Northwest), with Marc producing the album the previous year at Cherry Valance Sound, which is where defunct hard rockers Infrastrate also recorded their EP. Note that I don't have A.F.F.I.'s 2005 debut EP "The Breathing Method" yet, but I'm always on the lookout for that and more from older local bands. Five songs can be heard from this EP on the band's MySpace & Bandspace pages, but how about the full disc in order?

"A Fall From Innocence" features the songs "Take With Honor", "Tie Down Your Ghost", "Campbell's Cuts Are Too Deep", "B Is For Boston", "You Were Right, So Sue Me...", "Elliott", and "Take Your Jap Anime & Get The Hell Out Of Here", and they capture a talented emo/pop punk band from their local heights almost a decade ago! I don't know when we'll get a chance to review the EP on the site (though it'd tie in nicely with a Northwest show), but give "Take With Honor" a listen below, and hear the whole album at this link!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Treble Charger fallout and much more over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

Meet The (Inactive) Local Punk Bands!! Part 6

It's now time for our 6th (and maybe second-last?) post to roll in defunct/inactive local punk bands with surviving online pages into our band links on the SMS! Sourcing mainly from MySpace now, it's sadly incredibly hard to search for local bands on there now due to last year's layout overhauls, and with biography information and bands' hometowns no longer listed, it makes the search a lot more difficult. We have enough bands there that I can verify their local ties to for at least one more installment after today, but I can't guarantee an 8th or not yet. Now, here's four more inactive punk bands from Sault Ste. Marie to formally add to our site links, in alphabetical order!

We'll start with A Fall From Innocence, an emo/pop-punk band that attained some notability in the Sault area in the mid-2000s! Active from roughly 2003-2007, their only full cited lineup online featured singer Larry Babic (later of Backroom Concept), guitarists Matt Durette and Jeff King, bassist Waylon Bougie (who's since manned some solo projects), and drummer Marc Santos (Fuller), while the band also featured Stay Seventeen singer Matt Maccarone and current Northwest frontman Wayne Watkins in other incarnations, possibly among other artists. A.F.F.I. released two CDs ("The Breathing Method" in March 2005, and a self-titled CD in February 2006), and would tour Canada in support of both discs, open for bands like The Planet Smashers, and appear at popular local concerts like the 2005 Heatwave Festival, before quietly breaking up by the following year. While I'll admit that emo punk isn't my favourite of punk subgenre, you can sense a strong talent and chemistry with A Fall From Innocence's MySpace tracks, which had strong songwriting and melodic sensibilities!

I imagine they made some fans in their tour runs, and if you listen close to some songs, Larry might have some screaming vocals too! It'd be nice to get a hold of their albums, and while I don't know of any videos of A Fall From Innocence, check them out at their Bandspace, MySpace, and PureVolume pages to hear their public original material!

Next is the popular late 2000s ska-punk band Free Beer (also known for short stretches as M.O.B. and Sarah's Valley), who fans should be familiar with from a number of big local concerts of their own! Their lineup featured singer (and Shaw TV correspondent) Christian Lemay alongside current Habitat Shuffle guitarist Dustin Goodall, and local metal band alums Ryan Gray & Keith Gagnon on bass & drums, though Stefan Zaharuk played bass for Free Beer at one point early in their run as well. During their original run as Free Beer, the band opened for the likes of The Rebel Spell, Broadcast Zero, and The Flatliners at numerous local venues between 2007 & 2009, as well as placing third at the 2008 Skid Row Battle of the Bands. Free Beer changed their name to M.O.B. in 2010, though the band didn't last terribly long under that name, and played only the occasional one-off gig before reuniting as Sarah's Valley last year, which itself was also a short lived run, and they broke up for good last summer.

I don't recall Free Beer ever putting out an album, but they had entertaining originals and covers all the same! As heard on their MySpace & Soundcloud pages, they could deftly take on both Chili Peppers-esque funk rock on originals like "My Reality" and more reggae influenced material like on "Come With Me", and their sound and fun stage show definitely helped them get a strong following! It'd be cool to see the guys turn up again under any name down the road, but give them a look at the above links, on Reverbnation, and on Christian's YouTube channel, which has a fair amount of Free Beer concert & jam videos from their heyday, including this mid-2008 video from the old O'Aces! Hear more above!



Also, we're adding defunct mid-1990s punk band Room 206 to our links! One of the few pre-2000 punk bands from the Soo with a posthumous online page (via MySpace), there isn't a lot of surviving information on them, but they were a well recieved band that were among the roster of bands that frequented the Windsor Park Hotel during that venue's heyday, as vividly depicted in Paolo Colascco's book "Going Underground", which is on the local punk scene. At the time of their feature in the book, Room 206's lineup featured singer/guitarist Mike Yorke, current Role Models frontman Brad Lacell on bass, and Mike's future Totally Confused bandmate Al Watson (later of Startlefish) on drums. I know that I'm missing members, as their MySpace photo shows a quartet lineup (and I seem to recall Brad's longtime bandmate Dave Bahun once being in Room 206 too), but I can't verify much else. Let me know if you can fill in any blanks!

Though long since inactive, Room 206 had a successful run in the local punk scene, apparently recorded some sort of album named "2 Innies & An Outie", and their song "Good Enough" even found their way onto the "Punk: The Next Generation" compilation CD alongside fellow locals The Spigots. Room 206 had a good skate punk sound with fitting vocals, very good riffs and hooks, and a nice explosive sound that must have gotten a good reception live, and you can check that out for yourself via this YouTube video of themr covering Fugazi's "Waiting Room" at the former Club Princess in February 1995! Muffled audio and patchy video, but look at that crowd! Check out much more from Room 206 via their MySpace page!
 


Finally for this punk band feature is Smeltzer, who were among the most prominent young alternative/punk bands in the Sault area in the mid-2000s! Their lineup featured both "songwriters" of the new local band The Apocalypse Afterparty, those being singer/guitarist Steve "Knuckles" Mozarowski and The Fury's Paul "Pauliford" Stanghetta on bass, while Steve's former RedD Monkey bandmate Kevin "Kevo" Overton (also formerly of Gates of Winter) rounded out their lineup on drums. Active from roughly 2006-2008, Smeltzer opened for notable bands like Propagandhi and Means at assorted concerts during their run (including a sizeable amount at The Oddfellows Hall), and though they've been broken up for 6 or so years now, the guys did reunite for a one-off headlining show in 2011, and Steve has been known to cover Smeltzer songs like "The Jock Song" both with RedD Monkey and in solo gigs. An album release named "Dropping the S-Bomb" was also teased on MySpace, but I can't confirm if it came out or not. I actually can't find a video of Smeltzer from their run, but how'd they sound?

Sound wise, I'd compare Smeltzer to a more grungy 1990s-alternative variant of Steve & Kevin's later RedD Monkey sound, and with the lack of cello, not as original, but effective in itself! I remember enjoying Smeltzer at local all ages show when I was a teenager, and their darker essence served them well, though of course, turns with a dress at live gigs did offset that a bit! Nice to hear Kevin's drumming again too, he was a local standout before he moved from the area. Check out Smeltzer above, and follow The Apocalypse Afterparty for Steve & Paul's newest material!

I hope you guys liked this newest defunct punk band feature! The only thing I can guarantee for our 7th (and maybe final?) of these introductory posts for older punk bands is that Bin Hawdon & The Taliband WILL finally be a part! Anything else is up in the air, mainly due to the awful MySpace layout changes last year, but keep an eye out regardless in the coming weeks, and stay tuned for this month's new poll and the results of last month's poll tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Breaking The Fourth Wall) & Five Bands Looking To Play Here!!

Some big updates today, mostly of the concert variety! The bulk of today's post comes from FIVE new bands that want a local booking! Well, three, but one need help again to secure a date I'd already posted here about. I'll give you all the details in a second, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

Montreal hardcore band Breaking The Fourth Wall are coming back to Sault Ontario! A year after their planned show with Constructed Apocalypse quietly evaporated without notice, they will make their long awaited local return on July 30th at The Oddfellows Hall! Good, bookings there are picking up! Joining them are Calgary metalcore group Fall City Fall! This reminds me of some of the shows we used to get so often at The Oddfellows Hall from 2008 and earlier, maybe this is a sign of things to come? Well, that depends on how successful this show is. Click on the band names above to check out their material on MySpace, solid stuff from both bands! And the lineup doesn't end there, as local openers are needed! If you or your band would like to open at this all ages hardcore show, message Jasmin Nott at this location to show your interest! Start times and cover charges will be announced next week. Promoter Nathan Bouliane (Lorax/ex-As It Stands bassist) is hoping to bring lots of lights and a smoke machine to help make this show as good as possible! Sounds good to me, as soon as I hear more on this show, you'll be sure to find out here!

And now, pay attention, anyone who might wanna help these bands! FIVE more bands are looking for help getting a booking in Sault Ontario, and I'm always willing to help out, so I'm gonna tell you what you should know about these bands and how you can contact them! This goes for concert promoters, venue workers, and local band members who might want to play with them at a show, if you like what you hear and would like to help them get a show here, take the initiative! So, here's what you should know!

Firstly, we have a band I plugged a few months ago for a show here in July, but apparently had an issue with their planned promoter falling out. I won't say anything else about why here, but the band really would like to play here, and I've helped them in the past, so I've gotta try again! They are Aquila, a metal band from Windsor, and frontman Mark Arruda recently sent me a MySpace message seeing if I could help them with a date here for either July 6th or 7th. Trust me when I say this, Aquila kick ass! Very heavy band with some good thrashy qualities, and your head will sure be banging if you see them live! I'd love to see them here, and hopefully someone out there does too! Time's running out to lock up an Aquila show here on this tour, so if you can help in some way, send the band an e-mail through their MySpace page to show your interest, and check out their material! They really wanna come here, can you help?

Secondly, we have a band that I first heard wanted to play here today! They are The Great Sabatini, a progressive sludge metal band from Montreal, and if you want some slow grinding doom-ish heavy metal, this is what you'll be looking for! Very down-tempo and methodical, but very heavy, it's definitely something we don't see here often! The band itself actually didn't contact me, I was actually e-mailed by a booking company they're represented by, Tugnut Booking out of Cambridge, Ontario, and they're hoping to get The Great Sabatini booked here for...Halloween! Yes, Sunday, October 31st, and I was told that they always have trouble booking here for tours. If nothing else, this would be a unique show for here, and fitting too considering the night of it! Doom/sludge metal fans take note, if you want to help get a booking for The Great Sabatini here in Sault Ontario on Halloween, e-mail Tugnut Booking at this location! Click the above links to check them out too!

The other three bands I'm plugging concerning their search for a Sault Ste. Marie booking came to my attention me via e-mail, and in the case of this band, we've seen them here before! They are Fredericton, New Brunswick punk/thrash trio Hard Charger, and you may remember seeing them at a headlining show at The Oddfellows Hall in July 2008 with various local openers, including an early version of Bring The Fallen! I got an e-mail from drummer Tom Blizzard a few days ago, and he told me that Hard Charger would like to play here again on Wednesday, August 4th. I'd be up to see Hard Charger again! Despite a bad turnout for the 2008 show, I was impressed with their raw energy and mix of styles! I of course gave him some contact info, but if you'd like to help Hard Charger get a booking for here on August 4th, e-mail Tom at struggles999@hotmail.com or by messaging them through MySpace! There, you can check out some of their songs, lots of short, but heavy and relentless death/thrash/punk that will be sure to get a crowd moving! Want Hard Charger back? Then e-mail them and see if you can book them or help at all!

Finally, we have a double bill of bands hoping for a show here! Prince George, British Columbia electronic metal band Throat Kick (pictured) and Vancouver metal band GFAP are hoping to play in Sault Ontario on their upcoming Canadian tour! Looks like the show might be in September, but a specific date wasn't given, so there may be some flexibility here! The bands are both solid, Throat Kick have kind of a "breakcore" vibe and lots of electronic influences, interesting mix! GFAP are more straightforward groove metal with nice aggressive vocals, I'm really digging them too! Throat Kick frontman Kyle Pigeau e-mailed me today looking for some help to get both bands a show on their upcoming tour, anyone out there wanna help out? E-mail Kyle at kylepigeau@gmail.com or message either band at their above MySpace pages to offer your help to bring them here for a show! They're good bands, they just need a venue, or local openers, or a promoter, or something!

There's got to be someone out there that can help out these bands for a local booking of some type! We need more shows here, and if no one shows any interest, then these concerts won't happen! Even if you're just a local musician that would wanna play with them on that date, that would help! If you're interested in booking one of these bands for a show on the dates they'd like, playing with them on said show, or bring them to your venue, PLEASE e-mail them today! Let's bolster the scene with more concerts!

That's all for now, I don't know if I'll have a post tomorrow or not, it's actually my 21st birthday tomorrow so I could be busy, but I do have some cool things on the newsdesk to share, so keep an eye out, you may see something tomorrow!