Two More Metal Morpheus Episode Recaps From The Borderline!!

Before we fall any further behind on recapping episodes of Metal Morpheus on local internet radio station The Borderline, let's look at two today, including episode #15 from October 10th, where host Josh Amendola returned to metal subgenre-themes after his three week spotlight on guitarists, so what did he look at that week? Technical death metal, in what you could generously call a follow-up to the death metal episode from August, but this takes things into a further, more progressive category. The 62 minute episode begins with Virginia tech death metal band Arsis with their song "Looking To Nothing" (1:10), followed by Montreal death metal legends Quo Vadis (who Gates of Winter opened for on tour) with their song "Silence Calls The Storm" (5:40). Fellow Montreal death metal band Beyond Creation follows via their song "Coexistence" (11:15), and Josh noted that he opened for them live with a (presumably not local) band of his named Karmageddon.

The trip to Montreal ends with Vengeful's "Forsaken" (19:35), and Josh next spotlights German technical death metal band Defeated Sanity's song "Verblendung" (24:35) to end the first half of the episode. We head back to Canada next to spotlight Mitochondrion's lengthy original "Parasignosis (29:20), before next looking at Quebec death/thrash metal group Martyr's song "Endless Vortex Towards Erasing Destiny" (37:15). This episode's local content follows, courtesy of defunct London metal quintet Papa Fogals Chair, whose lineup was comprised entirely of Soo and Thessalon natives but were never properly based here. While not a technical death metal band, Josh does note that they had intricacies to their sound, which you can hear in their on-air song, "Disgust" (41:35). Next, we go back to Montreal, starting with Augury's "Alien Shores" (46:15), and like with P.F.C., this song is not on Spotify.

The Montreal quotient of the episode wraps up with Cryptopsy's "Slit Your Guts" (51:15), and the episode proper ends with the legendary Death's slow instrumental "Voice of The Soul" (56:40). While the episode is heavily dictated by Josh's time living in Montreal based on what bands he picked, that is a good sign. After all, the episode comes from a genuine love and appreciation of these bands & this sub-genre, and you'll get your brutal and technical fill from this episode without too many obvious selections, so give it a listen at the above links!

As for episode #16 from October 17th, that episode was also on a metal subgenre, specifically on crossover thrash, so if you're a fan of punk and/or thrash metal, this episode will straddle both lines and hopefully please both fanbases! Given the shorter song lengths, more bands are crammed into this episode, starting with The Dirty Rotten Imbeciles' classic "I Don't Need Society" (0:45), followed by subgenre pioneers Beowulf & their song "Lost My Head" (2:45), which is not on Spotify. Iconic sludge metal band Corrosion of Conformity follow with "Loss For Words" (6:15), which comes from their pre-Pepper days playing hardcore punk in the 1980s. British punk stalwarts G.B.H. are next with "Sick Boy" (11:10), followed by hardcore punk/thrash legends Suicidal Tendencies and their fan favourite track "Send Me Your Money" (14:05), featuring Metallica's Robert Trujillo on bass.

New York thrash band Carnivore (featuring late Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele) are next with "God Is Dead" (18:40), followed by songs from two very notable New York hardcore bands, including Agnostic Front's ultra short "Victim In Pain" (23:55) and The Cro-Mags' "Age of Quarrel" (24:55) to end the first half with. California crossover thrash band Excel's song "I Never Denied" (30:40) comes afterwards, preceding the legendary Nuclear Assault's song "Game Over" (36:10). English anarcho-punk band Antisect's song "They (The Eternal Myth & Paradox)" (39:10) is played next, but it isn't on Spotify either. The last non-local band is the killer thrash quartet Sacred Reich with "Death Squad" (45:25), and Josh closed that week with three songs by 1999-2004 local punk band Downshift (later Burn The Past), all coming from from their 2000 debut album "Before You Knew Me..."!

While not a true thrash band (Jack Spades would have been closer to the theme), Downshift sure have the fast punk quota down via their songs "Ground Zero" (50:30), "Hold My Head Up High" (54:00), and "Worth Repeating" (56:10). Josh doesn't elaborate on back stories for these bands as much as he did for the technical death metal episode, but he covers some very fun and intense bands here, and this is another fun episode to listen to, especially with how into the hosting duties Josh has gotten! Check out both of these Metal Morpheus episodes (and more) at the above links, listen to episode #21 live on The Borderline this Sunday, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Jack Spades EP Details, Papa Fogals Chair Reunion Footage, And More Videos!

In our second post of the day, we have new videos from bands on each side of the border, recent news coverage of a band reunion earlier this month, and leading off, updates on a recent CD release, so read on below for what you need to know, and check out last month's poll results & this month's new poll in the post below this one!

Let's start today with some details concerning physical copies of local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades' debut EP "The First"! This is the CD copy's album cover (which I replicated from a scan of it), and while the whole booklet is in a monochrome colour scheme, the CD's actual label has a tan aged look to it. The back booklet of original copies features autographs from all 5 band members in this pressing, while the inside features the band's lineup, thank yous from each band member, and photos from Jack Spades' set opening for Anvil in March, as taken by SooToday's Donna Hopper. In terms of the technical credits, both Jamie Vincent and Mark Rand are given equal production credit, while the booklet and logos were created by Frightlight guitarist Kevin Powe. Copies were $10 at the EP release show on Sunday, but that also included admission to the show, so it's not clear yet whether they'll drop in price in other sale situations. Aside from an odd cut on the edge of my booklet, everything's really solid, so get your copy of "The First" A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for our review!

Next up, remember how Thessalon/London metal quintet Papa Fogals Chair reunited locally on May 3rd at The Moose Lodge in honour of bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe? Well, Local2 cameras got to attend this event and film a report that you can now watch at this location! Remember, Local2's video host doesn't allow external video embedding. Featuring an assortment of video footage of their reunion set (their first since 2010), drummer Derek Turner talks to the camera about PFC and a bit about their history alongside his bandmates, before transitioning at the end to footage of Derek's most prominent active metal band Garden of Bedlam, who were playing live for the first time in 2014 that night. No footage was included of Derek's other band The Side FX's set at the stag and doe, and we still await some new public updates from their camp. Though a stag & doe isn't an event that we tend to cover on here because of their personal nature, it's great to see Papa Fogals Chair back together, even if for one night! Check out the very solid video footage above, and hopefully this wasn't the last we've seen of them!

Closing today with videos that we can embed, here's a brand new preview of Sault Michigan solo project Drayton Fever's upcoming studio work for label Werehold Records' Friday the 13th music event next month! Posted onto the label's YouTube channel yesterday, this is the first Werehold video in 5 months, and the first depicting a live performance in 2 years. It's of project leader Doug Reed playing guitar for one of two new Drayton Fever songs planned to be a part of the June 13th upload spree, though does the video have to be so close with no camera angle changes? Short, but promisingly heavy, so give it a look below!



Finally, Brutaly Fatal frontman Austin McCrae posted a pair of new solo videos onto their Facebook page yesterday! Both are early versions of new original songs for the band, and they include "Belly of the Beast" and, as embedded below, the longer "Cold Temptress". Both are solid early glimpses at new material, but they're obviously unfinished without Rainey & Brandon involved, and I have a feeling Austin's not going full power on the vocals for these takes. We'll see how they turn out, but give Austin's new Brutaly Fatal song previews a look above & below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

New Videos And More Assorted Recent News & Notes!!

For this news post, we have a lot of shorter recent items to clear out of our news cache, along with some new video postings that might be of note, so read on below to get caught up! We start with a new video from 2/3rds of Toronto metal legends Anvil, who issued this video greeting to local fans yesterday in advance of NEXT WEEK'S headlining show at The Canadian Nightclub! Just 15 seconds long, it's basically a brief show plug from frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow" and drummer Robb Reiner, and while nothing new is stated, it's great to get some direct advertising from Anvil themselves! Remember, they rock The Canadian this coming Saturday with fellow Toronto metallers Caym and local opening bands Jack Spades, The Suicide Kings, and Project 421, and tickets remain on sale for this 19+ concert for $20 (or $25 at the door), so get yours A.S.A.P. at The Rad Zone, The Canadian, or from local band members while they last, and check out the new video below!



Next up, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's newest solo cover is now up via his YouTube channel, this time a cover of Green Day's "21 Guns"! Uploaded last night, it continues his recent multi-instruments trend with vocals, and while I'm honestly not a fan of this song at all, he does handle it as well as I'd expect! I'd be curious to hear how Alex does on older Green Day songs too, but for now, check out his newest solo video below!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter stories from the last few days, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or company name:

• In their first public update in 5 months, long gestating Sault Ontario hard rock band Acention updated their Facebook page on January 10th, where (I believe) frontman Dalton Boissineau blamed the lack of activity on personal issues & internal drama. However, he did promise that music will be up as soon as possible, and when things come together, the band will talk about potentially writing an EP. Fingers crossed things work out, because progress has been way too slow from their camp!
• Local concert promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment are looking for metal bands that might be interested in playing a concert of theirs in almost two weeks on Friday, March 21st. No word on the venue or already enlisted bands yet, but this might be the same show that the on-hiatus Crimson Crusade turned down an offer to play at last month. Stay tuned for updates, and if you're interested in playing, message promoters at this link!
• Barring a re-emergence of activity by then, we'll likely be moving local progressive hard rock project The Mourning Glory to our inactive Sault Ontario band links on Tuesday due to a year's inactivity. Despite teases for material and such this year, the band has made no public updates since this post on drummer Glen Thomas' forum Freq's Music Planet last March. Hopefully the band turns up again, but either way, follow Glen and Tony's main band Flat Stanley for their current work!
• I have deleted former Sault Michigan record store New Moon Records from our Other Sault Michigan Links section, as their old website's domain name is now held by a California independent label of the same name, after previously expiring by the end of last year. New Moon Records (which was in the current Dotgames location) closed long before we were aware of the site, so this isn't a big loss, but I just wanted to let you guys know!
• London/Thessalon metal quintet Papa Fogals Chair (featuring a number of current Saultites) will hold a one-off reunion on May 3rd at The Moose Lodge as part of the entertainment for bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe! The event will also feature drummer Derek Turner's current band Garden of Bedlam (in their first announced set of the year) and acts to be announced. Given the personal nature of stag & does, we don't call them as full public "concerts", but click here for more information!
• Local goregrind duo Rotopsy are the fourth confirmed act on this year's Sewer Swampstravaganza on Saturday, May 3rd, in the first appearance at this yearly Oddfellows Hall all ages event by a Blood Shed Productions band. Should be interesting, and stay tuned for further lineup confirmations as they come in!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, as well as this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles on Monday! Thanks everyone!

Pop Evil, Garden of Bedlam, Sense of Truth, and Nixxon Dixxon Concert Previews!

(EDIT 5:28 PM: I added a section about a conflcting lineup for the Sense of Truth show in the Sault This Week, and a band replacement for Saturday's Pop Evil show!)

Firstly before we get into the news, I wanna apologize for the lateness of the Pop Evil concert custom banner and Facebook logo, I should have had them up on Sunday but it completely passed my mind. I'd had it made up for a few weeks, but the rotating banner idea took over any of my thoughts about that. In response, I will likely leave them up late to make up time, so if you see them still up on Monday and point it out, it's intentional. Sorry everyone!

This weekend is quite notable for local concerts, there's only four unique shows, but there's some pretty big ones in that list, so it's time to preview what's going on this weekend!

Let's start in Sault Ontario, when tomorrow night, Sense of Truth return to the live concert stage at The Canadian Nightclub! The local hard rockers will play their first concert since last month at Coch's Corner, and will play their first live set at The Canadian since their finalist performance at the Kiss Battle of the Bands! As you may know, the band are wrapping up the recording of their debut E.P., so I wouldn't be surprised if we hear some brand new songs tomorrow night! Also joining them for this show are Groove Committee, a new local rock band featuring former Odd Man Out frontman Nick Roy, ex-Scary Uncles guitarist Matt Sibilo, bassist Alex White, and drummer Anthony Gagnon! I wouldn't say they're "metal", but they play a very wide variety of rock covers, from bands like Pearl Jam, Modest Mouse, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a lot of Ween songs too! We'll have to see how they sound live, click here to check out some videos of Groove Committee! This show starts at around 10:30 PM tomorrow night with a $3 cover charge, nice affordable way to start the weekend! Click here and here to confirm your attendance on the two Facebook event pages, and click on both bands' names to check out their pages and hear them in action!

This should be a fun concert, but I am not saying I'm going because every time I say I want to see Sense of Truth live, something happens and ruins it for me. So I'm either not committing or saying I'm not going to avoid jinxing myself. Let's just say that if you see me there, my reverse psychology worked! In the event I'm there, I'll take videos and post a review either right after the show, or after I get to Detroit on Saturday. For a preview, here's a clip of Sense of Truth covering the Tool song "Stinkfist" from a show at (I think) The Grand Theater last year! And here's a fun fact to close: One of Nick from Groove Committee's bandmates in Odd Man Out was Sense of Truth guitarist Steve Myers!



Also, let me quell any possible confusion about the lineup for this concert: When reading this week's Sault This Week, you may notice that the Hot Spots section plugs a show at The Canadian tomorrow featuring "Sence Of Truth" with special guests "Rightous Roxid". Spelling errors aside, I believe Rightous Roxid are one and the same as Groove Committee, so if you're confused about the band lineup, don't worry, the internet hasn't lied to you!)

Then on Saturday, the metal will wreak havoc at Foggy Notions when Garden of Bedlam take the stage for the first time since Boxing Day at the same venue! Though a Garden of Bedlam concert is noteworthy in itself, it's even more special once you notice who's opening: Papa Fogals Chair!! Yes, the Saultite-comprised, London-based metal quintet will reunite for the first time in almost two years for this special show in honour of percussionist Adam Chillman's birthday, with drummer Derek Turner pulling double duty as member of both bands! It's also cool to see both bands playing together at Foggy's again, seeing as the two bands joined forces for Garden of Bedlam's first ever concert in the spring of 2008! How time flies, huh? Rounding out the lineup on Saturday are London punk/hardcore rockers Pistols At Dawn, who should deliver a high energy fury before the two main bands get into gear! This concert is sponsored by PFC bassist Joey Grisdale's local tattoo shop, Forsaken Tattoo Studio, and will take place at 11:00 Saturday night with the doors opening at 9:00 PM. There will be a $5 cover charge at the door, and yes, it's 19+ (Aren't most shows nowadays 19+ anyway?) Confirm your attendance for this show by clicking here!

This should be one hell of an awesome concert, all three bands are extremely talented (click on their names above to head to their MySpace pages), it's always great to see Garden of Bedlam, and how often will we get a chance to see PFC, one of London's finest metal bands, back in the Sault? I glowingly praised them on here before, so make sure not to miss them! But of course, Garden of Bedlam are headlining, and deservingly so, as they'll once again rock Foggy's to the core! I wish I could go, but I will be in Detroit, so do me a favour: GO TO THIS CONCERT!!!! Make it huge, make it the success it deserves to be! For a video preview, check out their music video for "The Truth Shall Set You Free"!



Now we'll head to Sault Michigan, where Nixxon Dixxon will be tomorrow night for a show at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino! If you're wondering why I haven't mentioned a show on Saturday as well, you'll know why in a second. I believe there's no cover charge with a 9:00 start time, as I've read from earlier weekend concert descriptions at The Rapids Lounge. Expect another solid night of metal and hard rock covers (and likely some originals) from these rising local stars! Click here to check them out on MySpace! Go check this out if you're in Sault Michigan and need something to do on Friday night! For a preview, here's Nixxon Dixxon's entire preformance from night 1 of the Kiss Battle of the Bands in November!



So why I haven't I mentioned a Saturday show? Because they're playing something much bigger that night. Muskegon hard rockers Pop Evil will be headlining a special benefit concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino on Saturday night, of which Nixxon Dixxon are opening! This will be Pop Evil's second trip to Sault Michigan, after playing here last year as one of the supporting acts for Saving Abel! Also on the lineup are Toronto alt-rockers Evans Blue and Evart, Michigan's Graveyard Tan, replacing The Spider Rockets on the lineup! All three bands have varying levels of success, Pop Evil have been making some big inroads into the mainstream, and have released a number of hit songs like "100 in a 55" and "Hero"! Evans Blue have a solid radio rock sound, and it's been a long time coming for Graveyard Tan's return to Sault Michigan, they're a really good band! (Thanks to Chris McKee for the update on that!)

This concert is a benefit show for two young girls from the area that tragically died in recent accidents. Kim Rogers and Kelsey Raffaele died in separate accidents in December and January, and this concert will place all ticket proceeds to scholarships in their name. This is why there's black ribbons with their names in the current SMS banner. I never knew them, but they sounded like nice girls and this is a tragedy that they never deserved. The good will towards supporting this cause has been rapid, as many local businesses and people have bought tickets with no intention of using them all themselves, or even going, and then donating them free of charge to fans who will use the tickets. That is an unbelievably nice gesture, and it's great to see so many people jumping on the bandwagon!

I know many people got tickets free, but you can still buy them for the low low price of $15, a great deal in itself for four talented rock bands! Click here if you want to buy a ticket, and remember, even if you don't like the bands, you can do what so many others are doing and donate your ticket to someone that will! A start time of 6:00 PM has been announced. This should be a fun and emotional show, I can bet that Kim and Kelsey would be very proud and happy of all that is being done in their names! But don't forget the music, as a lot of mainstream hard rock standouts will rock this weekend as well! It's great to see Pop Evil back here, they have a lot of fans and some good songs! Click on all the names above in this preview to check out all the involved bands, and here's a Pop Evil video to get you psyched up, their video for "100 in a 55"!



I'll be back with a new post real soon with some stuff I've missed, so stay tuned! Remember to go see this weekend's concerts, and my review of "22" by Sykotyk Rampage is posted on Monday!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Papa Fogals Chair & The Sexual Vigilantes

Hey guys, it's time for the second installment of our profiles of out of town bands with Saultites in their lineup...does anyone know of a shorter name I could use for it? Meh, that's off topic. Today, we'll talk about two Southern Ontario based bands that feature local members in their entirety, yet were never based here! One features two prolific local musicians' lighter side, the other of which is reuniting later this month! Maybe you remember them, maybe you don't, but they are sure worth profiling! So here's this month's profiles! (UPDATED: November 24, 2014)
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Papa Fogals Chair (London, ON)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Andy Chillman (vocals/guitar)
Joey Grisdale (guitar/backing vocals)
Mike Bird (bass)
Derek Turner (drums)
Adam Chillman (percussion)

Official MySpace page: http://myspace.com/papafogalschair 
Official SoundClick page: http://soundclick.com/papafogalschair 
Official CBC Radio 3 page: http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/papa-fogals-chair
Official StereoKiller page: http://stereokiller.com/bands/papafogalschair 
Official Supernova page: http://supernova.com/papafogal 
Official AudioStreet page: http://audiostreet.net/papafogalschair

Local Info: Though never based out of Sault Ontario, all five members of Papa Fogals Chair either lived or now live in Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding areas. Friends since Grade 3, the members of Papa Fogals Chair played in a few local bands growing up, including Sulfur and Spit, among others, with Sulfur releasing an EP entitled "How Empty I Am". Following the lead of a few other Saultites, these guys headed to Southern Ontario in the early 2000s, where Papa Fogals Chair took shape. Most notable to local fans nowadays is drummer Derek Turner, who now mans the kit for Garden of Bedlam, though the other members of the band have kept busy in various other projects, notably frontman Andy Chillman's work in the London acoustic bands Too Much Unsaid & The Bird Stone Revival, and the local hard rock band The Side FX, which features both Derek & bassist Mike Bird.

Band Bio: Likening their music to furniture being bashed over your head, P.F.C. rose quickly among the metal scene in London. They released a demo and two albums, 2004's "Face Melter" and their 2006 followup, "Two Faced Is Never Pretty", both of which got some deservedly great reviews and radio airplay. A frequent sight in Southern Ontario at their height, P.F.C. were nominated for a London Music Award in 2004 in the Best Metal/Hardcore category, though after their 2006 peak, the band quietly dissolved. However, reunion shows happened on occasion, usually alongside Derek's new band Garden of Bedlam, including a notable performance at their first concert at Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) in 2008. Papa Fogals Chair would later make one-off returns to the live stage at Foggy's in February 2010, and at Mike Bird's stag & doe at The Moose Lodge in May 2013, though plans for future concerts are unknown.

Papa Fogals Chair are awesome, there is no way around that! I've been a fan since I first checked them out a few years ago, they're exceedingly heavy and they have some nice grooves in a lot of their songs too! Andy Chillman has some unique vocals compared to other singers of their type, but they work very well! I love the guitar work too, awesome riffs and solos! Very little for me to complain about here! But don't take my word for it, check them out on their MySpace page. It's great to see locals hit the heights that PFC reached, and though I'm still bummed that I missed them in February 2010 though, but hopefully that's not their farewell! With 2013's MySpace overhaul, no videos of theirs survive that I know of, but here's one of their best original songs "Disgust"!


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The Sexual Vigilantes (Toronto, ON)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Curtis Faux (vocals/guitar)
Brenton Ellis (bass/backing vocals)

MySpace page: http://myspace.com/thesexualvigilantes
Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/thesexualvigilantes

Local Info: If you know your local bands, Brenton and Curtis should be very familiar! Brenton (a.k.a. Diamond Brent Panther) & Curtis were recently best known as the singer & bassist for the cult Toronto hardcore punk band Maximum RNR, but you may also recognize them as bandmates in the Toronto bands The Labour Of... and Kuah, and of course, from the inactive local hardcore punk band Detroit, releasing two EPs during their run! Also, Brent's well known locally as Destroilet's current co-lead singer, Lion Ride's former bassist from 2008-2010, and as The Bombed Squad's former frontman, while Curtis has been seen locally and in Southern Ontario acts, currently with the garage punk band The Cola Heads and the thrash outfit Chainbreaker. Brent and Curtis were the only members of The Sexual Vigilantes, with a drum machine handling the kit on studio recordings.

Band Bio: Formed in 2005, The Sexual Vigilantes played a varied style of metal/hard rock, ranging from classic rock inspired songs like "Back In Brown" to more hardcore songs like "Phantom Limb", to even some songs with electronic influences. In fact, some SXVGLNTES songs eventually became Detroit tracks, like "Pyre Driver" and "Kill-O-Rama"! Not ones to take themselves seriously, the band infused a lot of comedy into band discussions, from their many different stage names to various band descriptions and bio information, which you can get tastes of at their various pages! The Sexual Vigilantes were mostly known for their studio output, rarely playing live concerts, and employing guest musicians where needed when they did. The Sexual Vigilantes have not updated their MySpace page since March 2009, and are long since defunct, but check them out at the above links, and maybe they'll turn up again down the road!

The Sexual Vigilantes were unique soundwise, harbouring an interesting combination of genres! Curtis isn't a bad singer, he and Brenton play as good as ever on their instruments, and they can be pretty funny! Though not locally based, they brought The Sexual Vigilantes home on December 28th, 2007 for two shows that night; an acoustic show at the former Eargasm Records, and then a normal set at what's now Coch's Corner, with their Detroit bandmates Mark Ranᶁ & Mikey Hawdon joining in on guitar and drums. I think those were their only concerts. Solid band, it'd be cool to see them reunite down the road, as their stuff was pretty entertaining! For a video preview, here's The Sexual Vigilantes' playing "Motorbike The Song" live at their last show!


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Hope you guys enjoyed this month's out of town band profiles! Just cause you take a metalhead out of the Soo doesn't mean you take the Soo out of the metalhead! Next month, I will take a look at two bands who aren't from Ontario: Feral Noise, the Calgary metal band featuring Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison on guitar, and Michigan's own Sadomasochism, one of many bands to feature local drummer Mikey Bishop! Stay tuned for that in the first couple weeks of March!

That's all for today, tomorrow will feature my review/recap of tonight's Sault College/Scotties Tournament Battle of the Bands at the curling rink on Anita Boulevard! Will Sykotyk Rampage win it for the metalheads, or will one of the other bands win a well deserved $750? I'll let you guys know tomorrow afternoon, plus news on a local band's new frontman, and hopefully more! Thanks everyone!

A Short Random News Post!!

First off, I wanna apologize for the lack of news the last couple of days, the early months of a year are often the slowest for new local metal updates. Things will pick up very soon, I assure you all! So I have four news stories and updates to share, I don't like leaving three day gaps between posts, so it's best to fill you guys in now before you think I abandoned the SMS! Let's start with what could be a return for a band that just played here this month!

As you may remember, Toronto drunk n' rollers Ultraviolence hit Coch's Corner on January 12th, two weeks ago today, which is a show I'm still ticked about missing (especially after missing Sense of Truth AGAIN!) Well, if you missed Ultraviolence too and want a chance to see them, an opportunity may be closer than we think! In my internet searching, I came across the MySpace page for Ultraviolence drummer Alexis Von Kraven. There, he lists his own tour dates for the bands he's in (Ultraviolence and Inner Turbulence.) No bands are specifically mentioned for each show on his tour listings, but Alexis does list a date for March 6th at Coch's Corner! On MySpace, Ultraviolence have no completely confirmed dates past next month, and Inner Turbulence have none at all, so I don't know if this is a planned show or one that's been called off already. I thought it was worth mentioning, cause it could be another new local metal concert, and who wouldn't wanna see Ultraviolence back so soon? I'll keep you posted if anything comes of my hunch! To see what I saw, click here!

Next up, we have a new local music forum that's worth discussing! This time, it's an official forum for a local band, Caveman Morrison to be precise! Tym & company have been updating their internet presence a lot in recent weeks, and this appears to be the next step! Hosted on Forumup, this message board includes topics and boards to discuss Caveman Morrison shows, setlists, and general band information, as well as to post pictures, mingle with fans, and talk about anything! Caveman Morrison aren't the first local band with their own forum (Woods of Ypres being the most notable example), but the track record for the survival of local metal-ish forums of any type isn't great, only around four others are currently active. Remember, the first step in establishing the success of a message board is to attract members, so if you wanna contribute to the Caveman Morrison forum's success, click here to read what's there and sign up!

Now we'll discuss Woods of Ypres once again, for the praise and reception of their newest album continues! Jordan Campbell from MetalReview has posted his top 20 albums of 2009 in an editorial column, and guess what placed high on his list? Woods IV: The Green Album! Jordan gives it high praise, giving it a large preference to Woods III (which he found "clunky"), and says that it's a "brutally honest and individualistic achievement of heavy metal songcraft." He also makes lots of comparisons to other bands, which is cool! It placed only behind albums from Solstafir & Blut Aus Nord, and ahead of albums from bands like Anaal Nakrath, Immortal, and Hypocrisy! Great to see "Woods IV" continuing to be such a success, here's to lots more in the coming months! Read Jordan's complete top 20 at this location!

And finally for today, thanks to Papa Fogals Chair percussionist Adam Chillman for this: A new updated poster has been unveiled for the February 27th concert featuring them and Garden of Bedlam at Foggy Notions! The only real update to it is the addition of a sponsor, Forsaken Tattoo Studio, who are prominently featuring the new poster as their Facebook group's profile image! FYI, Forsaken Tattoo Studio is on Wellington Street West, and is owned by PFC guitarist Joey Grisdale! So check out the poster to your left, this concert is gonna kick ass! I hope I'm in town for it! Remember, doors open at 9:00 PM with an 11:00 start time for this special show on February 27th, there will be a small cover charge, you must be 19 to get in.

That's all for now, I promise more news is coming very soon! We still need word on the Kiss concert, Algoma Hope4Haiti, and much more! Oh, and on Monday, my review of "Brace For Impact" by Detroit will be posted on the SMS, so stay tuned for that, and much more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Garden of Bedlam & The Cancer Bats), Duane Roy's Next Book, And More!

Well everyone, I wasn't anticipating that I'd have another post so quickly, but the news just seemed to pile on after I posted yesterday, so here we go with plenty more updates! And there's two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to kick things off!

Our first one is a Sault Metal Scene EXCLUSIVE (fancy, huh?) We're bringing this to you guys first, so here's what you need to know! Despite speculation that their Boxing Day show at Foggy Notions was their last before hitting the studio, Garden of Bedlam are back at Foggy's on February 27th! Frontman Buzz gave me the details in a Facebook chat today, so if you don't believe the story, ask him! And they won't be alone either, for Garden of Bedlam are bringing an inactive metal band back as openers, who are no strangers to the Sault area! London's own Papa Fogals Chair (featuring Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner) will be the openers! Though not locally based, they've played here more than once, including notable shows like in August 2006 with Gates of Winter, and Garden of Bedlam's first ever concert from February 2008! And if you're not aware of the sound Papa Fogals Chair will bring, check out their MySpace page! Very heavy and very easy to headbang with, should go over well!

Doors are likely to open at 9:00 PM, with Papa Fogals Chair kicking things off at 11:00 PM! A cover charge is currently not known. Of course, when more details are announced, you'll find them here! Nice of Buzz to give me the first notice of it and break the news! And now you guys know too, hopefully we can all make it to Foggy's on February 27th for a night of heavy metal mayhem! If I'm in town (I may not be), I will be there myself! Stay tuned for more details!

The other new concert to alert you guys to isn't newly announced by any stretch, but the addition of a metal band qualifies it for SMS attention! A new band has been added to the Billy Talent concert at The Essar Center on March 22nd, and it's none other than Toronto metalcore band The Cancer Bats! (Source is from this post on SooToday's entertainment page.) Signed to Metal Blade Records, The Cancer Bats have acquired a loyal following in recent years, and even graced the cover of Kerrang! Magazine in 2008! This will not be their first time in Sault Ontario either, having came to The Speakeasy way back in June 2006! They will join the previously announced Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, and Against Me! on the lineup for this concert. Now, aside from The Cancer Bats, it's not a metal show (more of a punk/screamo mix), but I know a number of you are punk/screamo fans, so you should have a good time if you're planning on going!

If you're interested in attending, tickets are $42.50 for general admission and $72.50 for reserved stands. Head to The Essar Center box office, call 1-866-775-9422, or order online at LiveNation or The Essar Center's website to get your tickets! The Cancer Bats open the concert at 6:45 PM on March 22nd, doors open at 5:45 PM that day!

Next up, some more stuff relating to the book "Castle Stories: A Rock N' Roll Scrapbook" that I've been mentioning on here lately! It's now on sale at Hole In The Wall Books at The Wellington Square Mall, which is the bookstore connected to The Rad Zone! The local connections don't stop there, as I've been reading the book, and though I'm not finished yet, there is references to the Sault dotted throughout! Three "Castle stories" featured come from Saultites, including a story about John Mellencamp's show at Castle Farms in Charlevoix from Suzanne Fillion, photos taken by Susan Just Jakomit from shows featuring Foreigner and The Cars, and even some from Rock 101 DJ Scott Cook, who looks back on seeing Whitesnake, AC/DC, and Def Leppard there! I love the book, and when I'm completely finished reading, I'll likely post a review of it!

A bit of foreshadowing in it too, as author Duane Roy recalls the New Years Day show at Sault Memorial Gardens from 1990 featuring Alice Cooper and Great White. Remember when I mentioned that he was contemplating writing a book about the concerts and stories of them from the Gardens? Well, he's officially launching the process into making that book a reality! Just like with "Castle Stories", he's looking for any concert stories, memories, photos, ticket stubs, memorabilia, news articles, and anything else of note from concerts of any type at Sault Memorial Gardens. I never hit any major ones there (too young), but some big name metal and hard rock bands played there, like the afromentioned Alice Cooper & Great White, as well as acts like Ted Nugent, Helix, and Rush (who rocked the Gardens 35 years ago), among likely many others! If YOU have a story, photos, or any memorabilia that you'd like to submit to Duane for inclusion in his next book, message him on Facebook, or e-mail him at duane@duaneroy.com or duanemroy@yahoo.ca! Help Duane out, this will be a fun read too!

And finally for tonight, a quick update on Tesla's show at Kewadin Casino on June 26th: Tickets will be $38.50 for the concert, but still don't go on sale for another week. Thanks to SooToday for mentioning that in a post they made about the current Kewadin concert schedule today, link here! More on the Tesla show to come!

That's all for tonight, your next post will (unless something major happens in between) feature my review of tonight's Ultraviolence/Sense of Truth concert! Also be on the lookout soon for my first entry in my profiles of out of town bands with local members (I'm thinking about Phatstick and Will of the Ancients to start, though that's subject to change), and a new poll will be posted on Monday that will also talk about the best of "something" in 2009. Stay tuned for more!