Defunct Local Band Profile Series: The Side FX & Steel Sour

After a weekend concert preview-induced delay, here are this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Once again, we're spotlighting local metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands from our inactive band links, in order to feature them and their run anew for current readers, and this month's first randomly selected band had no surviving public media, so a second group was chosen to round things out. Here's what you should know on these two short-lived 2010s hard rock groups, both with familiar faces!

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The Side FX

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/Edmonton, Alberta

Genre: Hard Rock/Alternative/Metal

Lineup:

Rob Speers (The Wyld Stallyns), vocals
Alex Walls (Cody Parks & The Dirty South), guitar
Mike Bird (Papa Fogals Chair, Sulfur), bass)
Derek Turner (Garden of Bedlam, Papa Fogals Chair), drums

Audio/Video: The Side FX never posted any public media to sample their sound with, but they cited Led Zeppelin, Sublime, Volbeat, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers among their covers on their Facebook page. They likely shared a similar sound to frontman Rob Speers' 2014-2020 funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, whose February 2014 debut came a few months before The Side FX's last known concert set took place.

Info/Analysis: Not to be confused with the 2019-2020 classic rock band SideFX nor the early 2000s metal band SIGHdEFECT, The Side FX launched in July 2013, debuting when they opened for Australian ska punk band The Resignators at the former Roosevelt Hotel on July 23rd. However, guitarist Alex Walls moved out of town to work as a studio musician the following month, and a search for a new guitarist did not have any public followthrough. Alex would return to The Side FX when they opened at bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe in May 2014, but they did not play live or post online again after that. With this talented lineup, it's a too bad that they didn't last longer, but do follow Rob & Derek's later local music work!

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Steel Sour

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock/Blues/Country

Lineup: (The presented lineup reflects who performed in Steel Sour's only full performance video, but the seven performers may have included guest musicians, as most local rock cover bands are smaller than this. Robert, Rick, Steve, and James were all separately pictured or referenced by name in social media postings outside of said video)

Robert Nevitt (Re:Born), vocals
Nicole (Ambeault) Bentley (Bourbon Blue), vocals
Rick Atkins (Big Mistake), guitar
Randy Russell (Bourbon Blue), guitar
Fred Dunn (Eclipse), guitar
Steve Bentley, bass
James White (Redundant), drums

Info/Analysis: Presumably taking name inspiration from Stone Sour, this new local cover hard rock band debuted in November 2018, with their first sound sample coming via this 19 minute live-stream of covers by Robert and Rick in January 2019. That May, they posted their cover of The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking" on YouTube featuring all seven performers (love Steve's wig!), but the band quietly fell inactive afterwards, with later bands like Big Mistake, Lockdown, and current pop rock cover band Bourbon Blue all featuring multiple Steel Sour members. We don't have a ton to go on, but Steel Sour had good energy, a distinct sound despite the seven people, and solid vocals, and it's a shame they didn't do more!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! We return to single band profiles next, but still in the 2010s, by way of defunct local hard rock group Acention, who you may remember from their social media presence in the early 2010s. Stay tuned for that on or around May 10th, and for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

Zaum & Pixo Control Concert Previews, Plus Caym Show Updates & Much More!!

Before we finish uploading our Swampstravaganza videos (the joys of seeing a concert with 9 different bands AND 4 open mic performers), here's a news post for your Monday morning featuring a rarity: two Monday night concert previews! Those lead off today, but we also have the latest from a prominent metal band and some assorted extra notes, so here's what you should know! (Updated at 12:36 PM)

We'll start with our double Monday previews at Cafe Natura, where local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control will return TONIGHT as local openers for Winnipeg pop rock quartet Naysa! Visibly an upstairs affair after December's basement show at the Elgin Street venue, The Pixo Control should be in fine form following their set at the Biipiigwan show earlier this month, and hopefully there's a solid turnout at this ALL AGES concert tonight! As for Naysa, while not a "heavy" band, their gloomy pop rock & indie originals have attracted a solid following, and they'll be a nice fit at Cafe Natura tonight, so be sure to stay late to check them out as well! TONIGHT'S concert starts at 8:00 PM, there is a $7 cover charge, and again, this is ALL AGES! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, don't miss the alt-rock entertainment tonight at Cafe Natura, and here's The Pixo Control live at LopLops Lounge last year!



The second half of today's downtown Monday hard rock concert action goes down TONIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon, as Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" duo Zaum will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut! A unique band that mixes doom metal with dark ethnic chanting and moods, their familiar yet creative sound should find a solid audience with local metalheads! German experimental/jazz duo The Jealousy Mountain Duo will join them tonight as well, and while not a heavier band, their own intriguing hybrid originals should make their own mark amidst the varied sounds to be had at the former Nicolet Tavern tonight! Local support will come via local hard rock quartet Haggith (in their second show with their current lineup and first at Rednecks in 8 months), so if you missed Caleb's return to the band on Saturday, here's your makeup date (and look for "Apocalypse II" as well!)

The new openers tonight are Jack Spades bandmates Johnny Belanger & Jesse Cook in an acoustic cover set, replacing local progressive rock quartet Mannapool (who were confirmed to have dropped out yesterday via promoter Mitch Sirie on the Facebook event page, likely for similar reasons as their Swampstravaganza exit.) Johnyy & Jesse should set a good tone, so come early! This 19+ show has FREE ENTRY, and a 9:00 PM start time is listed, but promoters are aiming to end early given that it's a Monday night. For more details on this diverse and intriguing concert, visit the above links, and here's Zaum live last year!



Next up, we have some big changes to announce for THIS FRIDAY'S Caym-headlined concert, which has been moved from The Oddfellows Hall to The Algonquin Pub! The show, now fully promoted by J.D. Pearce again, will now be the kickoff show for his and Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series there, so there's all the more reason to check out Caym's first headlining date in the Soo on Friday night! To go along with the venue shift, the cover charge has been halved to $5, but sadly, this is now a 19+ event. This all confirms that Heavy North Entertainment are no longer involved with this concert, with planned local openers Them also removed from the bill for similar reasons. J.D. alluded to the changes on the Facebook event page by saying that "someone dropped the ball", but you can read into that however you want. This should be a great show either way, so stay tuned for our full preview later in the week!

Finally for this post, here's three shorter news stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Local rap/metal band The Apocalypse Afterparty have parted ways with drummer X (a.k.a. Steve Mozarowski), as confirmed to me by Steve at Saturday night's Swampstravaganza. Allusions to internal tensions in the band (often of a cryptic nature) have been made on Facebook in recent weeks, but we won't get into any details here. Best of luck to Steve in the future, and stay tuned for more on The Apocalypse Afterparty as we hear it!
• Local doom/death metal band Giwakwa have quietly confirmed the addition of Beaumont Avenue's Mitch Sirie as their new bassist AND lead singer, replacing both Nolan Rainville and Mitch's Bear Hunters bandmate Josh Stephney. Surprise announcement to be sure, but Mitch is a talented multi-instrumentalist with a lot of band experience, so he should fit in well! Our source is the band's Facebook page, but more details are forthcoming.
• We have moved local hard rock quartet The Side FX back to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The band featuring Garden of Bedlam, Papa Fogal's Chair, and Elements alumni haven't made a public statement since playing at bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe over a year ago, though keep in mind that guitarist Alex Walls lives out of town. Hopefully they turn up again, and best of luck to him, Mike, Rob, and Derek in the future! 

That's all for now, but keep posted on our Facebook page for the rest of our Swampstravaganza videos, with our review guaranteed to come afterwards! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Lucky 13), Malignant Neoplasm Updates, And More!!

I wasn't expecting to have a second post today, but with an extremely short notice LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, I threw this one together to get it up on the site! In what is definitely our last post of the month, we also have new media from a local goregrind band, and lots of shorter notes, so here's what you need to know, and check out this morning's post for a new show next month, a likely inactive band, and some new videos! (Updated on Friday at 9:27 AM)

Local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to the stage for shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, the Facebook event page was only just launched this morning. This will be this veteran band's first live concert since headlining at The Rockstar Bar just over a month ago, and they should be up to their usual tricks for a night full of 1990s-leaning alt-rock classics! Though originally announced as a Friday-only gig, bassist Jeff Gray confirmed on his personal Facebook page that they'll be playing tomorrow as well, so keep that in mind! A $5 cover charge is likely, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a 10:30 PM start time in effect, so check the above links for more details! Despite the ultra-short notice for this weekend's shows, Lucky 13 have the talent and experience to put on another solid weekend, so don't miss out on the action, and for a preview, here's Lucky 13 at their live concert debut!



Next up, Blood Shed Productions gore/cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm have recently been busier than they have been since last year, so what's been going on in their camp? On May 19th, project leader Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson announced that he'd be recording a new Malignant Neoplasm "EP" named "Music?", which was posted on the label's YouTube channel on Monday, and yes, this is the official cover. True to form from earlier material under this name, the songs are generally very short, mix Tyler's goregrind sounds with electronic and techno influences, and take lyrical and thematic inspiration from medical conditions and scenarios. This is definitely an acquired taste, but there's ample imagination and brutality to go around for Blood Shed loyalists, so check out the full "EP" below, and hear a couple of the single tracks from "Music?" at the above links as well!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Leading from our new and changed concert dates at the regional Kewadin Casino branches from yesterday, Kinross hard rock trio Banned's shows at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Michigan on August 22nd & 23rd have been bumped up one week to August 15th & 16th. A reason hasn't been announced that I've heard, but for reference sake, local classic/country rock trio The Brooks Band are now playing on the later weekend. Keep the changes in mind if you want to see Banned in August! My source is this link.
• Local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore announced on their Facebook page on last week that they're working on setting up a mini-tour through late June & early July, and they're releasing their new full length demo "Welcome To Earth" on July 1st for $5, though further details on both aren't out yet. Nice to see Tyler staying active, we'll let you guys know when his next local dates are!
• We finally have online confirmation of local grunge quartet Haggith's current status, as they are indeed back as a functioning band! The biography section of frontman Curtis McKenzie's solo Facebook page now says that after the succeess of their Swampstravaganza reunion set, they have indeed decided to release another album, and will play live shows "the odd time". No hint of the ultimatum hinging on the CD's sale level, but it's great to hear that they're back, and Haggith's back in our active band links!
• Along with a confirmed out of town gig in Meyersburg on July 13th for their Spiderfest event (which Shit Liver are also playing), local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades revealed on their Facebook page on Wednesday that they'll be opening for The Ripcordz at a local date this fall, though details have yet to be elaborated on. Awesome news, so keep an eye out for updates!
• As a clarification relating to their recent return gig at bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe, I can confirm that local hard rock quartet The Side FX have welcomed back guitarist Alex Walls (who left the band last summer), but as he still lives out of town, gigs are sporadic pending his availability. Hopefully we see more of them soon! My source is frontman Rob Speers in a personal conversation.
• Brimley, Michigan acoustic rock trio Train Wreck (featuring Half A Man frontman Erik Rintamaki) will return to the stage on Saturday, June 7th for a set at Brimley's second annual Lupine Festival at the local train depot. I mention this just in case Train Wreck skew heavier like the videos on Erik's YouTube channel suggest, but with no band pages or further clarification, that's hard to verify. Click here for more information until/unless we hear more!

That's definitely all for this month, but we'll see you guys with new news, notes, and features in June! Thanks everyone!

Mike Haggith & This Is Your Band On Drugs Updates, And Much More!!

Let's get some more news going on the site today, and be sure to check out our review of Sunday night's Fuck The Facts show in the post below this one! Today, we have more new media from a band at said show, new original material from an upcoming album, and more assorted recent news items, so read on below for what you need to know!

We'll start today with some more recent media from the new-ish jam/death metal duo named This Is Your Band On Drugs that we saw at the Fuck The Facts show at The Oddfellows Hall this past Sunday! While they don't have an online band page yet, they've actually had a YouTube channel since last July, with a 13 second video posted then featuring singer Nick Burns and guitarist Chase Wigmore playing an acoustic song named "Arthurs Everywhere", though it's very minimal and repetitive, and therefore, hard to comment on. Their other video is brand new though, and it's of their song "Get Fucked In The Sewage", which was actually the name of the second song we filmed at their set on Sunday. This is closer to the sound we heard at the show, and it's clearer but mostly retains the reckless jam spirit of their sound, which mixes death metal and Strange Coyotes-esque styles. If anything, Nick's vocals are more prominent and higher pitched, but check out the full song below, and stay tuned for more on This Is Your Band On Drugs!



Next up, Haggith drummer/Din frontman Mike Haggith has posted two more songs from his upcoming 48th solo album "A Place Of Our Own" onto his YouTube channel in the past week! One is the album's title track, while embedded below is the longer "Long Talk", and while we won't comment on the songs yet due to our likely full review coming in the summer, the themes are similar to his earlier preview tracks, so be sure to check them out if you're a follower of Mike's prolific solo career! Check out "Long Talk" below and more at the above links, and don't miss Mike in a rare solo set at the Sewer Swampstravaganza on Saturday!



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

• The other day, defunct regional death metal band For All That Is Lost posted a guitar track by Brook Moreau of their song "Blood Law" onto their Reverbnation page, following another similar posthumous posting of "Black Ritual" in December. This doesn't appear to indicate a band reunion (especially as drummer Kameron Nicholson recently moved out of town), but it's a solid isolated track that shows Brook's talent, so give it a look above!
• According to a personal Facebook post by Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan, he and Bankshot alum Lucas Schmiedendorf (a.k.a. Sal Velinus) joined local hard rock band Late Shift at their LopLops Lounge concert on Saturday, though it's not entirely clear whether they were in a specific band or just performed solo alongside. Hopefully things went well!
• After a year of mostly sporadic activity, Blood Shed Productions cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm are planning to return with new material in the near future! They are definitely one of the more unique and experimental bands on the label, so hopefully things work out as they get back to work, and keep an eye out for updates! My source is their Facebook page in recent days.
• In news from the former Roosevelt Hotel on Korah Road, we now know that it's new name is Reggie's West, as per new signage outside of the bar. The vertical "Hotel" sign was also removed in recent renovations, though I'm not sure what work has been done to the interior. No word yet on if it's re-opened for business yet, but hopefully Reggie and crew find success with Reggie's West where the downtown location has in it's return to a full country theme!
• Also in terms of non-public word from Saturday, recently dormant hard rock band The Side FX (featuring Papa Fogals Chair alumni Derek Turner & Mike Bird) reunited to play Mike's stag & doe at The Moose Lodge that night! No word on who their new guitarist was yet, but aside from their brief advertisement for last month's Medi-Fest, they've made no public updates since last summer. Hopefully we hear more soon, but I have added them back to our active band links, so stay tuned! My source is frontman Rob Speers' personal Facebook page.
• In advance of their return to the stage on Saturday at the Sewer Swampstravaganza, "the original crash band" Sykotyk Rampage have quietly posted a new original song onto their Reverbnation page! Entitled "Came In Like A Storm", I assume it will be on one of their 2014 "albums" to be posted. A bluesy hard rocker with drummer Paul Becker on vocals, fans should take to this track, so give it a listen above, and maybe we'll hear it live this weekend!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news tomorrow, along with weekend concert previews as well! Thanks everyone!

Medifest Fallout, Brutaly Fatal Updates, And Much More!!

Keeping the news rolling today, we have some assorted recent news and notes, big updates from the new Brutaly Fatal camp, and leading things off, lots of fallout from a big benefit show this past weekend, so here's what you need to know!

We'll start today with some fallout from Saturday night's Medifest fundraiser show at The Grand Theatre, including some clarification on the performers! Through personal Facebook photo postings, I can confirm that Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison was joined for his acoustic solo set by bandmate Alain Fletcher as well as guitarist Kyle Sweet, who has performed with The Sault Ste. Marie Pipe Band recently, but was making his first on-stage concert appearance in over 6 years. Videos are floating around on personal accounts, so if you spot them, give them a look, they're pretty good! As well, late notice additions The Craig West Experience were joined by a guitarist named Rob Coleman in place of usual Machines Dream member Keith Conway, and hopefully their prog rock set was a hit too! Sadly, I don't have any concrete information on the identity or genre of the debuting Obviously D'uh yet, but I also want to note that the poster on your right actually lists dormant local hard rock band The Side FX (featuring promoter/Elements frontman Rob Speers & Papa Fogals Chair alumni) as one of the performing bands, which would indicate that their first live set in 8 months was on Saturday, so is their inclusion accurate?

I don't think they played Medifest, judging by the lack of Side FX-geared photos and discussion afterwards, so it's possible that The Craig West Experience replaced them on the bill. For what it's worth, the poster came out two days before the C.W.E.'s late announcement, but also keep in mind that The Side FX's Facebook page has not been updated since last August, and I never saw them listed on the event page's lineup. When/if we get clarification on The Side FX or Obviously D'uh's involvement in Medifest, we'll have it here! Finally for Medifest fallout, there is one completely public video that we can share, courtesy of newer local classic metal quintet Project 421's set! Filmed by an uncredited attendee and uploaded to the band's Facebook page yesterday, it features the end of their cover of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?" before transitioning to their cover of Black Sabbath's "N.I.B.", and it's of really nice quality right close to the stage, so check it out below, and stay tuned for updates on the open band questions!



Next up, here's the latest from local independent grind/death metal label Blood Shed Productions and related artists! First, the newly reunited Brutaly Fatal have announced their new larger lineup on their own Facebook page earlier today, as they've enlisted Pillory's Bret Shuttleworth as their new drummer (succeeding Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson from the original version for unannounced reasons), while Rainey Vincent has been enlisted as their first ever guitarist. Rainey may be familiar to Haggith fans for making some guest appearances with them last year, and it will be interesting to see how he adds to Brutaly Fatal! No, I still don't know the status of Re-Born (formerly the first version of Brutaly Fatal), as their Facebook page hasn't been updated in almost two months. The newest update on the Blood Shed Facebook page also suggests that Brutaly Fatal have a "new style", and we should "prepare for doom", so are they taking a doom metal path now?

It remains to be seen, but the new lineup is expected to debut at a private event on Friday at frontman Austin McCrea's house alongside Crucify The Whore, Chase Wigmore, rapper Phat Boii, and maybe Rotopsy, but their public debut will be at the massive Dank Fest all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall on April 19th, so stay tuned for updates on that front, as well as the new Rotopsy demo EP release scheduled for that weekend ($3 a copy!)

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Last week, local hardcore punk veterans Destroilet announced on their Facebook page that they would begin recording new material this past weekend, though it remains to be seen if this will be for a third CD release or just to get some new songs online. Further details weren't given, but this should get fans excited, so stay tuned as more comes in!
• Former J.A.B. guitarist Gerald McKinnon is now looking for a bassist for his new alternative metal/hard rock band, as per his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Friday. He's looking for someone with no ties with other bands unless you have the time for this new band, and he hopes to find "a fresh player", so if you're interested in trying out, message Gerald at this link or above!
• New Sault Ontario resident Greg Paul is looking to join or form a new punk or metal band, with him on rhythm guitar and/or drums. Most recently drumming for Sudbury band Death Ryder (and opening for Anvil on March 14th), he's influenced by punk mostly as a guitarist, but covers more metal as a drummer, and he's open to anything & willing to learn. If you're interested, message Greg at his own Musicians Wanted group post from last week, or at this link!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Glitch), The Return Of Brutaly Fatal, And Much More!!

Keeping the news rolling on this Sunday morning, we have a lot of updates today, including some notifications of local band inactivity, major lineup adjustments for an upcoming all ages show, the return of a local death metal project, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you need to know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Glitch will make a rare stop outside of The Rockstar Bar for a show on Friday, March 21st at The Harp Bar & Grill! Announced by guitarist Marco Pedalino on their Facebook group last week, this will be their first announced concert in over two months after taking February off, and just their second date at a location other than The Algonquin Hotel, but like their Toystock appearance in December, they're returning central for this show at the Food Basics plaza on Pine Street! I will note that this date conflicts with the usual Friday scheduling for fellow hard rock artist Tym Morrison's solo arrangement/hosted jam nights, but while possible March dates of his aren't out yet, he did bump two Harp dates last month to Saturdays, so the same could recur. Also, Glitch might be the first hard rock band to play at this venue in a non-unplugged setting since Garden of Bedlam headlined at the then-Madison's Pub in 2009, but if I hear differently, I'll let you guys know!

This 19+ show has a 10:00 PM start time, and there are no announced cover charges. For more details, check the above links! This could be interesting for more than just Glitch's entertaining experienced covers, as if it's successful, maybe The Harp will begin hosting more non-acoustic performers in the coming months? It remains to be seen, but keep Glitch's Harp debut in mind for the 21st, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, local goregrind/death metal project Brutaly Fatal is back... wait a minute, didn't they become Re-Born to go along with their move to a grunge/punk sound? Yes, but due to popular demand, singer/bassist Austin McCrae has resurrected Brutaly Fatal less than a month after the original version became Re-Born! Though the Re-Born Facebook page remains online, it hasn't been updated since February 7th, so it remains to be seen whether the two bands will operate independently (a'la Full Circle and the second Turner Up) or if Re-Born were "re-re-born". Also unknown is whether drummer Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson is back in the new Brutaly Fatal (for what it's worth, he's not acknowledged on the new version's Facebook page yet.) If anything comes out to clarify the status of Re-Born, I'll let you guys know! Austin has been writing new material for the new/old band, and is planning to record and upload some in the near future, while Brutaly Fatal have replaced Re-Born on the upcoming Dank Fest all ages show next month.

That makes sense, as Brutaly Fatal are a better fit stylistically (their timeslot also changed, which we'll elaborate on next.) This is surprising news, but hopefully the fans were right to get Brutaly Fatal back, and I'm curious to hear what's next, so stay tuned for updates, and they're now back in our active band links! (Also, seeing as this is the second incarnation, why not finally add the second L in "Brutally" to mark that?)

Third today, the lineup for the 14-band Dank Fest 2014 concert at The Oddfellows Hall on April 19th has had a major overhaul as per promoter Tyler St. Amour on the Facebook event page on Wednesday, with only 1 of the 14 bands (Rotopsy at 2:30 PM) retaining their original slot! Reasons for the mass changes were not publically announced, but Tyler warned us they were coming, and scheduling conflicts had to play in somehow. In descending order, the show will now be closed by local thrashers Pillory at 1:00 AM, with classic metal quintet Project 421 preceding them at 12:15 AM, solo goregrind project Crucify The Whore at 11:30 PM, and hardcore duo Bad Back now at 10:45 PM, all of which were bumped up in the order (in Project 421's case, by 5 hours!) The out of town headliners (North Bay's Thekillingfield & Buried Out Back) are now earlier at 9:45 PM & 8:45 PM respectively, while sludge trio AlgomA's set is now later at 8:00 PM. The next 4 bands were all put earlier in the order, those being funk metallers The Strange Coyotes at 7:15 PM, Orillia metal trio Like Animals at 6:30 PM, new alt-punk trio The Pixo Control at 5:45 PM, and Stillbroke successors Viva Emptiness at 5:00 PM.

Hard rockers The Danger Cats have moved up a timeslot to 4:15 PM, with the aforementioned Brutaly Fatal replacing Re-Born in the earlier 3:30 PM slot, and Rotopsy are still opening at 2:30 PM. Sweeping changes for sure, but aside from the North Bay bands, Project 421, and AlgomA, no one moved more than 2 timeslots, so the general timeframe for most bands is still in effect. I assume the out of town bands are earlier due to having to get back on the road, but as you saw at last year's Biipiigwan show, the headlining bands aren't always the last ones. Check the above links for full current details on Dank Fest, as this should be an explosive marathon!

Finally for today, here's notes on three local hard rock bands that we've moved to our inactive band links due to either lengthy inactivity, page deletions, or members focusing on other projects. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name, and if we misjudged on any of these bands, let me know!

• Local metal duo AlterWhite are apparently defunct, as per the deletion of their Facebook page at some point in recent months, and with no substantial remaining pages beyond their YouTube channel, I've regrettably deleted them from our band links. Active from 2011-2013, they showed some promise from their studio material, but frontman Mike Matthews had focused on solo work since late 2012. Best of luck to Mike & Kevin in the future!
• I've moved local/Peterborough hardcore punk project Kidshit to our inactive band links as well due to a year's inactivity, as I've heard no finite information on the band since last spring, and with members Mark Rand & Jamie Vincent focusing on bands like AlgomA and Cross Dog in recent months, they're at least not a primary focus at present. We'll hear a lot more from both this year, but check out their free demo at the above link, and hopefully we'll see them back at it down the road!
• I've also moved local hard rock quartet The Side FX to our inactive band links due to their prolonged inactivity since last August, along with 2/3rds of their last members focusing on other primary projects at present (Rob Speers with The Elements and Derek Turner with Garden of Bedlam.) Notably featuring 2 alums of Papa Fogals Chair, The Side FX played live just once last July before activity stalled, but hopefully the guys stay active musically, and best of luck to Rob, Alex, Mike, and Derek!

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

Tym Morrison & 415E Concert Previews, Plus A Couple Of Band Member Searches!!

As promised, today's post covers the rest of our weekend concert previews (namely, ones not featuring bands at this year's Chippewa County Fair), but we also have a pair of Sault Ontario musician searches to check out, so read on below for what you need to know!

We'll start our previews with Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's last show of his weekly August arrangement at The Road House Bar & Grill TONIGHT! Tym's brought his unplugged acoustic show there every Friday this month (save for the week of their Thursday customer appreciation night, which he played instead), and it sounds like things have went well at his favourite recent acoustic venue, so help cap off a fun month of hard rock covers at The Road House tonight on this otherwise slow weekend for heavier Sault Ontario gigs! Like usual, he'll be on tonight at 10:00 PM, there's a 19+ age limit in effect, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I assume Tym has fall solo dates in the works (along with new Caveman Morrison shows), so be sure to stay tuned to the SMS as we hear more, and don't miss his diverse and prolific cover blend at this Trunk Road tavern TONIGHT! For a preview, here's Tym and ex-Half Past singer Luke LeBlanc (we're pulling for you, Luke!) covering Extreme's "More Than Words"!

Also in previously known heavier concerts this weekend, local classic metal quartet 415E are scheduled to return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! I will note that the band hasn't updated their Facebook page in a month, and have no further Kewadin dates listed for the remainder of the year, so your guess is as good as mine if anything's going on concerning their status. I'll let you know if I hear anything! Featuring 2 members each of Splitshot & The Highest of Fives, 415E's Van Halen-inspired blend of originals and covers should be welcomed back to The Rapids Lounge this weekend, so don't miss the action if you're up for it! Admission should be free for these 9:00 PM concerts, and you must be 21 to attend either. For more details, check the above links! Even if this is the last time we see 415E for a while, they've been quite prominent in recent months, so keep tonight & tomorrow's shows in mind, and for a preview, here's 415E playing their self titled song in January!

Moving to some other recent news, starting with a notable band lineup change, as local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison have apparently parted ways with bassist James White for a second time. James revealed the news on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday, and though he didn't cite a reason for his exit, it's definitely under amicable terms. James originally replaced Jacques Marceau in the band in the fall of 2011, and after leaving the following spring, he returned to Caveman Morrison (taking over for his replacement Dutch Vanderploeg) earlier this year. This is disappointing, but at least he's keeping busy filling in with Frightlight, so best of luck to James going forward! With that said, his Musicians Wanted group post is advertising for a bassist search for Caveman Morrison, so what should you know if you're interested? Their sound of course varies from classic to newer metal & hard rock songs (such as ones by Metallica, Megadeth, and Judas Priest), and the band reportedly has at least two gigs planned this fall at The Water Tower Inn, so the sooner the better for a replacement to be secured.

If you're interested in trying out for Caveman Morrison as their new bassist, message band members Tym Morrison or Johnny Belanger on Facebook, and hopefully we hear news on an addition soon, as I don't wanna officially plug their next show until the bassist situation's finalized, just in case that show is changed in some form. Stay tuned for updates!

Finally for today, new local hard rock quartet The Side FX have announced the departure of guitarist Alex Walls, as per their Facebook page on Tuesday. The reasoning is that Alex (who only played live once with the band last month) is apparently moving to Toronto to try work as a studio guitarist, and the split is completely amicable. This is disappointing, especially coming not long after their debut gig, but best of luck to Alex going forward, and I hope he succeeds at whatever's next! As a result, The Side FX are now looking for a new guitarist that is able to learn their setlist and play live A.S.A.P., and they want someone who can have fun and party while playing their songs well, while also being able to play solos on everything from Volbeat to Sublime, among others. If you're interested in joining The Side FX (featuring singer Rob Speers and Papa Fogals Chair alumni Mike Bird & Derek Turner), message the band at the links above, and stay tuned for updates on both the guitarist search and their next work!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a special all-video post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Resignators/Side FX Preview, Concert Updates, And Much More!!

Before we dive into videos and updates from last night's Shinedown concert, here's some more recent news and notes to touch on, including major updates for a show originally scheduled for this weekend, another impending farewell for a talented local musician, and much more, but first, here's a preview for a concert tomorrow featuring a debuting local band (and check out our Bushplane Musical Madness II review in the post below this one!)

In a special Tuesday night concert at The Roosevelt Hotel, a new local hard rock band is among the openers for Australian ska punk septet The Resignators TOMORROW NIGHT (and yes, I mean that Australia!) Ska-punk fans should really enjoy The Resignators from what I've heard, as they have an energetic and fun blend of classic punk, Jamaican rhythms, and horn instruments, so you won't be lacking for a ska experience tomorrow! The local openers include the live debut of The Side FX, the new local hard rock band featuring Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner, his ex-Papa Fogals Chair/Sulfur bandmate Mike Bird on bass, SooToday's Rob Speers on vocals, and Alex Walls on guitar, and be there tomorrow to check out their diverse hard rock covers set! It also helps if you've missed Papa Fogals Chair since their last reunion gigs, as you'll get a partial reunion tomorrow, which should be cool! The other opening band is local punk trio The Northern Tragedy in their second show in four days, and their fast-improving live show and solid originals should attract a good response themselves!

Admission is $10 for this 19+ concert, though if you bring your already-purchased ticket for August 19th's Airbourne concert (which is also a J.D. Pearce-booked concert headlined by an Australian band), your entry fee will be halved to just $5, so keep that offer in mind! A 9:00 PM start time is advertised, and for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! If you love ska & punk, you can't miss this show, and the debut of The Side FX should be really notable as well, so keep it in mind, and while I don't have a "metal" video from the bands, hopefully something will come out from the show this week!

Next up, here's the latest changes to Frightlight's next concert, their benefit for bassist Mike "Eddie Fright" Gingras' upcoming short film "The Kid Who Made The Face"! First, the show has found a new location, following it's quiet removal from The Algonquin Pub earlier this month for still unannounced reasons. It will now take place at The Roosevelt Hotel (which is also where the Bunchofuckingoofs concert was moved), which should work out as a familiar venue, but the date has also changed for this event. Originally scheduled to be held this Saturday, it has been postponed to Thursday, August 1st (possibly due to a scheduling conflict), making this Johnny Pints' 8th promoted Thursday concert on the old Rosie metal nights' usual day! The show also had one more change, as out-of-town headliners Sanitarium are no longer listed for the show, likely due to the date change, as they are on tour. It's not every day that a Brazilian metal band has a chance to come to the area, but maybe they'll come back up here at some point!

All of the above changes were confirmed on Thursday on the Facebook event page, but everything else about the show is the same. Featuring Frightlight's first set with Eddie Fright in 9 months, local punk trio Redundant, and The Bear Hunters' first show after Josh Stephney's move to Brampton, this 19+ event has $5 admission, which will get you a guaranteed credit in the finished movie! Keep this show in mind for August 1st to support Eddie/Mike's filmmaking and local metal & punk music!

Also in the news, you know the Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mash-Up at The Oddfellows Hall on Friday that will mark local death metal singer/guitarist Josh Stephney's last show in the Soo? Well, it'll be a farewell for one of his bandmates as well, as Bring The Fallen/Giwakwa bassist Nolan Rainville is also moving after this show. My source is his personal Facebook page yesterday, but I wanted to get word of it on here in case something more public didn't come out by Friday. Nolan didn't go into details about his future plans, but he has worked out of town in the summers in recent years (which coincided with breaks for his bands), so this could be a permanent extension of that. Nolan's a very skilled bassist, as we've seen in his 2008-2011 Bring The Fallen tenure and his shows this year with Giwakwa, and he'll definitely be missed in the area! I wonder what will happen with Giwakwa though, as half of their lineup is moving after Friday's concert, but hopefully Chris & Chris keep the band alive, as they have a good thing going!

With both Josh & Nolan saying farewell to Sault Ste. Marie THIS FRIDAY, you have all the more reason not to miss this show! Featuring their last shows with Bring The Fallen, The Bear Hunters, and Giwakwa (plus Shit Liver, Haggith, James Watterworth, and the return of Crimson Crusade), admission is FREE for this ALL AGES show if you wear local band merchandise, and click here for more details! Stay tuned later this week for our preview of this show, and come out to see Josh & Nolan live one last time!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Ex-Caveman Morrison bassist Dutch Vanderploeg rejoined his old band on Saturday night at The Roosevelt Hotel to fill in (presumably) for James White, as per his personal Facebook page yesterday. He apparently also handled lead vocals on some songs late in the night to help out frontman Tym Morrison, who was ill that night (and on his birthday too, which is bad timing.) Hopefully the show went well though, and hopefully Dutch will turn up in a new band at some point!
• Late & Loud successors The Hydra's Teeth posted a new Facebook-exclusive jam session video onto their Facebook page on Saturday! Entitled "Cinderella Red-Dress", it has the classic metal vibe that fans should like, but it features neither vocals or new guitarist Anthony Orazietti. Check it out above, and note that they've already hyped that they have 8 originals, "almost half-way to our first album." Keep that in mind!
• Along with recent studio updates, local thrashers Pillory posted a new video of frontman Robert Sartini recording vocals for their song "Cringe At The Cross" on Saturday, and he puts in a much more aggressive snarl than I remember him having at their live debut last fall! Good sign, but hopefully we'll get some new shows soon to help get their momentum back, and check out the new video above!

That's all for now, but stay tuned tomorrow for some Shinedown fallout and (if all goes well) this month's YouTube Channel Profile on the late David Gold's channel! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Side FX), A New Local Band, And Huge Upcoming Concert Updates!!

As we clear out most of our remaining extant Sault Ontario metal/hard rock news items, we have some big stuff to get to today, including big updates relating to a couple of multi-band shows later this month (including quite a major band reunion), some assorted recent notes, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, but first, there's a new band to touch on, so here's what you need to know!

We have a new local band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are The Side FX! Described as a "hard rock, alternative and metal-ish band", their Facebook page was just launched on Tuesday, though they've been jamming together for a year or so. Their lineup features a reunion of former Papa Fogals Chair & Sulfur bassist Mike Bird and drummer Derek Turner (also of Garden of Bedlam), alongside Rob Speers on vocals and Alex Walls on guitar (neither of which I'm familiar with musically, though Rob & Derek are co-workers.) Their Facebook page says that they play "high energy tunes for a high energy crowd", which will feature covers of everyone from Alice In Chains and Volbeat to Sublime and The Black Keys. Interestingly diverse selection of bands (though I admit hoping that the overplayed "Lonely Boy" doesn't turn up live too often), and while half of the lineup isn't familiar yet, it's great to see Mike and Derek back together in a new band, and if you're familiar with their past work, you know they've got chemistry! And no, this means nothing bad for Garden of Bedlam, you'll see them next opening for Airbourne next month!

Speaking of shows involving Australian bands, when can you see The Side FX in their live debut? On July 23rd (one week from Tuesday), as they're one of two local opening bands for Australian "psychoska" punk septet The Resignators that night at The Roosevelt Hotel! One of three out-of-continent bands that local promoter J.D. Pearce is bringing to the Soo this summer (joining Airbourne and Brazil's Sanitarium), I wouldn't classify The Resignators as metal, but ska-punk fans should get a big kick out of them, especially with their horn section and fun attitude, so check them out if you like the genre! The local openers are the aforementioned Side FX and local punk trio The Northern Tragedy (in their second show in four days, more on that in a bit), so there should be a solid and entertaining mix of punk and rock for attendees! Admission will be $10 at the door for this 19+ concert, with an announced start time of 9:00 PM in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an interesting concerts, and I know you ska-punk fans will love it, but the debut of the Soo's newest hard rock band is of note also, so check the above links for more, and The Side FX are now in our active Sault Ontario band links!

Next up, here's the latest updates on a few upcoming multi-band concerts this month, starting with local musician Josh Stephney's farewell concert, the Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mash-Up two weeks from today! The lineup has been finalized and expanded, starting with the return of... Bring The Fallen?! Well over two years after their breakup, the popular local death metal quintet (and three-time battle of the bands winners) will return for what I assume is one final gig to help send Josh off in style before he moves to Brampton next month, and this has to be big news for local metalheads! If you missed them since their last shows in 2011, be at The Oddfellows Hall on July 26th to mosh out with Bring The Fallen one last time! Also in returns, newer local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade are back on the lineup, just days after suddenly breaking up, with the news coming via Josh on the Facebook event page last night! It's great to see that they're not done (albeit, they haven't officially confirmed this), but if they've worked through the things that caused them to break up, then that works for me, and I hope this is just the first of many more shows!

The remaining new band additions are local alternative/grunge rockers Haggith (who took Crimson Crusade's slot on the lineup during their brief breakup), and they should deliver an entertaining set in what's now their Oddfellows Hall debut! The other new act is ex-Blackwater bassist James Watterworth in a solo set, and while I have yet to find a page for his solo material, his sound is described as "slap bass solos" on the event page linked above. Now on two multi-band shows this summer, I'm definitely curious to hear what James has in store, so stay tuned in case we hear anything! With the lineup now complete with an expanded 7 acts, the full order for the Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mashup will see Bring The Fallen fittingly headline at 11:15 PM, and they'll be preceded by local death metal bands The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver 10:00 PM & 8:45 PM respectively. The other bands will only play for a half hour each, with James Watterworth playing at 8:00 PM, preceded by local stoner death metal band Giwakwa at 7:30 PM, Crimson Crusade at 6:45 PM, and Haggith opening the festivities at 6:00 PM.

Remember, this ALL AGES show is FREE for fans with local band merchandise (and $5 otherwise), so check the above links for current details! This sounds like the perfect way to send Josh off before his move, especially as all of his live local bands (March Into Regression aside) will be playing, and with such a talented lineup for (potentially) free, you won't wanna miss it! Stay tuned for possible updates!

Finally, here's the latest updates on a sooner multi-band concert, that being  Bushplane Musical Madness II one week from Saturday! The lineup has been finalized with one new act and one changed band, so what's different? Well, the aforementioned Northern Tragedy replaced fellow local punk band Redundant on the lineup on Wednesday due to "circumstances beyond their control", and while it is disappointing to see Redundant out, The Northern Tragedy's busier local schedule is good to see for punk fans! The new addition will see the public and Sault Ontario debut of Mike Haggith & The Din, the jam/hard rock band featuring 3/4ths of event hosts Haggith in swapped roles, and they should deliver a fun set as well, which you can preview at this link! The full performance order was also announced via the Facebook event page, and like last year, Sykotyk Rampage will headline this July 20th event at 11:00 PM, to be preceded by Haggith at 9:45 PM, The Suicide Kings at 8:00 PM, The Northern Tragedy at 7:15 PM, Mike Haggith & The Din at 6:15 PM, and the aforementioned James Watterworth opening at 5:00 PM.

Tickets are now available for just $5 at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center (obviously the host venue), The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and Northland Music, while the door price remains the same. This should be a great event, and a nice alternative to the covers and indie/roots-heavy Rotaryfest stages that day, so click here for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend, including some new Sault Michigan videos! Thanks everyone!