Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Glitch

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, our monthly feature look at a defunct or inactive local band (from the metal, hard rock, and/or punk realms), in order to spotlight and refresh them in readers' memories and outline their local runs! We had originally projected a double profile this month due to an estimate of low information for this month's band, but we undershot that, so the planned second band (Sault Michigan's NoXcape) WILL lead next month's defunct profile with a second band that we'll reveal at post's end, so they're coming! Now, our September profile looks at a fairly recent band that made some waves in their brief existence, so read on below for what you should know!
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Glitch

Genre: Classic/Hard Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members:

Mark Oliverio (Boogie Fever), vocals/guitar

Marco Pedalino (The Role Models), guitar
Sean Berlinguette (Sneaky Pete), bass
Mike Oakley (Sneaky Pete, WFO), drums 

Audio/Video: A cover only band, Glitch's surviving media is limited to live concert videos, with the only known examples coming from Facebook uploads via Rockstar Bar gigs. Hayley Warnock from the venue shot footage of Glitch covering Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall" & Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Runnin' Down A Dream" from a November 2013 event, but embedded below is our video of their cover of The Rolling Stones' "Doom & Gloom" from their debut show last year! 



Info/Analysis: Spiritual successors to Mike Oakley & Sean Berlinguette's 2009-2012 cover rock band Sneaky Pete, Glitch debuted on stage in September 2013, launching their Facebook group shortly thereafter. A very frequent sight at The Rockstar Bar on weekends throughout their run, fans may also recognize Glitch from a set at the second annual Toystock at The Canadian Nightclub in November, along with branching out to more unfamiliar venues like the OLG Casino and The Harp in their latter months. The band's last concert took place in May 2014 at The Rockstar Bar, with Glitch suddenly & amicably parting ways in early June. Glitch's party favour sets seemed to go over well in their short run, and their talents spoke for themselves (it was nice seeing Mark front some heavier tunes again too), but Sneaky Pete fans may have wished for Mike to sing lead on more songs. Hopefully everyone turns up again in new projects in the near future, and follow Marco's current punk bands in the meantime!
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I hope you guys liked this month 's Defunct Local Band Profile! As previously indicated, we will definitely lead off a double band profile on October 10th with Sault Michigan hard rock quintet NoXcape, but which Sault Ontario band with minimal surviving info/media will compliment them? Through 100% random selection, we'll be touching on a (non-hardcore) local punk band for the first time in this series, that being the short lived 2006 band Starlit Sins, who you may remember from our punk band introduction posts in July! Look for all of this early next month, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Suicide Kings & Tym Morrison), The End Of Glitch, And More!!

I had suggested in our post from this afternoon that we might have some late notice show previews to touch on if any hard rock shows were confirmed, and some have been, so we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on for THIS WEEKEND! As well, we have a band breakup and more recent notes to address, so read on below for what you need to know, and get some new show details and our 415E concert previews in the post below this one!

As expected, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill on Pine Street will indeed continue into the month of June, kicking off the month with solo gigs TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, I was waiting for confirmation outside of Tym's website before diving into this month for his Harp run. Like before, we take his Harp gigs a month at a time due to the immense length of his listed bookings on his website's calendar. Barring any interruptions, Tym's current relationship with The Harp will run into it's 30th week by month's end following shows this weekend as well as next Friday, June 20th & 21st, and June 27th & 28th, with next Saturday not likely for a show due to The Harp's likely broadcast of UFC 174 that night. Of course, these shows could be subject to preemption by an outside artist, which came up a couple of times last month, but Tym's hosted Friday jam night and regular Saturday acoustic show are both on for this weekend's action!

Like usual, there's no announced admission costs this weekend or for future dates, you must be 19 to attend, and there are 10:00 PM start times in effect. For more details, visit this weekend's Facebook event page and the above links! Tym's successful run at the former Madison's Pub is still off and running, and while recent preemptions may be concerning for fans, his hard rock covers will surely be received warmly TONIGHT & TOMORROW, so don't miss out, and here's Tym covering Heart at The Service Grill!



Also in new show confirmations, local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings will be playing an outdoor show THIS SUNDAY at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Apologies for the short notice, the band just confirmed their involvement in this show earlier today. This will mark a rare appearance by a heavier band at the Soo's annual Musicfest (a.k.a. Bratwurst, Beer, and Beethoven), an all ages community event featuring live music, food and drinks, family events, a silent auction, and more, so click here for all non-musical details of this year's 21st annual Musicfest! The Suicide Kings' set is actually in the co-headlining slot at 6:00 PM on Sunday before the Sault Symphony Orchestra's headlining Beethoven set at 7:00 PM, and the preceding acts include brass music from The Steeltown Silver Band at 5:00 PM, Aris Richards' belly dancers at 4:30 PM, White Pines Collegiate's student band The Pine Tones at 3:30 PM, the Soo Filipino Canadian Dancers at 3:00 PM, two acts I'm unfamiliar with (The Rolling River Trio & "Company" at 1:45 & 1:30 PM), and the 155 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets Pipe Band and Highland Dancers at 1:00 PM to open the day's entertainment.

Admission is $10 for adults and free for kids 12 and under, and the events start at noon on Sunday. This should be interesting, if only to see how a band like The Suicide Kings does in very unfamiliar territory, but Musicfest has always been a successful downtown event, and it should help set the mood for The Suicide Kings' expected return to Rotaryfest next month, as well as their Rock N' Roar festival set in Spanish in August! I wonder if this will be a test to see how more alternative bands do at Musicfest? Check the above links for more info, and for a preview, here's the guys at The Canadian!



Next up, we have a band breakup to address, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Glitch have announced that they have parted ways, as per a post by guitarist Marco Pedalino on their Facebook group this afternoon. A reason for their breakup was not announced, but Marco did say that "it was a fun ride while it lasted", and he thanked fans for supporting them and local music. Featuring alumni of Sneaky Pete, Lion Ride, and Tripod the Dog, Glitch made their live debut in September, becoming a favourite at The Rockstar Bar over the next 9 months, along with a set at Toystock and one-off gigs at the OLG Casino and The Harp during their run, last playing live on May 17th. This is really surprising, especially for such a relatively new band that had seemed to be making strong waves with their varied party sound, but hopefully things are as amicable as they sound, and hopefully everyone stays active in music. Best of luck to Mark, Marco, Sean, and Mike in the future!

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

• San Francisco doom metal duo Black Cobra have dropped out of the Anciients/Havok all ages metal show at The Canadian Nightclub on June 24th, as per promoter J.D. Pearce on the new Facebook event page on Wednesday. J.D. cited a prior commitment for their exit, that being a concert in Chicago that same night (source here), and they won't be replaced on the local bill. Disappointing, but hopefully their tour goes awesome, and get your tickets A.S.A.P. for $20, with details above!
• Sault Michigan rock quartet Division of Sanity revealed on their Facebook page last month that they'll be playing at this year's LemmaFest at Dondee Lanes on June 21st, apparently at the 7:00 PM timeslot. I'm waiting for a formal lineup confirmation from LemmaFest organizers before calling it on here, but they join Munising rockers Infathom and locals Plastic among bands who've announced a performing involvement. Stay tuned for updates!
• Local concert promoters Heavy North Entertainment have announced that they'll "be on hiatus until further notice", and to that effect, they've cancelled all previously hinted shows this summer (including the teased Warsenal show next week), though a planned August 3rd event to be headlined by Vancouver death metal band Archspire is still in the works. A reason for the hiatus wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and stay tuned for details on the Archspire show!

That's definitely all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post with more recent stories tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Glitch) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Today, we're getting to this weekend's metal & hard rock concert previews on a fairly active weekend in Sault Ontario, including a CD release show (with new band confirmations) and much more, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend! (Updated on Friday at 7:00 PM)

Local classic/hard rock quartet Glitch will return to The Rockstar Bar for another concert THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this was only just announced via the official Facebook event page on Tuesday. Last seen three weeks ago in their debut at the OLG Casino, this will surprisingly be this veteran party outfit's first stop at The Algonquin since January, but it's still their most frequent local concert venue, and hopefully Mark, Mike, Marco, and Sean get a solid reception for their diverse and often heavy covers on Saturday night! Note however that this is a one night only gig due to the Jack Spades EP release show that we're touching on next. Admission is likely $5 for this 19+ show, and a 10:30 PM start time is in effect. For more details, visit the above links, don't miss Glitch's grand return to The Rockstar Bar, and for a preview, here's the guys rocking out at this same venue late last year!



Before that however, a well anticipated CD release show will take place at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT, when local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will officially launch the physical copies of their debut EP "The First"! Though the digital release occurred last month, this will be your first chance to buy the album in a disc format, and that alone is pull enough for many fans to attend, so visit the band's official Facebook page for preview photos of the packaging and booklet for "The First"! There's a full lineup of opening acts scheduled as well to back up Jack Spades' headlining set, so who's on tap? Replacing Destroilet tomorrow will be local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (featuring Jack Spades guitarist Jesse Cook) in their Rockstar Bar debut and their first local concert date since Medi-Fest in March, and they should be a natural fit among tomorrow's performers, so don't miss this newer band's return to the stage! Also making their first appearance at this venue is local classic metal quintet Project 421, though they'll be playing with a guest singer due to Curtis McKenzie's work commitments out of town. The band is keeping the singer's identity a secret, but how will he (or she?) do in this temporary setting tomorrow night?

Also announced after Destroilet's dropout is an acoustic opening set by the aforementioned Jesse Cook and Jack Spades bandmate Johnny Belanger to kick off the night, but how will this sound, and will it bear similarities to Johnny's open mic songs this past Saturday at the Swampstravaganza? Tomorrow's show will have a 10:00 PM start time and a 19+ age limit, and while admission is $5, paying $10 at the door will also guarantee you a copy of Jack Spades' EP upon admission, so keep that in mind, and click here for more info! This should be a great concert on that level, but the EP release side is a solid incentive, and the bands should be rocking, so I'll see you there, and for a preview, here's Jack Spades at The Canadian in March!



Closing with bands playing two nights this weekend, local hard rock standouts The Suicide Kings will return to the site of their local concert debut TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT for shows at the former Nicolet Tavern, now known as The Rednecks Saloon! Last seen at this Albert Street West venue under it's original name last year, this will be their first show since their runner-up finish at the Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish last month, and their first local date in 2 months, so if you've missed the guys' entertaining and heavy originals & covers, take a trip down to the recently renamed Rednecks Saloon this weekend! There's no announced cover charge for this weekend's gigs, you must be 19 to attend, and each night has a 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's been a relatively long time for fans to get their fill of The Suicide Kings on a local stage, but hopefully a big crowd turns up at the new country-themed Rednecks Saloon this weekend, and for a preview, here's The Suicide Kings live at The Canadian!

Finally for this weekend (barring any very late notice announcements) is the return of Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison to The Harp Bar & Grill SATURDAY NIGHT, as his weekly concert arrangement there enters it's 24th straight week! Though his website still lists this weekend as featuring shows both tomorrow & Saturday, Tym will not be playing at The Harp tomorrow due to a set by Jay Case and Frank Deresti, in a similar circumstance as a preemption from last month, but Tym's acoustic hard rock covers will still be in full force on Saturday night! My source for Jay's show tomorrow is a Facebook post shared on one of The Harp Facebook pages by Jay's wife Carrie. Tym's entertaining and prolific covers should find a solid audience on Saturday all the same, so keep it in mind! Admission is likely free for this 10:00 PM show, and you must be 19 to attend. Click here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live in Heyden a few years back!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, and in case there's nothing tomorrow, we'll see you guys at the Jack Spades EP release show! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Suicide Kings), Glitch Concert Preview, And More!!

For today's post, we're concluding this weekend's known heavier concert previews, elaborating on some recent local metal album updates, and sharing a new video previewing some new material, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month!

Rockstar Bar Battle winners The Suicide Kings will return to the site of their live concert debut on Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th for solo headlining dates at The Rednecks Saloon! Fresh off of their second place finish at the Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish, these will mark this talented hard rock quartet's first shows at the former Nicolet Tavern since March of last year, and despite the name change and transition to a country theme last fall, I don't expect Mike, Steven, Mitch, and Ben to alter their established sound and setlist for these concerts, as the Rednecks Saloon still welcomes rock bands (like Griphook this weekend.) The Suicide Kings last played a double weekend set at the former Roosevelt Hotel in January, so the convenience of two nights will be a plus for fans of their modern rock originals and covers, so be at this popular Albert Street West venue next month! Admission is likely free both nights, you must be 19 to attend, and there are 10:00 PM start times in effect. Visit the official Facebook event page for more info, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's the last of our known heavier concert previews for this weekend, as newer Sault Ontario party/hard rock cover quartet Glitch will make their first ever appearance at an unfamiliar venue TOMORROW NIGHT, as they'll be rocking The OLG Casino at 30 Bay Street West! We've never covered the Sault Ontario casino on here for a concert, so I'm unfamiliar with it's setup, but I do know that they have both the Northern Gateway Restaurant and Bivouac Bar on site that could serve as logical host areas for a live band, so keep both in mind if you attend tomorrow. I'm unsure whether this is an early venture into more frequent band bookings, or a one-off agreement, but with a talented lineup featuring Sneaky Pete, Tripod the Dog, and Downfall alumni, the good tunes will be a constant, especially as they continue diversifying their live venue range! No idea on a potential cover charge, but you must be 19 to attend, and everything starts at 10:00 PM. Check the Facebook event page for more details, and here they are at The Rockstar Bar last year!



Moving to some well anticipated album news, local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA have unveiled some new items relating to their forthcoming debut album "Reclaimed By The Forest", including the complete finished artwork by Adam Geyer! It had previously been leaked online, but it wasn't band-acknowledged, and that copy didn't feature the band's name & album title, so I waited until now. Very detailed in it's imagery, it calls to mind a more graphic interpretation of a song like Woods of Ypres' "Keeper of the Ledger" (look up the lyrics to see what I mean.) While a release date and formats for this album aren't out yet, AlgomA's brand new Bandcamp page features a download copy of their song "Fell Down The Well" from it, and you can buy it before the release for just $1! They even thought to include lyrics, but as is usual protocol for us, we'll hold full thoughts until the full album review. I'll confirm that the production is great though, so stream "Fell Down A Well" above, and stay tuned for news on the CD release!

Finally for today, Theatre of Night keyboardist Craig Harrison posted another preview video onto his YouTube channel on Wednesday to document new music for his Sault Michigan classical metal band! This time, it's of a studio piano piece (presumably for an original song to be completed), as included with assorted GoPro clips of him and bandmates Steve & Greg Giles playing in their jam room, though all fade in and out and use different camera angles, lighting, and post filters. The end of the video promises that new music is coming soon, and while this isn't a finished look, Craig's playing is as solid as ever, so check it out below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Great Sabatini & Glitch), A New Local Band Page, And A New Song!!

Before we get to the meat of this post, just a late notice reminder that the announced Tym Morrison show TONIGHT at The Harp has been pre-empted due to an Easter weekend set from prolific local musician Jay Case & friends, but Tym will be back on his new usual double bookings there next weekend! Today's post features a new original song from an upcoming album, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next while, and first, a long awaited local band's online page launch, so here's what you need to know!

It took a breakup and reunion for it to happen, but local acid jam/hard rock band Mike Haggith & The Din finally have their own official Facebook page! Launched last May before breaking up in October (and then reuniting in January), fans may best remember this band from appearances at last July's second Bushplane Musical Madness event, along with being a late addition for Heavy North Entertainment's Oddfellows Hall show in January, plus various private events in 2013. Not solely a live concert outlet for Mike Haggith's own solo material, him and The Din play a free-flowing and often improvised brand of music that takes from various genres across widely varying song lengths, as seen on their four free "albums" ("Perpetual Musings", "Chaotic Symphony", the live "Despite The Insects...", and the half-finished "Dinner With The President".) Their new Facebook page confirms that their current lineup features (but isn't limited to) 5 members, similarly to the variable collective lineup of Sault Michigan's Highest of Fives.

Mike and drummer Daniel Horton are now joined by founding bassist Curtis McKenzie, newer bassist Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson, and returning saxophonist James Watterworth, though keep in mind that everyone in the band is multi-talented, so members can cover other instruments if need be. Also, note that the cover photo features a Haggith jam session, not The Din, so don't be confused by Caleb Cachagee's appearance there. It's great to finally see a Din Facebook page, so stay tuned for new updates from this unique band, they're now in our active band links, and hopefully we see them live again in the near future!

Next up, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming months, starting with a surprising new gig from local classic/hard rock quartet Glitch, as they're apparently playing at the OLG Casino at 30 Bay Street West one week from today on April 26th! Apologies for the short notice, guitairist Marco Pedalino announced the show on their Facebook group three weeks ago but it slipped through the cracks since then. In that post, he said info was to be announced, but as we're still waiting, I thought I'd help get the word out! The local Sault Ontario casino has never been a frequent concert venue for heavier shows, so I'm not familiar with it for our purposes, but they have both the Northern Gateway Restaurant and Bivouac Bar on site, so I'd have to assume Glitch's show will be at one of the two areas. Hopefully we get some more info by then (including on a possible cover charge), but a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit are likely. This should be an interesting diversion though for this talented veteran outfit, so stay tuned for updates!

Also in new concerts is the newest metal show from local concert promoter Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions, as they're bringing back Montreal doom/grind quartet The Great Sabatini for a headlining show at The Moose Lodge on Tuesday, June 10th! Last seen at the former Foggy Notions in April 2011, this band left a solid impression with their classic-influenced and very sludgy sound, and hopefully fans welcome them back with open arms after 3 years away from our area! The local openers include local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA in their first announced show since TONIGHT'S Dank Fest (and first ever Moose Lodge appearance), while a debuting local band named Habitat Shuffle are advertised to open this show. At present, there's no public information on them beyond a confirmation from AlgomA's Darby Wigwaus that they're "awesome", so we'll have to see if anything leaks out before showtime, or if they're operating under intended secrecy until then. This ALL AGES concert (Jamie's second at The Moose Lodge in under a month) has a 7:00 PM start time and an $8 cover charge at the door. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more on this promisingly brutal summer show!

Finally for today, we come full circle with some more Mike Haggith updates, as the prolific local musician posted the first finished studio track from his upcoming 48th solo album "A Place Of Our Own" onto his YouTube channel yesterday! Entitled "Let Me In", it was projected to be the album's first song, but as we've learned, his albums often see late order and song changes, so it remains to be seen if it still is. As we do hope to review "A Place Of Our Own" on the site, I'll hold thoughts on the song until review time, but it does have an orchestral rock base, and isn't as soft as some of his recent solo work, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more on Mike's album plans!



That's all for today, but I'll see you guys in a few hours at The Oddfellows Hall for Dank Fest! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Commencing Human Desperation & Griphook) And The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

It might not feel like the first day of spring, but let's keep things rolling at The Sault Metal Scene with most of this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews! Now, due to the amount, we'll be previewing Saturday-only shows (namely, Medifest and Tym Morrison's postponed Harp gig) tomorrow, along with any extremely short notice events, so look out for those then! We'll start these previews with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend, so here's what you need to know! (Updated on Friday at 1:48 AM)

The long rumoured Heavy North Entertainment-promoted ALL AGES show that has been teased for this month at The Oddfellows Hall goes down TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the event was only just confirmed yesterday. The concert will be headlined by Winnipeg deathcore quintet Commencing Human Desperation in their local debut, and fans of hardcore & death metal music should enjoy their very heavy and intense hybrid sound tomorrow night! Local openers include local thrashers Pillory, Blood Shed Productions death metal projects Rotopsy and Brutaly Fatal while, a band labelled as "Them" dropped out due to the show's short notice, and they'll be replaced by sets from fellow Blood Shed grind act Crucify The Whore and a dual set by Strange Coyotes bassist James Watterworth (credited as "Delusionair") and someone named "Spider Fingers" (possibly Chase Wigmore?) The concert will be opened by the local return of acoustic indie trio Like Father Like Son (featuring former local metal artists Jeremy Hannah and Nathan Bouliane), who have moved to Ottawa and worked on material there since their last local dates in 2012, and while they're definitely outliers on the bill, it'll be nice to see them back home!

This concert has an $8 cover charge, no age limits, and a 6:30 PM start time, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The short notice is somewhat worrying for the attendance and potential success of this show, but Tyler St. Amour sounds very happy to bring C.H.D. to town for this one! Yes, I believe this is the show Crimson Crusade turned down a slot on due to their hiatus. Stay tuned in case there's a late lineup change (or if we find out who "Them" are), and here's Commencing Human Desperation live last year!



Also in late announcements, local hard rock cover quartet Griphook will return to The Roosevelt Hotel for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed these shows on Tuesday. After almost two months off earlier this year, these shows fall over the third out of four weekends that Griphook will be playing live in town, so it's definitely nice to see their new lineup staying busier as we enter the supposed spring! Just to get it out of the way now, I have heard a rumour about The Rosie getting new ownership, but unless there is an actual confirmation of that, we won't comment on it, as we're not TMZ. Griphook will be on both nights at The Rosie at 10:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and there's no cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Griphook's wide ranging and often heavy covers should go over well this weekend, so keep their next shows in mind, and for a preview, here's Griphook covering AC/DC last year!



Moving to previously announced shows, fellow local cover quartet Glitch will make their first appearance at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! A rare non-Rockstar Bar appearance for them, this will be just their second show at a different venue (following Toystock in December), and their first show anywhere since January, and it will be very interesting to see how things go at the former Madison's Pub tomorrow! Since the name and theme changes last year, The Harp has generally focused on acoustic and open mic performers (a'la the new Coch's Corner), but Glitch have made no statements implying this will be an unplugged show, so is this a first toe in the water for having electric bands there again? It remains to be seen! Remember, Glitch's concert has forced Tym Morrison's regular weekly gig at The Harp to be postponed to Saturday night, so we'll preview that tomorrow. There's no announced cover charge tomorrow night, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

I'm curious to hear how Glitch do tomorrow at The Harp, and if all goes well, hopefully things will open up more for full rock bands! In terms of heavier acts, I don't think a non-acoustic hard rock band has played there since Garden of Bedlam's celebration of their Kiss Battle win in December 2009. For a preview, here's Glitch (featuring Lion Ride, Sneaky Pete, and Tripod the Dog alumni) covering The Rolling Stones last fall!



Finally for today's previews, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This is according to Kewadin's entertainment page, which is generally a great source, but I will add the disclaimer that 415E have not publically promoted these shows at all, nor has their Facebook page been updated in two months. If I hear anything that contradicts what Kewadin Casino's website says, I'll update this, but we'll treat them as on. This weekend's shows are 415E's first scheduled dates in St. Ignace in eight months, and just their second weekend of live dates since last summer, so if you've missed Chris, Dave, and company, keep their return in mind for this weekend! Admission should be free, there is a 21+ age limit in effect, and 9:00 PM start times are likely. For more details, visit the above links! Hopefully 415E are playing this weekend as advertised, as they're a very talented band with a lot of promise, so go check them out, and for a preview, here's the guys playing their self-titled song!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews! 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!

This Weekend's Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

I apologize for the slow news stretch lately, as despite having some new concerts to plug, everything else has been fairly slow for the early part of 2014, but things are guaranteed to pick up soon! In that respect, today's post is 100% dedicated to weekend concert previews (all of which have advance notice), so what heavier artists are rocking the Twin Saults and area this weekend? Read on below to find out!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his current weekly concert arrangement TOMORROW NIGHT with another solo show at The Harp Bar & Grill! Remember, though unannounced on Facebook as of this writing, the calendar on his website confirms he'll be back at the former Madison's Pub tomorrow for what will serve as both his newest solo gig and as a jam/open mic night, so if you love such events, keep that angle in mind! For the concert aspect of tomorrow's event, be sure not to miss Tym's talented acoustic covers of hard rock and metal classics, especially if you live centrally, as this should be another entertaining night of tunes! There's no announced cover charge for this 19+ concert, and a start time of 10:00 PM is likely. For more details, visit the above links! Approaching the sixth weekly installment of his current run at The Harp, Tym always puts in a good show, so definitely consider a run to The Harp tomorrow for this event, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Eric Clapton at the former Foggy Notions!



Next up, we'll take a quick detour across the river, as Charlevoix classic metal veterans Peril will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen there (or in the U.P. at all) in October, these will be Peril's first regional dates of a busy 2014 that will see them play two more Kewadin dates through March, joining frontman Jeff Hudson's other band Scarkazm's own regional dates over the next while, so this should be a big year for them! Peril's classic metal covers and experienced talent should be welcomed back to St. Ignace this weekend, so if you're up for some hard rocking intensity, head down to The Northern Pines Lounge! There's no announced cover charges this weekend, you must be 21 to attend, and 19+ age limits are to be expected. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's Peril playing 4 covers at a Vanderbilt show in 2012!



Moving back to Sault Ontario to close this post, local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will make their Docks Riverfront Grill debuts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! The band's first dates of the new year, it'll be interesting to see this union of Route 69, Gully Yodelers, and Bangers N' Mash alumni in Docks' Playroom for the first time, but their alt-rock covers and gritty sound should serve them well this weekend, so keep a trip to Foster Drive in mind for this weekend for some Lucky 13 action! Like other recent Docks shows, there is NO COVER CHARGE this weekend, though a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit are still in their usual effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Lucky 13 have proved to be a consistent and entertaining sight since their debut, so definitely don't bypass this weekend's shows, and for a preview, here's Lucky 13 at The Canadian in 2012!



Finally for this weekend's known hard rock shows, Sault Ontario quartet Glitch will return to their favourite local venue The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT in their own first gig of the new year! Note that this is a one night only event, possibly because The Rockstar Bar's hosting local country band Summer Thunder tomorrow night, so if you wanna see Glitch, don't come tomorrow. Featuring alumni of Foothill Road, W.F.O., and Bondar, this newer quartet has been a popular sight at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs venue since their debut last fall, so don't miss their well mixed blend of covers, including many heavier tunes, on Saturday night! A $5 cover is likely for this 10:30 PM event, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Keep the return of Glitch in mind for your Saturday night plans, and for a preview, here's the guys rocking out at their live debut!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, along with this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!! (TheKillingField, Stiffler's Mom, Lucky 13, and Glitch)

We're finally back with a new news post after a quiet weekend, as we're devoting this freezing Monday to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! A few respected hard rock cover bands have some new concerts advertised, along with a very cool all ages metal show at The Oddfellows Hall later this month, so read on below for what you need to know on the current concert schedule!

Local alternative/hard rock quartet Lucky 13 will take the stage for the first time of the new year THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY at Docks Riverfront Grill! Note that the band has yet to officially confirm these dates, but they are listed on Docks' website's schedule, among other dates that we'll touch on in the next while from other local talent. Last seen at The Rockstar Bar early last month, this weekend's shows will be Lucky 13's first at Docks (unless I've missed any unannounced dates), and it'll be good to see this union of Aftersight, Throwbacks, and Gully Yodelers alumni back at it with their usual high energy covers to kick off 2014! These likely 10:00 PM shows have 19+ cover charges, and according to the schedule above, Docks has scrapped cover charges in recent months, so there is NO COVER this weekend! Stay tuned for updates from the Lucky 13 camp as we hear them (and our previews closer to Friday), and hopefully this weekend's shows keep up their usual talents!

Also this weekend, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Glitch will play their first local concert date of 2014 when they return to The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY! Their first live appearance in almost a month, the event was just announced by guitarist Marco Pedalino on their Facebook group yesterday. A favourite sight at The Rockstar Bar since their debut last fall, look for a varied but often heavy selection of classic songs from this union of Sneaky Pete, Lion Ride, and Tripod The Dog members, so keep their first show of 2014 in mind for this weekend! A $5 cover charge is likely for this 19+ event, and a 10:00 PM start time should be expected. For more details, check the above links! Though their focus on The Rockstar Bar for all of their solo gigs is still somewhat surprising, it's been a great venue for Glitch since their debut, so take in another entertaining night of music from them on Saturday night, and if there's any updates, we'll have them here!

Next up (and as previously hinted at), new local metal promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment are indeed bringing North Bay extreme metal trio TheKillingField back to the Soo for their first official concert, which goes down at The Oddfellows Hall on Friday, January 24th! Last seen locally at the 33rd Roosevelt Hotel metal night in September 2011 (and their first Oddfellows appearance since opening for Cattle Decapitation in 2009), it's been way too long for TheKillingField's brutal and technical originals to grace the Soo, and knowing how many fans they've made here, they should pick up right where they left off in just under three weeks! Joining them are fellow North Bay standouts Buried Out Back (featuring ex-Empyrean Plague guitarist Dave Strba), who you may remember as one of the openers at Hallows Die's June 2012 show at The Canadian. Their death metal sound should be right at home with the local crowd on the 24th, so be sure not to miss their second local date! Like the pre-H.N.E. Devil's Night show at The Oddfellows Hall, an extensive band roster is slotted for this ALL AGES show, so what locals can be expected?

Though the band lineup is subject to change, TheKillingField will headline at midnight on the 24th with Buried Out Back at 11:00 PM, and while the 10:00 PM slot is currently vacant, bands like AlgomA and Brutaly Fatal have expressed interest in filling it (we'll keep you guys posted!) The 9:15 PM slot currently belongs to local thrash quartet Pillory in what would be their first show since last summer, their Oddfellows Hall debut, and (I assume) their first show with a full lineup since their debut in November 2012. Great to see Pillory back at it, hopefully they have copies of their EP for sale too! Local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters (who have opened for both of the headliners) are slotted at 8:10 PM, while Blood Shed Productions goregrind duo Rotopsy are slotted at 7:30 PM for their second live appearance. Newer local funk/metal trio The Strange Coyotes will return to the site of their inception at 6:45 PM, with the lineup rounded out by new classic metal quartet Project 421's second show and Oddfellows debut at 6:00 PM, and Strange Coyotes singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore opening with a solo set at 5:15 PM.

This ALL AGES concert will have a door opening time of 5:00 PM, and while admission will be $12 at the door, advance ticket information is forthcoming. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Tyler delivering with a big concert out of the gate, and hopefully there's a good turnout to begin Heavy North Entertainment's local run! Stay tuned for updates on the last band slot, advance tickets, and more as we hear them!

Finally for today's hard rock concert announcements, local party/hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will return to Docks Riverfront Grill themselves on February 7th & 8th for their second & third announced dates of the new year! Like with the aforementioned Lucky 13 dates this weekend, Stiffler's Mom have yet to officially confirm these dates, though they are confirmed through Docks' official website, so visit the above links for that source. To be their first Docks shows in 2 months, it'll be great to see this favourite veteran outfit back at this popular Foster Drive venue next month, so don't miss their often heavy and well mixed cover tunes at Docks next month! As with the Lucky 13 shows, expect a 10:00 PM-ish start time, NO COVER, and a 19+ age limit. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from both Stiffler's Mom, and some more February Docks hard rock shows with their own Stiffler's Mom connections!

That's all for today, but stay tuned soon for more new Docks concert announcements, and more updates! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Most Of The Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

It's now time once again to preview this weekend's metal & hard rock concerts, but I've decided to divide them up due to amount and theme, so our previews of The Danger Cats' LopLops show TOMORROW and Saturday night's Fuckface Unstoppable will now be in TOMORROW'S POST due to size, date, and that both shows feature bands with a number of originals, so pairing them will give them more emphasis. With that said, today's post is filled out with notes on what looks like a new local EP release, but first, we have some upcoming hard rock cover concerts to preview, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has announced a new solo concert for TONIGHT at The Harp Pub & Grill! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only just created it's Facebook event page earlier today.  His third show at the former Madison's Pub since it's re-opening (though his first on a Thursday night, if the date's not a typo), Tym should bring another entertaining evening of unplugged metal & hard rock covers to the stage for this concert, and if you're up for some centrally-located classics in a more intimate setting, be at the Food Basics plaza TONIGHT! There's no announced cover charge for this 10:00 PM-ish concert, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, check the above links! If this show is indeed tonight rather than tomorrow, don't miss Tym's return to The Harp for a solid night of unplugged hard rock covers, though stay tuned in case the advertised date is wrong! For a preview, here's the new version of Tym's original song "Suicide Bike Ride"!



Now to previously announced concerts this weekend, starting with the return of local party/hard rock quartet Glitch to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Under two weeks after rocking Toystock, this will be Glitch's fourth live concert appearance and third at The Rockstar Bar since debuting in September, and given the seasonal timeframe, it's being hyped as a "Glitchmas" gig! Given their recent trend of playing once a month, this might be their last concert of 2013, so keep tomorrow's show in mind to see this supergroup of Sneaky Pete, Lion Ride, and Tripod the Dog alumni in action with their varied but often heavy cover selection! A $5 cover charge is likely for this 19+ show, and it should start at 10:00 PM. For more details, check the above links, and for a preview, here's one of two recent concert videos that The Rockstar Bar's Hayley Warnock shared on their Facebook group! A cover of Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream", the camera angle's far but they sound good! Don't miss them TOMORROW NIGHT!



Finally for today's previews (Bam Margera's coming tomorrow), local hard/classic rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies were advertised to return to The Roosevelt Hotel TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! I'll note that the band hasn't plugged these shows since originally announcing them in October, but I've heard nothing blatant regarding a cancellation, so I'll assume these are on unless I hear otherwise. Like Glitch, these are The Thrill Junkies' first live concert appearances since Toystock, and for this talented veteran quintet (featuring Turner Up, Havadder, and Redundant alumni), they should rock hard at The Rosie this weekend, so keep their returns to this popular venue in mind for tomorrow & Saturday if you can't catch them at Docks next week! Admission should be free, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM-ish start time is likely. For more details, check the above links, stay tuned in case these shows are confirmed to be off or not, and when we have media of theirs to share, we'll have it here!

Finally for today, here's some news on what appears to be a new physical CD release! Local grunge/lo-fi solo project Telephone & Address shared this picture on their recently re-activated Facebook page yesterday indicating that new EPs were in, and older posts there noted that the title is apparently "Rotten EP", has 7 songs, and will cost $10. Project leader Chris Shoust also noted that the EP is already registered at SOCAN, and while a release date was cited for this week, I have no idea if it will be available beyond through personal correspondence, nor do I have a track listing or cover art yet. I'll note that Chris lists four older "albums" credited to Telephone & Address on his website, but none have a full direct link for streaming or purchasing beyond certain material on SoundCloud. Chris' solo work as Telephone & Address has a lot of validity despite it's outsider nature, but I've always found that his songs would work really well if expanded to a full band, and if this EP gets a wider release, I'll be curious to check it out! Might we see it for sale at his Algonquin Pub show on the 28th? Stay tuned!

That's all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for our Bam Margera concert preview and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Glitch & Banned) And Much More Assorted News & Notes!!

Now at the SMS, we have a bunch of assorted news and notes from the last while, but leading off on this Wednesday evening, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this month on both sides of the border, so read on below for what you need to know!

Newer local party/hard rock quartet Glitch will make their fourth live concert appearance on December 13th (one week from Friday) when they return to The Rockstar Bar! Their third solo headlining appearance at this popular downtown venue since debuting in September, next week's show comes under two weeks after a successful Canadian Nightclub debut at this year's Toystock, and hopefully they're still riding the same momentum! Featuring Sneaky Pete alumni Mike Oakley & Sean Berlinguette alongside Tripod the Dog's Mark Oliverio & Lion Ride's Marco Pedalino, this talented veteran quartet should have another solid night of covers in store in what will likely be their last show of 2013, so keep it in mind for next weekend! A $5 cover charge is likely, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:30-ish start time is likely. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! With bookings currently being sought for 2014, you never know when and where Glitch will take the stage next, so don't miss next week's show, and stay tuned for updates!

Also in new December concerts, Kinross classic/hard rockers Banned will be playing at a very special event at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Thursday, December 19th, though not as openers for a touring band. This is actually an anti-bullying rally during The Relentless Tour put on by The Autism Alliance of Michigan, which will featuring a headlining speech by former Michigan State Spartans basketball star Anthony Ianni about how he overcame autism and bullying to find success and purpose in life. The family event will also feature a resource fair, prizes, face painting, bouncy castles, and a live set from Banned, which I believe will be their first ever live concert appearance at Kewadin's theatre. Admission is FREE & ALL AGES on the 19th, with the day's activities beginning at 6:00 PM. For more details, check the above links and the poster on your left! This sounds like a very nice and important event that will hopefully educate many about autism and the effects of bullying, and Banned should provide a rocking soundtrack, so keep it in mind for later this month!

Finally for today, here's nine assorted shorter news stories from the last little while! These can accumulate fast, so why not group them together to get them out to the public? As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• The Algonquin Pub's Facebook group has been deleted at some point in recent months. A reason hasn't been announced, but that group had not been updated in a long time, and recent events there (most of which refer to the venue as "The Zoo") have primarily been promoted on the Facebook pages of it's upstairs neighbour, The Rockstar Bar. I think having two pages would help offset confusion given the two floors of entertainment, but at least events downstairs are still getting press!
• In the latest update on their forthcoming debut album "Eternal Hibernation", local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters just have one clean guitar part and the rest of Nik Deubel's vocals to complete before recording sessions are finished, and the band is already  "mapping out the next road we're travelling down", referring to their planned second CD. Good news to hear, so visit this link for more details!
• Rik Warren of Oshawa promotion agency Warlord Promotions has been looking to get Oshawa metal band Devoked a local concert booking next week at some point, likely around their December 13th Sudbury date. Devoked have a solid dark extreme metal sound that would be welcomed here, so if you can book them or help get them here next week, message Rik at this link!
• The Fuckface Unstoppable concert at The Canadian Nightclub on December 14th (one week from Saturday) now has a special earlier start time of 7:00 PM, with Bam Margera and company slotted to play at 10:30 PM, as per the Facebook event page the other day. Despite the timing now resembling an all ages concert, this show is still 19+ as far as I can tell. Keep this in mind for next weekend, and GET YOUR TICKETS A.S.A.P.!!
• Local classic/power metal band The Hydra's Teeth have announced plans via their Reverbnation blog to record their original song "In The Dead Of Night" at Case's Music as a single before expanding to a full album session, and will begin once guitarist Anthony Orazietti returns from vacation. Sounds like a neat plan, so check the above links for more info!
• Former Chronic Demonic/Project Legion singer Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie is exploring the possibility of launching a metal cover band that would specialize in metal versions of pop songs, like ones by Britney Spears or Rihanna. If you're interested in this unique idea, message her at this link and read more details at her post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from last month!\
• Though not a local show, new local/London death metal quartet Saints & Serpents (essentially the successors of The Valentine's Day Massacre) will make their live debut at The Richmond Tavern in London on Friday, December 13th (interesting timing), and it will also be Steve, Andrew, and Adam's first show together since The V.D.M.'s last show in London in March. Best of luck, and hopefully we see the new band home soon!
• I don't tend to acknowledge band photos alone on here unless under unique circumstances, but this counts: An album of live photos of  Sykotyk Rampage from... 1985?! Posted on their Facebook page on Friday, these feature the then "Sykotic Rampage" playing in Goulais River, with current members Dirk & Paul Becker joined by other performers and early band members, including their brother Rudy and band namesake Brian "Syko" Miron. By far the longest running active hard rock band in the area, these are a nice glimpse back to their early days, so check these pictures out!
• Asylum Country/2 Buck Beers guitarist Terry Eaton is again looking for a singer for a new hard rock project he's working on, this time narrowing his aimed range to someone who sings nu/alternative metal, such as bands like Godsmack. It'd be nice to see Terry playing heavier tunes again, so message him at this link, or check out yesterday's post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group! 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Haggith), Toystock Preview, And A New Cover Video!!

For our last post of this busy November at the SMS, we mostly have an extended preview of a huge charity concert event TOMORROW NIGHT, but as well, we have a new cover video, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next week! Without any further adieu, read on below for what you need to know!

Local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith have added a surprising penultimate concert to their upcoming plans, as they'll now be playing a set THIS THURSDAY at.... The Station Mall? Apparently, they've signed on as one of the seasonal performers to play at the mall over the holiday season (despite playing their last show just two nights later), but if you're at the mall on Thursday, you might just get a chance to hear some solid tunes! Haggith's set will apparently begin at 5:30 PM that day, with their performance taking place in the mall's east end in front of Sears and HMV. Given the location and nature of the performance, it will naturally be ALL AGES, and Haggith are hyping it as such for fans who can't see their farewell show this coming Saturday night at The Algonquin Pub. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The idea of a local hard rock performer playing at "The Centre of it All" isn't as foreign as you may think (Tym Morrison played there a few years back), but Haggith should rock it in this surprise show, and if you're at the mall on Thursday (or just want a last chance to see them without age limits), don't miss Haggith!

Next up, here's our preview of a very big concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT, as the Christmas Cheer fundraiser event Toystock returns for it's second installment at the recently renovated Canadian Nightclub! Promoted once again by Maxx Entertainment, this all day (and ALL AGES) event is to raise money, toys, and canned goods for Christmas Cheer, and to that end, the Stuff-A-Bus will be on site, Santa Claus will be there to meet the kids, there will be prize draws, and Scotiabank will match any monetary donations, which is awesome of them! Admission is FREE with a toy or canned good donation, though you can donate cash if you choose, and all 10 bands (that's right, 10) have donated their time to play for the cause, so who's scheduled? The headlining band at 9:00 PM will be the recently reunited That's Chester (fresh off of their Docks shows this weekend), who should entertain with a set full of classic & hard rock covers! They're preceded by Toystock 2012 veterans Boxcar Junction (formerly Cleveland Steamer), whose own general rock cover sound should be welcomed back tomorrow night at 8:00 PM!

The rest of the lineup (in descending order) includes a trio of newer bands in the evening, including local hard rock quartet Glitch at 7:00 PM, Turner Up successors The Thrill Junkies at 6:00 PM, and new country quartet 2 Buck Beers at 5:00 PM, so don't miss them for a mix of entertaining classics! The three preceding bands are all returnees from last year's Toystock, including alternative hard rock quartet Lucky 13 at 4:00 PM, party rock favourites Stiffler's Mom at 3:00 PM , and cover rock standouts Obsession at 2:00 PM, and you know each delivers at every show, so don't be late! The 1:00 PM slot goes to newer classic rock cover band Redline, with Mike Case's Junior All-Stars showing their developing skills as Toystock's opening band at 12:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page and the above links! I can attest to the success of last year's Toystock, and this year's will hopefully be no different, as this is a great charitable event that will hopefully be a big help for Christmas Cheer in the Soo!

On the musical side of things, the mostly different lineup should gain some attention, especially from people who don't get out to see these bands at the bars on weekends! Even though these bands are known for playing mostly/only covers, there's a lot of skilled veterans to be had, and a slightly heavier lineup than last year too, so don't miss out on this year's Toystock! FREE by donation and ALL AGES! For a preview, here's That's Chester live at Rotaryfest this summer!



Finally for today, here's a new solo cover upload from Saints & Serpents bassist Adam Veale! Posted to his dad John's YouTube channel yesterday, it's the Sativa Rose & Valentine's Day Massacre alum's first video posting there in 8 months. This time, he's covering The Misfits' "Scream" on vocals and acoustic guitar, and though he plays it slower than the original song, he has good vocal control and guitar work on it! It's nice to see Adam still working on solo covers, so check out his new video below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a likely all video post TOMORROW as we kick off December! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Sault Ontario Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

We have quite a busy concert weekend coming up (abnormally such for November), so before we get into the first of our previews, here's a breakdown of our preview schedule. Today, we'll profile Sault Ontario metal/hard rock shows taking place between TONIGHT and Saturday, with tomorrow's post focused around Sault Michigan-area shows, and maybe Sunday night's Biipiigwan show in Sault Ontario, but if any late notice gigs come to my attention, we'll move the Biipiigwan preview to it's own Saturday post. With that said, let's begin tackling this stacked concert weekend!

We'll start our previews TONIGHT at The Algonquin Pub (or "The Zoo" if you prefer), as Toronto sleaze/hard rock quintet Diemonds will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario for another headlining concert! Last seen at the old Coch's Corner in mid-2009 in a show we actually were late to hear about on the SMS, Diemonds have a fun party sound that should attract punk and hard rock fans in good measure with their female-fronted and often sleazy sound, so they should get a solid response tonight! The local openers include the long awaited return of local punk/metal quartet T-Rex Manning (replacing The Danger Cats), who will make their first local concert appearance in 6 months tonight, and it's good to see another Rex Manning Day on the local stage! Note that I can not confirm if drummer Rick White will be back on stage to play with the band tonight, but he is a confirmed attendee on the Facebook event page, so fingers crossed! The other local opening band is new local hard rock quartet Punch (fresh off their 3rd place Viva La Battle run), so don't be late for hard hitting originals & covers from this union of Haggith & Suicide Kings members!

The first Algonquin Pub concert from promoter/T-Rex Manning frontman J.D. Pearce in over 4 months, admission will be $5 for this 19+ concert, and there is a 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links! Diemonds and the locals should put in an awesome show full of hard rock intensity TONIGHT, so don't miss out if you can help it, and for a preview, here's Diemonds rocking a Toronto stage last month!



Moving to shows taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, local grunge/alternative rock quartet Haggith will play for the third & final time at The New American Pub, in what will be their last date before next month's farewell concert. Though their amicable finality is impending, this popular local band still have a lot of rocking to give tomorrow, and they have plenty of fun and aggressive originals (plus select covers) to bring to the stage, so if you're at The New A at 602 Bay Street tomorrow, just have a great time! A late notice opener has been secured, as prominent local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings will finally return to the stage tomorrow in their New American debut for the first time since August's Airbourne concert! I don't know what led to their 3 month break from the stage (including dropping out of Viva La Battle), but I can confirm that their lineup has not changed, so Steven Flint & Ben Boudreau really are in 3 bands together now, including These Sins of Time & with half of Haggith in Punch.

It's great to have the two top bands from April's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands back on stage together again one last time, so don't miss this hard rock explosion at The New A tomorrow night! A cover charge in the $4 range is likely, you must be 19 to attend, and everything starts at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I wonder if the presence of Punch's entire lineup tomorrow will lead to a surprise appearance by them? No idea, but hopefully tomorrow's concert goes awesome, and it's still a bummer that Haggith are breaking up! For a preview, here's Haggith playing their/Punch's original "Metal Cage"!



Also TOMORROW, new classic/hard rock quartet Glitch will play their second ever live concert when they return to the site of their debut (The Rockstar Bar) for another solo headlining gig! The new band featuring Sneaky Pete, Lion Ride, and Tripod The Dog alumni made a good impression in their September debut with their varied (and often heavy) cover setlist, and after taking October off, you know this veteran outfit will be raring to go once again! A $5 cover charge (or something close) is likely, a 19+ age limit is to be expected, and everything starts at 10:30 PM tomorrow night. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Glitch have a lot of talent and hard rock experience between them, so keep tomorrow's show in mind for a fun party experience, and if you can't make the show, hit them up at Toystock at The Canadian on December 1st! For a preview, here's Glitch covering a Rolling Stones song in their live debut in September!



Finally for today's previews, fellow local classic hard rockers (and Toystock performers) The Thrill Junkies will play their third concert weekend at The Roosevelt Hotel TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This union of Turner Up, Havadder, Redundant, Carbon Black, and Full Circle alumni have been rocking local venues to good acclaim since their regional debut since September, and with their aresnal of classic, hard, and general rock covers, you won't want to miss out in their return to The Rosie this weekend! In fact, these shows are helping kick off The Rosie's return after  a 3 week closure period due to the agreement from that over-serving incident, so it's good to have this popular venue back as well! Admission should be free for this weekend's 10:30 PM shows, and you must be 19 to attend either night. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be another fun weekend from these talented local music veterans, so if you can't make Toystock, keep this weekend's Thrill Junkies shows in mind, and when we have videos or media from their live concerts, we'll have them here!

That's probably all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for our Sault Michigan previews, and a preview of either the Biipiigwan show on Sunday or a late notice show, plus our newest YouTube Channel Profile tomorrow night! Thanks everyone!