Assorted News From Sativa Rose, Mike Haggith, Grady, and Energy Rock Radio!!

Well guys, we have a busy patch of posts coming up this weekend, including our next Defunct Local Band Profile, our next poll, and previews of this weekend's concerts, but first, here are some more assorted news stories from the last little while! There's some big stuff to share today, so let's get right to it with a new local concert video!

Firstly today is the newest concert footage of local metal cover trio Sativa Rose! This comes from their September 18th concert at GLOW Nightclub (which has news on it's apparent demise I wanna share in the next little while), and it's a video of their cover of the Dokken song "Dream Warriors"! Horror fans may recognize that song from the third Nightmare on Elm Street movie, and it's cool to see a local band giving Dokken some love! This was filmed by bassist Adam Veale's dad John, who now has seven live videos of Sativa Rose in action on his YouTube channel! Good quality video and audio here, and the band sound tight and proficient as ever! Andrew Angelic's guitar work especially stands out, but like with past Sativa Rose videos I've came across featuring no guests, the vocals need work. Adam's tone's alright, but I don't think the range is all there. Still, this is another promising glimpse of Sativa Rose in action, and you can check it out immediately below, or at the above links!



Next up, here's some more news from local solo artist Mike Haggith! Fresh off the surprise release of "Laps In A Lake Of Fire", there's more news to get to from his solo project, so here's what you need to know! Firstly, Mike announced the release of his first ever live album, "Live At The Outback" (artwork pictured), on his Facebook discography on Friday. It features all four tracks from his 13 minute set at the Sault College bar/concert spot on December 1st during their weekly open mic night. Mike says the set was well recieved, and it's nice to see it get recorded, but as of today, I haven't seen any noticeable trace of the recordings online for streaming or purchase. When they do get posted on any of his pages, I'll let you know, but keep this in mind if you're following his recent local work! The other new update is that he has posted a preview video for his 44th album, "The Blue Album" onto Facebook as well! It features the instrumental take of his new song "Hot Summer Sun", which will be featured with vocals on the new album slated for an April release. Not too heavy, but it has a nice consistent groove! Time will tell how it will sound in full, but look out for more coverage on "The Blue Album" as I hear it! For now though, click here for the "Hot Summer Sun" video, and look out on Tuesday, when we profile Mike's Windsor metal band S.C.A.R. in our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile Series!

Thirdly, here is the latest news from local internet rock radio station Energy Rock Radio! After a period of not a lot of news from the crew at ERR, founder Ryan Kaarlela (a.k.a. Ryan McQueen or DJ Ryeman) filled me in recently on some of the new updates with thr only local internet radio station for us metalheads! The 24/7 server for the station is back online after a bit of a break, and you can tune in any time of the day once again at their official website or at this location to tune in through your favourite media players! Note that the site has yet another new logo, interesting to see the chameleon-like nature of their designs! With member totals growing, Ryan's hoping to throw a major all-day party soon through the server, website, and possibly through live chat to celebrate hitting 1,000 members, hopefully by the end of 2010! Sounds good to me! With a diverse and always listenable selection of metal and hard rock tunes on 24/7 rotation, Energy Rock Radio is not to be missed if you desire internet radio, with an extra local kick! Keep an eye on Energy Rock Radio through 2011, for what will hopefully be their biggest year ever! Check the above links to hear what's going on!

And finally, remember how on November 19th, a photograph of Grady frontman Gordie Johnson with double guitar in hand was SooToday's "Friday Hot Shot" that week? Well, aside from that, we hadn't seen any pictures of the Austin, Texas country metal trio in action from their November 16th show at The Grand Theater elsewhere... until Monday! That's when SooToday's own Donna Hopper finally posted her pictures from this concert onto her photography Facebook page! Note that no pictures of openers The Motorleague are included, though I believe I remember seeing Donna get pictures of their set. As usual, Donna's professionalism shows with these high quality shots, which are as good as any we see from her attended concerts! There are some interesting closeups of drummer Nina Singh's face in strange positions too, but other than that, it's just high quality concert pictures that are well worth giving a look! We may not have gotten a SooToday review of the show, but we'll take what we can get! Click here to view all of Donna's posted pictures from this concert, and keep an eye out for her at future local concerts!

That's all for now, but stay tuned TONIGHT for previews of this weekend's scheduled local metal and hard rock concerts! That and much more are on the imminent horizon, so be on the lookout! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Frightlight), The End Of The Eastgate, And More!!

The news keeps on rolling in for this Sunday! Today, we have news on the final end of a local concert venue, a Calgary band with local connections, some more cuts from our band listings, and some more assorted stories, but first, here's another LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

The 2010 Christmas season continues to get even more stacked, with another big concert now confirmed for Monday, December 27th! In what is being called "The Nightmare After Christmas", three local bands will hit Foggy Notions for a night full of punk and metal! Your headliners are local horror punk/metal quartet Frightlight, in their first gig since opening for Total Chaos last month! Expect a great set from these local veterans, who'll bring "Fright Night" to their fans over the holidays! Also on the bill are local hardcore metal band WinkStinger, making their first concert appearance since last month's Breaking The Fourth Wall show at The Rosie. These guys always impress, and will be sure to help with the cold northern winter by melting your face with their fast-paced and very heavy original tracks! Opening this concert will be, in their live return, The Scary Uncles! I don't believe they've played a live show since last year, so it's great to see this very talented punk trio back on-stage! Their classic lineup, minus ex-guitarist Matt Sibilo, is intact, and I'm sure they're hoping for a big return on the 27th! This concert will take place at 10:00 PM, with a $3 cover charge and a 19+ age limit. For more details and to check out the announced bands, visit the above links and the Facebook event page! This sounds like a great concert for the holidays, pencil me in to attend! Hope you guys can make it too, and stay tuned for updates if they come in!

Next up, here's a long overdue story I had meant to share for days now that might interest you guys! During recent Google searching for new and undiscovered local bands, I came across the MySpace page for Sault Ste. Marie native Paul Melanson, who now lives and plays music in the Calgary area. He has played guitar in a number of bands like Malediction, Gutwrench, Under The Gun, and Daemon Rage, that I'll likely research more on just in case there's something online to share! But one thing really caught my attention, and it's this: On his "About Me" section, Paul mentions that he recently had a stint with the Calgary bar band Igniter, formerly known as Caveman Morrison. Wait a minute, how does that work? Caveman Morrison are still very much active, what's going on with this "Igniter" band? Well, I came across this band photo of Igniter from April 2009, which features Paul with former Caveman Morrison bassist Corey Day & drummer Greg Sutherland, along with, I assume, frontman "L L Cool Dutch" (anyone know his real identity?) It looks like the remaining Calgary members of Caveman Morrison (minus Dean Duguay) regrouped as Igniter following Tym's return home, and played metal covers at area bars in recent years. They don't appear to currently be active, and they don't have an internet page that I know of, but this is still interesting to note! If I hear more on Igniter or Paul Melanson's various projects, I'll let you guys know!

Thirdly today, the end has came for one fondly remembered local concert venue. This picture shows what was left of The Eastgate Hotel during demolition of the former metal concert spot & hotel, as snapped by SooToday reader Jeff Russon. I believe Algoma Insurance will still be using the property as a parking lot, although things might have changed without me hearing. 11 photos from the demolition have been uploaded onto SooToday at this location. This must be sad for music lovers who remember attending metal shows at "The Gate" way back. Numerous touring and local bands played there over the years, including notables like Helix, Lee Aaron, Kim Mitchell, Slik Toxik, Nazareth, Bret Michaels, and numerous others. I was never old enough to attend concerts there when they still occured, but had I been around during The Eastgate's heyday, I would surely have many of the same emotions as many of you have. In recent years, it's appearance did deteriorate, and some will probably say that it's good to see it gone, but it all depends on who you ask. I thought it would have been nice to turn it into low income housing or something, but hey, things happen for a reason. R.I.P. Eastgate Hotel, I'm sure the memories will live on!

Fourthly, I'd like to mention five more band removals from our band listings. I continued crawling for bands yesterday that were lacking enough info or material to be worth keeping, or had dead links, and I came up with five more. These are probably our last band cuts until a local band deletes their page knowingly, so you won't have to worry about a paragraph like this again for a while! So these three defunct bands were removed from our band listings because they didn't have sufficient band information, audio/video material, or quality profile design elements to really add much to our band links: Sault Ontario hardcore quintet Orchestra of Wolves, and the Sault Michigan metal bands The Arch Angels of the Apocalypse and Burn the Day. No offense is meant to members or fans, but really, what could we say about these bands? Also, I deleted two other bands due to their links expiring. One was Gates of Winter frontman Lee Maines' Septicon solo project, which I honestly forgot to delete after GarageBand closed, as it was hosted there. The other deletion was for Kincheloe metal quartet Silent Despair, who quietly deleted their Facebook page at some point this year. So those are the last band removals from our band links, and hopefully things are more qualitative on our listings from here on out!

And finally for today, let's end on a positive note with three quick news stories! These are, as usual, in alphabetical order by band name:

• Local hard rock trio Browbeat recently posted their cover setlist onto their official Facebook page! 14 covers are listed, including everyone from Metallica and Judas Priest to Green Day and The Cars, not counting their originals! Sounds good, click the above links for more from Browbeat!
• Garden of Bedlam are hitting the road for their furthest show ever from town, as they rock The Sinton Tavern in Thessalon on December 17th! Full details are at the Facebook event page. Nice to see, hopefully Thessalon enjoys this metal onslaught! Stay tuned for more Garden of Bedlam updates, especially concerning that supposed Foggy's show on the 18th!
• I apologize for missing this for so long, but two weeks ago, SooToday's "Friday Hot Shot" was from the Grady concert at The Grand Theater on November 16th! Taken by SooToday's own Donna Hopper, it features frontman Gordie Johnson with double guitar in tow! Great shot, hopefully Donna posts all her photos from the concert somewhere soon!

That's all for today, but I will have more news and notes very soon, so be on the lookout! And yes, our next CD review (be it an archived Sault Michigan album or something new) will be THIS WEEK! Stay tuned!

Grady Concert Review & A New Kewadin Casino Video!!

I'm back from last night's Grady concert, and my review of it is today's top story at The Sault Metal Scene! How was it? Read on to find out, and stay tuned afterwards for an interesting documentary video on a local concert venue! First off, it was great to be back at The Grand Theater for a concert! I've been back there for events like the Anvil! movie screening and the Soo Zombie Walk, but I missed seeing live bands there, so I welcomed the return of something heavy! I was glad to see that the tables were moved to allow a standing concert atmosphere inside, further amped up with the presence of nice lighting and the services of Crank Sound Distribution! Lots of merchandise for both bands were on sale too, though the merch table was set up in the lobby, oddly enough. I do want to complain about the concert's start time, which was 10:00 PM, 90 minutes after the door opening time of 8:30 PM. Call me crazy, but that's too long to wait. The opening band was Moncton punk rock group The Motorleague, who delivered a high energy set packed to the brim with original songs! Their set was pretty no frills, with the on-stage banter mostly limited to scattered and mostly shouted words from frontman Don Levandier. As a result, we got more music, and it felt like we got a lot more than the 45 minutes they played! Good stuff, they have some catchy riffs and a nice enthusiasm, with effective higher pitched singing, and the crowd responded well, even if they didn't populate the floor! Not metal, but entertaining nonetheless! After them, Grady hit the stage for the headlining set, and I have to say something before I forget. You know how their concert rider says that "this show is loud"? Well, they weren't kidding! My ears actually STUNG a bit when I was standing too close to the speakers! And just like at their concert last October at The Canadian Nightclub, I had trouble hearing Gordie Johnson's singing over the music, which is a shame considering his singing abilities and entertaining crowd banter! The music came through clearly despite the loudness, but I don't like excess volume when it's a detriment to individual portions of a song, like the vocals. Now with that out of the way, I can say that Grady were awesome! It may seem unlike me to like anything with a hint of country, but Grady are definitely more metal than country, and comparisons to Big Sugar shouldn't be used. They're their own animal, and it works! Gordie was great on guitar, the singing I could make out was solid, and he luckily brought back his trademarks from last year! The double guitar, the steel finger sliders, the smoking cow skull, you could tell it was a Grady concert! Big Ben Richardson's bass work was solid and very clear, and his backing singing added more of a country flair to the proceedings, fitting well with their theme! Nina Singh was great on drums as well, though she seemed to be hidden behind the cow skull and the large drumkit for much of the set, when her abilities deserved some more attention! Grady have great chemistry, and it shown on their collection of southern fried metal tracks like "Good As Dead", "Whiskey River", "When The Boots Come Off", and many others! The band looked to thoroughly enjoy being on stage, and the crowd (luckily much larger than last year) responded very well! I wish more people had stayed up at the front of the stage, which is why I ended up leaving the floor, cause it slowly grew bare as the night went on. But if you could handle the volume and leave your country perceptions at the door, you'll have found a great concert from a very talented trio of musicians! Overall, this was a fun concert only hampered by the loudness, but even if it can affect the songs negatively, it's a Grady trademark, and it works for them! Kudos to Beyond Borders at LopLops for putting on something heavy for a change, and hopefully they give it another shot down the road! It was fun, and I hope Grady come back soon, cause they're definitely a solid metal band with a nice Southern flavour and some very well written and sang material! Watch out for a possible review of this concert (with photos) from SooToday's Donna Hopper in the near future, check out my photos at this location (or at our Facebook page), and I did get a video! Check it out below, Grady's performance of their song "Good As Dead"! Finally for today, I wanted to share a video that I found on YouTube the other day that has a slight local metal connection. Last Thursday, Kewadin Casino uploaded a short documentary film onto their YouTube channel that celebrates their 25th anniversary. It's mostly about Kewadin Casino's economic and social impact on Northern Michigan through the casino end of things, featuring a historical timeline and interviews with major figures in Sault Michigan and Kewadin Casino. It's cool to see Kewadin's development and the impact it has, but I know, you want the local metal connection, right? Well, at 4:35 of the video, the narrator discusses how Kewadin Casino brings top entertainers to the Dreammaker's Theater and their outdoor venues. Kiss are namedropped as one of the acts they've brought in, while high quality clips from this year's Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Summer Festival are shown, including a couple seconds of Bret Michaels' set. The segment only lasts 27 seconds, but it's nice to see the concerts included in the video, and I wonder if we'll see this concert footage in full in some fashion later on? Check out this documentary short below, and see Kewadin's impact for yourself! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news in the coming days, including this weekend's concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Grady Preview & Contest, Plus Caveman Morrison & Half Past News!!

It's news time on this Sunday afternoon at the SMS! Today, we have news on a lineup change in a local band (and the concert cancellations related to that), the official announcement on a new upcoming debut album, and some more assorted stories, but first, we're going a little bit country for our top story... but not too much! You'll see, in this special concert preview!

On Tuesday night, Grady are back in Sault Ontario! The Austin based "country metal" trio will be making their first local appearance in 13 months at this show, after their last stop in October 2009 at The Canadian Nightclub, which was marred by a low mid-week attendance and that threatened boycott that we won't go into again. This time, they'll make their way to The Grand Theater, which will mark the first appearance by a metal band at that venue since (believe it or not) May 2009, when Sense of Truth played at the Skate4Cancer fundraiser there! 18 months of waiting, but the metal is back! If you don't remember, Grady play a unique blend of country/southern rock and metal, and thankfully retain enough metal that even a hardcore headbanger will enjoy them! Also make note of the fact that former Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson fronts Grady, so there's some real heavyweight talent in this band! Expect a great southern metal style from Grady on Tuesday night! Also to be featured are Moncton punk rockers The Motorleague, who'll bring their catchy brand of rock to The Grand on Tuesday as well! Check the above links for info on both bands!

This concert will take place at 8:30 PM on Tuesday night, and I hope the mid-week date won't scare off people again! Tickets are $15, which may seem steep, but it'll be worth it for the music you'll get! You can pick them up at LopLops Lounge (Beyond Borders at LopLops are putting this show on), or online at this location, and maybe at The Grand itself, though this isn't stated online. Age limits aren't specified, though I should note that The Grand has hosted both all ages and 19+ shows in the past, so it could be either or. Contact the organizers at the Facebook event page for clarification! This promises to be a very loud concert that will rock you into December, and I can't wait! I really enjoyed Grady's show here last year, and I guarantee I'll be there on Tuesday! The Motorleague will be worth checking out, and Grady have a great blend of country and metal in store! Check out all of the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's the music video for Grady's single "Woman Got My Devil"!



One more note concerning the Grady concert, and this is something that I really should have discussed sooner than today, but other scheduled or larger news stories pushed it back. A few days ago, SooToday (who posted their own event page for this show on the 5th) are currently running a contest for a chance to win two FREE tickets to the Grady concert on Tuesday, along with their new live CD/DVD set "Calling All My Demons", and two Grady t-shirts! Nice package, but how can you enter? Simple, just e-mail arts@sootoday.com with "Grady contest" as the subject, and answer these three questions:

1. What is Grady drummer Nina Singh's nickname?

2. What U.S. state is Grady currently based out of?

3. What Canadian city is the setting for Grady's newly released live CD/DVD package Calling All My Demons?

A winner will be announced TOMORROW NIGHT at 8:00 PM on SooToday, and the winning entry will be randomly drawn from all correct entries. You must be at the concert to claim your prizes. Enter this A.S.A.P., cause I'm sure there's some Grady fans out there who'd love this prize package! For more details, visit SooToday's article on the contest at this location, and stay tuned for the winner announcement tomorrow night! I'll see you at The Grand on Tuesday night!

Next up, here's some big news from Caveman Morrison that I first told you guys about on Thursday and Friday on our Twitter page. Firstly, their scheduled concerts for this weekend at Foggy Notions have been cancelled. This was confirmed by frontman Tym Morrison through e-mail correspondence with me. A reason for the cancellation wasn't provided, but this looks like it could be related. According to his personal Facebook page, bassist Dutch Vanderploeg has parted ways with Caveman Morrison due to "artistic differences". Dutch initially joined the band in May, replacing Rick White, and he's played with the band frequently since his live Caveman debut in August. There are additional comments there related to the situation that I won't go into too much detail on, but there you have it. Shame to see Dutch go, he's a very nice guy and a talented musician all around, but hopefully he keeps up the great work with Browbeat and his solo project that I'll have more on in the next little while! Note that Caveman Morrison's internet pages don't reflect Dutch's departure yet, but I'll keep you posted on that front!

And finally, we'll cap with some exciting news from Half Past, the Sault Ontario hard rock quartet who we haven't seen live in seven months! Wondering where they've been? Well, the band posted a new note yesterday on their official Facebook page where they announced that they are currently working on a full length album! They remarked that they haven't been able to get a lot of momentum going since their debut as Half Past last fall (their Fingerbone beginnings weren't mentioned), but hope to get this album out and some shows booked next year! That's not all though, as a preview video for the album was posted on their Facebook page as well! It's 45 seconds long, features a solid instrumental section from one of their originals, and it says that it will be self-titled and released through Half Past Studio Productions in the spring. Sounds good, hopefully this will all be worth the wait! They're a talented band, and they deserve a good audience and following locally! This will definitely be in our December "Where Are The New Albums?" update on December 2nd, so stay tuned for that, and more from Half Past as it comes in! Check out the above links for more!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for some news and updates around Tuesday hopefully, as I expect a homework loaded day tomorrow. Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Darwin Project), Upcoming Concert Updates, And More!!

Anyone out there want some local metal news and updates? I've got you covered! Today, we mostly clear out my old backlogged news stories, along with sharing some big news from a pair of bigger upcoming concerts, and more! But first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

For the first time since the summer, Cheboygan hard rockers The Darwin Project are coming to Sault Michigan for three area concerts later this month! Firstly they'll be at Joe's Bar in nearby Rudyard for a pair of weekend dates on November 19th and 20th, followed by a show at The Savoy Bar in Sault Michigan on Wednesday, November 24th! Rudyard is in our "local" range, so if you wanna make the drive out there to see The Darwin Project, then make note of that! I'm trying to get better in tune with shows at bars in our range but not in town, hopefully I'll have more soon! And the Sault show is slightly different in location and in time, being in the middle of the week, but there's no wrong day to rock! No cover charge is listed for any of the above, but there's a listed start time of 10:00 PM on the band's MySpace page. Expect a 21+ age limit at all three shows. Expect solid nights of accessible but heavy hard rock from these guys, who seem to have developed a good following in the area! Check out the above links for more details, and to check out some samples of their originals!

Now, to some big updates on a pair of upcoming shows featuring metal bands, and we'll first discuss this month's anticipated Total Chaos punk show at The Oddfellows Hall featuring local metal acts as openers! The first headline is that this show has been bumped up from November 25th to November 21st. No reason for the date adjustment was publicized, but according to Total Chaos' MySpace page, they're actually playing a show in Ottawa on November 25th, so it looks like a simple tour itinerary adjustment to me. Secondly, the poster for the show is now out, and you can see it on your left! Looks good, nice punk feel! Promoter Aisha Day is also looking for people interested in putting up posters for this show or handing them out, so if you would like to help get the word out, message Aisha at this location! The poster also confirms there that the show will have an $8 cover charge, with doors opening at 6:00 PM on the 21st. Sounds about right, hopefully there's a good turnout!

My last point is that local death metal band Bring The Fallen are back on the bill, as per the poster and the Facebook statuses of various band members. But wait, didn't they drop off of this show following the departure of lead guitarist Andrew Chiarello? Well, there hasn't been any official updates on their pages since he left, but bassist Nolan Rainville's Facebook page does feature a wall conversation from Monday with some band members where Andrew does refer to taking part in an upcoming BTF jam session. So what's the situation here? Is Andrew back already? Is he playing the Total Chaos show only and leaving again? Or is there something else we don't know? I'll keep you guys posted if I hear more! Check out the above links for all of the current updates on this concert!

While we're on the subject of concert updates, here's some news concerning Grady's long awaited return to Sault Ontario on November 16th at The Grand Theater! Firstly, an opening band has been announced for this show, and they are The Motorleague, a punk rock band from Moncton, New Brunswick! I wouldn't call them metal, but they have a nice energy level and some entertaining hard hitting tracks to boot, so definitely give them a spin! Also, SooToday have jumped on the promotional bandwagon for this show by posting their own event page for it! It seems like their event pages for upcoming shows are fewer and farther between lately, so it's nice to see this one get some exposure! This was actually my source for The Motorleague's involvement, and their MySpace page backed that up, in case someone doubts that. Seriously consider hitting this show, guys, cause the promoters have had some setbacks when it comes to getting the word out on this concert, and there's some great quality music in store! Grady will bring a ton of great stuff to the table thanks to their "country metal" stylings that definitely have a unique coolness to them! Remember, this show starts at 8:30 PM on the 16th at The Grand Theater, tickets are $15 at LopLops Lounge or at this location, and I assume it's 19+. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

And finally for today, remember last week when I talked about the Sault Star article on CD Plus' closure that never came? Well, an article on the closure is finally online... just not from them. As it turns out, Glen Thomas of The Barking Eye posted his own retrospective article where he discussed what CD Plus meant to him and to music lovers in the community. He included some remarks about what we'll have to resort to now for music, and some notes on another fondly remembered music store, Mr. Disc. Things definitely are changing locally for music stores, as now we've lost CD Plus, Mr. Disc, and Music World, along with New Moon Records in Sault Michigan, and I could be missing others too. I did notice that Glen didn't refer to HMV or The Rad Zone in his piece, which some could see as alternatives on varying levels. But I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't mention that CD Plus was great for recognizing local musicians and selling their albums, instead mostly focusing on it as an outlet for underground and obscure titles. Still, it's a nice read, and hopefully a new similar music store, CD Plus or not, comes to town down the road! Read Glen's article, and more, at this location!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, along with my review of Sunday's Crash Karma/Desperate Union show on Monday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Garden of Bedlam), New Concert Videos, And Much More!!

One more post before the Zombie Walk for you guys, and we're packed with news in this one! Today, we have the first videos from a recent major concert, how you can get merchandise from two local bands, and the ticket situation for an upcoming show, but first, here's a notable LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

Garden of Bedlam are back! After a few months away from the stage following their supporting slot at the Kiss show in August, the local metal standouts will be playing a solo headlining show on November 12th in their first ever concert at The Rockstar Bar! This is the same spot from where they held their Kiss afterparty at, but does it surprise anyone else that Garden of Bedlam have never played a show there? And yes, this is the same show that was hinted by Buzz on their Facebook group that I mentioned last week. The group is also my source for information on the show. They will be playing two full sets comprised of the songs from both their debut EP and their upcoming full length album, plus covers, including some new ones! There will be a $5 cover charge, a 19+ age limit should be in effect, and a start time has not been announced. An event page will be posted online in the coming weeks as well. This should be an awesome show, pencil me in to attend this! It's been a while for Garden of Bedlam to play again, and I bet many of you guys will be itching to see them on stage again! Check out the above links for more, and I'll keep you posted with updates!

Next up, the first YouTube videos from Tuesday's Sevendust show at Kewadin Casino are now online, but surprisingly, these aren't of Sevendust. YouTube user Joe Niemi was at the show, and captured two cell phone videos of supporting band 10 Years, which are now on his YouTube channel! One is from the end of their set, where one of the guitarists (not sure which one) smashes a cymbal with a hammer in time with the end of their last song! I think it's "Shoot It Out", but don't quote me. It's only 61 seconds long, but check it out at this location! The other video is of 10 Years playing their biggest song, "Wasteland", and you can check it out below! Good quality for a cell phone, but note that the video is on a strange format as a result, so it's a lot taller than it is wide. Good stuff, huge props to Joe for getting videos from the concert! Now we just have to see what else pops up from it. Check out his video of 10 Years playing "Wasteland" below!



Now, here's some notes on local band merchandise, and we'll start with... Woods of Ypres? Wait, didn't they sell off all remaining merchandise prior to David Gold's move to Kuwait? Well, not completely. Band members Evan & Shane Madden have some merchandise hanging around themselves, and this will likely be your last chance to buy independent Woods of Ypres merchandise before Earache Records takes over that end of it! So what do the Maddens have that you can still buy? Well, they have all Woods of Ypres albums except "Woods IV: The Green Album", which you can buy for $10 each. In a package deal, you can get "Woods I-III" and "Independent Nature" for $35 as well. Plus, there are $20 Woods of Ypres t-shirts (no specifics beyond that) and $12 "Allure of the Earth" vinyl records as well. All prices are in American, as the Maddens live in Philadelphia. If you're interested in buying the last of the independent Woods of Ypres albums and t-shirts, e-mail your PayPal orders to woodsmerch@gmail.com, and click here for more details! Buy now, cause if you don't, it could be a while before more comes out!

Also on the topic of merchandise is this bit of news from local punk/metal band Destroilet. Remember them? We have heard very little from them since their May concert at Coch's Corner, but drummer Matt Waples announced that they will be selling brand new band t-shirts soon on their Facebook group! This is the logo that will adorn them, and I believe Matt designed it as well. He is a talented graphic designer, after all. They'll be available in mid-November in sizes M-XL, and they can be yours for just $20! If you want a Destroilet shirt before their next concert, e-mail the band at info@destroilet.com, and click here for more details! Also, Matt mentioned that Destroilet will be getting ready to record some originals in the next few weeks, with hopes to release the songs by year's end. I can't wait for more, I've been missing Destroilet! Check out all of the above links for more info!

And finally for today, tickets for the Grady concert at The Grand Theater on November 16th are now on sale in a unique way: online! Usually, online ticket sales are just for major shows at The Essar Center or Kewadin Casino, but this is through Beyond Borders at LopLops, who sell a lot of tickets for their shows in this fashion. They just don't have much metal, so it's new to us. Tickets are $15, which is somewhat steep, but Grady will deliver with their patented brand of country/metal, so it should be worth the cost! Click here to buy a ticket online, but if you want to buy it in person, printed copies are apparently coming out this week (thanks to Stephen Alexander for the info!) No word on where they'd be available though, presumably LopLops Lounge and The Grand Theater though. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! I hope to be at this concert myself, cause Grady sure impressed me last year! They're not country enough to bother me, they have a nice groove to them, and they're LOUD. Hope to see a good crowd there, so maybe The Grand can book more heavy shows again!

That's all for now, but stay tuned tomorrow for my Zombie Walk afterparty review, with more news and notes to follow as I hear them! Thanks everyone, and I'll see you downtown!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (2112 & Grady) And New Local Concert Videos!!

Well guys, we have a packed post today that's full of interesting news and notes, including brand new local metal concert videos, and kicking things off, two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS that you should know about! So here's what you should know in this packed update, but first, remember to check out this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on Lower S.E.S. in the post below!

Firstly, we have a very short notice concert, and I apologize for not having this earlier, but this band is not on Facebook or MySpace, so it slipped me by until today. Burlington's 2112: A Tribute To Rush will make their way to Sault Ontario THIS FRIDAY for a show at The Canadian Nightclub! This was confirmed by The Canadian's Mary Lou Johnson by an e-mail sent today to members of their Facebook group. You may remember that 2112 were originally advertised to play at The Canadian in June, but the show was cancelled a day before, and the band had never announced the show themselves on their website. Well this time around, there's no dispute: 2112 ARE COMING! They list the show on their concert listings page, so both band and venue have confirmed it! This show will take place on FRIDAY NIGHT at 10:00 PM at The Canadian, with a $5 cover and a 19+ age limit. Check the above links for more! Rush are a very hard band to cover, but 2112 do an admirable job, and fans should enjoy their live concert, cause they pull off their sound pretty well! Check them out, and again, sorry for the short notice!

The other new concert I have today marks a long awaited metal return to a local concert venue! On November 16th, Grady make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario, in their first local date in over a year! Their last stop here, in October of last year, was dogged by a low turnout from both a weekday placement and that whole threatened boycott, but this time, there hopefully will be no issues! Based out of Austin, Texas, they'll bring their unique brand of country-influenced metal to... The Grand Theater?! Yes, a metal band returns there for the first time (I believe) since May of 2009, when Sense of Truth took part in the free Skate4Cancer fundraiser show there! It's been a LONG time coming for a heavier concert there, and it's great to see something up our alley there again, cause The Grand's a very nice venue! This show, presented by Beyond Borders at LopLops, will be at 8:30 PM on November 16th. No word yet on if this will be all ages or not, or on admission prices. The Facebook event page says that tickets will be on sale at LopLops' official website, but forms for Grady tickets have yet to be posted. Expect them to be no less than $5 though, and admission at the door should be available. Check the above links for more!

This should be a great show, Grady are a great band who effectively mold gritty metal with some nice Southern tinges to create a unique sound! I had fun at their show last October, and, as Facebook says, this show will definitely "rock you into December"! Check them out if you haven't already!

Closing today's post are some new local metal videos, and firstly, we have brand new videos from new local metal trio Sativa Rose! These come from their concert at GLOW Nightclub this past Saturday (the first metal show at GLOW since the renaming), and they are two more performance clips of some of their covers! Both of these videos come courtesy of YouTube user John Veale's YouTube channel, and both feature a guest singer in place of Adam Veale and Andrew Angelic. The guest singer is Jason Roy, and he doesn't have a bad voice, though on heavier stuff, he does get a bit more chaotic and messy. This is especially evident on their cover of Pantera's "Cowboys From Hell", but it's well played, even in what sounds like a different tuning. The video I'm embedding below works better, it's Sativa Rose (and Jason) covering Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me"! They have the song down better, Jason's voice matches up more, and it sounds good! They have definite talent, and I can't wait to see them live! If it wasn't for my cold, I'd have been there on Saturday! Oh well, check out the videos above at the relevant links, and "Talk Dirty To Me" below!



And finally, remember on Saturday when I featured the newly uploaded YouTube videos of Garden of Bedlam's headlining set at the Rotaryfest Second Stage? Well, only six of the eight performed songs were online when I first discussed them, with "Your Disgrace" and "Around The Bend" absent. I had feared that there was a technical or sound issue with the recordings, but never fear, the band uploaded them to their official YouTube channel later on Saturday! Both are again soundboard quality recordings, much better soundwise than the ones I filmed were, but are far from the stage compared to mine. Great audio, and great songs too! "Around The Bend", the band's newest public original, sees them exploring ballad territory for the first time, while I've embedded the heavier and catchier "Your Disgrace" below to check out! Definitely a great show, and it's nice to have a better take on their full set online! Check the above links for more, and here's "Your Disgrace"!



That's all for today, and I know I promised a couple things for today's post, but I wasn't expecting a lot of major stories to flood my newspile over the last many hours. So tomorrow, look out for a newly discovered local metal band, a band looking to play here, and a couple more local metal videos! That is, if nothing major comes out before then. Stay tuned for that, and more, as well as our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profiles on Fifth Way and Marky Lion by Thursday! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Local Concert Previews, And Stillbroke's New Album Is Out!!!

First off, are you wondering why the banner image is referencing Stillbroke? Their new album is out, that's why! Plus, there's three metal concerts in the Sault area this weekend to cover for you guys, all in Sault Ontario, curiously! So here are your local concert previews for this weekend, stay tuned for more on the new Stillbroke EP!

First, at 9:00 PM tomorrow night, Hamilton hard rockers 40 Sons will make their way to Coch's Corner! Admission is free, as is typical at Coch's, just make sure to buy something! 40 Sons will take the stage at around 9:00 PM! No other bands are on the lineup, to my knowledge. 40 Sons aren't bad, they have a radio hard rock kind of sound, the singing stands out to me though! They actually won the Bodog Battle Championship this past year, and have won a bunch of awards for their music! Not a bad band at all, and if you're downtown, why not hit this show? Check out some of 40 Sons' solid original material at their official MySpace page! For a video preview, check out this clip of 40 Sons playing their song "The Weight Of The World" from a show in June!



Meanwhile, there's more metal goodness tomorrow night! Caveman Morrison guitarist Tym Morrison is back for another solo acoustic show, as he returns to The Big Cheese in Heyden, which is just outside of town! Doesn't look like there's a cover here either. Tym will take the stage at 10:00 PM, and promises to play "all your favorite metal, pop, country, hard rock and even classical if ya want it." Two options for you metal lovers tomorrow night if you're looking for live entertainment, and if you wanna support local talent, Tym's your guy! Great guitarist, he plays tons of great songs, and he has good originals too! Check out samples from his debut solo album at this location, and the official event page on Facebook here! I have no videos that I'm capable of embedding on here, but check out some live clips of Tym and Caveman Morrison shows at this link!

And finally, a big hard rock/metal show hits The Canadian Nightclub on Sunday night! Your headliners are Austin Texas "country metal" band Grady! Making their first Sault-area stop since April 2008, this band features former Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson, and effectively mix heavy metal with country to create some solid music! Playing support are Winnipeg female-fronted metallers Domenica, who finally play the Sault after two previously scheduled shows were called off. Solid stuff, accessible for normal hard rock fans, but heavy enough for metalheads to headbang to! Local rock band Wishbone were to round out the lineup, but as mentioned in the post above, they have been dropped from the show.

Advance tickets are still available at the front desk of The Knights Inn (a.k.a. the hotel above The Canadian) for $10. If you wait to get them at the door, the price jumps to $15. The show takes place at 9:00 PM Sunday night, and should be a hard rocking good time! Click on each band's name in the above paragraph to check out some of their original material! I plan on being at this show, which will sadly be my last local concert til November (I can't believe I'm missing all the fun over Halloween!) Yes, I'll have some free CDs, and yes, I'll have a review and photo album posted at some point Monday afternoon! Check out more details for this show at one of the three Facebook event pages: Grady's, Wishbone drummer Glen Thomas', and The Canadian's! For a video preview, check out the official music video for Grady's song "Woman Got My Devil"!



And finally, we have a brand new album release from a local metal band! Stillbroke have officially announced via their Facebook page that their debut EP, "Never Enough", is officially available for purchase! Each disc costs just $10, and you can pick up a copy by calling 759-8696, or by messaging the band on Facebook! Excellent news, I can't wait to pick up this album! It also fills in a possible gap in my local review schedule, as I'll review "Never Enough" after I get it either this month or next! All depends on when Sykotyk Rampage releases "22"! Now let's cross our fingers for new Stillbroke shows! Stay tuned for a review of Never Enough in the next couple weeks!

Also, notice the new banner image? Well, I did say I'd have custom banners and logo designs for new local metal albums and major concerts, and unexpectedly, we can begin that tonight, now that Stillbroke have released the album! I'M NOT PLAYING FAVOURITES! I have more custom logos already made up, and stay tuned Wednesday afternoon for the Papa Roach banner and logo!

That's all for tonight, stay tuned for more news, my Grady concert review, and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Grady and 40 Sons), And Two New Sault Area Bands!

How's everyone enjoying this weather? If you're no fan, this might cheer you up: LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!! Both are kinda short notice, as they're both this month, but I just found them today! Stay tuned afterwards for two more Sault-area bands I've found to share with you guys! So let's get this post going!

First up, Hamilton hard rock band 40 Sons are coming to Sault Ontario! They will be at Coch's Corner on October 23rd, and will take the stage at 9:00 PM that night! As it is Coch's Corner, there's no admission price, just make sure to buy something and have your ID ready. No word on any openers, I don't think there are any. I've never heard of 40 Sons before today, but after some listens, they sound pretty good. Radio rock with the appropriate heaviness, and unique vocals for their style! I'd say hit this show if you can, especially with the lacking promo for it. Check out more from 40 Sons at their official MySpace page!

Then, just two days later, a metal band will mark their return to Sault Ste. Marie! Grady, the Austin, Texas "country metal" band fronted by former Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson, will be playing at The Canadian on October 25th! They were last seen here in April of last year at the same venue. They will be supported by Winnipeg metal band Domenica, who you may remember from a cancelled Foggy Notions concert earlier this year. The show will take place at 11:00 PM that night, though I have no current word on ticket prices. Confirm your attendance at the official Facebook event page!

This may seem a bit of a diversion from normal SMS band discussion, but Grady definitely are metal, just with a more Southern/country edge. If you get past any preconceptions you have about them being a country band, you'll find some heavy catchy metal underneath their Southern appearance! Check them out on MySpace to hear some of their material, they are not bad at all! As for Domenica, they're really good too, I'd been hoping to see them when they had the Foggy Notions booking, but now we'll get a chance to see them! Heavy female-fronted metal with a wide array of influences, hear some of their stuff on MySpace! I might hit this show, we'll have to see!

And to cap off this post, I have found a couple new Sault-area metal/hard rock bands! I've really been trying to cover more of the immediate area around the Twin Saults (i.e. places you can drive to in a half hour), and in doing so, I've found a couple new bands from the Sault Michigan area to tell you guys about!

First, we have Outshined, a hard rock band from Rudyard! They formed in 2007 and still play shows here and there! Now they happen to be Christian rock, and they are pretty strong in their beliefs, but I don't let religious affiliations detract from my musical enjoyment, so try not to hold that into account when checking them out. That being said, they're still a good hard rock band! They play the kind of music that would fit well on Rock 101, though some songs are a touch repetitive. Still worth checking out, just don't immediately write them off for their religious message. Hear some of their songs on their official MySpace page!

And finally, here's another metal band I've found, this band from Eckerman (which is also the hometown for fellow area hard rockers Bent Rollercoaster.) They are Life's Eclipse, and though they've been inactive since June, they have some excellent stuff! They formed in 2006, and were planning to record an album, entitled "Shadow Over Superior" (album cover pictured.) They have two demo songs posted on their official MySpace page, and damn, they're heavy as hell. "Not Dead But Dreaming" is epically good, and "Red Dawn" is hardcore fury at it's best! Great riffs and solos! I hope they get Life's Eclipse going again, because they have loads of potential! Check them out for yourself on MySpace!

So there's what you guys need to know for today! Amazingly, I didn't mention a certain platinum selling facepaint wearing hard rock band at all, but I imagine I will in a day or so! More news and updates coming very soon! And remember to go see Spliff65, Sykotyk Rampage, and/or Garden of Bedlam this coming weekend!