LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225), Hails Updates, And More!!

Before we get too far in today's news post, I wanted to update folks on memorials for the two local metal musicians that we lost last month. I normally wouldn't mention this without a public posting, but a tribute concert to late Brutally Fatal frontman/Far From Fine drummer Austin McCrea is in the works, and the family has asked his friend Taylor "Tea" Emlaw (Handsome Sandwich's singer) to put it on. She is currently looking for performers, so contact her via her personal Facebook page if you want in, and we'll let you know when formal public details go out! No sign of an obituary yet for him or Rebel Priest/Glass Statues guitarist Ben Kemp-Reynolds, but the surviving members of Rebel Priest are hosting an open memorial for Benny tomorrow at The Moose, the Vancouver bar that he worked at. I know that most SMS readers aren't in British Columbia, but in the event that you did know Ben, are out west, and want to pay tribute, keep this in mind!

An earlier post by Rebel Priest did say that they were working with Ben's family towards giving him the right sendoff, but I don't know if any public memorials in the Soo or Central Algoma are being planned, let alone ones that would involve music (note that Rebel Priest never played a show here). We'll keep you posted when anything extra comes out regarding Austin or Ben, and they are continually missed!

Now, today's post features some new videos and updates, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 have more shows ahead this month, all courtesy of their website's concert calendar! We already touched on TONIGHT's and TOMORROW'S short notice gigs at Beck's Bar on the site on Thursday, but "the dirty three" will be seen thrice more later this month, starting with their first Water Tower Pub show of 2026 on Friday, January 23rd! Even though electric bands routinely play at the Great Northern Road nightclub, Bone Yard always play there "uncorked", so if you prefer seeing their acoustic shows there, keep this one-nighter in mind! Their next regular plugged-in concerts after this weekend take place on January 30th and 31st, when they take over The Esquire Club for a full weekend, in their first stops there in over two months. Keep all three shows in mind if you love your local 225!

Neither venue has corroborated these late-January bookings on Facebook, but we'll let you know when either posts a 2026 concert calendar. The Water Tower Pub show is at 8:00 PM, the Esquire Club gigs are at 9:30 PM, and these are all 19+ affairs with no cover charges. See above for more details, but while we're on the subject, what else have the guys been up to lately? In a jokey video on their Facebook page from December 3rd, we see Greg and Alex "grinding", but let's just say it's not on a new song! The following day, bassist Warren Reville starred in this video reflecting on "the 225 life", which at that moment, amounted to being "in the studio finishing shit". It was taken in jest, but it's good to see work on new songs is ongoing! Frontman Greg Simpson also starred in two different vertical videos (linked here & here) to promote each of their last two shows of 2025 and reflect on each prior day's weather.

In terms of performance videos, we have more plugged-in concert videos of Bone Yard 225 to share, but let's pause for now with this clip from their "uncorked" gig at Beck's on December 14th, which was uniquely filmed during a lull in the matinee when Greg's battery died mid-set. While that was sorted out, Warren played an impromptu vocal/bass original song to narrate those proceedings. Fun way to fill time, and kudos to whoever filmed this clip, which you can watch below!

Let's close with the latest from local crossover thrash band Hails, and they started 2026 with some very surprising news, as they have parted ways with guitarist Mikhal Muto. A reason for his departure wasn't announced, but in yesterday's post about his exit on their Facebook page, they did call him a "guitar wizard" and they thanked him for helping them move forward in developing their sound, so things do seem amicable. Mikhal had been a key member of Ha!ls since their early 2023 debut, but he does have many irons in the fire as it is, with The Apocalypse Afterparty, his Agnosticism solo project, and his new ska punk band A.S.D.P. all being active concerns, so we'll be seeing lots of him ahead! No word yet on if Hails will be replacing Mikhal, but remember that they were a trio before his cousin Carmen joined the band in the spring of 2024, so they could easily move forward as one again. With all of that said, what else is new from them?

This slipped us by last month, but the long-teased physical release of Ha!ls' self-titled album is getting closer, with the band sharing this image on Facebook of a test pressing of the album on vinyl. No word yet on when copies go on sale, but it is encouraging to see them making full vinyl records! At one point, other formats were also teased (remember Brent's old projects getting DIY cassette tapes?), but no finite word on CD or tape copies yet. Stay tuned for more from Hails, including videos from their last show with Mikhal next week, along with more recent news and notes! Thanks everyone!

R.I.P. Ben Kemp-Reynolds (1990-2025)

The Sault Metal Scene would like to offer its deepest condolences to the family and friends of former local rock guitarist Ben Kemp-Reynolds, who suddenly passed away earlier today at the age of 35, as per numerous personal Facebook postings. Local readers may be best familiar with Ben's music work while attending Central Algoma Secondary School in the late 2000s, where he performed in CASS Cafe bands like The Diego Experience, The Dedbeats, and most notably, the 2008-2009 blues rock quartet The Glass Statues. Joining future Late & Loud bandmates Benn Garside and Josh Hatherley, The Glass Statues would play their first non-CASS gig at the YMCA Battle of the Bands at The Grand Theater in March 2009 (where they finished in third place), and they later played out in Thessalon, and were among the openers for The Road Hammers at Rotaryfest Stage 1 that July. The Glass Statues disbanded due to Ben's relocation to British Columbia for university the following month. 

Ben kept at it musically out west, where (as "Benny Blitz"), he joined Victoria glam metal band The Lust Boys in early 2010, though a planned homecoming gig with them in March 2012 at the former Canadian Nightclub did not take place due to their tour van breaking down 5 hours outside of town. The local openers, Late & Loud among them, played on though. Alas, Ben never got to bring any of his B.C. bands home for concerts, but he remained in The Lust Boys until they broke up in 2014, and he stayed musically active in the Vancouver area, where he and fellow Lust Boys alum Jayme Black formed the old school metal band Rebel Priest later that year. It's with Rebel Priest where Benny found the most success, releasing two studio albums and some other EPs and singles, and touring as far away as Japan on multiple occasions! Rebel Priest last played live at The Cobalt in Vancouver on November 21st. 

As "Benny Burn", he was also a guitarist in the Vancouver speed metal band Roadrash from 2017-2020, while Ben notably also worked as a bartender and live DJ. It was too easy to miss out on what Benny was up to in B.C. over the years, but he accomplished a lot as a musician there, and while our interactions were brief before he moved, he was always a good guy, and it's a shame to lose him so suddenly, especially just days after Christmas. If you haven't heard his three main bands since he moved, do check out The Lust Boys, Rebel Priest, and Roadrash, as there's some solid classic metal of varying flavours therein, and it'd be neat to see their original music get some well deserved Ontario and Michigan hits. I don't know if any services are planned yet in the Soo or Central Algoma, but we'll let you know when more comes out. Check on your friends, and please reach out if you're struggling. R.I.P. Benny!

CASS Cafe Metal Video Showcase (Part 3)

It's now time for our third of four CASS Cafe metal video showcases! After two solidly entertaining installments on Friday & Sunday, we've got a few more videos from Central Algoma Secondary School's student concert series to share, including a solo performance and three sets from collections of local musicians (including some familiar faces), so check these out below!

First, we'll head back to Durera guitarist A.J. Biron's YouTube channel for these next videos, which come from CASS Cafe sets circa December 2009, and the first one features three future members of For All That Is Lost (guitarist Brook Moreau, ex-guitarist Allen Piche, and drummer Kameron Nicholson) covering Lamb of God's "Laid To Rest"! For this performance, they were joined by fellow CASS alum Nathan Hache on vocals (I have no idea if he has any other band experience), and though his growling is patchy, he has the right aggression for the cover. The F.A.T.I.L. guys sound pretty good, though the song started a bit rough. Interesting rendition, but imagine how they'd sound now covering "Laid To Rest"? Check out this performance below, and free Randy Blythe!



The other video from A.J.'s channel that we're sharing today features five notable musicians covering Megadeth's "Peace Sells"! The performers here include Allen once again (this time on drums) alongside future F.A.T.I.L. bandmate Tyler Sperry on vocals, Christopher Neveau (now of local death metal band March Into Regression) & A.J. on guitar, and Column Ruins bassist Travis Garside, but unlike the above video, this isn't of the highest musical quality. The video description mentions that the guys only practiced this the day before, and it sounds like it, with a number of flubs & timing issues, plus monotone singing (Tyler should have growled here), but the guitar isn't bad! This definitely does not capture these guys at their best, but there is some good stuff here & there, so if you want to check it out, do so below!



Finally, we have a pair of linked videos that are actually on two YouTube channels, those being the ones for CASS alumni Ben Kemp-Reynolds (of The Lust Boys & various local bands) and Ken Coventry, but there's no difference in the quality between the two. The first of these videos is of Benny Blitz himself joined by drummer Mike Christie (he of the drum solo we shared on Sunday) and bassist Will Hurley (likely a relation to Brent & Ty from Durera) for a joke-inspired "metal riffing extravaganza" named "The Andy Song". The lighting's poor (aside from the strobe effects), the audio's muffled occasionally, and the camera angle is odd, but this May 2008 CASS Cafe performance isn't bad, and there's a great liberal use of galloping guitar riffs throughout, so check out "The Andy Song" below!



The other video from this May 2008 CASS Cafe performance is a Metallica medley by just Ben & Mike (though Will introduced them and helped on vocals & bass briefly at different points.) Here, they played portions of "The Four Horsemen", "Motorbreath", "Fade To Black", and "Orion" (at least), and they seemed to know the different parts well, though it'd have been nice to have had Will on bass for more of the medley. The same camera issues from "The Andy Song" apply here as well, but if you can get past those, you'll find some solid Metallica jamming, so check out this video below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned later today for this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews, including the Sewer Swampstravaganza's return, and much more! And yes, our last CASS Cafe video post is coming soon as well, hopefully over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: The Lust Boys

As promised, here's this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! As we do each month, we're taking a look at a metal or hard rock band from out of town that features at least one former Sault Ste. Marie-area resident! This band is a newer find on my radar, but if you like your metal old school and a little glammed up, you should dig these guys, so let's get this profile going! (Updated on November 26th, 2014)
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The Lust Boys (Victoria, British Columbia)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; members not in their last full lineup in italics)

Colin "Tommy Thrust" Stuart (vocals/guitar/ex-bass)
Ben "Benny Blitz" Kemp-Reynolds (guitar)
Derek Dufresne (bass)
Stefano "Doc Sxdryv" Pasta (drums)

Jayme Daniel "Gypsy" Black (vocals)
"Dallas Dagger" (guitar)
Johnny "Blade" Nuttall (guitar)
Cody "Codine Vandal" Vidito (guitar)
Shawn "A.C. Desylva" Thackeray (guitar)
Brian "Goat" Comeau (guitar)
"Rex Razor" (bass)
Jesse "Hep J" Anderson (drums)
"Nikki Neon" (drums)
"Coldhands" (???)

Official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/lustboys
Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/lustboysofficial
Official Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/lustboysofficial
Official Reverbnation page: http://www.reverbnation.com/lustboys
Official YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/lustboysofficial

Local Info: The only former Sault Ste. Marie resident in The Lust Boys that I know of is guitarist Benny Blitz, who you'll likely better recognize under his real name Ben Kemp-Reynolds. A Sault Ontario native, Ben made waves in the area as a guitarist in the CASS Cafe-frequenting Dedbeats (videos here), followed by a short but memorable run in the local blues rock quartet The Glass Statues, who also featured Late & Loud members Benn Garside & Josh Hatherley in their lineup! In their 10 months together, The Glass Statues placed 3rd at the YMCA Battle of the Bands in March 2009 and also played at Rotaryfest that year before disbanding that August due to Ben's move to British Columbia. He's been there ever since, but you can catch him there bringing back his metal roots with The Lust Boys!

Band Bio: Originally a technical metal band named Lust, The Lust (or "Lus‡") Boys were formed by founding members Jayme Black & Tommy Thrust in 2006. Playing a 1980s inspired style of sleaze rock, the band has became a frequent & unique sight at British Columbia concerts, including headlining a yearly "Lustapalooza" concert in Victoria, releasing two CDs (including a 2012 full length album), and even filming an official music video for their song "Spred Yur Legz" in 2009. I believe Ben Kemp-Reynolds joined The Lust Boys in early 2010, taking on the "Benny Blitz" stage name shortly after. After major early 2013 lineup changes, the band continued to rock B.C. concert stages often since returning that June, but the band amicably broke up in February 2014, with Tommy & Stefano later forming the new hard rock band Hell Camino.

1980s inspired metal (hair or otherwise) always has a wide appeal, and The Lust Boys definitely deserve some of that attention! There isn't a lot of local bands to compare them to (maybe Dirty Virgin), but if you like bands like Motley Crue, you should really appreciate the sleaze that The Lust Boys bring to the table! Vocally, Jayme Black's harsher punk-edged vocals worked well, but from what I've heard of Tommy on vocals, he was a better fit for the glam metal side of things! High quality videos of their last lineup weren't easy to come by, but both Ben and Brian have the necessary guitar chops, and Ben even threw some bluesy influences into his material here and there! Very energetic sound overall, and aside from the vocal style, they'd fit right in with 1980s metal bands! Tommy Thrust's bass work also flowed really nicely, as does the drumming! Their old studio material is really good for this genre, so if you love yourself some 1980s sleazy rock n' roll, definitely give The Lust Boys a spin!

The Lust Boys have a decent amount of videos online, and you can check out many recent ones at their official YouTube channel, which also features their entire "Purple Leopard Print" EP for streaming. Their MySpace page has a cool unreleased demo track named "White Trash Superstar" as well, so give that a look, along with more audio tracks on their other pages! YouTube has many videos from their live concerts as well, along with their "Spred Yur Legz" music video, but for a somewhat recent look, here's one of the band playing their song "Wingin' It" in Victoria in 2011, so check it out below!


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I hope you guys enjoyed this month's profile! What's happening in this series next month though? Well, I've decided to take a mini-break with it like we did last November to dedicate a post to just updates of past profiles in this series. As we focus on local bands more often than out of town ones, many of the profiles in this series are outdated, have broken links, or need changes to make them accurate and more informative. So around November 26th, I'll have a post updating you guys to all the changes made to our past out of town profiles, and then we'll be back with another proper band profile in December! I'm leaning towards Repetitions from Windsor, but time will tell! Stay tuned for that and more over the coming weeks! Thanks everyone!