Don't Look Back Concert Preview, New Video Finds, And More!!

On this Saturday morning, we have some more news and updates to tackle on the SMS, so what's in store here? A relevant video regarding our local OHL team, the latest from a prolific local bassist, and a new posting of a recent album release, but first, here's our remaining weekend concert preview!

Arizona-based Boston tribute band Don't Look Back will make their local concert debut TONIGHT when they headline at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! One of a handful of touring tribute bands to play at the Soo Kewadin's main indoor venue in recent years, this should be the next best thing to seeing Boston on a local stage, which we are a decade removed from as it is. Based on what I've seen from Don't Look Back, they live up to their descriptions with a faithful looking and sounding tribute to the 1970s and '80s hard rock legends and their hits like "More Than A Feeling", so be sure to check this one out for the Boston experience! Tickets for this ALL AGES and 7:00 PM concert still run for a paltry $12.50, and while there are still plenty of seats available from any row, the center section is almost gone! You can get yours at this link, the in person box office, or 1-800-KEWADIN. This should be a fun show for Boston diehards, so check the above links for more details, and here's Don't Look Back delivering their Boston experience live!



Next up, here's some new-ish videos from the Ontario side of the border, starting with the free YouTube posting of local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver's new studio album "Hitting The Fan"! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Tuesday, this completes their free postings there of their entire studio recording catalog to date, so if you want an hour+ of crusty death/punk action, you know where to look! If you were curious to jump to an individual track, the 10 songs in order are "Evacuation", "Makes Me Sick", "Just Take It", "It Won't Change", "Liverated", "Cirrhosis", "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops", "Livin' In Shit", "Wait", and the album's title track. Yes, two songs are under 15 seconds in length, but if you're a Shit Liver diehard, that fact is nothing new! Of course, if you want to buy "Hitting the Fan" and missed last night's tour kick-off show like me (I have a cold), do so via ordering from the guys, or check The Rad Zone to see if they have any records!

Those who listen to streaming music on YouTube over Spotify or Bandcamp should enjoy this YouTube copy, but definitely consider supporting Shit Liver's work if you can financially! And yes, our review of "Hitting the Fan" is coming this month, hopefully sooner rather than later, but I wish I could have been at The Rednecks Saloon (moved on short notice from The Speak Easy) last night for Shit Liver's local return engagement! Hopefully cameras were rolling, but in the meantime, here's "Hitting the Fan" in full!

Also today, here's the latest from former Haggith/Pillory bassist Jordan Leach-Berube, who indicated last summer that he was "leaving soon" and would need to be replaced in his local bands. That said, he may not be entirely done with the local scene, as he posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last week that he is now recording bass tracks "purely for fun." Just send Jordan a file to add bass to, and he'll record with it, and send it back in WAV format. Former bandmate and collaborator Mike Haggith already expressed interest there, but if you're interested in working with Jordan on a studio track, message him at this link or above! On a related note, Jordan also has a YouTube channel documenting his recent travels in Asia, which may explain why he left his local bands. He has some interesting content there if you like travel channels on YouTube and Asian culture, so give them a look if you're so inclined, but he does have some bass content there to check out!

One video features him playing alongside Lon Granger's "Mr. Harris", but embedded below is a half hour-long video of Jordan trying out a new bass while repeatedly playing alongside an instrumental track from "a current project". It feels very death metal-esque, and while it sounds like it could be a new Pillory song (assuming that he didn't fully leave), note that we have not heard from Pillory publically in over 8 months, and this project may not be local at all beyond his involvement. The video quality is hit and miss, but it's interesting to see Jordan hard at work in this setting, so give his new bass videos a look above and below!



Finally, this is not a new news item in terms of the local metal, hard rock, or punk scenes, but it's very topical for fans of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and their excellent season so far. Fans may remember Julie Farkas' disco-tinged 1980 song "Hound Power", which still gets airplay at games and online, but if you want something with a punk flair, defunct local quartet The Inner City Surfers had you covered! Back in 2008, the guys recorded a 98 second non-album original named "Let's Go Greyhounds" at Insight Recorders in Toronto with producer Simon Head, and drummer Mikey Hawdon re-posted it to his YouTube channel in December, presumably to capitalize on the Hounds' success. This song would work well as a goal song at home games, and it has a lively spirit that preserves The Surfers' punk sound while leaving catchy lyrics for fans to sing/chant along with, so hopefully it gets some deserved extra airplay as the playoff run continues!

Give it a listen below, and good luck to the Soo Greyhounds next week as they continue their second round series with the Owen Sound Attack! You can catch games 3-5, plus 6 & 7 if necessary, on Rock 101 on your FM radio, and on Shaw TV (channel 10 if you have cable), while tickets for game 5 are now on sale at The Essar Center, so get them while you can!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Seether, Don't Look Back, And The Sky's The Limit!!)

Finally, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle on this Wednesday morning, and there's some big ones to touch on from the last few days, so here's what you should know for these three concerts!

In the first of two new hard rock show announcements for The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, classic rock diehards will want to note the local debut of Arizona-based Boston tribute band Don't Look Back, as they'll hit the Soo Kewadin on Saturday, April 7th! Of course, local fans saw the real hard/progressive rock legends here in 2008, but this looks like the next best thing for fans of their classic hits like "More Than A Feeling", "Smokin'", and "Foreplay/Long Time", with Don't Look Back self-describing themselves as "an incredible re-creation" of Boston as they were in the 1970s. From what I've seen, they have the sound and the look down pretty well, so definitely keep Don't Look Back in mind for the Boston experience next weekend! Tickets are a very affordable $12.50, and there are plenty of seats available for this tribute show, so head to this link, the in person box office, or 1-800-KEWADIN to get hooked up. Don't look back on Don't Look Back, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, the third annual Sky's The Limit mental health fundraiser/awareness concert will take place on Thursday, May 10th at The W.W. Baldwin Auditorium at The Tech in Sault Ontario! Though curiously not advertised online yet, physical posters are floating around (I photographed this one at a Food Basics bulletin board), and there, it's confirmed that local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church will perform as this year's pre-determined headliners! After playing the first two installments via the performer auditions, now they'll be the featured attraction in their first announced show of 2018, so keep them in mind for later this spring! Christian rapper Tristan "Bold Noize" Goslow will also return for his own third year as an announced performer, so keep an eye out for his rhymes as well in May! As was the case in 2016 & last year, the night's remaining performers will be chosen following a private audition at The Tech on Thursday, April 19th at 6:00 PM, so for more details on the audition in person or via e-mail (if you live outside of town), visit this link for the official contact phone number and e-mail address!

Presented by Algoma Family Services as part of Children's Mental Health Week once again, The Sky's The Limit III has a 7:00 PM start time, it is ALL AGES, and tickets are $5 for individual attendees or $20 for families, so keep that in mind if you have a party of five+. I'm surprised that the online press isn't as big yet for this year, but this event has always been held for a great cause, and hopefully there's another solid turnout for the music and the mental health awareness alike in May! Visit the above links for more details!

At last, here's the big one, as South African hard rock/post-grunge trio Seether will return to the Sault Ste. Marie area for a headlining concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Saturday, August 11th! A extremely familiar band to Rock 101 listeners thanks to hit singles like "Broken", "Fake It", and "Betray & Degrade" (among many others), this will be Seether's first local appearance in over a decade, following January 2008's Three Days Grace concert in Sault Ontario. It's awesome to have Seether back in our neck of the woods at last, and they've only gotten bigger since the last time, so look for more hard rocking fan favourites at this already highly anticipated concert this summer! Knoxville, Tennessee hard rock quintet 10 Years will also join Seether for this concert, in their own first Sault Michigan appearance since opening for Sevendust here in October 2010. Though still best known for their chart topping song "Wasteland", they've recently had success with their single "Novacaine", and it'll be great to have them back in the Soo in a few months' time as well!

A third band is to be announced, no idea on if they'll be local or another touring act. Presented by Allstar Promotions in their second Dreammaker's Theater show of 2018, this stop on Seether's Poison the Parish World Tour will take place at 7:00 PM on August 11th, while this is an ALL AGES event, and tickets go on sale THIS FRIDAY at 10:00 AM at this link, at the in person box office, and/or at 1-800-KEWADIN. The cost is $46, which is high as Allstar events go, but keep in mind how big Seether in particular are, and expectations are that this show will sell out quick, so get your tickets A.S.A.P.! No word yet though on potential VIP ticket prices or a possible meet & greet session. This should be a huge concert for the summer season, and it's been a long time coming for both Seether and 10 Years to return to the Soo, so check the above links for more details in advance of Friday's on-sale date! Also, a trailer video for this show was posted to the promoters' Facebook page on Monday, so what should you know on it?

Clearly dragging out the reveals for dramatic effect, the trailer features clips from Seether's music videos for "Remedy" & "Rise Above This", as well as both of 10 Years' biggest hits, along with imagery of the poster, and a radio dial rapidly shifting about. Effective promotion, so give it a look below, and remember, tickets go on sale FRIDAY MORNING!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

If I Look Strong, You Look Strong Concert Preview, Plus New Treble Charger & Din Videos!!

As promised, today's post is being led off by a preview of a rare Tuesday night punk/metal concert, but to round things out, we have some new videos, one of a local band shooting for a new milestone, and two from a recently reunited band's most recent concert! Here's what you should know!

A special Tuesday night concert goes down TONIGHT at The New American Pub, where three different touring bands will take the stage for a night of punk and metal intensity! The lineup will include headlining Calgary noise/experimental trio If I Look Strong, You Look Strong, a curiously named though very talented twosome who have some aggressive elements in their progressive sound, so don't bypass I.I.L.S.Y.L.S. tonight! Also playing at The New A are Zaum, the Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" outfit best known locally from headlining Haggith's final concert at The Rednecks Saloon back in May 2015. Good to see Zaum back in our area after over 2 years, so prepare for some dark chanting-laden originals from them also! The other touring duo tonight are Ottawa/Pembroke hardcore punk rockers Flying Fortress, who'll bring aggressive but also somewhat more accessible originals to the stage, so don't be late for their set either! Apologies for earlier promotion hyping the three above bands as being duos, the headliners have since confirmed that they're currently touring as a three-piece.

Tonight's local openers are new local indie/hard rock trio Vol. (featuring 2/3rds of The Pixo Control's mid-2015 lineup), who will get a very intriguing show to make their public concert debut with, so come early to hear how they sound! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., tonight's "Saul St Marie" stop has a 19+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and $7 cover charge. This is shaping up to be a nicely varied but constantly aggressive night of music, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details on tonight's concert, and here's If I Look Strong, You Look Strong live!



Next up, we have some new videos of local/Toronto indie/punk veterans Treble Charger to share on here, but not from last month's return show at LopLops! Though not visibly advertised on the band's few active online pages, they continued their teased tour run with a set at the third annual WTFest in Brantford on Saturday, July 29th, where they were among the openers for Our Lady Peace and Collective Soul at Lions Park. Looks like a solid event with a great turnout from what I've seen of WTFest, and hopefully their whole set was a hit! As best as I can tell, two YouTube users posted videos of Treble Charger's set, including wisptubeify, who filmed their rendition of "American Psycho" and posted it to his channel later that same day. The guys sound good on this punk-era classic of theirs, but they seem to be a bit restricted in movement given the stage setup, and the camera can have some blurry moments. Check it out below!



The other known YouTube video of Treble Charger's Brantford set last month comes via user Dure Yeah, who posted this video of their early hit song "Red" to his channel that same day as well. This softer Bill Priddle-sung original is very well done here, which will please fans of Treble Charger's first albums, and though the camera angle isn't as centered or close, it's actually clearer overall! Give it a look below as well, and see more from this year's WTFest at the above links, on YouTube, or via Brantford-area news media!



Finally for today, here's the latest from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, so what have they been up to lately? Alongside continued studio demo recordings, a new photo shoot with Josh Pace, and a "HUGE surprise" relating to the impending one year anniversary of their debut studio album "Give In To The Din", the band has also been actively trying to reach 700 fans on their Facebook page. As part of that goal, this comedic new Facebook video was posted online on July 30th, and while I do apologize for the delay, at least it's still relevant to share, as they sit at 697 fans as of this writing. The nearly 6 minute-long video is a "field record", where drummer Brandan Glew proposes that, if the band launches rockets into space, that might be enough to push them over 700 fans. I won't spoil the details on the rockets, launches, or aftermath, but there is humour to be had throughout, plus a surprise ending! Give it a look below, and like The Din if you haven't already so you can help them shoot for 700!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this week, plus this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (If I Look Strong, You Look Strong), A New Local Band, And More!!

Here's another new news post for your Sunday afternoon, as we continue to get caught up following one extremely busy weekend of concerts! Today's post features some assorted recent updates, a new solo cover video, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, but leading off, here's initial details on a debuting local band playing that very concert!

We have a new local band to add to our active band links, and they are Vol. (pronounced "volume"), so what should you know on them? Self-describing themseles as an "indie rock" band, they cite Alexisonfire, Queens of the Stone Age, City & Colour, and Dinosaur Jr. as influences, so I would assume that a high volume noise/hard-alt sound would not come amiss when media turns up. Specifically, Vol. indicated on their Facebook page that their sound has "high energy, crispy tones, (and) crunchy distortion", so read into that however you will. Their lineup features original Pixo Control bassist Steve Edwards on vocals & guitar alongside their mid-2015 drummer Matthew Thibert, with their ranks filled out by former Aldous guitarist Shane Storozuk. Solid lineup, and it's great to see that Steve and Matt stuck together following their abrupt Pixo departure! Vol. quietly launched last year, but when can you see them live and on stage for the first time?

On Tuesday, August 8th, for a newly announced New American Pub concert from Six, Two, Oh., that's where! Vol. will debut as local openers for a trifecta of out of town metal duos, including headliners If I Look Strong, You Look Strong (yes, that's their name), an experimental noise rock duo from Calgary. Very creative and progressive sound with punk and hardcore tinges, so definitely give them a listen in advance of this show! Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" duo Zaum will play the Soo for the first time since their Rednecks headliner in May 2015 as this show's co-headliners, and their blend of dark metal and chanting vocals should appeal to genre fans once again, so don't bypass Zaum next month either! The other touring two man band is Ottawa/Pembroke hardcore punk outfit Flying Fortress, whose sound is arguably the most accessible of the the three groups, but still heavy and relentless, so don't be late for their fast-paced originals either!

A 19+ concert, this show has a $7 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. While one would assume that Rotopsy, Them, or Twistory as openers would have fit the two-man-band lineup better, Vol. have a solid showcase ahead for their debut, surprisingly as the night's largest band, so definitely keep this rare Tuesday nighter in mind for August 8th, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, here's a new solo cover video from ex-Elipzis bassist Ryan Harrison's YouTube channel on Wednesday, surprisingly his first upload there this year! A cover of "Drown" by the Texas-based modern rock band Fighting Gemini, the well-bearded Ryan sticks to vocals in this cover, and he showcases a solid voice (as old Riot! By Night fans can attest), and it's nice to see him tackle a song that uses more vocal range with such ease! That said, the black and white colouring and the raindrop filter effect can be distracting. Give Ryan's newest solo cover a look below, and hopefully more comes soon!



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

• Following a positive reception for their YouTube video for their song "Straus", local progressive metal project Kraken Mara have announced that all of the songs on their upcoming self-titled debut EP will have a music video made for them, and are fielding fan suggestions for locations to shoot them at. Sounds like a good plan to me, so message Brendan and/or Jacob at the band's Facebook page to suggest filming spots!
• Just as a house-cleaning note, I've replaced the link for local subscription crate company Ma Lady Menace from their website (which is currently blank) to their Facebook page. This company was supposed to promote the ambitious CureCon concert/convention next month, but haven't issued any updates on venue, lineup, or specific details since May when indicating website maintenance, and it's not clear if the company are still actively operating. Ma Lady Menace had promising ideas, and hopefully more comes out!
• If you're wondering why we didn't cover this year's Ride For Sight motorcycle rally and attached concerts on the site, it's because the musical lineup didn't feature a hard rock band for the first time since the local arm of the rally began in 2012. This year's musical entertainment featured country quartet Bone Yard and their acoustic side project The Bearded Lounge, alongside 1960s-themed classic rock band The Peace Vibe playing out at Stokely Creek Lodge over the July 7th weekend. Hopefully everything went well, it's a great event for a great cause!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week on the site! Thanks everyone!

2013: A Look Back In The Year Of Local Metal

On this New Year's Eve, it's fitting to take a look back at the year that was, especially as 2013 was our busiest year ever at the SMS! From major concerts and events to band breakups and sad losses, there were a lot of highs & lows in the local metal scene on both sides of the border, so as usual, let's flash back to what happened in local metal & hard rock in the past 12 months in this special year-end post!

As usual, the biggest heavier concerts of 2013 were at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino, which hosted at least eight concerts with hard rock/metal bands (nine if you count Banned's anti-bullying rally set this month!) The year started strong with the original Queensryche rocking Kewadin on January 12th, with Sebastian Bach and the debuting 415E following suit just over a week later, with a classic trio of April Wine, Sweet (Steve Priest's version), and Head East rocking the Soo the following month. Modern hard rock fans were excited when Allstar Promotions brought Hinder, Trapt, and Acidic to the Soo Kewadin on March 24th, followed by Shinedown (pictured) & Prosevere on July 21st, and the well received Team Jessica benefit on August 14th featuring Pop Evil, The London Gentlemen, and Missy & Chelsea. Finally, hair metal fans got their fix in mid-2013 with Tesla & Fifth Way's returns on July 27th, plus Night Ranger and John Waite on September 22nd, giving a nice blend of old and new throughout the year, and hopefully there's much more to come in 2014!

Over in Sault Ontario, we again saw a number of huge, high profile, and very entertaining concerts in 2013, with the summer and fall stacked in that regard! For out-of-town touring bands, the Soo was graced with shows featuring 40 Sons, Airbourne, Biipiigwan, Bleeker Ridge, Caym, The Dayglo Abortions, Diemonds, Fuckface Unstoppable, The Golers, The Ripcordz, Skeletonwitch, Striker, West of Hell, Wilson, and Xanadu (among many others), ensuring some major shows throughout the year, with promoter/singer J.D. Pearce a major reason for them, so kudos to him for sure! As well this year: The Suicide Kings & The Bear Hunters won this year's two local battles of the bands, Garden of Bedlam headlined twice at The Algonquin Hotel, Josh Stephney and Bring The Fallen said goodbye to the Soo with July's Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mash-Up, AlgomA promoted the Big Loonie Bus Show in Echo Bay, The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre welcomed an expanded Soo Zombie Walk entertainment lineup in October, and lots of fundraisers like Toystock and the Ray Brown benefit provided quality entertainment, among many other 2013 dates!

Back in the Sault Michigan area, there was again many notable concert events outside of the Dreammaker's Theater, including the third annual LemmaFest in June, Tantrym Tyme's win at this year's Rock Till You Drop battle of the bands at the Chippewa County Fair, September's Walk To Rock Against Bullying outside of City Hall, and the Nick Cam Jam cancer benefit in Brimley last month. Out of town bands who played locally this year included Infathom, The Darwin Project, Nudge, Peril, and Driven, while a solid selection of local talent (mainly of the cover-centric variety) rocked the area, with Banned keeping an almost constant presence with tons of regional gigs year-round! Also this year: Power Slug continued their under-the-radar concert slate, Half A Man and Scofflaw returned at LemmaFest, 415E & Tantrym Tyme stayed busy through the summer, Full Throttle rocked the scene in early 2013, RamWagon became a frequent favourite in late-year Rapids Lounge shows, and members of Theatre of Night debuted at The Corner Pub on Memorial Day, among others! Look for more big Eastern U.P. events as we make our way to 2014!

Unfortunately, 2013 saw a sadly higher amount of local metal/hard rock musician deaths, starting with the sudden passing of Unbound frontman Justin Fratpietro in January, whose death preceded the band's launch, but their early 2013 activity was all dedicated in his memory, with their only concerts taking place in his hometown of Thunder Bay. Other passings this year reflected former mainstays in heavier local bands of past years, including former J.A.B. guitarist Jean-Paul Fecteau in April, former Thansis Colle bassist Jimmy Smith in June, and former The Chosen/Saint Mizry drummer Ray Brown (pictured) after a tough battle with cancer in November. I might be missing others, but these were the ones I could verify. Ray and J.P. were both honoured in life and death respectively with successful benefit concerts towards Ray's expenses and J.P.'s family this year. It's always tough to lose someone, but hopefully their memories are kept in the closest & highest regard by their family & friends!

A lot of general (but important) news items took place in 2013 as well, none bigger than Woods of Ypres' posthumous nomination and victory of a Juno Award in March for Best Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year for their last album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light"! It's just a shame that David Gold couldn't be here to accept it, but this was a very significant event for his legacy and the local scene for sure! Also this year: The Canadian Nightclub flooded once again and saw more renovations, while The Sault welcomed 180 Projects to the live concert scene and said goodbye to Bottoms Up Lounge, with venues like The Nicolet Tavern and Madison's Pub undergoing major name and theme changes. For bands, we saw Garden of Bedlam play live in Quebec, Shit Liver move to Toronto, Lion Ride release their last studio recordings, and Sykotyk Rampage release dozens of free new songs, while bands like Gates of Winter, The Bear Hunters, and The Suicide Kings continued high profile work towards new CDs. Also this year: Luke LeBlanc continued his cancer fight, SooToday bought Local2, and Colosimo's Music Store closed, joining other notable news events in 2013!

A solid crop of new CDs and album releases also made their way to shelves, online marketplaces, and concerts this year, especially in the last few months! In April, Late & Loud reissued their "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" EP with new recordings in honour of their last show, while Haggith followed suit with their last studio album "Deuce" in May. The summer saw the releases of the long awaited Woods of Ypres tribute CD "Heart of Gold", Crimson Crusade's debut CD "Upon The Eve of War", Sailor's Tongue's "Pierced" demo, and Bring The Fallen's long-shelved "Stand Before" EP to give closure to their run, while Mike Haggith's "Neighbourhood Watch II" saw an early fall release. The last months of 2013 saw a steady stream of new paid albums, including Pillory's "Cringe At The Cross" demo, Telephone & Address' "Rotten EP", self-titled digital releases from The Strange Coyotes and The Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe, while Sault Michigan's Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton released three albums this year, and Blood Shed Productions put out a number of independent demos throughout 2013! Hopefully the trends keep up in the next 12 months!

Following a slow year for new band debuts and launches in 2012, things turned around quickly in that department in 2013! In Sault Ontario, we saw BeeFMouTH members return to prominence in the doom metal trio AlgomA, with drummer Jamie Vincent fronting the crowd-favourite hardcore duo Bad Back, while members of T-Rex Manning and The Bear Hunters launched the new local punk/metal band Jack Spades this summer. New heavier leaning cover projects like Glitch and The Thrill Junkies made their debuts at local bars, while new all-female hard rockers The Danger Cats made plenty of new fans in the last months of the year, and Giwakwa & The Hydra's Teeth made their long awaited live debuts. Saints & Serpents succeeded The Valentine's Day Massacre, The Strange Coyotes & Project 421 debuted at Haggith's farewell show, Suicide Kings & Haggith members formed Punch, bands like Brutaly Fatal & Rotopsy made their mark through Blood Shed Productions, and over in Sault Michigan, RamWagon, Plastic, and 415E injected some new life across the river! Look out for these bands to keep up their early success in 2014!

As in prior years, local metal/hard rock bands saw a lot of turnover in their membership, and among the biggest was to Sault Michigan hard rock cover quintet Full Throttle, who lost 3/5ths of their lineup earlier this year to the newly formed RamWagon, leaving Jason Lamoreaux & Mark Gillotte to make a new lineup, though the changes gave us two "new" bands in a sense! Also this year: Pillory settled on Josh Amendola & Tyler St. Amour to round out their new lineup, Unbound recycled the With Blood Build Character name to go along with major lineup shifts following Justin Fratpietro's passing, Banned reverted to a trio after a brief country-influenced quintet run, and Winkstinger said goodbye to both Ryan Sherman and Anthony Orazietti. Among single lineup switches: Josh Stephney left The Bear Hunters & Giwakwa after moving out of town, James White returned to Caveman Morrison on bass, drummer Paul Burns left Plastic, Joel Syrette became Griphook's new frontman, and Blake Jackson rejoined Sailor's Tongue on guitar, among other band member changes in 2013!

Of course, it could be expected that some prominent local metal bands would disband or fall inactive in 2013, most notably local classic metal quartet Late & Loud and grunge/alternative rockers Haggith, who both ended brief but eventful runs this year, though members remain active in bands like The Hydra's Teeth and Punch. Among other band breakups this year: Central Algoma death metal bands For All That Is Lost & Inhuman Methods abruptly disbanded early this year, Turner Up and The Valentine's Day Massacre ceded way to The Thrill Junkies and Saints & Serpents, and bands like Ashes To Dust, The Side FX, Unbound, and Winkstinger have been void of major updates in many months. For Sault Michigan bands, End of Existence fulfilled their name to focus on Theatre of Night, Monkey's Uncle successors Sir Charge disbanded in their own right, and bands like Dirtbag In A Dress and Half A Man have been dormant since the summer, but fingers crossed that most of these artists keep up their music work!

Luckily though, the local scene saw some welcome comebacks and reunions from local metal talent in 2013, with Bring The Fallen's one-off reunion at July's Oddzfest event hitting many metalheads in a good way, giving needed closure to their run! Also in 2013: Destroilet finally returned to the stage 2 years after their previous concert (and they haven't looked back since), bands like Frightlight, Winkstinger, Half A Man, That's Chester, Scofflaw, and Sailor's Tongue returned after 8 month+ concert hiatuses, As It Stands resumed activity after a year-long break, both James Watterworth and Telephone & Address returned to regular local solo sets, and Josh Stephney rejoined The Bear Hunters at this month's Bam Margera concert! In other comebacks: Sudbury's Aggressive Acoustic brought hard rock back to Coch's Corner/708 Queen, Aerosmith tribute Mama Kin brought hard rock back to Hempfest, and Tym Morrison brought heavier tunes back to The Harp (formerly Madison's Pub), ensuring some welcome returns over the past 12 months!

2013 was an exciting and interesting year, and here's to much bigger and better things from all avenues in 2014! Hard to believe we'll truly be in the mid-2010s tomorrow. That's all for now, but stay tuned for our preview post on what to look for in 2014 tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

2011: A Look Back In The Year Of Local Metal

It's time to take a look back at the year that was in the local metal scene! The past 12 months were very eventful, for better or worse, but hopefully this ended up as one of the better recent years on the whole, as a lot of awesome things went down! This post is mostly similar to our look back at 2010, though I added stuff on general news items that impacted the scene in 2011 as well, so it should be mostly familiar in tone. I admittedly didn't hit on everything, or give some stories as much attention as others, but I tried to touch on as many bases as possible for the past year, so let's take a trip back over the past 12 months at the SMS!

The biggest concerts in terms of scope took place at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino, which welcomed 5 big name hard rock concerts throughout 2011 that turned local heads! Firstly, Allstar Promotions brought platinum selling California hard rock acts Buckcherry and Papa Roach (plus local acoustic duo Fallen Heroes) to Kewadin Casino on March 14th, and despite a lot of lineup changes, the show was a huge success! One month later, Cinderella (the glam metal mainstays, not the play) hit Sault Michigan for a night of old school metal classics that fans surely ate up! After a quiet summer, British hard rock legends Whitesnake made their way to Kewadin Casino on August 26th, and David Coverdale & company didn't disappoint with a huge set of their memorable hits. Then on October 21st, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts rocked the Soo with new and old standout songs, rocking as good as they did back in their heyday in a well recieved concert! The year ended with Poison frontman Bret Michaels' fourth solo stop in the Sault area this past Tuesday, as he delivered a good time of hair metal classics and newer songs for his fans! This was a big year for shows at The Dreammakers Theater, but hopefully 2012 will bring us even more there, and perhaps at The Essar Center too?

Over in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, a large number of high profile concerts featuring big name bands (local or otherwise) took place over the past 12 months, so here's some of what went down here in 2011! Local concert bookers brought notable out of town bands like Abriosis, Black Moor, The Dayglo Abortions, Dead & Divine, For All That Is Lost, Fuck The Facts, Hallows Die, Helix, Maximum RNR, Napalm Death, The Saigon Hookers, Skull Fist, Thekillingfield, Unleash The Archers, Who Made Who, and numerous others to Sault Ontario this year, ensuring a heavy and proficient year of local concerts! Among the many metal shows this year, local concert bookers Dismembertainment kept things very heavy with dozens of Roosevelt Hotel metal nights and big shows at other venues, Lion Ride returned home for two shows midway through the year, no less than eleven bands joined forces at April's Sewer Swampstravaganja, Garden of Bedlam launched their new album with a Boxing Day CD release show, Woods of Ypres played their last local concert in March, and festivals like Hempfest, Rotaryfest, and the Searchmont Music Festival kept the music going strong in the past year! Add in lots of concerts from Tym & Caveman Morrison, Turner Up & Full Circle, Shit Liver, and many more local acts, and there was no shortage of metal to go around in Sault Ontario in 2011!

While there was a lot of heaviness in Sault Ontario this year, our brothers & sisters in Sault Michigan can't be left out either, as they had a lot of big shows besides the major Kewadin Casino ones to talk about! Out of town bands like The Darwin Project, Driven, Infathom, Nudge, Peril, and RedStone Riot rocked the Sault Michigan area in 2011, all of which surely turned heads with local fans news and old! This year also saw some notable concert events in Sault Michigan, such as the metal participation in this year's I-500 Pub Crawl, the first annual edition of LemmaFest at Dondee Lanes, and this year's Sugar Island Music Festival, along with numerous general metal concerts. Bands like Monkey's Uncle, Powerslug, and Splitshot kept busy with numerous shows throughout 2011, Swayze Train made a big splash with their June debut and future concerts, and Elipzis rocked the area for the last time this spring. Half A Man, Great Bodily Harm, Hammerspace, and NoXcape kept things heavy with some notable concerts earlier in the year, and young talent like Abstract, Free Refill, Beyond The Surface, The Highest of Fives, and Banned hit the stage many times, proving that the scene has a lot of promise for years to come, and 2012 should be no different!

Unfortunately, much of the last two weeks of 2011 was impacted by a huge news story that saddened the local metal scene, as Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold passed away on December 21st in a car accident outside of Barrie. Easily one of the most shocking stories we've ever had to report on here, a huge outpouring of grief and rememberances came from local & metal communities alike, remembering David for his talents, his character, and his dedication to his work in Woods of Ypres, teaching, and his other bands. He was laid to rest on Wednesday at Northwood Funeral Home, and the crash essentially ended Woods of Ypres as a functioning band, but their label Earache Records leaked "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" early in tribute to David last week, giving fans a chance to check out some of their last published work in advance of it's formal release next month. It was a sad way to end 2011, but hopefully David's legacy and music lives on for years and years to come!

Among other topics, there was a lot of other news stories in the scene that were notable, so let's flash back to some of them. Local concert booker Rich Moreland made a splash this year by starting his booking company Dismembertainment, booking tons of great metal shows, buying Foggy Notions, renaming it Feedback, and then dealing with issues relating to noise complaints from concerts held there in a subject that many talked about this fall. Also this year: bands like As It Stands & Gates of Winter released exciting details for new CDs coming out in 2012, The Canadian Nightclub flooded this July & underwent 7 weeks of renovations, Shaw TV's Christian Lemay began spotlighting some local metal talent for televised interviews, SooNews.ca became Local2, Energy Rock Radio relocated to British Columbia, local metal-related books "Soo Stories", "Going Underground", "Led Zeppelin FAQ", and "Yooper Bars" saw local releases, Woods of Ypres released their last music video and went on their last tours, Sneaky Pete finally made their local concert debut, Stephane Vincent took over booking the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights this fall, and horror punk quintet Frightlight opened for The Misfits in Toronto, among many other notable news stories in the local metal scene this year!

Despite a sporadic release schedule for new local metal CDs, we definitely saw more albums released as a whole from local metal & hard rock talent in 2011 than we did in 2010! The year ended with a bang thanks to the release of Garden of Bedlam's full length CD "Everything Will Die", solidifying their place among the local elite, but that wasn't all this year! Woods of Ypres released their "Home" vinyl single earlier this year featuring songs from the "Woods 4.5" sessions, along with re-releasing 2009's "Woods IV: The Green Album" through Earache Records (and that doesn't even count the early "Woods V" leak!) Also, Sault Michigan's own Clownsack released their "Funny Farm" EP this spring, and Destroilet began selling their own debut EP a few months later (though they oddly haven't played live since.) In the realm of digital downloads, local crash rockers Sykotyk Rampage released no less than FIVE new albums, Sault Michigan's own Theatre of Night re-released "Christmas Night" in time for the holidays, and local solo artist Mike Haggith put out both his new studio album "Suspended Animation" and his second best-of collection, helping support a solid collection of new CDs and EPs from local metal talent in 2011!

The past year wasn't as busy as 2010 for new local metal & hard rock bands, but a few notable bands made their debuts to high audiences over the past 12 months! In Sault Ontario, one of the biggest new bands was View To A Kill, who united members of Sativa Rose, State of Misery, and Chillum into an exciting deathcore quartet in the latter months of 2011! This wasn't the only new band that frontman Steve Rhodes joined this year, fronting the death metal supergroup Bring The Misery at a pair of shows in June, with bandmates Ray Cowan & Tyler St. Amour later joining another new local band, Social Suicide. Also new this year: Hardcore quartet Skull After Betrayl made a quick impact in early 2011 with some notable gigs, SBD bassist Brad Griffith's new two-man project Sounds From The Green Room rocked from here to Ottawa, a new version of Turner Up launched this fall, and members of Late & Loud united in the one-off trio General Striker earlier this month. In Sault Michigan, members of Electric Motor Fish formed the talented new quintet known as Swayze Train, former members of Absolute & Shift united under the name NoXcape, members of the Traynor family joined forces in the band known as Banned, and 3/5ths of Splitshot formed a new band named Trail's End, among a number of other notable new bands & solo projects entering the scene this year!

Also in 2011, a high number of local metal & hard rock bands underwent major lineup changes, and like in 2010, none saw more Turner Up, who morphed from a classic hard rock quintet to a more general classic quartet named Full Circle in the spring, with only Robert Brown & Scott McClurg surviving the changes, and that doesn't even count the new version of Turner Up! Among other bands with major membership changes: Caveman Morrison rotated bassists & drummers twice before settling on the White brothers, Frightlight added new members St. Mayhem & Chris FreaknStein, Woods of Ypres split with the Madden brothers before recording "Woods V", and Half Past welcomed Jordan Rains & said goodbye to Arthur Lacasse. In Sault Michigan, Half A Man added Dillion Semasky & Mikey Bishop while parting ways with Doug Reed & Denny Breslin, leading to a much different look and sound going into 2012. Also across the river: End of Existence welcomed Bryan Kindel & Craig Harrison to the fold, Jake LaLonde returned home to replace Tony Hubbard in Splitshot, and local singer Donny Newell joined both Monkey's Uncle & NoXcape earlier this year. Among other notable changes: Josh Stephney replaced Mike Vincent in The Bear Hunters, and Brian Holmes & Alan Wells left Gates of Winter & Winkstinger respectively, among many other notable local lineup changes in 2011!

Like last year, a number of local bands broke up or went inactive in 2011 that are worth noting. Most recently, Woods of Ypres essentially dissolved following the passing of David Gold on December 21st, though fans should keep an eye out for posthumous CD releases in the future. Also this year, hard rockers Sense of Truth disbanded after months of inactivity this fall, ending their successful late 2000s run. Among other breakups in Sault Ontario: Death metal quintet Bring The Fallen (and part-successors Bring The Misery) dissolved earlier this year, Full Circle (the original Turner Up) split up a few weeks ago, hard rock trio Browbeat ended this spring, Stiffler's Mom (formerly Sin Stereo) parted ways, and bands like Dirty Virgin, No Arrow, and SBD quietly went inactive in recent months. In Sault Michigan, hard rock quartet Elipzis split up this summer to make way for Muskegon-based successors RedStone Riot, Splitshot will play their last concert tonight in St. Ignace, and groove metal quartet Great Bodily Harm parted ways, among a number of other band dissolutions in the Sault area this year. Also this year: Sault Star reporter Frank Dobrovnik passed away, The Vibe Lounge shut down, and SooToday news editor David Helwig left the site, among other notable ends in the Sault area in 2011.

Luckily, where things end, others return, as the local metal scene saw a bunch of comebacks and returns! Among bands returning from hiatuses or breakups: noted early-2000s metal quintet Hollow returned for one weekend only in August, glam/punk quartet Dirty Virgin returned after 17 months to open for Crued in May, Woods of Ypres played their first local concert in 19 months in March, experimental rockers Sue Inside re-emerged on stage in Oil Springs in August, Caveman Morrison's new lineup returned after a 5 month break, State of Misery returned after a 3 month breakup, and Stillbroke returned to activity this fall under the name Borderline Divine. Meanwhile in the Sault Michigan area, metal quartet Hammerspace returned after breaking up this spring, Life's Eclipse and their label Werehold Records re-emerged locally with a vengeance, young hard rockers Free Refill returned to the stage after almost a year's hiatus, and Scofflaw made their presence felt with a few return gigs this summer. Add the local return of Hempfest in August, Foggy Notions' rebirth as Feedback, and the re-opening of Case's Music & The Canadian Nightclub to the list, and this year has had no shortage of comebacks either!

There, I hope you guys enjoyed our look back at the year that was! Tomorrow, we'll preview some stuff to look out for in 2012 in the local metal scene, and there's more news and our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post to come as well, but first, stay tuned for our final post of 2011 later today, and it will be our review of Garden of Bedlam's new CD "Everything Will Die"! Thanks everyone!

2009: A Look Back In The Year In Local Metal

Hey guys, it's time to take a look back into what we saw and experienced in the local metal scene in the year of 2009. Gopefully I got to most major events and happenings in the past year, hope you guys enjoy it! We'll start with, for better or worse, the band that dominated the local metal headlines in 2009, without ever playing here. And if there's a mistake or accidental omission, let me know! Going into 2009, a return visit to the Sault area for the legendary Kiss seemed unlikely, but their announcement of a tour that Kiss fans decided the stops for gave Sault Ontario hope to lure Gene Simmons and company back here! The Essar Centre and SooToday kickstarted their own campaign for Saultites to demand Kiss on Eventful, and we responded, eventually getting to third in the voting, behind only Oshawa and Winnipeg! Gene Simmons even confirmed that we would 100% get a Kiss concert, but it wasn't without setbacks. Councillor Susan Myers infamously declared Kiss as offensive and many other misconceptions, and tried in vain to stop a Kiss concert from being scheduled. Rumours abounded about The Essar Centre's ability to host a show of this magnitude in a 5,000 seat arena, and even the validity of the "fan-routed tour" concept. Then, when the first tour dates were actually announced, many Kiss fans reacted very negatively when we weren't initially put on the first leg of the tour, despite announcements that we'd be on the second leg. Eventually, Kiss did put a Sault Ontario show on the first leg, on December 15th, 2009. Even then, not everyone was pleased, especially when Kiss's concert promoters AEG Live distributed a majority of tickets to places other than The Essar Centre's box office. Then, just two days before Kiss were to rock the Soo, they announced that the concert was postponed to the summer of 2010 due to inclement weather on the way up here from Pittsburgh. Many fans reacted negatively once again to yet another issue in the Kiss saga, but once reassurances of a Sault Ontario return became clear, things started to quiet down. What many were hoping would be the biggest concert in Sault Ontario history may be pushed back, but the hype and buzz surrounding it will continue into the summer, and rest-assured, Kiss will be here! Kiss also surrounded another major metal event of 2009, when Kiss and Rock 101 launched a 20 group Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, where the winning band would open for Kiss at their show at The Essar Center! Understandably, the prospect of opening for Kiss attracted the interest of many local bands, as most major acts with originals in Sault Ontario (and one from Sault Michigan) signed on to compete for this major prize! Taking place from November 30th-December 2nd, it featured 20 local bands, including local metal bands Bring The Fallen, Caveman Morrison, Dirty Virgin, Garden of Bedlam, Lion Ride, Nixxon Dixxon, Sense of Truth, Stillbroke, and Sykotyk Rampage! The lineup also feature 10 bands of other genres, including The Billy Bastards, Blues Harvest, Flat Stanley, Gsis Murphy, Huckster, Middle of Nowhere, Nebraska Arms, Stiffler's Mom, Tiny Trebuchet, and Wishbone! All 20 bands played two songs each on either November 30th or December 1st, to a packed house each night! December 2nd saw Garden of Bedlam, Lion Ride, Nixxon Dixxon, Sense of Truth, Blues Harvest, Flat Stanley, Gsis Murphy, Nebraska Arms, Stiffler's Mom, and Wishbone return for the finals! In a highly competitive and close finals, opinions were divided, but most were excited when Rock 101's Mark SanAngelo announced that Garden of Bedlam were the winners! However, disappointment and shock also rang out for supporters of Lion Ride, who had been pushing and trying for months to support Kiss at the Sault show. Garden of Bedlam beat Lion Ride to win the battle by a single point, a true testament to the awesomeness and great sounds of both of these bands! Garden of Bedlam will open for Kiss in the summer, though in my eyes, no band lost at the battle, with all gaining tons of exposure to new and wider audiences! In the year that was, many local metal bands released their newest albums! Probably none were more high profile than Woods of Ypres' fourth studio release, "Woods IV: The Green Album"! It featured 16 tracks of conceptual doom metal of a very high order, with lots of well written stories and issues intertwined with some really good music! Many international media outlets have also became aware of "The Green Album", with positive results! Woods of Ypres also released their first best-of collection, "Independent Nature: Best Of 2002-2007" in 2009, as well as a special vinyl single release of their 2004 track "Allure of the Earth"! Aside from Woods of Ypres, 2009 also marked the debut EP releases for Garden of Bedlam and Stillbroke! While Stillbroke haven't played a full local show since April, "Never Enough" was released in the fall and has proven to be a very good hard rock release! As was the case for Garden of Bedlam's self-titled EP! All four songs on it have became live staples, and the album remains a steady success around the Sault area! As well, "blue Chinese metal crash punk" rockers Sykotyk Rampage put out their two newest albums in their ever expansive catalog, "Moments of Misery" and "22"! Though not as widely known as some other bands, these are two very unique and often amusing albums that deserve more attention! Capping the year for new releases was Tuesday's release of "Brace For Impact", the first real CD release from local hardcore band Detroit, featuring 9 short, but blistering hardcore numbers, helping to end 2009 on an excellent note! 2009 was another major year for big name acts to return to the Sault area at the two biggest venues for major names, The Essar Centre and Kewadin Casino! Canada's own Three Days Grace returned to Sault Ontario for the first time since January of 2008, and despite a lower attendance, they were on fire, literally! It was the first major hard rock show there since Jackyl last May, hopefully we won't have to wait that long for Kiss! The past year also saw five major metal/hard rock shows hit The Dreammakers' Theater at Kewadin Casino, starting with Los Angeles hard rockers Great White on January 10th, their first Sault area show since backing up Alice Cooper at Sault Memorial Gardens 19 years prior! March 5th saw Skid Row and FireHouse make up for previously cancelled Sault gigs by hitting Kewadin Casino, while multi-platinum hard rockers Staind returned to Kewadin Casino on April 28th with special guests Hoobastank in tow! The summer was quiet for major metal names locally, but November 2nd saw Papa Roach make their Sault-area debut with special guests Aranda and Stilrize! Just 11 days later, original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley (and openers 16 Second Stare) rocked Kewadin, just a month before Ace's old band would have played in Sault Ontario! Each show had varying levels of success, and rightfully so! With so many major bands hitting the Sault area, it shows that we can still attract big names, and hopefully 2010 will be no different! Numerous bands came through Sault Ontario for some huge concerts, some local, some not! Ministry of Zen, Cattle Decapitation, Inflict, Grady, Today I Caught The Plague, Blind Witness, Carnifex, Upheaval of an Exorcist, Beyond Within, Norris, Psyopus, The Last Felony, Ultraviolence, Domenica, Blessed By A Broken Heart, and many other out of town bands made their way here for concerts of varying success! Locally, many bands made their presence known with their own concerts! Garden of Bedlam made their own impact at a series of headlining shows in the second half of 2009, while Lion Ride came home to rock the Sault in August and December! Both bands also appeared at the final Hempfest! Woods of Ypres also marked their grand return back to our burial ground when they rocked The Speakeasy in August! Sense of Truth continued their successful run with a handful of well recieved concerts, and Stillbroke returned to prominence with a high-quality concert in April at The Verdi Hall! Sykotyk Rampage continued their cult success with high energy shows in 2009, As It Stands played their last concerts before their breakup, and just two days ago, Detroit returned home for a night of hardcore mayhem! 2009 was a big year for many of these bands, with hopefully much more success to come! I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the bands of Sault Michigan, who I feel are underrated on the Ontario side! Only one, Nixxon Dixxon, made their way north for an Ontario concert, but Sault Michigan's vibrant metal scene continued it's success this past year! Bad Side played many great concerts at Kewadin Casino, hopefully they'll be back with more! Nixxon Dixxon played throughout the year at numerous venues, continuing to establish themselves as major players in the local scene! Shift hit The Satisfied Frog numerous times this year with some great covers, while Absolute and Riot! By Night rocked around the area as well! Clownsack resurfaced to rock the King of the Cage event in July, while Integrated System of Machines also came back at The Corner Pub earlier in the year! The now renamed-Jager played some well recieved shows at local bars earlier in the year before undergoing lineup changes and becoming Monkey's Uncle. Other young bands like Half Stupid and Free Refill played a bunch of shows, with big things in the future for both! New bands like Analog Deficiency and In Memorandum made their first impacts, while Guitar Studio rock camp alumni 7/47, Unleashed, and Intrepid helped prove the value of the youth in local music circles by playing live this year as well! Finally, some out of town bands made their way up here, like Peril, Nudge, and Kilacel, adding to what has been a stacked concert scene in Sault Michigan in 2009! Though many bands continued their success from past years in 2009, many others only formed in the past year, with many carving out a major presence! In Sault Ontario, none made a greater impact than death/thrash metal quintet Bring The Fallen, who won two Battles of the Bands in 2009, played numerous punk and metal concerts throughout the year, and commenced work on their debut EP! The future looks bright for them, as it does for many other new bands! Ex-members of As It Stands regrouped in Out Of The Mouth Of Babes, while three former members of Fitswitch bottled their love of horror movies into a new band, Frightlight! Local punk and metal veterans formed in the new thrash/punk outfit Destroilet, while other younger local musicians came together in the hard rock cover band Quite Frankly, who immediately gained attention with frontwoman Jacky Alisat's excellent vocal range! Also, Jeremy Hannah of Big Voiced Records launched a new hardcore band named Lorax, Time of Ruin's Jason Bourcier came back to front Operation: Killdozer, members of Driving Dave Home formed the R.A.T.M. tribute band Renegades, and more local music veterans formed a new group, Meatplow, near the end of the year! Notable local musicians like Gates of Winter's Lee Maines and local guitatist Brendan Christie also commenced work on notable solo projects! These bands, among others, planted their feet into the local metal scene in 2009, and hopefully we'll hear many bright things from them in 2010! But where new bands emerge, others are bound to leave, and that was the case in 2009. None was more impactful than the disbanding of Gates of Winter, who'd built a huge local fanbase in the mid-late 2000s! Though a future return is possible, Gates of Winter's legacy lives on with their great album releases and always entertaining live concerts! Also disbanding in 2009: Local hardcore band As It Stands, although four members did later form Out Of The Mouth Of Babes, many were sad to see them go. They had carved a good reputation locally, and released a popular EP a few years back! Other local bands like Browbeat and Silent Despair also ended their runs in 2009. Though not a band, marijuana supporters around the Sault area were disappointed when The Northern Ontario Hempfest closed it's doors after 11 years, although the last Hampfest was a rousing success! In a sense, a couple bands left by moving, as Sue Inside and Angels of Suffering relocated elsewhere to further their musical goals this year as well. 2009 was also a big year for comebacks, and when all was said and done for the year, the one that generated the most buzz was for the return of Foggy Notions! After closing in March of 2008, Foggy Notions was completely renovated, came under new ownership, and by December 2009, it was back open with fans back in droves! Coincidentally, it's V.I.P. Night was headlined by Caveman Morrison, who also made a major comeback this year! After three years in Calgary, Tym Morrison came back home, reformed Caveman Morrison, and haven't looked back since! The Canadian Nightclub also returned from extensive summer renovations in 2009, which have recieved a largely positive reception! Elsewhere, other notable local bands came back from hiatuses, inactivity, or break-ups in 2009! Fitswitch reformed for a one-off reunion show in March at Coch's Corner, while Fingerbone changed their name to Half Past, and returned to the stage 10 months after their last concert with a noticeably different lineup! And although they played no shows, No Arrow came back with new song previews online, giving hope that maybe "Souls For Sale" will get an official release in the near future! Overall, 2009 has been a very good year for us local metalheads, and 2010 promises to be huge as well! I can only hope it will be even bigger, but we'll have to see! Hope you guys enjoyed that look back at the year that was, a preview into what we'll expect in 2010 is TOMORROW, so stay tuned for that! And yes, normal news and previews will be back too!