David Gold's Final Interview, The Launch Of SMC Radio, And More Recent News!!

Another month is upon us, so let's kick off the merry, merry month of May with a new news post to catch up on more of the recent backlog! This includes a few assorted recent updates, a surprise new internet radio station from an originating source you may not expect, and leading off, a poignant interview with a prominent local musician that I've never seen before. Here's what you should know!

If you subscribed to the former British metal magazine Terrorizer, you may have read what was purported as the final interview with Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold in issue #219 from February 2012. Terrorizer wasn't as available locally as magazines like Revolver or Decibel before publication ceased in 2019, so this easily may have bypassed even diehard fans, but it was posted onto the Woods of Ypres FanClub Facebook group by member Parker Caldwell last week, so now we can read it without hunting down this issue on eBay! Click here to read the whole thing, I recommend doing so in full screen mode or with a zoom. The interview was conducted by Terrorizer journalist Adrien Begrand just one week before David's death on December 21st, 2011, which makes David's remarks even sadder, as he reflected on how he hoped for more from the band personally & commercially.

David does reflect on recording "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", their shift to doom metal, and how recording each of their albums affected him emotionally, but he is candid about his mindset after a decade of working in and promoting Woods of Ypres without finding a true change in lifestyle or financial security. I don't wanna quote anything directly because this seriously deserves to be read verbatim. It is a sad read knowing what happened a week afterwards, but David still held out hope that this album would change things for Woods of Ypres, and it did, though who could have guessed under what circumstances. Read the whole article above, and thanks to Parker for uploading this in full!

Next up, here's a neat discovery that some of you may be long familiar with: St. Mary's College has launched an internet radio station! The Catholic high school at 868 Second Line East is now home to SMC Radio, which first aired in October of last year exclusively on Stationhead, which you can hear at this link or via the mobile application when the station is online (i.e., not weekends, at least not yet). Spearheaded by teacher Mario Rocchetta, SMC Radio's genre seems to be primarily top 40/contemporary hits, but they have aired themed programming blocks and listener requests, and on-air DJs (all students) appear to have some say in the rotation. Hard rock/metal-wise, the Friday afternoon show Lunch with Laur did air a Hair Nation episode in February, with a special all-Poison/Bret Michaels episode following in March, which is very relevant given recent coverage of the station (more on that in a bit!)

In the past week, SMC Radio has gotten spotlighted in this article by The Sault Star's Brian Kelly and via matching press releases on SooToday and SaultOnline, so what can we learn there? The Sault Star article features comments from student DJ Hailey Laberge (who plays a lot of classic rock and underground indie music on air), graphic designer Nicholas Legacy, and Mr. Rocchetta, who also noted that some popular broadcasts have seen fellow St. Mary's faculty sharing their own favourite songs on air, and the hope is for involvement with the station to count towards an academic credit. The press release pumps up a lot of the station's exposure and reach so far, while also noting the Instagram video linked below, where Bret Michaels himself highly praises the station & staff. Also, Mario Rocchetta is a big fan of Poison & Bret, even singing with Bret in Sault Michigan n 2016!

Full disclosure, this was written on a Sunday when the station was offline, but kudos to Mario and the Knights students for putting something like this together! Outside of Algoma University's defunct podcasting series, Sault Ontario school radio wasn't really a thing before now, and SMC Radio updates their social media accounts way more frequently than Laker Radio in Sault Michigan! I think it would help if they both got 24/7 autoplay rotation & added the station to other platforms like TuneIn, but they're on a good trajectory, and hopefully their on-air content keeps a strong and diverse focus! Give Bret's shout-out a watch below, and tune in to SMC Radio on Stationhead during the week to see what's on air!

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

 

• Local concert promotion agency and pop-up venue host Dryer Fire are plotting a full post-pandemic return, as per this SooToday article by Chris Belsito on Friday! The Nicole Dyble-led company (which succeeded her old venue The Gore Street Cafe in 2018) did promote sparingly at The Klub last year, but she is hoping to regularly book events on a more normal schedule again this year. She has launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo to get $5,000 to book five shows in mid-2022, and has gotten booking requests from touring acts. Hopefully things run smoothly, it'd be great to see Dryer Fire healthy and in full operation again!
• Bands are being sought for this year's Sault Pridefest's Loud & Proud Family Fun Day at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center, which will take place on Sunday, July 17th at 1:00 PM. Hard rock bands did play at this LGBTQ+ festival event pre-pandemic, including The Din in 2017 and Re:Born in 2019, so the door's open for SMS friendly acts to return. Message organizer Amanda Zuke at this link or via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday for more information!
• While the band still has not detailed their full lineup or sound on social media, personal Facebook posts confirm that new Sault Michigan rock band The Nameless (who opened for Buddy Repperton & The Camaros at Three One Three on Ashmun last month) are a quartet featuring singer/guitarist Joshua LaCoursiere and Tantrym Tyme alum Michael McLeod on bass. The identities of the other two members are not out yet, nor is any real indication of their sub-genre or set beyond who they opened for, but we'll let you know when more is confirmed, and check out some pre-show photos on their Facebook page!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (B.A. Johnston), A New Local Rock Musical, And Much More!!

Before we begin, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert on here, as local classic/hard rock band Soundcheck played at Reggie's West on Friday, a show that was not listed on the band's 2019 concert calendar. This was only announced that same evening on their Facebook page, and it was reportedly played as a trio, as bassist Paul Belair was absent. I apologize again for not plugging the show here, we would have had it been announced with more than a few hours' notice! Now, we have the latest from a prolific solo artist, a new musical production, and much more, but let's lead off with a unique LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month!

Hamilton comedy/folk punk musician B.A. Johnston will make his local concert debut when he headlines at The New American Pub on Thursday, April 18th! A tongue-in-cheek mixture of punk rock, outsider folk, Canadiana, and pop culture references, B.A. has gotten many wildly polarizing notices from fans and critics alike, but if you're at all familiar with his stage show and wide array of short and irreverent originals, you know it won't be hard to take notice, and the punk attitude and aesthetic is a frequent presence! Is it fair to compare B.A. Johnston to Wesley Willis, at least in part? Definitely give B.A. a look online to see what he has in store! No word on potential opening acts, however. This presentation of Girl Friday Productions has a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and $10 tickets, which are available at this link, at The New A, and at Case's Music. I'll be very curious to hear how this show does, so see above and the official Facebook event page for much more!

Next up, this isn't a concert per say, but given the subject band, I can't not mention this. From Thursday, May 2nd-Saturday, May 4th, St. Mary's College is holding their own student production of We Will Rock You, the jukebox musical based on Queen's music catalog! A hit musical around the world since it's 2002 debut in London, England, this SMC Spotlight production will feature students performing this dystopian future story where a group of Bohemians struggle bring free thought and rock music back to the monotonous, identical culture in this universe, all as set to Queen music performed live by the cast. The show runs at 8:00 PM each night, tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, and tickets are available at St. Mary's main office. We Will Rock You isn't as recognizable as other similar jukebox musicals, but Queen fans would be well served to give this a look, so visit the official Facebook event page for more on this student version, and best of luck to all of the Knights next month!

Also today, here's the latest from local experimental/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore's extreme metal project Awokest, who resurfaced in March after a 2 month break from online updates by sharing this 80 second teaser clip of new material, which sounds like an ominous intro track moreso than a full song. Not long after, Chase shared the back cover of his upcoming Awokest album "Solving The Human Condition", which definitely says a lot about it's thematic content, while later sharing some artwork samples for his "Enter the Nightlands" compilation's physical release. The latter doesn't reveal much new, but it does confirm the original recording dates for it's included songs, with only 3 predating 2018. "Enter The Nightlands" is now available in CD copies on request, price details unclear, so message Chase on Awokest's Facebook page for details on that front. It's great to see Chase staying busy, so see above for more details, and stay tuned for much more from his projects!
 
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items, all courtesy of musician searches on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group as of late! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Former Haggith/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie is looking to get back into the the local music scene with a live band, and he cited bands ranging from Dokken & Dio to The Scorpions and Skid Row as acts he'd like to tackle (a familiar range if you recall his tenures with Project 421.) He has a bassist in mind already, but he is looking for a lead guitarist and drummer. If you're interested in working with Curt on a new project, message him at this link or above!
• Ex-Bear Hunters/Skull After Betrayl guitarist Mike Vincent is looking for a female vocalist for a new rock band that he's working on, that would also play pop rock and "maybe some country." It'd be great to see Mike back with a live band after far too long, so message him at this link or above for more details!
• Centro bartender Nicholas Larmond is helping put together a cystic fibrosis fundraiser event at Joe's Sports & Surplus on Queen Street East on Saturday, May 11th, and he is looking for "small local artists" and bands who'd be interested in playing for the cause. Sounds like a promising event, and if you're interested in learning more, message Nicholas at this link or above on the group!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Caveman Morrison), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

In this last post of the month, we're touching on weekend concert previews for half of it (despite this being a relatively quiet weekend for metal shows), but we also have new videos and info on an impending EP release in the second half! For the record, our Skeletonwitch preview is likely coming on Sunday, as it's a bit early to talk about it now, but we have a lot to cover for this huge show, so keep an eye out for that! Now, let's start with previews of this weekend's heavier concerts, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

Local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison are among the scheduled performers at the Faces of the Soup Kitchen Community Celebration at Mill Square at the former St. Mary's Paper site TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice, I only just heard about this event on Tuesday, and I didn't wanna redundantly post about it twice in a short span. This is a volunteer-organized family event featuring carnival activities, a barbeque, local vendors & artists, free guided tours of the current St. Mary's Paper site, a live play production, and a buffet dinner, with proceeds at least partially going to The Soup Kitchen (I think.) Sounds like a packed day, but for more details on the non-musical events going down tomorrow, read the SooToday press release on the event! As for the musical entertainment, Caveman Morrison (in their debut at this location) are among a diverse lineup of bands performing at 5:00 PM tomorrow, including local solo musicians M.D. Dunn and Frank Bock, Griphook frontman Jim O'Leary and friends, an act named Tyler & Tyler (not familiar with them at all), and local cover rock band Obsession headlining.

Admission is by donation for this ALL AGES event, and the bands will be on between 5:00 & 10:00 PM tomorrow, with Caveman Morrison slotted earlier in the schedule (with bands playing at the Machine Shop building that hosted the Shawn Desman concert.) For more details, check the above links! This sounds like a great event and a fun way to find out what's happening to the old St. Mary's Paper site, and with plenty of local talent on hand to entertain, why not head down? Plus, if you missed Caveman Morrison after dropping out of The Crusade, this is the next best chance to see them, so don't miss this event, and for a preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering an Ozzy Osbourne classic at The Rosie!



Now, here's a preview of the other regional hard rock show this weekend (this is a quiet weekend for metal, sadly), but it has a connection to one of the bands at the Soup Kitchen event, as Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill on Trunk Road for his first publically confirmed show there in over a month TONIGHT! Though I think Tym has played there in the interim for at least one non-public event, it's great to see his usual acoustic gigs back, and unusually, tonight's show had a lot of advance notice, so there's all the more reason to see his solo acoustic show again! Admission should be free for this 10:00 PM concert, and I imagine it's a 19+ event. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Tym back at The Road House, and his entertaining metal & hard rock covers should be fun to hear in an unplugged setting again, so keep this show in mind, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" at Bossy's last year!



We'll close this post with some new videos, starting with ones connected to some big news with local/North Shore death metal quartet Crimson Crusade! Two days ago, frontman Devon Lucier uploaded two more tracks from their debut EP "Upon the Eve of War" ("Left For Dead" and their self-titled song) onto his YouTube channel (and their Reverbnation page), which leaves just one song remaining to be unveiled, unless the guys dropped it from the final product. Again, I won't give detailed thoughts on the tracks yet as I plan to formally review the EP on the site, but when might that be? Sooner than you think, as the band revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that initial copies will be sold for $5 on MONDAY when Crimson Crusade open for Skeletonwitch at The Canadian Nightclub! If this holds up, I'll definitely buy a copy, but when would a review hit the site? Probably not until July, as I have next month reserved for Haggith's newest album "Deuce", but it's a guarantee for the summer if all goes well! For now, check out their self titled song below, and don't miss the EP release and their next show on Monday, with our preview coming this weekend!



Finally for today, here's a new music video from local horror punk/metal quintet Frightlight for their original "She Screams"! Posted onto bassist Eddie Fright's YouTube channel on Tuesday (ironically the day they would have returned had The Brains' show happened), this features edited footage combining numerous Frightlight concert clips and with scenes from many famous horror movies (naturally including many scenes of women screaming.) It's well made, but the breaks with audio from the movies are sort of jarring, and would have been better served as backing samples, which is something that I'd like to see Frightlight incorporate (a'la early Rob Zombie albums.) I don't know when Frightlight are coming back to the stage, but this should help tide fans over, so check out this music video below, and stay tuned for updates on their next plans!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, including this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, our Skeletonwitch preview, and more! Thanks everyone!