LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 421), Punk Rock Bingo V Concert Preview, And Id Iota Updates!!

With a stacked Halloween weekend of concerts, and existing out of town plans limiting time for the next few days, let's get our last weekend concert preview up on the site, along with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month and some overdue updates from a fast-rising local band! Read on for what you need to know, and check out more of this weekend's concert previews in the posts below to get caught up on the Halloween shows in the area!

Local classic metal quintet Project 421 will headline their own solo concert at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, November 5th (one week from tomorrow!) Fresh off of their Halloween headlining set at The Rednecks Saloon THIS MONDAY, this will be Project 421's first solo show with no openers in a month, and their first Rockstar Bar appearance since opening for The Anti-Queens in July. This 1980s nostalgia mindtrip should deliver another solid night of metal classics next weekend, so if you can't make it on Monday and want some hard hitting metal classics, you know where to be next week! A 10:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ show, which also has no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and keep both this concert and Monday's four-band concert in mind for some classic metal action!

Next up, here's our last concert preview for this stacked Halloween concert weekend, held until now because of it's timing (and the fact that it had advance notice), as THIS SUNDAY NIGHT will see a Devil's Night edition of Six, Two, Oh.'s punk rock bingo series at The New American Pub! After a six month hiatus since April's Black Tremor show, the long awaited fifth installment of this fan favourite event will return with two local metal bands backing up Saskatchewan southern rock trio Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities in their local concert debut, and they are named honestly, but Johnny can definitely get a good sound with them! Fans of raw southern rock should take to these guys, but if you crave metal, local doom/sludge trio AlgomA will provide support, fresh off of their set opening for Norilsk tonight! Also, promoters have quietly confirmed that local goregrind duo Rotopsy will kick things off in their first local concert appearance since the summer, though note that they hadn't publically acknowledged the show themselves at press time.

Note that Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities will also be playing at LopLops Lounge on November 19th on the way back west during their Eastern Canadian tour, so keep that in mind as well! The bingo itself starts the night at 9:00 PM with caller Brenton Ellis back, so get your dabbers ready to win some random prizes, and there will be a costume contest of some description too! There is a $5 cover and additional fees for bingo card purchases, and this is a 19+ event. Whether you like southern rock, metal, and/or bingo, this should be a fun night for many attendees, so visit the official Facebook event page for details, and here's AlgomA live!

Lastly for today, here's some more recent updates from local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota, and apologies for the delay in getting these on the site! Last month (prior to their recent Ontario tour run), Shawn Thicke of the music website Bucket List reviewed their debut EP "Maudlin Fair", giving it an 8.5/10 rating, saying that "it is catchy, well-constructed, and fitting of its subject matter", albeit "too wordy" and with somewhat dated production. Overall, this in-depth review is very positive, especially given Shawn's perception of their "underdog" status compared to larger bands, so give it a look at this link! Back in local territory, SooToday briefly included a snippet of Id Iota's Rotaryfest Stage 2 set from multiple camera angles at the beginning of their recap video of the summer festival from July, and while the original audio isn't present, the video quality is fantastic! Also, look for progressive rock veterans Machines Dream near the end of the video.

We can't embed videos from SooToday's video host here, but we can embed this, as Id Iota are featured in this video filmed by Jim Fur-era, the owner of The Grinning Gator in London where they played earlier this month! Shared by the band on their own Facebook page, the 2:17 video's first half is of Id Iota playing an unidentified newer original from a nice camera angle, but the second half (sideways for some reason) features their new original track "American Literature". Everything sounds good, with Id Iota rocking out nicely on this funk-tinged first original and the more laid back second song, but that camera angle doesn't help the viewer experience, and there's often someone standing right in front of Christian in the latter. Still, kudos to Jim for getting this video, so check it out below, and don't miss Id Iota opening for Mike Mikus at LopLops on November 26th!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review next, and more updates in the near future!! Thanks everyone!

Id Iota - "Maudlin Fair" Review!!

Now's a good time for our 83rd monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're looking at local alternative hard rock band Id Iota's debut EP "Maudlin Fair"! Independently released on April 14th at the beginning of their Southern Ontario tour run (with it's local launch coming one week later), "Maudlin Fair" was recorded from 2015-2016 at Unsalted Audio with guitarist Dustin Goodall producing, while the EP's tracks were mastered by Chuck Carvalho of Toronto's Joao Carvalho Mastering. A spiritual follow up of sorts to members' predecessor band Habitat Shuffle's 2014 digital EP "Sober Drift", Id Iota are represented by Dustin alongside singer Christian Lemay and drummer Blair St. John, with Blair handling the bass tracks, as sessions took place between Justin Girardi's departure from and Dan Linklater's addition to their lineup. Copies of "Maudlin Fair" cost $4 on Bandcamp and $5 at The Rad Zone or at Id Iota concerts, and while the songs can be streamed free on Bandcamp, consider buying it to support their work!

Featuring four songs at just 14 minutes in length, this will go by fast, so let's begin with the EP's first song, "California Wasted"!  Sort of taking on a surf rock, soft intro, Christian's vocals have a punk grit to contrast with the music, which gives it a punk anthem sing-along feel. Seeming to lyrically be about trying to make it to and enjoy California despite all of it's perceived faults, the guitar melody is nice on this song, and it's a catchy little number that flows well with the subject matter, but it's short length makes it feel like something was left out. Second is "Permanence In Pencil", seemingly a testimony about a lover's mental state and behaviour, with art and drawing used as a continuing theme. A very laid back song that reminds me a bit of a softer Sublime track, it has more of a bite in it's riffs, and solid drumming, but it does sort of meander at times, and could have more of a defined structure. Well done though from this talented group!

Third on Id Iota's debut EP is "One Cent Vaudeville", which appears to be from the view of a man who needs to drink and is conflicted in his relationship. Complete with sampled carnival music at the opening, this is the heaviest song yet on "Maudlin Fair", taking on more of the grungy alt-rock feel that we saw on Habitat Shuffle's EP. Dustin's guitar work is very solid, and Christian stretches his vocal limits well, but the drums are a little cymbal-heavy, and the song seems to end before a bridge that never comes. The CD closes with "Bitter Tea", which is by far the EP's longest song, running for over six minutes! Another song alluding to relationships and not wanting to accept the truth, the song also has a grungy feel, albeit with a swing-like jam cadence, with the heaviness building up in the second half. With the benefit of the longer runtime, this song actually is the best structured on the EP, and has a nice eerie ending, with all three guys delivering strong to close things, including nice lower-register singing and strong riffs!

So, what are my thoughts on Id Iota's first CD? Overall, it's a quality first effort from this familiar local outfit, and while it shares similarities to prior work, it continues their musical evolution! Transitioning from a laid back punk sound to the grunge throwback that Habitat Shuffle first brought us, Id Iota seemed to double down on relationship themes on this EP, which was excellently produced by Dustin Goodall, and the guys delivered well on each track! Christian Lemay showed good vocal diversity, Dustin's guitar work worked for each song, and Blair St. John's drumming was well maintained, though his bass playing didn't comparatively stand out. I did feel that the early songs were a little short and tended to wander around and not be as structured as they could be, but it built strongly to the heavier latter half, and the continuing lyrical themes seemed like they were inspired from real life. Not a bad first disc at all, so be sure to buy Id Iota's debut A.S.A.P.!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review at the SMS! Now, what's coming next for a review on the site? At this point, I do not know, especially as no new hard rock albums have came out from local bands since "Maudlin Fair", but what might come if there's nothing new to look at? In terms of who won't be next, our June CD review will not be of Haggith's "Apocalypse II" or a SweetKenny album due to our six month buffer to avoid showing a bias in our review selections, but after that, things are very open. We usually tie things in with an upcoming concert for an archive review, which could lead us to a Blood Shed Productions act or a Telephone & Address album, though keep in mind that the former's releases typically feature a lot of explicit, minimalist content, and the latter's albums that we haven't reviewed on here are all out of print. In any event, there will be a CD review of some kind coming in June, so stay tuned for updates on it, and for more news soon! Thanks everyone!

Id Iota EP Updates, The Revolution's Only Studio Song, And Much More!!

On this Sunday morning, we have to keep the news rolling and get our cache of backlogged stories a little more cleared out, so we have some assorted notes, lineup notes on an upcoming concert, and a posthumous studio track today! First though, here's all you should know on a recent CD release!

With it's successful local release at Thursday night's LopLops Lounge concert, I absolutely purchased a copy of Id Iota's debut EP "Maudlin Fair", so what should you know about it? This is the full album cover, and as previously teased in official photos, the EP features 4 songs ("California Wasted", "Permanence In Pencil", "One Cent Vaudeville", and "Bitter Tea"), with the tracks running for just over 14 minutes in length. Performers on the album include singer Christian Lemay, guitarist Dustin Goodall, and drummer Blair St. John, though recording sessions largely took place between bassist Justin Girardi's departure and the addition of Dan Linklater, so Blair handles bass on the studio tracks. Similarly to The Pixo Control's debut CD, Dustin recorded and mixed "Maudlin Fair", with mastering done in Toronto by Chuck Carvalho of Joao Carvalho Mastering. The EP appears to be an independent release, and the tray plugs their unlaunched website as http://www.id-iota.com.

Copies of "Maudlin Fair" sold for $5, and will presumably be available at future concerts, but online availability is yet to be established. That said, when can you expect a review of "Maudlin Fair" on the SMS? I have Id Iota tentatively pencilled in for next month, as the AlgomA/Chronobot split EP is coming in the next week, but stay tuned for much more on Id Iota's debut CD soon, and get a hold of band members if you want a copy beforehand!

Next up, remember The Revolution (formerly the second version of Brutaly Fatal?) They were the 2014-15 doom/punk band that played a few notable local shows and had began recording sessions at PaperClip Productions towards a debut EP named "Roll Call" before breaking up (twice) last year, but as part of a special 4/20 surprise on PaperClip's Facebook page, we can finally hear the only completed studio track from the recording sessions there! Recorded early last year, this is for the band's song "Get High With Me", and the Facebook video confirms the EP's planned cover art as well. The lineup here includes singer/guitarist Austin McCrae (now back with the original Brutally Fatal) and drummer Brandan Glew (The Din) alongside Pillory bassist Jordan Leach, who replaced Rainey Vincent on bass before recording sessions began, but never played live with The Revolution. With all of that said, how does The Revolution's only studio track sound?

Harbouring more of their punk sound than doom, it's lively and well written, but Austin's vocals sound a little forced at times, and the lyrics can be a little repetitive. Still, it's great to finally hear some of The Revolution's cancelled recording sessions make it out there, and it'd be interesting to see the band reunite again if the stars align! Check out "Get High With Me" below!



Also today, remember The Sky's The Limit, the May 5th all-ages concert at The Tech that's being headlined by The Pixo Control as part of Algoma Family Services Children’s Mental Week? As you may remember, promoters were filling the opening slots with auditions at The Tech earlier this month for artists 29 and under, but as of this writing, promoters have yet to officially announce any openers. That said, there have been some confirmations and hints from artists themselves to give us an idea! One is Tristan "White Noize" Goslow, a local Christian rapper whose involvement was confirmed by his dad on the Facebook event page. He's got good flow, and should impress rap fans on the 15th! Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din expressed interest in auditioning as well, but at a different date due to guitarist Tammy Hill being out of town, and an organizer apparently sent a message in reply. The Din haven't said if they're playing or not since, but they'd be a good fit if they are! Our last clue comes via this video that apparently came from the audition at the former St. Mary's College site, so what should you know?

This is of a group of three young musicians, including guitarist Spencer Pine alongside musicians named Elijah and Beau, and while I believe all are current White Pines Collegiate students, I can't 100% verify the others' full identities. Uploaded to what appears to be Spencer's YouTube channel on April 7th, this is of the three covering Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" at the audition, which Spencer says that they "nailed" in the video title, but again, promoters haven't publically confirmed the openers yet. The guys do a good job here, with decent vocals and a strong solo, and they'd be fun to see on the 5th, so see more on the possible openers above & below!



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

• Shawn Miller of The Metal Observer reviewed local doom metal trio AlgomA's split vinyl EP with Saskatchewan's Chronobot at this link, where he gave it an 8/10 score, saying that the split brings "a truckload of Sabbathian riffs that would make (Tony) Iommi smile like a proud father." Very positive overall review with few negative comments, so check it out above!
• The aforementioned Austin McCrae is looking to start a punk/grunge band that would play original and cover material, and needs guitarists and a drummer (he'd presumably be on vocals and bass.) He has practice space and spare equipment, though it's not clear if this is part of a Revolution revival or an entirely new project. If you're interested in trying out, message Austin at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last week!
• In a clarification & apology regarding new local death metal band Kaepora Gaebora's lineup, we can confirm that their new bassist is Jeph Brown, who I don't recall from any other recent local bands. We erroneously noted on the site earlier that Twistory's Josh Amendola was their bassist, so I apologize for that, I can be bad with faces sometimes (plus, the band still doesn't list Jeph on their Facebook page's lineup.) Stay tuned for more on Kaepora Gaebora's next concert later this week!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news, notes, and features this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gnaeus), And Our Review Of Thursday's Id Iota EP Release Concert!!

Today's post was originally going to solely be our review of Thursday night's Id Iota EP release show, but with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (and missed concert apology) relating to bands that played that night, let's kick things off there before we fall further behind!

Local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus will return to LopLops Lounge TONIGHT as openers for Toronto roots rock quartet Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs, as part of the festivities for the fifth annual Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer! In fact, this is the second of a two night local engagement for the headliners, who played at LopLops last night as well with local alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota opening, which I profusely apologize for missing on here, but we only received public confirmation of their (or Gnaeus') involvement in this weekend's shows yesterday, and the bands haven't promoted them on their own Facebook pages. Hopefully last night's show was a blast if you were there, as a beer aficionado and/or music fan! For reference, Gnaeus played a solo show at last year's Festival of Beer, which also received a short notice public announcement. The Festival of Beer itself will take place once again at the Bushplane Museum today at 1:00 PM, with lots of craft beer available to sample, and admission will be $35. Click here for more details on the festival proper!

As for TONIGHT'S (and belatedly yesterday's) LopLops shows, Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs have a solid, down-to-earth rock sound that should fit in well, and while the local openers aren't visibly perfect fits, both Id Iota last night and Gnaeus TONIGHT should set the tone very well! Tickets for both nights are/were $10, admission was/is 19+, and 9:00 PM-ish start times are likely. I apologize once again for missing last night's show with Id Iota, and don't miss Gnaeus opening for Sam Cash TONIGHT! For a preview, let's dive into our review of Thursday night's LopLops concert, marking my first ever concert review at LopLops Lounge, believe it or not! Nice venue on the inside, longer than I expected, and if you stopped midway through, you'd assume it was just a restaurant. The "lounge" part of their name is very apparent in the concert stage area, and I like the art on the walls and the heavy presence of concert posters along the upper wall! It's inviting, busy, and vibrant all at once, and a fitting venue for the bands on tap!

After a late lineup shuffle, the aforementioned Gnaeus opened the proceedings in their first local concert of the year, as well as their first local appearance with new drummer Alex Proulx. Maybe it's the added crash course of playing in Southern Ontario before the Soo, but Alex fit right in with Gnaeus, and showed off his own clear drumming talents on existing originals like "Circles", "Lovers", and "The Sound", plus some newer material like "Hail Mary" and their requisite "Hang Me Out To Dry" cover. There seemed to be a timing hiccup on "The Edge", but Gnaeus were otherwise on point from when I last saw them, with Aaron Alessandri's vocals at their raspy-yet-melodic best, and Brad Irwin's synth work added that little something extra as usual! Aaron was admittedly a little muffled early, but it's great to have Gnaeus back, and don't miss them TONIGHT at LopLops either!

Advertised headliners The Pixo Control instead played the middle set with their alternative/grunge hybrid sound, and they got a great reaction from fans, even attracting a few devoted attendees to dance up front for the majority! This was the first time that I've seen The Pixo Control since Id Iota's Dustin Goodall replaced Steve Edwards on bass, and while arguably better known as a guitarist, he is a great addition to the Pixo lineup, and kept up musically and energetically with frontman Michael Mikus, who's ever-shorter hair didn't sap his stage presence at all! On songs like "Scratch", "Reasons", "Growing Pains", and a new song listed on their setlist as "Plastic Vegetables"(?), the guys delivered an explosive set, with Michael set off like a powder keg, and he showed his natural frontman chops more than once! A late reprise of "Scratch" saw instruments thrown and drum sets crashed into, forcing a delay of Id Iota's set, but it was a great capper to a great set!

Presumably as it was their local CD release, returning local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota were promoted to the headlining slot on Thursday, marking their first local concert appearance since June, and the local debut of new bassist Dan Linklater. I wasn't at Id Iota's summer 2015 shows to know how that lineup sounded in person, but the current lineup delivered an entertaining set to close the night! Playing all four songs from their debut EP "Maudlin Fair" (more on that tomorrow) plus newer originals like "Happy Sailor", Id Iota are definitely more reminiscent of their predecessor band Habitat Shuffle than members' past work with Free Beer or The Vertically Impaired, harbouring a little bit of funk, hard rock, punk, and indie for good measure, with Christian Lemay providing solid vocals, plus some songs on guitar and yes, the melodica! Everyone performed well, with Dustin laying down some solid riffs, and the guys attracted an excellent crowd for their set-closing covers, including of Modest Mouse's "Float On" that had a few people literally jumping!

Id Iota are a fun band that closed the night on a high note, so stay tuned for more on their EP in our next post, and apologies again for missing their LopLops show yesterday! This was a great first foray into LopLops for our coverage, and hopefully it won't be the last time! You can check out our photos from the show at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for our videos, here's Gnaeus playing "Mountains", The Pixo Control playing "Alphabetical Order", and Id Iota playing "California Wasted"!







That's all for today, but don't miss Gnaeus TONIGHT at LopLops after the Festival of Beer wraps up, and stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 421), Din & Id Iota Album Updates And Videos, And Much More!!

While we continue posting videos from last night's Gorod/Bookakee concert at The Oddfellows Hall, here's a packed news post for your Saturday afternoon! It includes some assorted recent updates, videos and cover artwork reveals for CDs from two local alt-rock bands (one currently working in studio, one on tour supporting it's release), and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you should know!

Local classic metal quintet Project 421 will return to the stage on Friday, May 13th when they headline at The Rockstar Bar! Personal & health matters have forced these local favourites to the sidelines since their most recent show (at The Rednecks Saloon in January), so fans should be eagerly awaiting their next chance to check out Project 421's old school metal nostalgia trip after their three month+ hiatus, so don't miss out! Their sister band, modern/hard rock quartet Eclipse, are the advertised openers on the poster and video below, and with Curt, Daniel, and Chris flying the live music flag in the interim, it's only fitting for them to play openers next month! Note that this is a one night only event, as AC/DC tribute Hells Bells are playing at The Rockstar Bar that Saturday. Promoted by Project 421 bassist/Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton, a $5 cover charge is apparently in effect, and there is a 19+ age limit and 10:00 PM start time as well.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and here's a new preview video for the concert! Uploaded to Project 421's Facebook page yesterday, this edits together assorted live clips with ominous music, as if Project 421 were a returning horror movie villain, before closing with the poster above. Nicely done, but imagine if they'd went even bigger on the theme? Check it out below!



Next up, here's the latest from local alternative hard rock trio The Din, starting with the reveal of the name and cover art for their forthcoming debut CD! As previously teased in this Facebook preview video (of the pixelated cover art set to performance audio), the album will be called "Give In To The Din", referencing a frequently used quote from band promotion, with the cover art basically a posterized version of a recent band photo, as created by fan Forrest Heard. Simple, but it gets the job done! Further details on "Give In To The Din" are to be announced, so stay tuned for them! In terms of other new videos from The Din, their newest clip features frontman Mike Haggith explaining how and why they need to test CDs for quality (hint, they're outdoors), but embedded below is a new concert video from The Din's runner-up performance at last month's second annual VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, so what should you know on it?

Filmed on a stationary camera and posted to The Din's YouTube channel on Thursday, this is of Mike, Tammy, and Brandan playing their song "In Search Of The Perfect Moment", and while the camera angle would have been better if centered, it's a strong performance with solid video quality, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for much more from The Din!

Also today, here's the latest from fellow local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota, who are currently in the midst of their "Skate By Day, Rock By Night" tour run with Tidal Records and local favourites The Pixo Control and Gnaeus! In the past few days, the Habitat Shuffle/Free Beer successors have been very busy on their online side of things, with numerous photos and collages from the tour available to check out on their Facebook page, including everything from t-shirt pressing and drive-time shots to sightseeing, and yes, pictures from their concerts in Toronto and Barrie from the last few days. Possibly of the most interest there is this photo that finally unveils the cover art and track listing for Id Iota's newly released debut EP "Maudlin Fair" (a low quality reproduction can be seen on your right), and the four featured songs are named "California Wasted", "Permanence In Pencil", "One Cent Vaudeville", and "Bitter Tea". Remember, local copies go on sale THIS THURSDAY when the tour heads back home to LopLops Lounge!

Four short videos have also been posted to their Facebook page (none longer than 16 seconds, curiously) in the last few days, and they include a live video of Gnaeus' new lineup that we'll separately spotlight next week, this clip of a filmer entering The Hideout in Toronto before their show there, a 10 second slow motion clip of drummer Blair St. John, and as embedded below, new bassist Dan Linklater jamming outside with Pixo Control frontman Michael Mikus on their electric (yet unplugged) instruments. Fun previews of what appears to be a fun tour, so check everything out above & below, and don't miss Id Iota and company at LopLops on Thursday!



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

• Defunct local hardcore band As It Stands posted a new status onto their Facebook page yesterday, where they gave fans two options: Like the status if you want the band to compile past studio recordings as a free download, or share it if you want the band to reunite, write a new record, and return to the stage. Either would be awesome, as A.I.S. have been missed since their last concert in 2012, but will either happen? Voice your opinion above!
• Local grind/thrash band Them revealed on their Facebook page that they're now officially working on their debut EP! It will have 4 songs, and songs from it were debuted at their set opening for Gorod on Friday at The Oddfellows Hall. Good to hear, so stay tuned for updates on that, and for our review of the concert next!
• Lake Superior State University's campus radio station WLSO 90.1 FM (which does occasionally air metal and punk music) is planning to launch an online sister station this fall! Public details are scant at present time, but the reveal was recently made on the station's Facebook page, and a contest for LSSU students had been active to find a name for the station, with a pair of Beats headphones awaiting the winner. It'll be interesting to see how this develops, so follow WLSO at the above links for details on it and their FM station!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of last night's Gorod/Bookakee show next! Thanks everyone!

Id Iota & Highway 63 Updates, Plus Lots Of Assorted News & Notes!!

As we approach the middle of the month, let's clear out most of our backlogged news items on this Monday morning, so what's on tap? Lots of assorted updates from recent days, and a new live cover video, but let's begin with the latest EP and concert updates from a local band!

Local alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota have confirmed that their debut EP will be titled "Maudlin Fair", and that it will officially be on sale during their upcoming tour dates! As per a post and video on their Facebook page this morning, copies of "Maudlin Fair" will first be available on Thursday during the Toronto stop of Tidal Records' Skate By Day, Rock By Night "tour petite", while Sault fans will have to wait until next Thursday (April 21st) during their local return show at LopLops Lounge, unless you contact members directly, one assumes. It's also not clear if "Maudlin Fair" will be available digitally or in stores in some form, but for reference, Id Iota's predecessor band Habitat Shuffle's only EP was released to Bandcamp, so Id Iota are familiar with putting EPs out there. It's great to see that Id Iota's long hinted EP is nearing it's release, and just in time for their long awaited return to the stage, so stay tuned for more on it, but how about the video that accompanied the reveal?

While this is the first public video of bassist Dan Linklater playing with Id Iota, it's just a short 15 second clip featuring the band playing part of an original track, with camera work by frontman Christian Lemay spinning around to each band member mid-song. Sounds good, if brief, so check it out below, and we'll keep you posted when more comes out on "Maudlin Fair"!



Next up, here's a new video from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63, courtesy of their gig at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday! Posted to their Facebook page last night, it's a 79 second clip of them covering John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good", and while it's obviously incomplete, this side-stage angle captures a strong rendition, with Henry Switzer's deep vocals adding some power to the proceedings! And yes, this confirms that they are still playing their announced Kewadin dates, despite not publically promoting shows on their Facebook page in the past couple of months. Give it a look below!



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

• Tyler Gibson's local goregrind projects Crucify the Whore & Rotopsy have both been added to the lineup of THIS THURSDAY'S Metal Massacre house show on Anna Street, as per promoter Josh Amendola on the Facebook event page yesterday. This will notably mark Rotopsy's first live concert appearance since July, but it's not clear if these were the hinted "other guests" or not. Solid choices, especially with Tyler & Dylan's past sets at this location, so see above for more details!
• Have you ever wanted to own a seat from the Sir James Dunn Collegiate auditorium where Dunnplugged concerts were held? An online liquidation auction is being held at this link where various paraphernalia from the inside of the now-closed high school is being offered to the highest bidder, and three lots of chairs from the auditorium are up for bids there! Two have no bids, one has $25, so if you're interested in some Dunnplugged memorabilia, see above for full details on how you can potentially bid!
• Three years after Village Media purchased local news website Local2 and turned it into an all-video site, the former SooNews.ca is being merged with it's sister news website SooToday in the next few weeks. In this press release, Village Media CEO Jeff Elgie cited this as "an important step in the evolution & expansion" of SooToday's local coverage, so videos can better compliment SooToday's existing work and reach a wider audience. This won't affect most existing Local2 programs (like Tuned), so we'll have to see how things continue to shape up, and we'll alter/remove necessary links on the site when appropriate!
• After a successful relaunch concert earlier this month, The Rednecks Saloon is apparently interested in hosting similar multi-band events on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, with Saturday, June 4th tentatively planned for the sequel, which may be longer with a partial all ages format. Co-promoter Terry Eaton revealed the news on two Musicians Wanted Facebook group posts yesterday, where he's looking for bands interested in playing this time around. There's already visible interest from many artists, so if you or your band want in, see the above links for full details!
• We have regrettably deleted local/London deathcore band Saints & Serpents from our band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the past year. The Valentine's Day Massacre successors were active from 2013-2014 & only played one show (in London) before quietly dissolving. I wish bands wouldn't delete their online pages like this, but given that The V.D.M.'s Facebook page was also taken down posthumously, I guess I should have expected it. Hopefully everyone stays active in music!
• We've also deleted The Searchmont Music Festival from our local concert festival listings due to the deletion of it's own Facebook page, and expiry of it's website. The festival (which only featured metal bands in it's inaugural year) ran from 2011-2014 before quietly being cancelled last year. Hopefully organizers can bring an event like this back to the ski resort in the future, as it's a great setting for concert events in the area!

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