Amidst recent big news and busy stretches, we've badly fallen behind on news from local independent goregrind label Blood Shed Productions, their metal acts, and related concerts, so let's correct that with a post 100% devoted to the Blood Shed! This includes new releases, concert updates, new material, a band's lineup changes, and more, so here's what you should know!
Now, here's the latest from bands and concerts in the Blood Shed Productions camp, so what's everyone up to over there? Well, flagship goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore successfully released their new split album with North Bay's Scrotox on May 25th, but due to potentially offensive content, we won't share the cover art or title here. C.T.W.'s Bandcamp page features their 6 songs for the split, now including an intro and a song named "Verbally Abused" among prior postings. For the curious, the Scrotox songs on the split all come from previously released demos on their own Bandcamp page, and while goregrind fans should be right at home, note that the average track length of Scrotox's 11 songs is just 21 seconds. Both halves of the split are available on their respective Bandcamp pages on a "name your price" model, and will likely be at future Blood Shed concerts.
On a similar token, C.T.W. mainman Tyler Gibson's two-man goregrind project Rotopsy have uploaded a few more songs from their new disc to their Bandcamp page as well, so that now has 9 of the 16 songs on physical copies (no word on why they're only gradually posting online copies there though.) Again, there's potentially controversial material in most titles, but "TxFxTx" appears to be a respelling of "T.F.T." (a.k.a. "The Funky Track") from Rotopsy concerts. Fans of Tyler's energetic yet minimal goregrind originals should get a kick out of these new songs and releases, so check everything out at the above links! Of course, Rotopsy's next show will take place this Sunday in Sudbury when they open for Loyalist and Windy City Slaughter (details here), but how about the next Blood Shed concerts in the Soo?
Their next two local dates appear to be private house parties, with their previously hinted show on June 20th at a private residence, while the previously announced Menstrual Munchies-headlined concert on June 25th will also now be a private event. The original Facebook event page was deleted on Tuesday, and a new private one was created by promoters, who confirmed that the show will likely be a house party concert after being moved out of The Oddfellows Hall. As a result of "venue complications", planned openers The Bear Hunters and Project 421 are no longer on the bill, which is disappointing, but the logistics are what they are (and we'll probably now have a longer wait now for the reveal of Project 421's new drummer.) Though the event is invite only at the moment, let the promoters know A.S.A.P. if you can help promoters in securing a new venue!
With what happened with Dank Fest II, the Caym show, and now the Menstrual Munchies concert, something's definitely up regarding Blood Shed and Heavy North Entertainment's usage of The Oddfellows Hall as a venue, but hopefully things work out so they can host shows there again, as it's a popular venue that has served the guys well! Also in the realm of Blood Shed Productions, Tyler's cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm also quietly released a new digital EP onto their Bandcamp page on May 13th, with the title of "A Malignant Neoplastic Disease Of The Intestines", and featuring 13 songs like "The DNA Repair Man", "Abnormal Proliferation Of Tissues", and "Dragged All Over The Bush", with some songs not titled after the usual medical condition theme. Like usual for this project, the songs are mostly very short, with the 13 songs only running for a total time of about 5 minutes. Genre fans should enjoy everything though, so do so above!
Finally for this all-Blood Shed post, here's the latest from local death/grind trio Them, as they parted ways with bassist Rainey Vincent on May 21st. Though they said in their original Facebook page post that he was "good and committed", and they'd recommend him to any other project, they noted in that post that they were looking for a "heavier sound and energy". The band originally announced that Josh Amendola (who played with frontman Tyler St. Amour in Pillory) would be their new bassist, but just six days later, Them announced that Josh was out due to him being away for the summer, though no word on what that means for his recent group Faceityoureametalband's status. Today, Them announced that Brutally Fatal frontman Austin McCrae (who played with Rainey in The Revolution) is their new bassist, which the band has called "the best fit yet", and the guys now plan to record a debut EP and will debut the new lineup at this month's private Blood Shed events.
Austin's a talented musician, and this should be a good fit for him and Them! Stay tuned for much more from the Blood Shed Productions and Heavy North Entertainment camps in the coming weeks, and make sure to check out their upcoming private events if possible! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
With a new month upon us, let's continue the recent steady run of posts with our first full news post of May 2015, including some assorted updates and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from next week through this fall! Here's what you need to know in chronological order!!
Local party/classic hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will rock The Rednecks Saloon for one night only next Saturday, May 9th! Our source is frontman Greg Simpson's promotion company Maxx Entertainment's website, which lists May dates for his bands. Fresh off of TOMORROW'S Rockstar Bar show, we actually can't find an online-referenced concert from these popular veterans at the former Nicolet Tavern in the past, so is this their debut there? I can't 100% confirm that, but it's been a long time coming either way, and hopefully Stiffler's Mom rock Rednecks hard next weekend! For reference, this is a one nighter due to Greg's country band Bone Yard playing at the same venue next Friday. There's no announced cover charge for next weekend's show, which is 19+ and will likely have a 10:00 PM start time. See the above links for more details, and don't miss Stiffler's Mom either of the next two Saturdays!
Next up, the long teased Menstural Munchies-headlined Heavy North Entertainment concert on Thursday, June 25th now has a confirmed venue, as it will take place at The Oddfellows Hall! That seemed like the most likely option given past H.N.E. events, as all have basically been there or via a house party. The headliners at 11:00 PM are an Ohio-based "cyber pornoslam" duo that are a favourite of Blood Shed Productions head Tyler Gibson, who is reportedly working on a split release of some kind with Menstrual Munchies (that's their name, don't shoot the messenger!), and while their music is an acquired taste, Blood Shed fans will enjoy their extreme sound! Though a second out of town band was teased, the openers are all local, and they'll include local classic metal quartet Project 421 at 10:00 PM and death metal favourites The Bear Hunters at 9:00 PM.
Blood Shed-affiliated acts populate the rest of the lineup, including goregrind duo Rotopsy at 8:30 PM, newer thrash/grind trio Them at 8:00 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 7:30 PM, goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore at 7:00 PM, and rappers Phat Boii & Mikey Thomas at 6:30 & 6:00 PM. Advance tickets for this ALL AGES show will be $7 when announced or $10 at the door, and for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Blood Shed fans will definitely not want to miss this show, as there's lots of extreme metal mayhem ahead in June, so see the above links for more info!
Lastly for new concert announcements is the expected release party for the upcoming Ripcordz/Jack Spades/Destroilet three-way split album, which will take place on Saturday, October 24th at The Algonquin Pub during Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce's Gonqshow concert series there this year! The newest (and possibly last?) show of the series will fittingly see all three bands on the split rocking out at The Algonquin this fall, with The Ripcordz bringing their hardcore punk classics back to the Soo for the first time since last October's Rad Zone anniversary concert, and Jack Spades & Destroilet joining forces again 5 months after their fundraising concert at The Algonquin at the end of the month (also, remember to help out with the bands' Kickstarter campaign for the split!) Nice to hear we have a target date in mind, and I can't wait to hear the final product! One more extra opening band is also to be announced.
Note that the Gonqshow series and J.D.'s promotional concert group are now branded as "Tidal Records Presents...", indicating officially that J.D. is now a part of and promoting shows through local independent label Tidal Records. After their successful work together at the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, it's a natural move, and hopefully this partnership is a success! October's release concert has $10 advance tickets, but the price jumps to $13 at the door, while it is a 19+ show with a likely 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more updates on this highly anticipated CD as they come in!
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 company name:
Local hard rock quartet Long Shot will make their first concert appearance out of town when the Speak Easy Battle runners up are among the musical entertainment at this year's Captain Kidd Days festival in Corunna, Ontario (near Sarnia) on August 1st! The Dawe brothers are originally from Corunna, hence the connection. Should be a great spotlight for Long Shot, so click here for more details on the event!
The CBC Searchlight contest run for local indie/punk quintet Northwest has ended, as they and 8 other Northern Ontario bands lost out to Sudbury bluegrass band Murder Murder in the regional finals, sending them to the national stage of the competiton to find Canada's best new band. Disappointing, but they had a great run to get this far, and kudos to Northwest for what they accomplished!
Local photography company RAD.imagery (who did some sporadic concert photography in the early 2010s) are running a contest where a local band could win a FREE one hour professional photo shoot! To enter, all members of your band must like RAD.imagery's Facebook page, and join & share the official Facebook event page. This could be a big opportunity, so see the above links for more details!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!
Our busiest month at the SMS since last July is almost at it's end, but before April rolls around, we have one last news post for the month of March, so what's on tap today? A new song posting, two newly announced shows that still await a venue announcement, and a surprise guitarist change for a prominent local hard rock band, but first, here's a big concert preview for a major Canadian metal band's local return!
We'll start with a special Wednesday night concert preview for TOMORROW, as Toronto metal legends Anvil will play their third local show since their resurgence, and I guarantee this is not an April Fools joke! Though fans will remember them from their packed appearances at The Canadian Nightclub, tomorrow's show will be at The Rockstar Bar, adding to a more intimate atmosphere that will still suit the metal to come during this stop of their 2015 Hope In Hell Tour! Also, this will be Anvil's first local show with new bassist Chris Robinson (who replaced Sal Italiano last year), but how will he fare with Lips & Robb? Two of the same bands who opened for Anvil last year will return to open tomorrow, including punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and classic metal quartet Project 421, who will both add their skilled renditions to the fray to open up this highly anticipated concert! FYI, if you were hoping for Caym to come back too, we have info on their own return (as headliners) in a bit, so don't worry!
Tomorrow's concert has a 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM start time, and a $15 ticket charge (they're available in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk or through promoter J.D. Pearce), though note that the door charge will be $20. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Anvil back inthe row, so do NOT miss this show ieat turnout tomorrow, so do NOT miss this show if you can help it! See above for more info, and here's Anvil live earlier this year!
Next up, we have a major lineup change to mention today, as local alternative/hard rock quartet Haggith have welcomed back former bassist Caleb Cachagee as their new guitarist, replacing founding member Daniel Horton. Other than to say his departure was "in similar circumstance" to his brief exit in late 2012, a reason for Daniel leaving hasn't been announced, but Haggith revealed the change on their Facebook page on Sunday, assuring fans "that this is for the best", and this is "the next chapter" in their evolution. While I had heard about some internal issues in the band as of late, this is still disappointing to hear, especially given Daniel's songwriting contributions and clear talent, but he's still in Project 421, and hopefully we hear much more from him musically in the near future! However, seeing Caleb back in the Haggith fold is a nice surprise following his two departures last year, but what does he bring to the table on guitar?
Haggith are next slated to open for Zaum at The Rednecks Saloon on May 11th, so we'll know by then! That said, it's yet to be determined what the guitarist switch means (if anything) for Haggith's upcoming albums "Apocalypse II" & "XIV", including if songs will be dropped like was once planned when Daniel left in 2012, but I'm sure we'll hear more shortly. For more details, visit the above links!
Before we wrap up with a Haggith-related video posting, here's some preliminary news on two upcoming concerts that fans are already anticipating, though both await venue confirmation. One will take place on Friday, May 15th, and it will feature the return of Toronto death metal band Caym for their third local concert appearance, with local support courtesy of Jack Spades, The Bear Hunters, and at least one more band to be announced. Promoted by J.D. Pearce, this show will have a $10 admission fee, but again, no venue has been announced yet (for reference, Caym's past local shows were at The Canadian.) Click here for more details in the interim! The other planned show will be on Thursday, June 25th, and it will see Dayton, Ohio "cyber pornoslam" band Menstrual Munchies (that's their name, don't shoot the messenger!) make their local debut alongside local metal bands Rotopsy, Brutally Fatal, Them, and Crucify the Whore, and rapper Mikey Thomas, along with a co-headliner to be announced.
Visibly promoted by C.T.W.'s Tyler Gibson (who's apparently working on a split of some kind with the headliners), there's no venue for this planned show yet either, but given the track record of Blood Shed & Heavy North Entertainment events, this will likely either be an Oddfellows Hall or house party event. Click here for current details, but as always, we don't call concerts on here without a confirmed venue, so stay tuned for more info on both as we hear it!
Finally for today, here's a new song from Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's solo project, courtesy of his YouTube channel yesterday, and it's "A Drive Through The Peninsula", the same song that Mike teased via this Facebook photo of the lyrics. Featuring bandmate Curtis McKenzie on guitar solos, the song is planned for Mike's upcoming solo album "The Warinside", and it continues his recent orchestral rock trajectory, but we'll hold on reviewing the song until our likely review of the whole album later this year. Check out Mike's new song below!
That's all for today (and this month), but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
On a similar token, C.T.W. mainman Tyler Gibson's two-man goregrind project Rotopsy have uploaded a few more songs from their new disc to their Bandcamp page as well, so that now has 9 of the 16 songs on physical copies (no word on why they're only gradually posting online copies there though.) Again, there's potentially controversial material in most titles, but "TxFxTx" appears to be a respelling of "T.F.T." (a.k.a. "The Funky Track") from Rotopsy concerts. Fans of Tyler's energetic yet minimal goregrind originals should get a kick out of these new songs and releases, so check everything out at the above links! Of course, Rotopsy's next show will take place this Sunday in Sudbury when they open for Loyalist and Windy City Slaughter (details here), but how about the next Blood Shed concerts in the Soo?
Finally for this all-Blood Shed post, here's the latest from local death/grind trio Them, as they parted ways with bassist Rainey Vincent on May 21st. Though they said in their original Facebook page post that he was "good and committed", and they'd recommend him to any other project, they noted in that post that they were looking for a "heavier sound and energy". The band originally announced that Josh Amendola (who played with frontman Tyler St. Amour in Pillory) would be their new bassist, but just six days later, Them announced that Josh was out due to him being away for the summer, though no word on what that means for his recent group Faceityoureametalband's status. Today, Them announced that Brutally Fatal frontman Austin McCrae (who played with Rainey in The Revolution) is their new bassist, which the band has called "the best fit yet", and the guys now plan to record a debut EP and will debut the new lineup at this month's private Blood Shed events.
