Sykotyk Rampage - "WYRD Radio 3: The Midnight Horror Show" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 200th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and I wanted to briefly thank everyone for following along this long for us to get to that milestone number after over 16 years of reviewing one local metal, hard rock, or punk album every month! As our extensive backlog of new album releases continues being rifled through, review #200 is of local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage's 71st album "WYRD Radio 3: The Midnight Horror Show"! Independently released to their Bandcamp page around August 10th of last year but given a September 1st release date by the band, this was the only album of 2025 for this prolific veteran group, and their third concept album based around programming on the fictional WYRD radio station. As always, this album was recorded in their usual improvised nature at River Front Recreation Studios.

"The original crash band" are represented by singer/drummer Paul Becker, his brother Dirk on guitar and vocals, guitarist Shane Kokis, and bassist Tony Briglio, with former bassist/Paul's son-in-law Brian Cattapan guesting on one track. "WYRD Radio 3" is on sale on Bandcamp for $15, and while you can stream the whole album for free there, consider buying it to support Sykotyk Rampage's work! With 30 tracks (a double album if released on CD) running for over 2 hours and 22 minutes, let's begin this lengthy review!

While I have yet to review the first "WYRD Radio" album from 2015, I did review the sequel "Kype The Jesus Boots" in 2022, and the concept nature carries over via the loose format of this being alleged on-air programming for the station, featuring Tony and synthesized robot voices recording bumpers and DJ segments. While "WYRD Radio 2" ended with a teaser that next week's show would be about alien abductions, the third album of the series is not the realization of that claim. Here, your "DJ" is named Zara, and the album opens with the spoken word track "WYRD Witch A1", which is set up as if we're in for 2 hours of progressive jazz from a band named Bebop Devoe, but before the first song can play, the station is hijacked by some kind of supernatural beings led by an "orange demon" (also a speech synthesis voice), who takes over the station and plans to devour our souls!

The demon substitutes the jazz for his own evil music (re: new Sykotyk Rampage originals), and the first one is "Succubus", which is 9 minutes long, and that's not even the longest song here! A slow, bass-led jam track with Paul on vocals (plus the ominous female voices threatening to kill us that first popped up in the opener), this is well played but it meanders for way too long on the same trajectory without a major change in tempo or structure, and I'd have chopped this one at least in half before compiling the album. The second proper song is "What You Gave Away", a much shorter but still almost 6 minutes-long track that is a little more lively while still having a sludgy jam essence. Not a bad showcase for Dirk & Shane on guitar, and it drives along well, but if you like their more freewheeling crash rock stylings, the album doesn't start off in such an upbeat way.

Fourth up is "Warlock", running for an album-long 9:11, and this is very reminiscent structurally to "Succubus", but it is at least more animated for Paul's vocals, and it does build in intensity with shouted vocals at the midpoint, though they do come off a little over-processed. Tony's steady bass work keeps things driving along, and there is more of an animated vibrancy to the riffs and pacing, including a late guitar solo, if layered under vocals. Definitely an improvement from "Succubus" for this album's two 9+ minute songs, but this again could have been heavily edited down. We take a brief pause from the music for to return to WYRD Radio via "WYRD Weather A2", where we get a weather report, and if you remember that an orange demon is enslaving the planet and killing us all, you can imagine that it'll be hot out! Tony appeared to voice the meteorologist for this segment.

Apparently, Sykotyk Rampage are partially known in this album's story as "Frankie Flesheater & The Burning Cowpat", who are the orange demon's favourite band, so now you know! The next "hardcore ditty" is named "Krazy Dragon Krossing", which is a fuller composition and nowhere near as long or drawn out as the previous, but it feels too tinny and processed, like they caked it in effects in post. The original raw recording would have been preferable, but it's a good mid-tempo rocker that is ticking things a little closer to how I like my Rampage! The dragon phase of the album continues with "Dragons At Wing", a more laid back rocker that has a bit of a funk essence to it, and it does pick up a bit in tempo and energy in the back half, with the closing bridge giving me "Called In Dead" vibes. It's good to see some more of the freewheeling Sykotyk Rampage late, and Paul's drumming works well, so it's an early highlight on the album!

The final dragon-themed song is "Castle Of The Dragon's Teeth", and despite is relatively short length compared to the proper songs before it, this is another measured rocker that doesn't get too wild and raucous. The processing and filtering is taken way too much of here, as I can barely hear Paul's singing and the song just has a fuzz to it that really impairs everything except the bass. Definitely a low point for the songs so far, as it just plods along in a haze. We pause for a commercial break next via "WYRD Cobra A3", which runs for an album-low 98 seconds. This has "The Crimson Nipple" (a British TTS voice) endorsing the Iron Cobra, the ideal vehicle to drive in Hell, and it's laid over a brief Sykotyk Rampage song that is otherwise not on the album without the copy. It's sad, because the "Iron Cobra" song was really promising and heavy, and I'd have recorded an extended & clean version here!

Full music returns with "Arc Of Darkness", which has an extended feedback-heavy intro including some hard-to-decipher female vocals (which resurface at the midpoint), but when the song fully gets going, it again suffers from having the recording being layered in effects or filters, as I can't make out Paul well again. The song is clearer and more defined though, with Dirk and Shane's guitar soming through in sections, but it kinda comes and goes in clarity like a radio station reception. The raw performance would be ideal, but even then, it wasn't at the rollicking levels I best like from them. Afterwards is "Harpies Bring Your Death", which doesn't really reinvent the wheel from the songs heard so far. Better and much cleaner post-production, and Paul's vocals are much more distinct, so it is a better song than we've recently had, but it does nothing I haven't heard before on the album.

On "Lich Queen's Sextoy" (they titled it, not me!), this has more of a trancey, psychedelic vibe while still being unquestionably sykotyk. Paul is on vocals here, but we again have the layered filtering taken to the nth degree here, as this song may as well be an instrumental with how quiet he is! The song is at least a change of pace that lets the guys show off some more diverse influences, so it works on that basis (the last 45 seconds is raw banter after the guys recorded this song in studio). Next is "Wicked This Way Comes", which has spacey beeping and hard-to-decipher spoken word (is that Shane?) laid in with a spare, deliberate composition. Paul does sing on this track late, but again, it's muddy background vocals that I can barely hear, and I don't know why they're leaning on that so much. Some creative aspects to this track add some zest, but this isn't a driving rocker like what works well for the guys, at least for me.

Next is another station break via "WYRD Traffic A4", as "Professor OCD" (another synthesized British voice) is delivering the traffic report, and given that demons and zombies are wreaking havoc across the planet, you might want to stay at home! The second half of "WYRD Radio 3" begins with "Rich Demon", and this is a down-and-dirty blues rocker that thankfully lets us actually hear Paul's singing. Tony shines on bass here, and I appreciate the more direct lyrics, but it's not the carefree punk-influenced rocker like I best enjoy from the masters of the crash. "Young Power Of Yung" follows with a scratchy funk rock guitar line that is a fun little shake-up for the album as a whole, but it's all that this song really has going for it. Paul's vocals are again heavily buried in the mix, the other instruments don't play a prominent role, and not much happens in its runtime. This honestly feels like an unfinished song, and I'd have worked on it more.

Track #17 is "Cruel Soul", which is a leisurely paced blues rocker that at least has clear vocals from Paul, strong bass, and a distinct structure that doesn't overstay its welcome. While well performed for what it is, I do wish that this apocalyptic, planet-destroying concept album had more intense hard rock numbers! Then we have "Dreamspell", a fitting name for this slower and more ethereal (by their standards) track, and in that respect, Paul's vocals being too layered and inaudible helps! I get how it might fit the album theme, but if you've come for "crash rock", this is too much of a diversion, and it just lies there. After being sent to Hell during the events of "WYRD Witch A1", actual station DJ Zara returns on "WYRD Crisps A5" as subservient to the orange demon, where she introduces the next songs from Sykotyk Rampage, but not before running a commercial for Zombie Brain Crisps.

Let's just say these aren't the chips you're used to seeing at the store! The next proper song is "Steam God's City", which is the first song on this album featuring Dirk on vocals, albeit sharing with Paul. It's good to hear Dirk's quavery punk snarl trading off with his brother here, and everyone's clear and in the foreground, but the song itself isn't too musically involved and has a spare, empty quality. Not my favourite composition but the vocal variance is noted! After that is "Giants", a 6 minute jam rock number that has Paul singing about the invading giants. Nice direct and suited lyrics for the album concept, but the song itself gives no horrific vibes to match, as it's just a repetitive blues rock number that moves along one track without ever shifting gears. The penultimate station break is next, entitled "WYRD Resistance A6", where an ogre battalion resistance leader (another British TTS voice) calls on humans to stand up and fight.

The resistance has reclaimed WYRD Radio from the demons and killed the invading DJs, but can mankind defeat the orange demon and the rest of his minions? This announcement is oddly played twice, once with the echoed effects used for "Zara" on "WYRD Crisps A5". The next three songs are allegedly the resistance's battle cry (though still Sykotyk Rampage), starting with "Ogres Hunt Trolls", and this is similar in pacing and structure to "Giants", but it has a little more in the way of guitar flourish. Nothing shocking to report here, if you like what the Beckers and crew have been up to far, you'll like this, but it's not peak SKR for my preferences. Next is the longer "Sword Of The Dreamlords", which is a drawn out and (dare I say) proggier composition that, while not heavy or speedy, does let the guys stretch their legs a bit.

By no means is this a favourite song (it's wanders and the buried vocals from Paul return here), but it's effective at what it's trying to be! Next is "Bridge Of The Troll", and a fuller sound with good distortion makes this a better track than many on offer, and Paul's singing is a little clearer, if still bogged down in background effects. Just too laid back and casual for an alleged "battle cry", you know? The last station break here is "WYRD End A7", where Zara (freed from her demonic enslavement) returns to thank everyone for listening to the midnight horror show, though specifics on how the orange demon was defeated will have to be deciphered out of song lyrics. Zara sets up "The WYRD Radio Touch Me Softly Music Hour" next featuring romantic songs, and a French AI voice takes over to set up the programming ahead. The album ends with four songs ostensibly from this show.

Of those, the first is "Systemic Shock", which notably sees the return of late 2000s-early 2010s bassist Brian Cattapan (I don't know if Tony is on this track too or not). How "romantic" this song is will be very much up for debate, but amazingly, it took surviving the attempted apocalypse and hellscape to get something more akin to what I most like out of Sykotyk Rampage! Brian's uncle-in-law Dirk sings lead here, and there's good energy and attitude here befitting the title, and while I think the song is way too long, it's fun for long-time fans and easily a favourite track on the album! Next is "Nightmare", which Dirk also handles vocals for, and this is a power pop song that sharply contrasts from his sharp and angry vocals that suit the title theme! If you like songs like "Lowest Of The Low", the vocals are not dissimilar, but the song is very casual and easy going with fun guitar riffs. Not a bad change of pace!

The second-to-last track is also the shortest proper song here, "Francois' Wonderland", which sees Paul return to lead vocals for the last time on the album, and this is more akin to their earlier and better known bluesy rock songs with clear and more melodic singing. Dirk and Shane deliver fun swingy guitar riffs throughout, and while it can be a tad repetitive, it's a short listen. This is a song that would play well live if they ever returned to concerts! "WYRD Radio 3" ends with "Swipe Right To Die" (maybe we should switch dating apps!), and while Dirk is singing lead, this is a more drawn out, reserved song like much of the "midnight horror show" content. The title's threat only really feels matched via Paul's backing vocals. Not a bad composition, but too long and meandering compared to what I prefer.

Having survived the orange demon's attempted annihilation of Earth, what are my final thoughts on "WYRD Radio 3"? Honestly, it's a step down in quality from 2024's "Waerlogas Sagas 1" and reminds me in ways of what might have happened if 2023's "69" had an overarching concept. Sykotyk Rampage's brand of crash rock is not everyone's cup of tea, but I like them best when they're playing energetic freewheeling jam hard rock, and this album had little of that until the midnight horror show story had wrapped up (the three songs before "Swipe Right To Die" were my favourites here). When the demons were on the warpath, this album was often very slow, deliberate, and meandering, not helped by the 23 proper songs having an average length of 5:31. My biggest issue was a sporadic one, but why were Paul's vocals so heavily processed or buried in the mix on many of the included songs?

For such a heightened and evocative sci-fi story, I'd have been accentuating it with clear vocals across the board, let alone more with more forceful and heavy music. I assume the tempo choices were to set an ominous mood, but I rarely felt chaos and despair. It's not a bad album, everyone performs to their strengths, with strong guitar and bass throughout, but I'd have made different tonal and post-production choices. See what you think at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's album review! No rest for the wicked with our backlog, as next month's album review will be of alt-hard rock band Handsome Sandwich's sophomore album "Collage"! Look for that and much more next month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Sole Aggressors), More From Them, And A New Album Release!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to note a late concert cancellation from yesterday's rainy weather, as local hard rock/classic metal quartet Tarnished did not perform at American Legion Park in St. Ignace for their planned Music By The Bay outdoor concert. While The Nameless' outdoor show in Goetzville went on despite the forecast, Tarnished confirmed on their Facebook page that their concert was off last night at 6:32 PM, 28 minutes prior to when it would have began (note that they never plugged the show on Facebook prior to then). Disappointing, but Mother Nature can be inconvenient at this time of year. Hopefully Tarnished try again for the Music By The Bay series in 2026!

Today's post otherwise features a new local album release, and leading off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and related band breakup, as Sault Michigan punk trio The Sole Aggressors will reportedly play their final public concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this via their Facebook page yesterday (their first Facebook post since March, though they have played live and plugged shows via Instagram since). The 2023 LSSU Battle of the Bands winners revealed that they are disbanding "due to recent events... before we all part ways for college". While they didn't elaborate on what the "recent events" were, The Sole Aggressors are far from the only example locally of a high school-aged band splitting up due to members moving out of town after grade 12. TOMORROW'S show will take place in the garage at guitarist Brett Siesel's residence, and the address is on the poster.

While the show will technically be all ages, they "ideally" request no alcohol or drugs on the premises. The concert takes place TOMORROW at 7:00 PM, and there is no cover charge, but they will be selling merchandise and taking donations. It is worth noting that The Sole Aggressors were also supposed to play at an outdoor house party concert in Thessalon, Ontario yesterday featuring loads of familiar Sault Ontario names across multiple genres, but even if Thessalon was within our coverage range (it's over an hour from Sault Ste. Marie), it too was rained out. The Sole Aggressors made a solid name in their two year run via their battle win and by being a rare example of an E.U.P. band to play in Sault Ontario (let alone more than once), while also being a pure punk band, which has never been common in Sault Michigan. Even if they never have a reunion, they made their mark in multiple ways, and have a solid sound and quality original music.

Of course, best of luck to Brett, Calvin, and Isaac (and Henry) in whatever lies ahead for them, but send off The Sole Aggressors in style TOMORROW NIGHT, and for a preview, here's one of three full concert videos from their YouTube channel that we have yet to feature on here! How I've been slacking on their YouTube channel in the past year, I don't know, but I'll get to all of their uncovered videos there soon, and we'll start with their set opening for Dick Texas at a Serious Business-promoted concert at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley in November of last year. The 39 minutes-long set was actually filmed by Dafter solo musician Molly Escherich and her mom Tiffany, and in order, the guys played "Down By The Bay", "State Of The World","Teenage Guide", "Kill Thy Neighbour", "False Hope". "Fast Punk For Fast Food", "Time To Commercialize!", "Reject", "Melted Plastic", "Hypocrite", "Kill A Celebrity", "Ventilation", ...

... "Tale Of An American Hero", "Fool", and "Heil Artificiality". While re-arranged in the order, every song from their set at Pickles in August 2024 is featured here, alongside "Tale Of An American Hero" & "Heil Artificiality" as new additions. Camera angles are all stationary here, but the Escherichs did move it a few times, particularly closer for the last two songs. Not a packed house but there's some loyal fans on the floor throughout. Maybe they're blocking the camera a bit, but The Sole Aggressors have a strong and in your face punk sound that comes through really well in this full set video with a slowly improving stage presence. Give it a look below, and go see The Sole Aggressors one last time in the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT!

Finally for today, here's a surprise album release, as Sault Ontario "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage released their 71st studio album onto their Bandcamp page last week! Entitled "WYRD Radio 3: The Midnight Horror Show", this is a thematic sequel to their prior "WYRD Radio" albums from 2015 & 2022, themed around the pretense of the songs being played on a fictional radio station. While the end of 2022's "WYRD Radio 2: Kype The Jesus Boots" hinted at their next "broadcast" being about alien abductions, this album has a fantasy epic theme not unlike last year's "Waerlogas Saga 1: Konfysion Of Fyck", though not sharing that storyline or multimedia comic book spinoff. As usual, "WYRD Radio 3" was recorded at The Cave completely improvised, and was mastered at their own River Front Recreation Studios, with singer/drummer Paul Becker, guitarist/vocalist Dirk Becker, guitarist Shane Kokis, and bassist Tony Briglio all back here. The album is well over 2 hours in length with 30 tracks.

While this may seem like a lot for a local hard rock album, remember that "WYRD Radio 2" had 40 tracks and would need three CDs if sold thusly. While Sykotyk Rampage have a presence on major streaming services, I believe the new album is currently a Bandcamp exclusive, though note that they officially list "September 1st" as the release date there. In any event, you can buy it on mp3 there for $15 or stream it for free. Without ongoing backlog of new album reviews on the SMS, "WYRD Radio 3" is currently pencilled in to lead off 2026 on the SMS, so look for that in January, and check out the album above! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more soon! Thanks everyone!

Mike McCleary - "Fallout From Midnight Tides" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 167th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary's seventh album "Fallout From Midnight Tides"! An instrumental album unlike his pre-pandemic efforts with vocals, this was independently released to his Bandcamp page on February 1st, and is one of only two albums in his back catalog currently available to buy/stream (his prior discography has been reworked or de-listed wholesale). Recorded last year with Mike on all instruments, "Fallout From Midnight Tides" is on sale on Bandcamp on a "name your price" model, and while it can be obtained for free, consider buying it to support his work! While one short track was cut from the planned album due to Mike feeling that it sounded forced, there are still 6 songs spanning 32 minutes to check out here, so let's begin this album review with a look at the first track, named "Entanglement"!

Inspired by the abstractness of time, this is definitely a departure from his prior output, in that it has dramatic overtones that remind me of a marching battalion in a fantasy movie. If you're expecting a guitar showcase, look elsewhere, but Mike shows off his range as a composer to good effect! The plodding four-time note throughout is something that I'd have held back on or cut, but it's an interesting diversion that reminds me of something that Mike could easily slot into a score if he wanted to write one! Track #2 is "Perpetual Motion", which comes from the constant string tap reminding him of the titular machines. This is an acoustic composition that has benefits from Mike adding that tap to give the song a bit of percussion that otherwise wouldn't be present, and it'd be interesting to see him play this in a video. Far from a ballad, this is a very effective showcase of his guitar skill and it's well worth checking out on its own merits!

Third up is the album's shortest song, "Harmonic Objectivity", which is inspired by staying objective in difficult conversations, and he emphasized listening to the song in stereo due to two guitar performances being intentionally split across audio tracks. The balance is clearly discernible! While relatively spare like the preceding song, it does have pretty qualities to it as a guitar piece, so fans should appreciate it, though I would have made one channel's audio be clearly different in tone or instrumentation to better reflect the theme. The second half begins with "Bismarck", which is influenced by imperialism & World War II, and thusly named for the German battleship. If you've been waiting for a song more akin to his prior output, than this is the song for you, as it's a proper hard rock composition with guitar, bass, and drums, and makes the most of its 7 minute runtime with multiple shifts in tempo and intensity.

My favourite part is the intense speed metal chunk that begins about 3:53 into the track, and Mike also lays down a solid guitar solo! The guitar riffs do seem to have a fuzz on them, and I do feel like the bass isn't layered as well as it could have been, but this is an entertaining number, and you can see how it inspired Mike to do an instrumental album! The album's title track "Fallout From Midnight Tides" is next, and it is inspired by anxiety-prompted emotions when lying awake at night. The longest song on the album, it opens with 2:20 of soft and ominous playing accentuated by well placed guitar work, before jumping into galloping thrash metal, and eventually leaning into solos and showing off Mike's guitar abilities at the forefront. The late bridge wasn't for me, but more often than not, this song works quite well! The final song is "Spaghettification", which is inspired by an object being compressed and stretched in a black hole.

A spacier opening leads to a heavy chugging riff that reminds me of Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction", but it bounces between that and softer stretches that allow Mike to lay down some more guitar solos of varyingly softer qualities, though the extended guitar solo 5:50 in will please metalheads the most, and it is quite a capper to the album! 

So, what are my final thoughts on Mike McCleary's new instrumental album? It's hard to compare to his prior output, both from the lack of vocals and from most of his other work not being available to hear nowadays, but this might be his best album in terms of pure musical quality! Without needing to stick to a traditional song structure, let alone how he views his vocal range, Mike gets to show off his skills as a composer and guitarist to good effect, and those last three songs prove that he could be quite an asset in a local metal band if he were to join/form one! Even without lyrics, there's a maturity there that is welcomed on multiple levels. The opening three songs are interesting compositionially and show his range beyond just rocking out, but my biggest problem with the album is the track layout. I wouldn't have had the three short experimental songs first and the metal epics last, as it's really imbalanced this way.

Spreading the six songs more evenly and tweaking a few minor things here and there would have made the whole package stronger, but this is a very solid release that hard rock and metal fans should give a whirl, especially tracks 4-6! Mike hasn't posted on his Facebook page since the album's release, but hopefully he's still at work behind the scenes, and show your support by buying or streaming "Fallout From Midnight Tides" at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and stay tuned next month when we look at Crucify The Whore & Molten Imp's "Pyrolytic Punishment" split, and for more news next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The BAG), A New Local Solo Project, An Album Release, And More!!

Packed news post for you guys on this Monday night, and it includes a new video performance, an album release, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, but first, a familiar face is back in solo form after a few years of focusing on his bands, so here's what you should know!

We have a new local metal act to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are Sir Hell, the newest stab at a solo project from Handsome Sandwich/ex-Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie! Long-time SMS readers and fans/friends of Mitch's may be familiar with his prior solo exploits under the project names Animas, April Eyes, By The Gods, and The Sorrow Fields, with the latter recording unreleased studio material as recently as early 2019. In this case, Mitch appears to be further into Sir Hell than on those acts for an initial splash (lost MySpace uploads acknowledged), as his first song on the project's Bandcamp page is the long awaited studio re-recording of his epic comedy metal song "Squirrel Buddy"! As memorably heard during many Bear Hunters shows, Mitch fittingly got his then-and-now bandmate Johnny Belanger (credited as "John Belanger") on drums and backing vocals.

This was recorded at Unsalted Audio (presumably during the sessions for Handsome Sandwich's upcoming debut album), and as such, producer Dustin Goodall also provides backing vocals, and Wyld Stallyns saxophonist Josh Norling even turns up! Veteran local punk musician Mark Rand mixed the track in Peterborough. As for the song proper, this "vessel for my madness" delivers the amusing clean vocals and jarring tonal shift into death metal aggression that fans will fondly remember! Josh comes in via a couple of sax solos, one basically replacing Mitch's lead guitar solo of old, and one being the outro. Fun brutality, so give it a listen above, and stay tuned for more from Sir Hell when it rolls in!

Next up, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local metal trio The BAG will return to The Esquire Club for one night only on Friday, March 3rd! This show was announced via the band's official Facebook event page yesterday, and while the venue has not confirmed the booking, it would appear that The BAG are replacing Mid Life Crysis that night, based on The Esquire Club's concert calendar for the first quarter of 2023 (I have no clue if Mid Life Crysis are still playing on Saturday the 4th or if they've pulled out of that weekend outright). These will be The BAG's first shows of the year, last being seen at Reggie's Place and The Esquire Club in consecutive weekends in December, and hopefully their blend of hard rocking originals and covers find another solid audience next month! Expect a 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit as usual. Visit the above links for more details on this show next month!

Now to something that would have toplined a post on a quieter day, as local hard rock solo guitarist Mike McCleary has released his long-teased instrumental album "Fallout From Midnight Tides"! His first new studio album since returning from hiatus and de-listing most of his back catalog, it came out on his Bandcamp page on Wednesday, albeit sans one song that Mike cut as "I just wasn't happy with where it was and no matter what I tried, it just felt forced." The song he removed from the album (actually closer to an EP) was one of the shorter ones, as his teased three 7-ish minute tracks are here as planned. While this is instrumental with no vocals or lyrics, Mike noted that the songs each represent "something I find interesting in life, or is based on something that kind of reflects a certain part of me", and he details the thematic inspiration on each song's individual link on Bandcamp.

Also note that each song has unique single artwork based on the album artwork that he created using an AI art generator. "Fallout From Midnight Tides" is on sale on a "name your price" model, so you can download it for free, but consider buying it to support Mike's work! Yes, a review of this album is planned but it likely won't hit the site until April, as a new Sykotyk Rampage album is already planned for this month, and Forever Will Be's debut album is pencilled in for next month. It is coming though, and buy/stream it for yourself at the above links!

Finally for today, here's a new video of PROV3RB5 guitarist Benjamin Roswell playing a song that the local/Toronto progressive metal band collaborated on last year! Uploaded to their Facebook page last month, the video sees Benjamin covering "Distant" by the Minnesota metal project Stelliferous, who have returned to favour to appear on a PROV3RB5 song as well. The 59 second clip oddly starts with 11 seconds of Benjamin waiting for his part to come in, but it's as technically sound as you'd expect given PROV3RB5's chops, and the multiple camera angles add to the visual impact, so check this one out for yourselves below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we get into this weekend's concert previews, just a heads up that former Startlefish bassist and Taxi Passenger Revue host Mike Robillard's obituary is now up on SooToday at this link. There, it confirms that he passed away at Sault Area Hospital on Monday at just 51 years of age, and he survived by his mother, three siblings, and numerous nephews and nieces, among other extended family. His funeral services will take place at the Arthur Funeral Home's Barton & Kiteley Chapel at 492 Wellington Street East on Friday, May 6th at 1:00 PM, with visitation preceding from 10:30 AM on, and interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by his family. Just a shame all around, but hopefully his family & friends keep the good memories close at this difficult time. R.I.P. Mike!

Now, today's post is otherwise devoted to hard rock & punk concert previews on this relatively quieter weekend in the Twin Saults, and we'll start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West for traditional concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via the official Facebook event page yesterday, though note that while Soundcheck themselves only listed the Friday nighter, the venue's Facebook page confirms they're be there both nights. Technically three, as their usual weekly jam night at the Reggievelt also goes down tonight, but historically, we don't cover jam nights as "concerts" on the SMS due to their unpredictable nature. Thursday jamming aside, these will be Soundcheck's first normal concerts at this venue in over a month, but fans have seen them elsewhere since.

Hopefully Terry, Cameron, Paul and/or Rob, and Glen have a strong weekend of fan friendly and often heavy covers once again, so don't miss out TOMORROW or SATURDAY despite the late notice! These shows and tonight's jam night will have 8:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits, as recently usual. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live a few weeks back!

Today's other previews are of shows that had ample advance notice, and we'll next head south to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, where Traverse City hard rock trio Scarkazm will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Despite saying "it's been WAY too long" when promoting these shows on Facebook, St. Ignace fans will have just seen Scarkazm at that Kewadin Casino branch in early March, with a weekend at the Kewadin branch in the Soo in between, so it may just seem like it's been too long. Regardless, this fan favourite touring act should deliver more hard rocking originals and covers to Mackinac County fans this weekend, so don't miss out! For the record, Scarkazm are not advertised to return to either Kewadin branch through June, but we will address hard rock bands that are soon.

Scarkazm are on at 9:00 PM tomorrow & Saturday night as usual for their Kewadin jaunts, and these shows are 21+ affairs with no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!

Finally, let's head north to Sault Ontario for the local concert debut of Vancouver alternative punk band The Midnight Echo, who will be rocking out at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Fans of upbeat indie-tinged pop punk will take to The Midnight Echo's distinct original sound, complete with some sweeping synth elements and a good ear for catchy melodies, so definitely consider a trip to The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs venue on Saturday to see what they have in store! Remember, touring bands from out of town is still something of a novelty as we're (hopefully) coming out of the pandemic, so try and make this show worth the band's and the venue's while by coming out if they pique your musical interest! This stop on The Midnight Echo's Whatever Happens, Happens Tour was originally scheduled for Soo Blaster's spring 2022 concert series before being moved to The Rockstar Bar for unannounced reasons.

No word on an opening band, for the record. Everything goes down on Saturday night at 8:30 PM with a 19+ age limit, and while a cover charge was not announced on the Facebook event page, bring money just in case, especially given the trek that The Midnight Echo are on for this tour. Visit the above links for more details, and here are the headliners live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for either a new news post or this month's CD review tomorrow! Both will hit the site by week's end, for the record. Thanks everyone!

Spades GT & The Northwest Updates, Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

I hope everyone's long weekend is off to a good start! On this Good Friday, we're playing catch-up with a very punk-leaning post, including the latest from a resurgent quintet, some assorted recent updates, and leading off, some big updates for a prominent band, so here's what you should know!

Here's the latest from local/Barrie punk/metal band Spades GT (née Jack Spades), who played their first concert since 2019 and since their relocation & name/lineup changes last night! As you may recall, Spades GT were among the support acts for a Dayglo Abortions/Random Killing show at The Queens Nightclub in Barrie last night, and based on personal Facebook postings, it looks like their set and the show proper were well received! It would have taken personal postings to learn that, however, as their Facebook page has vanished for unannounced reasons. If intentionally deleted, it could be to signify a fresh start, but the prior Jack Spades page was updated to reflect the new name and other changes, so who knows. This page for "Jack Spades GT" was launched last summer, but if it's official, it hasn't seen any updates aside from a non-specific profile picture. We'll let you know when/if a new Facebook page surfaces!

For now, Spades GT are linked on the SMS via their Bandcamp page. As for how Spades GT looked, photos shared from the event indicate that they are currently a four piece, belatedly confirming that guitarist Tiffany Stocco has left the band for a second time, presumably due to not moving to the GTA like J.D. & Daniel. Look for more music from her soon, hopefully! While she hasn't been replaced, there was one more lineup alteration, as Daniel Rodbard has replaced Steve Lorenz on bass with Spades GT for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing bad happened with Steve, but Daniel is an experienced Toronto-area bassist from acts like the Hip tribute The Tragically Hits and the thrash metal band Burning The Day, so it looks like he has the chops! No word on media from their debut, but members of Spades GT will be back in action in the GTA next month, so what should you know there?

Much like they did in the headliners' local dates, Spades GT will be among the openers for legendary metal trio Anvil's concert at The Rockpile in Toronto on May 28th, so if you'll be down south at the end of next month, keep this concert in mind, and click here for more details! Guitarist Daniel Horton has also indicated that he (at least) will be taking part in the Me First & The Gimme Gimmes tribute at The Queens Nightclub in Barrie on May 5th as part of a six band tribute concert, but it wasn't clear if Spades GT proper were the tribute or if this was a supergroup of area musicians.  It's great to see Spades GT are off & running at long last, and see above for more on J.D., the Daniels, and Tyler's 2022 activity!

Next up, here's the latest from local indie/punk quintet The Northwest, who received some surprise national TV exposure on Saturday night (well, early Sunday morning in this time zone) when their brand new song "Long Hair (Longer Nights)" was used as outro music during a third period commercial break of the Edmonton Oilers/Colorado Avalanche game on Hockey Night In Canada on CBC! Very cool, and while the band oddly did not plug the appearance before or afterward on their Facebook page, personal videos are floating around featuring the moment the song was played. When this occurred, the Oilers were leading 1-0, but the Avs won 2-1 in the shootout. Also on Saturday, Niagara Falls music website From The Strait interviewed Wayne Watkins & Mike Yakasovich from The Northwest for this article, so what do we learn?

The interview features the guys talking about the meaning of "Long Hair (Longer Nights)", how they formed, their musical inspirations, favourite current Canadian bands, and what to expect in the future. While mostly a light, CliffsNotesy dialogue with no direct references to the Soo, The Northwest do reveal that their third EP "All In" is scheduled for release on Friday, June 10th, and gigs are in the works! Very good to hear, and if the date holds, it just adds to a surprisingly busy stretch for local hard rock & punk album releases as of late! Our monthly review backlog means it's tentatively pencilled in for a July review, for the record. Check out much more from The Northwest above!

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 venue name:

 

• In their first Facebook posting in almost three months, local alternative/genre-hating quartet Handsome Sandwich revealed on Wednesday that the rhythm guitar, bass, and drum recording sessions for their upcoming debut album "Lettuce" are complete! No word on vocals (or lead guitar?) yet, but it's good to see that the guys are staying busy behind the scenes, and we'll let you know when more updates surface!
• The Midnight Echo concert in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, April 30th has been moved from Soo Blaster to The Rockstar Bar, as per the latter venue's new Facebook event page. A reason for the venue change was not announced, but note that outside of the SooToday article on Soo Blaster's spring 2022 concert series, they never advertised The Midnight Echo as playing there on social media. Hopefully nothing bad happened, but kudos to The Rockstar Bar for stepping in to ensure the show goes on! No word on admission fees, we'll let you know if something is said.
• Algoma University's campus nightclub/concert venue The Speakeasy re-opened last month after two years of pandemic inactivity with a newly renovated interior and a new regular open mic night series! As per their Facebook page, current operating hours are 6:00-11:00 PM on Wednesdays-Fridays, but one imagines that will expand with time, and could be flexible if outside events are booked there. It'd be great to see some concerts at The Speakeasy again when the time is right, but see above for what's going on there in 2022 so far!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (White Cowbell Oklahoma, The Midnight Echo, And Parabol!!)

Today's news post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS at a notable downtown venue that's helping get the local concert scene back in the swing if things in the months ahead, so here's what you should know!

As part of plans to help kickstart the local concert scene after 2 years of damage from the pandemic, Soo Blaster on Queen Street East is launching a concert series there from this month through early June, with seven live events (mostly from musical acts) hitting the stage there. As revealed in this SooToday article from last week, the series kicks off on April 16th with a show by local pop rock cover band The Killer Hooks, while the next two include Canadian rap legend Robbie G on April 20th and touring comedians Kenny Robinson & Darren Frost the next day (tickets for all three are now on sale at this link). We already know about Fort Creek's headlining show at Soo Blaster on May 7th, while the series will end with a show by Fernandez The Hypnotist on June 9th. The other two shows (plus one event not officially part of the series) fit the SMS' coverage range, so if you've been itching to see some more live music, here's what you should know!

First up for hard rock or punk acts at Soo Blaster this year is Vancouver alt-punk quartet The Midnight Echo, who will hit Sault Ste. Marie for the first time on Saturday, April 30th!  Coming around the middle of the band's Whatever Happens, Happens Tour of Canada this spring, The Midnight Echo's sound will definitely appeal to fans of locals Northwest in particular, with a pop punk based amped up with atmospheric synth elements and catchy melodies (think like a middle ground between Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves). The Midnight Echo should appeal to a lot of locals with their distinct yet familiar brand of original music, so don't miss out at month's end! No word on admission fees or start times yet, but expect at least $10 tickets based on other shows in Soo Blaster's concert series so far, and this should be a 19+ event. Visit the above links for more on The Midnight Echo!

Next is a show that is not listed in the official concert series reveal on SooToday, but is still a publically attendable concert at Soo Blaster regardless, as Toronto southern hard rock standouts White Cowbell Oklahoma will return to Sault Ste. Marie for their first ever Soo Blaster date on Friday, May 13th! The show proper is the kickoff event for this year's Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer put on by LopLops Lounge, with this year's festival taking place primarily at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center. The festival went on hiatus in 2020 & 2021 for very obvious reasons, but fans of craft beer and IPAs will be glad to know that it is back, so see above for full details on the festival proper! This will be White Cowbell Oklahoma's first Sault date since rocking LopLops in January 2019, and while they can't return there due to that venue's continued closure since the pandemic onset, Soo Blaster should be big enough to contain their wild stage show next month!

As best as I can tell, W.C.O. still feature former Detroit/Maximum RNR guitarist Curtis Faux in their lineup, but the band is usually coy on official band pages about who is currently enlisted. The sparks will literally fly (remember, they use power tools on stage) on May 13th with a 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM start time, and $25 advance ticket fee, and you can get tickets at this link (nothing is said about in-person availability, inquire with LopLops if you're curious). White Cowbell Oklahoma's over-the-top, southern fried-yet hard rocking blend of music and showmanship will be more than welcomed in the Soo again, so see above for full details!

Finally, local Tool tribute band Parabol will play their first concert in over two & a half years when they rock Soo Blaster on Saturday, June 4th! Be advised that Parabol have not updated their Facebook page since November, and we will let you know if this show does not occur for one reason or another, but it is listed on the schedule in the above SooToday post. As you may recall, Parabol consist of Redefined, Sense of Truth, Half Past, and Late Shift alumni, and were a popular sight on the local concert scene from late 2018-late 2019, last seen in October of that year at Soo Blaster,. Their original Facebook page was taken down for alleged copyright infringement strikes (they apparently sounded too close to Tool), and the pandemic helped keep them off stage regardless, hence the live hiatus. Hopefully the guys shake off the rust in time to deliver another proficient night full of prog metal classics, and it'll be great to see Parabol back in action!

Attendee details are not public yet, but note that October 2019's Soo Blaster show was a 19+, 10:00 PM affair, and tickets went for $5 in advance or $8 at the door. Visit the above links for continuing details on these and other upcoming concerts at Soo Blaster, and it's great to see that they're getting back into the swing of things for live entertainment! Hopefully other venues aren't too far off, and of course, I do hope everyone is sensible re: the pandemic, as while things are more open, it's not done yet. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

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

(Updated on Friday at 1:00 AM) Before we begin this weekend concert preview post, we have a pair of concert cancellations to take note of, as Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril will not be playing at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino tomorrow & Saturday night. Don't worry, there's no "different direction" excuse, Peril cited a scheduling conflict as the reason on their Facebook page, and the shows have been postponed to an unspecified future date. Disappointing, but stay tuned for word on the shows' new dates! Now, let's dive into a this weekend's concert previews, plus some other stories, and starting with a SHORT NOICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison is staying busy with a return to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced late on Thursday, after this post originally went online, so I opted to add it while we still could. At least this show has slightly more notice than his previous L.T.F. concert from this past Sunday! This will be the fifth weekend out of seven where Tym has played at least one weekend matinee at the waterfront restaurant on St. Joseph Island, and with the Gliss re-opening date still a mystery, it's nice to see Tym getting some relatively consistent bookings in the interim! Fans in Richards Landing and area can see Tym's skilled blend of hard and classic rock covers on SATURDAY evening at 5:00 PM, and while there is no age limit or cover charge, remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!




Next up, one of the biggest Sault Ontario punk concerts of the year will finally go down TOMORROW NIGHT, when former Misfits frontman Michale Graves will make his local concert debut as the headliner at The Canadian Nightclub! Though his solo output far outnumbers his Misfits run from the 1990s, Michale's work with that band lives on locally from such fan favourite songs as "Saturday Night", "Helena", and "American Psycho", and his brand of metal-tinged horror punk should get a huge audience at The Canadian tomorrow! It may not be the "secret show", but this one will more than suffice! Michale will be joined tomorrow (as on his Course of Empire tour) by West Virginia "horror death" outfit Argyle Goolsby & The Roving Midnight and Vancouver horror punk artist Nim Vind, and from the former's dark-yet-melodic originals to the latter's hard-edged "electric music", genre fans will find lots to love from this three headed monster! Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will provide local support in a massive no-brainer.

Given promoter/frontman J.D. Pearce's frequent covers of 1990s Misfits songs in his various bands, who better to open up for Michale himself?! Despite the Facebook event page still advertising "another act TBA", none have been publically confirmed. This 19+ concert has an early 7:30 PM start time listed, and advance tickets are now $20 at this link, The Canadian, and The Rad Zone (the price did drop from $25, but that may still be the door charge.) With 6 months of hype, this concert should be a huge hit for late-period Misfits fans and horror punk aficionados alike, so see the above links for complete details, here's Michale live, and don't miss this one!



Also, we'll head downtown to LopLops Lounge, where Toronto-based Ramones tribute band The Gabba Heys will make their local concert debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Fronted by veteran local punk musician Mikey Hawdon, this will be his first local appearance as a band frontman in almost 2 years, and the first time he's channeled his inner Joey Ramone locally since bringing his prior Ramones tribute The Merves here for the fifth and final time in 2015. Mikey's Ramones fandom is well known, and his effective, fan favourite tribute experience should go over as well on Saturday with The Gabba Heys as it did with The Merves, so don't miss out! Mikey's long-time bandmate Dustin Jones will open with his (online page-less) punk cover quartet The Cover-Up, which is a fitting choice, but may fans get a mini-Surfers or Rising Tide reunion on Saturday? The advertised opener is Mikey's former Merves bandmate Amy "Gabba" Zucchetto with a Joan Jett tribute set, but I have read conflicting reports regarding whether she's opening or playing during The Gabba Heys' set.

If we have any Sudbury readers, keep in mind that all of these performers will be playing there tomorrow at The Townehouse Tavern, so click here for details on that concert. As for Saturday's local show (a presentation of Tidal Records), this is a 19+ event with a 9:00 PM start time and a $10 cover charge. Misfits one night, and Ramones the next, punk fans are definitely blessed with some classic songs this weekend, and with some familiar faces from the past two decades of local punk music, fans won't want to miss out on all of Saturday's action at LopLops! For a preview, here's The Gabba Heys with Amy Gabba live in Toronto last year!



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

• New local grindcore solo project Awokest quietly dropped out of Tuesday night's Truth of All Death concert at The New American Pub, as per promoter Chase Wigmore on the Facebook event page. Other than to say Awokest's exit was "at the last second", a reason for their removal wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened in their camp! Chase himself filled in with a solo set, which should have went over well for assembled fans!
• Local solo metal musician and ex-Bear Hunters guitarist Mike Vincent is looking for other musicians to jam with. Mike says that he's up to play "any genre... literally", and he has a guitar, keyboard, and electric drums. If you're interested in jamming with Mike and seeing where things go, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post yesterday!
• The Soo Zombie Walk will not take place next month, as per organizers on their Facebook page on Tuesday. Despite meetings and plans for the event's 10th installment, funding issues have led the organizing committee to postpone the annual walk until 2019. This popular Halloween season event didn't feature live music last year as it was, but this is definitely an unfortunate announcement, as I know how fun the Zombie Walk was for attendees of all ages. Hopefully they can regroup in time for next year!
• The teased acoustic performers have been announced for the #TeamBear benefit concert at The Sault Theatre Workshop on October 6th, namely Machines Dream frontman Craig West, ex-Blackberries frontman Norm Rosteck, folk singer/guitarist M.D. Dunn, and a mystery act named The Cheesemakers (we'll let you know if we can confirm their identity.) Solid choices overall, so look for some proficient tunes at this event to help Pirie Kaufman through his cancer battle, and click here for more details! As well, local drag queen performer Paris Gore will also have a live performance of some kind that day.
• If you missed the Weekend Warrior Fest concert at The Marconi Club earlier this month, than you can relive the event via this SooToday article from James Hopkin from September 9th. The beer launch is given precedence over the concert aspect, but Northwest frontman Wayne Watkins is interviewed for the piece, given that he works as a sales account manager for Rogers Radio's stations here, including Weekend Warrior Fest sponsors Country 104.3. Hopefully the event was a big hit for craft beer fans and music lovers alike!
• Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will host the weekly open mic night at the M.S. Norgoma museum ship at 91 Foster Drive this coming Tuesday, as per it's official Facebook event page. We don't treat open mic nights as "concerts" for our coverage on the SMS due to the uncertain nature of the lineups and format, but Rob, Jesse, and Christina should prove to be solid hosts with their fan friendly live sets! Ex-Gore Street Cafe owner Nicole Dyble has been hosting open mic nights and night markets at the Norgoma in recent months, and hopefully Tuesday's helps towards keeping the Norgoma downtown long-term!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), New Videos, And Much More!!

Here's another new news post for your Tuesday morning reading! Yes, I know that this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post still isn't up yet, but with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, I don't want to dilly dally on those, so look for that feature next, I promise! Along with some new videos, a lineup confirmation, and more, here's what you should know!

Former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has announced five new matinee concert dates at Mark's Breakfast Plus at the Market Mall, which will see him take their stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW, and then on Monday-Wednesday, April 23rd, 24th, and 25th! Apologies for the short notice on the former two shows, these were only announced via their official Facebook event page yesterday. After not publically promoting last month's Mark's bookings online (his personal Facebook page aside), Tym is giving April's gigs some public attention, so if you didn't hear the word on those events, here's your opportunity for this month! No word on if Tym played Easter Monday and the event page went up after then, or if there was no show that day due to the holiday. You can take in Tym's skilled acoustic hard rock covers at the west end diner TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and later this month at 6:00 PM each evening, and while there are no announced age limits or cover charges, mind the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, here's the latest from local indie/hard rock quartet Id Iota, starting with the long awaited reveal of their new bassist, as while the band still hasn't publically stated his identity in writing, it looks like Pillory frontman Robert Sartini has replaced Dan Linklater in their lineup, as per photos floating around on Facebook. Belatedly, a reason for Dan's departure was not announced that I've seen, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and that we see him in a new band down the line! While better known for his metal work, Robert has recently showed his lighter side in the jazz band The Peach Thieves, so this should be a happy medium for him, assuming I didn't whiff on his identity! The Thessalon gig aside, Id Iota's current lineup made their Sault Ste. Marie debut during their headlining concert at LopLops Lounge this past weekend, and Live705 were on hand to film them, as well as opening bands Pointless and Tea With Lincoln, so what should you know there?

As posted to their Facebook page during that show, the videos capture an original song from each band, and while the audio quality and angle of each is solid, they chose to put a filter in post-production on all but the Tea With Lincoln video, which make the video look like a pencil sketch. I'll be honest, I don't like how it looks, it makes them look like the videos were shot during a snowstorm, but if you like artistic filters, you might get a kick out of them beyond the talented music! Check out Id Iota's video below, and don't miss them at Shit Liver's tour kickoff show on Friday!



Also today, here's a video from new Sault Michigan alt-pop rock quintet Midnight Logic! White not overly heavy from what I've seen and heard of them (so far?), the presence of Intrepid alum Nick Pavlat was always a good sign! This jam session video went up on their Facebook page on March 7th, and it features their instrumental members (including bassist Steven Kirkman & drummer Kade DesArmo) covering Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing". Filmed close to the guys and with solid quality, the angles can admittedly be a little too close, but this is a fun jam, so give it a look below! No word yet though on how they or other bands did at the Superior Cafe competition.



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 event name:

• In a post on their Facebook page last week, Sault Ontario goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore revealed that they plan on releasing "on the fly" tracks recorded during their recent break, and after alluding to "a huge twist and turn of events" in Tyler's personal life that may relate to Blood Shed Productions' quiet 2017, it was indicated that new C.T.W., Rotopsy, and Malignant Neoplasm updates are coming, as well as "new projects" & "new endeavours". Hopefully this all pans out, it's been odd not hearing new music from the Blood Shed as of late!
• Are a form of regular metal nights coming to The Canadian Nightclub in the near future? Promoter and former Lorax frontman Jeremy Hannah announced that metal nights are "starting up again" at the Pim Street venue via his Sault MusicScene Facebook page on Wednesday, though he gave no indication of dates, scheduling, format, or bands. Jeremy's return to promotion has largely been contained to varied genre events at The Canadian, but if a new metal night series can take off there, I'm all for it! Stay tuned for updates!
• London, England alternative metal trio LTNT (pronounced "lieutenant") have quietly been named as the second opener for the Seether concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on August 11th, as per recent updates to it's Facebook event page. LTNT's sound has an grungy yet accessible bite, and will add an intriguing element to the night's lineup, so give them a listen above, and get your tickets A.S.A.P.!

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