Before we begin this post, I'd like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rush drummer and author Neil Peart, who passed away this past Tuesday at the age of 67, after a three year battle with brain cancer. The news spread quickly around social media and the rock music community, and understandably so, given Neil's impact as one of the greatest drummers of all time, and as a key member of Rush from 1974 through their final concert tour in 2015. Older local fans may recall seeing Neil play live with Rush at the former Sault Memorial Gardens thrice from 1975-1977, shows that received some renewed attention locally in the past week. Neil's passion and skill level was unrivaled, as was his courage to return to music & writing in the wake of his wife and daughter's deaths in the late 1990s. With his drumming ability and classic lyrics, Rush wouldn't have become what they were without him, and he will be deeply missed. R.I.P. Neil!
Today's post otherwise dives into recent video postings and an inactive band note, and we'll start there, as I have moved local extreme metal band Winkstinger back to our inactive band links. The group has not issued a public update since their last announced concert at December 2018's True North Talent Entertainment multi-genre Christmas concert at Soo Blaster (their Facebook page shared archive photos from the early 2010s last year, but it wasn't maintained during their last active run as a band.) After taking a year+ hiatus, Winkstinger returned for a third active run in August 2017, which saw the return of Ryan Sherman on bass and the debut of Twistory's Josh Amendola on vocals, taking the band into full death metal territory as a result. The new lineup played 7 recorded concerts in the latter halves of 2017 & 2018, including sets at the first two Oh!No festivals, the "Trading Faces" split release show, and concerts headlined by The Faps & The Costanzas.
Given their lack of an online presence in their 2015-2018 reunions, it's always possible that Winkstinger are just lying low again, but it's been well over a year since we last heard anything from their camp. Of course, you can still see constant members Jesse Cook & Jonas Gasperas with The Elements, while Jonas frequently guests with Jesse's acoustic band The Wyld Stallyns, so don't miss seeing them there, and best of luck to them, Josh, Ryan, and other former members in the future!
Next up, here's some newly discovered live videos of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck from one of their Reggie's West concerts earlier this month! Filmed by SaultOnline's Mike Caruso for his YouTube channel, these are the only heavier-leaning concert videos he has uploaded in the past month, but definitely give his channel a look to see other live videos from veteran cover acts as of late! Despite the outdated band photo at the beginning of each video, these do feature Soundcheck with their new singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver. Regarding the covered songs, one has Soundcheck covering David Wilcox's "Riverboat Fantasy" (with guitarist Terry Eaton on vocals), which is particularly notable because it's the full song, rather than the bookends of their Travis-era cover medley. The others have Cameron singing, and they are of The Eagles' "Take It Easy" and, as embedded below, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son".
Overall, these videos sound good, and Cameron seems to be acquitting himself well to Soundcheck so far! His distinctive voice works well on southern rock and country songs, which presumably bodes well for Reggievelt gigs in particular. Alas, bassist Paul Belair was largely obscured by that post on stage once again, I wish they could do something about that. Give Soundcheck's new videos a look above & below!
Finally for today, here's some new drum cover videos from former As It Stands mainstay John Mignacca! These were uploaded to his "Flo McNasty" YouTube channel in the past 6 months, which is otherwise focused on video gaming footage (more or less). John will be most familiar locally from his hardcore drumming, and was most recently seen as Jesse Merineau's new live drummer, but his new covers are largely distant from his band work. Since last summer, John has covered songs by A Day To Remember, Machine Gun Kelly, , Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, and Merkules, but embedded below is his cover of "2001" by Mike Froh, the former frontman of past Oddfellows Hall headliners The Holly Springs Disaster. John's videos are strongly recorded with good usage of multiple camera angles, and he plays with energy and skill, as you would expect! Very eclectic group of songs, but there are some glimmers of metal and hardcore within, so give John's new drum covers a look above & below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
For the first time in a week, we have a post that's primarily about news and updates at the SMS! Yes, there is one concert preview for an impending metal concert, but also, we have some assorted recent updates, perhaps some bad news for an upcoming concert, and a new drum cover video, so here's what you should know! (Updated on Sunday at 12:20 PM)
Heavy North Entertainment are back for their first concert of the year, and it will see the return of two Northern Ontario extreme metal bands to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at The Oddfellows Hall to cap off their Grime Life mini-tour of Northern Ontario! The featured headliners are Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first Soo stop since opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub in 2015, and with many brutal sci-fi inspired originals in their repertoire, prepare for a face melting good time tomorrow! North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will make their long awaited local return tomorrow as co-headliners, marking their first local appearance since 2011, with a pair of 2014 sets cancelled in the interim. It's hard to believe we've been waiting over five years for Thekillingfield to hit the local stage again, so welcome them back with open arms and horned fists as well! Local opening acts will include the return of local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters in their first concert of 2017, so how will they sound after their 7 month stage hiatus? Find out tomorrow!
Online page-less death metal duo Twistory will round out the lineup in their first public concert set in almost a year, while a planned opening set by Crucify the Whore has been cancelled due to equipment difficulties, as per the Facebook event page, and they have not been visibly replaced. This ALL AGES show has an 8:00 PM start time (with doors opening at 6:30 PM), and there will be a $6 cover charge at the door. Death metal fans should be very excited by this show, including a number of long awaited returns to the local stage, particularly Thekillingfield's progressive-tinged explosion, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Ruptured Birth live!
Next up, here's a pair of new videos, starting with this unique clip of As It Stands drummer John Mignacca beating the electric drumskins all over Sault Ste. Marie! Uploaded to his new "Flo McNasty" YouTube channel on Tuesday, the video (filmed by John's former A.I.S. bandmate Nathan Bouliane) features John drumming along to his old band Skeyes of Seven's original "Cognitive Dissonance" in various locations, including outside of the "Algoma's Friendliest City" sign, the International Bridge, the Roberta Bondar Pavilion, and insidethe Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center. Very creative and well shot, this is well worth checking out for fans of local landmarks, John's drumming, and Skeyes of Seven, though after watching, I was also thinking of other places he could drum for a sequel! One outside of concert venues might be interesting, particularly ones John played at frequently. Give it a look below, and don't miss As It Stands return at The Canadian on THURSDAY!
Also today, here's some recent clarifications and updates regarding a teased concert event for later this month. Though there has been no formal confirmation, numerous postings on it's Facebook event page have indicated that the Rock The Border Music Fest
at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on June 18th is no longer taking place.
Pessimism and unconfirmed personal reports don't paint a good picture,
especially as this show was promoted by some of the same organizers
behind the called-off Quiet Riot show (CSA branding or not), and
while the ticket sale page is still online, there haven't been any public updates to this event from organizers since May 7th. Based on available reports, I'm reluctantly inclined to remove the show from our links, but if there's any official confirmation that it's still on in some form, we will redact this! If true, this is all very disappointing, especially given the hype and the chance to make up for the Quiet Riot concert, but if it's off, hopefully ticket buyers get full refunds promptly!
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:
The Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed CKY drummer Jess Margera for this article that went in the newspaper and on their website on Monday in advance of THIS THURSDAY'S headlining show at The Canadian Nightclub.Within, Jess discussed the band's move to a three-piece lineup following Deron Miller's departure, their recent collaboration with Mastodon's Brent Hinds for their new single, fan response in their recent tours, why you won't hear much from their last album "Carver City", and more, and it's a solid read in advance of this highly anticipated show, so check everything out above!
The previously announced CureCon festival from new local company Ma Lady Menace on August 12th will reportedly not be taking place at The Royal Canadian Legion hall on Great Northern Road, as per the venue's Facebook page earlier today. The Legion apparently has had "NO dealings" with the promoters, and while I won't get into the online rumous and mixed feelings within, note that Ma Lady Menace have not updated their Facebook page in two weeks, when they acknowledged website maintenance. We'll remove CureCon from our concert calendar due to the lack of venue, but if it's still held elsewhere, we'll let you know!
The Machine Shop confirmed via this press release last week that March's postponed Quiet Riot concert is now officially cancelled, citing a "breach of contract" between the headliners and promoters CSA International,
and told people where to get refunds for tickets if they had yet to do
so. This story resurfaced because the originally planned
rescheduling was for May 26th, but CSA had previously redacted
that on their own. The discussion about the promoters and refund process
has sparked more pessimistic online debate, but all I'll add here is
that I hope everyone still looking for a ticket refund gets theirs soon, if they haven't already.
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as the month of June progresses! Thanks everyone!
Barring any super-short notice concert previews, let's round out this weekend's previews to lead off this Friday morning post, but we're filling things out with lots of recent updates from a local hard rock band, and some assorted recent notes! Now, let's get this post rolling!
Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for the first time this year! This talented and prolific local band will continue their busy year of Kewadin Casino gigs with their first Rapids Lounge shows in about two months, and if you know the guys' past work with bands like Jager and Power Slug, you'll know you're in for a solid time either night! However, I'll just note for clarification's sake that the band hasn't plugged this weekend's shows since originally announcing them a few weeks ago, but nothing indicates they're off. Of course, if you can't make it out to the Soo Kewadin this weekend, remember that Highway 63 will be back there for a weekend each month in 2016, plus St. Ignace in most months of the year. As usual for Highway 63's Kewadin shows, a 9:00 PM-ish start time, 21+ age limit, and no announced cover charges are in effect. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Highway 63 live at The Rapids Lounge last year!
Next up, local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven have finally confirmed that they are indeed recording their debut EP! After a number of posts showcasing recent recording sessions at Deluca Sound Productions, albeit without outright confirming that a debut release was in the works, the guys finally confirmed on their Facebook page on Wednesday that they have just one more track to record before sending the EP off to be mixed & mastered. Great to hear, and hopefully things work out so that Skeyes of Seven's EP is released successfully! Fans of Cory & Ron's old band Sense of Truth will relate to that regarding their unreleased CD. As well, Skeyes of Seven confirmed on Facebook that they have indeed parted ways with drummer John Mignacca, presumably due to his move to Sudbury last fall, which followed his only two shows with the band in mid-2015. John's a talented drummer (As It Stands fans can attest to that), and hopefully he's in another band down the line!
With John's departure, Skeyes of Seven are looking for a new drummer, and while they haven't begun an active search yet, message the band A.S.A.P. if you or someone you know are interested in trying out! For clarification, ex-drummer Johnny Amendola isn't back, despite his kit in the recent Cherry Crush jam videos still having S.O.S. drum head artwork. As for John Mignacca's participation on the Skeyes of Seven EP, he confirmed on his personal Facebook page that he did indeed provide the studio drum tracks, and you can get a preview of his work via two videos that he posted on Facebook in July, which the band subsequently shared on their own Facebook page, so what should you know on them? The clips (one seen here) are both short, and have loud steady beeps over them (presumably to keep tempo), but you do get a glimpse of John's skill, and it'll be interesting to hear more of the final product! Just have the volume up to hear his drumming, but also remember the beeps, as they may be distracting. It's great to see Skeyes of Seven staying busy, and while they've played just four local concerts in the past four years, their talents and past band work speak for themselves, so hopefully things continue to turn upward for Cory, Al, Ron, John, and their next drummer! Check out John drumming below, see more above, and apologies for the delay on these!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or station name:
Energy Rock Radio is coming home for a special event in July! The Castlegar, B.C.-based internet rock station (which broadcasted in the Soo from 2008-2011) will be holding a special local broadcast when station head Ryan Kaarlela comes home in July, with a special subscriber-only episode of The Rated Ryeman Show airing late that month. Great to see Ryan back home, and if you're a loyal Brew Crew member, click here for full details on how to get in on this N.R.G. homecoming broadcast!
Former Havadder bassist Lucas Bugyra is looking to start a new local rock band that would play older & new rock, plus some metal. He's looking for a couple of guitarists and a drummer (no word on if he's planning to sing or not), and he is hoping to give more variety at local bars via this band. If you're interested in trying out, message Luke at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday!
Local drummer Trey Piraino is again looking for musicians to jam with towards forming a progressive metal band. He had posted a similar search in August 2014, but hopefully this time, he gets some traction towards a prog-metal outfit, as he does sound serious about wanting to get one going! For details, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
For this month's YouTube Channel Profile, we're looking at just one randomly selected YouTube channel for the first time in nine months today, which seems like too long, but the joys of a random draw! As usual, this monthly feature series looks at 1-3 YouTube channels with at least 50% of their videos being relevant to local metal, hard rock, or punk bands and/or concerts, in order to spotlight their content and hopefully encourage readers to check them out and subscribe, and this month's (still updated) channel has lots of videos to check out, so here's what you should know!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Mignacca. (http://www.youtube.com/asitstands420)
Channel Timeline:Launched on August 9th, 2010; Videos posted from the following month through December 2014
Channel Summary:Originally intended to be a new official YouTube channel for defunct local hardcore quintet As It Stands, this channel first featured two A.I.S. studio tracks, a studio blog, and a loose rap jam between John and singer Justin Pregent. Since the band's last show in August 2012, John transitioned this channel into one for personal use, generally for solo drum covers (7 as of this writing), with other uploads including a solo electronic track, an improvised video of him drumming in a local music store, and a humorous clip of what appears to be his dog responding to an online video.
Why Should You Watch: Give John's channel a look for some solid late-era As It Stands material and for extended (and diverse) drum covers in particular, as he has wide ranging musical interests that come through in these uploads! However, there are no videos yet of John with Skeyes of Seven, there's only the one electronic song for Dillinger fans, and no A.I.S. material from before their 2010 reunion is included, but John does still actively use this channel. For reference, his original YouTube channel (which we profiled in this series in 2012) features two extra videos from his late 2000s band work.
Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:
Rise Above - As It Stands (2010):
The first two uploads on what was then As It Stands' channel were of studio recordings that the band held in mid-2010 at Stereo Soul Studios with producer Miguel Gauthier, shortly before he and the studio moved to California. Recorded not long after the band's reunion that summer, the songs are "One Last Chance" and (embedded below) "Rise Above", the only video on the channel to surpass 1,000 views. Featuring A.I.S.' classic & final lineup (including John alongside singer Justin Pregent, guitarists Garrett Masters & Albert Bourrier, and bassist Angelo Huckson), both of these songs demonstrate a heavier, tighter, and more intense As It Stands than had existed in the late 2000s, and with great production too! Fans can hear more select studio recordings on the band's online pages.
As It Stands - Studio Blog 2011:
Though long-gestating plans for their third CD never saw their planned conclusion, As It Stands took a road trip to Mississauga in June 2011 to record tracks for the unreleased album (then considered an EP) at Metalworks Studio with producer Kevin Dietz, documenting the trip and assorted goings on with a cell phone camera for this vlog posting. The camera work isn't optimal at times given the vertical angle used for much of it, but you get strong audio of the guys recording their parts for the tracks (including their cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids") and some fun moments including John getting acrobatic, a dancing chicken mascot, and even a stop at a beach. There was no third disc, but the studio blog gives a glimpse into what could have been!
The Rival Cycle - TREOS (Drum Cover): All of John's videos since 2013 have been of his own drum covers, including of a late As It Stands original (the curiously titled "Oh Herm, Herm Delish") as well as a diverse array of covers from the likes of A Day To Remember, Christina Grimmie, two different versions of Skrillex's "Avicci", and as embedded below, The Recieving End of Sirens' "The Rival Cycle". Specifically uploaded in January 2014, this is played on an electronic drumkit, but is solidly done like the others, with John clearly demonstrating his considerable drumming ability on each, but fans of his hardcore band work might not take to some of his cover choices.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Through 100% random selection, our next profile on June 22nd will be on the YouTube channel #TrebleCharger (we're not starting to use hashtags here, that's it's title), which features song uploads from four of the local/Toronto indie/punk band's albums. Watch for that next month, and stay tuned for more news in the near future! Thanks everyone!
Before we get into this post, I wanted to acknowledge that the obituary for late Case's Music founder, country musician, and beloved music instructor Mike Case is now online at this link, which confirms that a celebration of life will be held at The Delta Waterfront Hotel on Friday at 7:00 PM, following a private family funeral, and the family's asking for Cancer Society contribitions in lieu of flowers. I know how important Mike was to the local music scene, and it's a shame that he was taken from us at just 55 years old, but his legacy will live on in everyone he taught, befriended, and performed with over the years. R.I.P. Mike!
Now, today's post features a band's return and new lineup, how a local band did at a recent out-of-town event, and three inactive bands to note for our listings, but first, here's big news on two local bands' next project!
The announced three-way split album between local metal/punk quintets Destroilet & Jack Spades and Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz is now beginning production, but YOU can help ensure it's released! Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce has launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the album, which will be a 15 track release with 5 songs from each band. J.D. cited that they've "decided to distill" the feeling of all three bands' playing "some of the most intense sweaty shows you could imagine" into this split, while the campaign is also intended to help Jack Spades (and Destroilet?) take a road trip to open for The Ripcordz in Montreal for a change. Like with most Kickstarter campaigns, there are incentives if you pledge to donate money to fund the album (they're looking to get $6,000 in two months), so what lies ahead if you pledge money to this cause?
At the $2 minimum, you'll get credited in the album booklet, but for more money, you could get the split on CD, mp3, vinyl, or cassette(?!) copies, as well as a VIP pass to the release concert when announced, stickers, a t-shirt or back patch, or if you're really ambitious and have $2,000+ to donate, a concert at your house or the album named after you! If you want to help fund this split, click here for full details on each incentive level and to get more details, and hopefully we can reach the optimum goal by June 13th!
Next up, we have a surprise lineup addition for the fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian Nightclub on May 9th, as local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven were added to the lineup earlier today as the tenth band on the bill! As revealed on their Facebook page and the Swampfest event page, the band featuring Sense of Truth & Half Past alumni will be making just their third concert appearance since their 2012 debut, and their first live set in over two years, so this is way too long coming! This will also be their first show on a bill without Garden of Bedlam, their first since Alain Fletcher moved from guitar to bass to replace the departed Mike Mannarino, and in a surprise, their first since their recent drummer change, as the band has added former As It Stands drummer John Mignacca to their lineup, replacing Jonny Amendola.
A reason wasn't announced for Jonny's departure, but hopefully things were amicable, and best of luck to him in the future for sure, as he's very talented! John's addition is surprising, especially given his recent focus on solo techno material, but it's been way too long since his last show with As It Stands, and hopefully he adds well to Skeyes of Seven! The new lineup is featured in this new Facebook video as well, where John suggests an amusing intro move, frontman Cory Murchison formally welcomes him to the band, and he hypes their set on May 9th and new material. It's great to have Skeyes of Seven back finally, so see more above and below!
Also today, were you wondering about local participation in this past Saturday's Rock 'N Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish? Oddly, promoters never revealed the full band lineup online, but we can now confirm via personal Facebook postings that local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements were among the competitors, marking their first appearance at this event! They also were joined by guitarist Jesse Cook's Jack Spades bandmate Johnny Belanger on guest drums, as Alex Hagerman couldn't make the trip east for the battle. However, they did not place in the top 3, and unlike past years, the 4th & 5th place bands weren't announced among the winning bands to join the Rock 'N Roar Festival lineup in August. For reference, the winning bands included Sudbury rock quintets Conflicted Minds & Forget The Circus in 1st and 2nd place, and they'll open for Platinum Blonde & Sass Jordan in Spanish on Saturday, August 15th.
Blind River rock band Drive placed third, and they'll open for 54-40 and Saga on night #1 on August 14th. We have no official word yet on the identities of the other bands, but Elliott Lake photographer Paul Kazulak was on hand getting photos of the competitors, so visit his Facebook page to see if he posts pictures of any more familiar acts! It's disappointing to see The Elements not make the podium, but hopefully they made lots of fans in Spanish on Saturday, and stay tuned for more from them!
Finally for today, here's three shorter news items, all related to bands being moved to our inactive band links, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
We have moved local hard rock quartet Ashes To Dust to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, having not posted any online updates since briefly being listed for the 2014 Swampstravaganza last spring. Best known from that event in 2012 and from various Superior Heights sets, A.T.D. had talent and a growing presence, but hopefully we hear more from Noah, Alex, Liam, David, and Kyle in the future!
We've also moved local "derd rock" outfit The Issues to our inactive band links, as they haven't updated their Facebook page since March of last year. Active from 2008-2010 before reuniting in 2013, this amusing metal project featuring Winkstinger and Pillory alumni had a lot of promise and entertainment value, and it's a shame that they never played a real concert that I've heard. Best of luck to Chris, Vinyl, Bret, Robert, and other former members going forward!
Lastly, we've moved local/London deathcore quartet Saints & Serpents to our inactive band links, as they haven't updated their Facebook page since February. The successors to the defunct Valentine's Day Massacre, Saints & Serpents played just one announced concert in London in December 2013 before activity quietly stopped. It's disappointing to see that Saints & Serpents never reached The V.D.M.'s heights, but best of luck to Steve, Andrew, Adam, and Ian in the future!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and weekend concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With a surprisingly busy weekend of heavier concerts on the horizon (especially given that it's not quite the holidays for most people), we'll be breaking up this weekend's previews into two posts, with Sault Ontario shows (including some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS) kicking things off today, and Sault Michigan-area shows headlining tomorrow's post, but we have a new YouTube performance to fill today's post out! Now, here's what you should know for the weekend's concert previews!
Local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to the solo stage TOMORROW NIGHT with a one night only show at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced by The Rockstar Bar's Martin Fiser on their Facebook group on Tuesday. A one night engagement due to the short notice show we have after this write-up, this will continue the band's steady run upstairs at The Algonquin Hotel (they haven't played an announced solo show outside of The Rockstar Bar since February), and fresh off their third straight Toystock set, the guys should be in great spirits for another night of varied and often heavy covers! Note however that Lucky 13 have not plugged any of their concerts on their Facebook page since October, but they're definitely alive & well. This 19+ concert has a likely 10:00 PM start time TOMORROW, and while a cover charge hasn't been announced, bring $5 just in case.
For more details, check the above links! Lucky 13 have proven themselves as a live favourite over the past two years, and hopefully they deliver the same good vibes at The Rockstar Bar once again TOMORROW NIGHT! For a preview, here's the guys at Toystock last month!
With Lucky 13 playing tomorrow, who's playing at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY? The Thrill Junkies, that's who! Apologies again for the short notice, we heard about this show at the same time on Tuesday in the same Facebook group posting. This will be the Turner Up successor quintet's first ever appearance at The Rockstar Bar, their first show since last month's Rock For Dimes, and their first solo headlining show in almost 11 months, so if you're up for a full night's worth of classic and hard rock covers, you know where to be on Saturday night! Like above, this is a 19+ event, a 10:00 PM start time is in effect, and bring $5 just in case there's a cover charge this weekend. For more details, visit the above links and the official Facebook event page! After lying dormant for much of 2014, it's great to see The Thrill Junkies back in action with a more typical solo gig THIS SATURDAY, so keep it in mind as well! For a preview, here they are Rocking for Dimes last month!
Lastly for known Sault Ontario concerts this weekend, local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison is scheduled to return to The Harp Bar & Grill for his usual weekly solo gigs TOMORROW NIGHT & SATURDAY NIGHT! Officially confirmed on Facebook via this Facebook event page after not having one for last weekend's show, his own website's calendar also confirms that he did not play at The Harp last Saturday for unannounced reasons (we'd have reported it had we heard it, our apologies!), while he will not be playing at The Harp over the Boxing Day weekend at all, though it's not yet clear whether that's due to a holiday break or for external bookings. We'll let you know if we hear anything! Tym's successful year long run at the former Madison's Pub shows no visible signs of slowing down though, so feel free to take in his acoustic covers at tomorrow's open mic night and his usual Saturday night solo show this weekend if you're up for a good night of music!
There's no announced cover charge for either night at The Harp this weekend, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are likely. For more details, visit the above links, don't miss Tym's extensive cover sets this weekend, and here he is at the Big Cheese a few years back!
Finally for today, here's a solo performance video that will be of high interest to old As It Stands fans! On Tuesday, longtime A.I.S. drummer John Mignacca uploaded this video to his/the band's YouTube channel of him playing through As It Stands' original song "Oh Herm, Herm Delish" on his normal drum kit (rather than the electric kit of his past solo uploads.) For fans who have missed As It Stands since their quiet breakup earlier this year (and last show in 2012), this is a pleasant surprise that shows John back in a familiar element, and despite the odd title, this was one of their better late-period originals! I wouldn't read into this as a sign of life for As It Sands unless stated otherwise, but give this solid video a look below!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan weekend concert previews TOMORROW, and some more big news to come! Thanks everyone!
Though I'm out of town until tomorrow, there's still news and notes to cover at the SMS! Today, we have new drum cover videos, the reveal of Haggith's big surprise, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for TOMORROW and next week, so here's what you need to know!
Sault Michigan hard rock trio Division of Sanity will apparently be among the live entertainment at TOMORROW'S 42nd annual Sault Summer Arts Festival! Apologies for the short notice, we only just heard about their involvement this weekend. Presented by the Sault Area Arts Council, this annual family event features sales and exhibitions of the work of regional artists and craftmakers, along with free children's activities, food vendors, and other live entertainment, so for full details on non-musical events tomorrow, click here! Note however that festival-specific sites haven't plugged the band roster, so I'm unsure of the other musical performers, but Caine & Myke played this event last year too. They'll fit well with their unique rock originals, keep this event in mind for some Tuesday music action! Being held on the grounds of City Hall at 225 East Portage Avenue, this is a FREE AND ALL AGES event, with bands playing between 12:00 & 8:00 PM (though I'm unsure when D.O.S. are playing.)
For more details, visit the above links! This should be a solid showcase for Division of Sanity, so consider a trip down to city hall for the arts and for the music tomorrow! For a preview, here's Division of Sanity at LemmaFest!
Next up, a newly announced concert goes down in exactly one week, as Blood Shed Productions are hosting a second annual "Grinded Live In Your Ears" concert at 110 Pentagon Boulevard, and unlike most of their house party events, this one is publically advertised and attendable! As you may remember, the label (in association with local promoter Tyler St. Amour) hosted a show of this name last August, in what would mark the formal live concert debut of many of Blood Shed's then-roster of artists, and we're seeing similar things this year, though only flagship grind project Crucify The Whore are returning from last year. The likely headliners are Blood Shed owner Tyler Gibson's goregrind duo Rotopsy at 10:00 PM, with C.T.W. preceding them at 9:00 PM, and label-signed rapper Phat Boii opening at 6:00 PM, but in a surprise, an apparent Brutaly Fatal set is listed at 8:00 PM. Now, you may remember that there were two Brutaly Fatals led by Austin McCrae (the original solo death metal version that became Re-Born, and the later doom metal band that became The Revolution), so what does this mean?
While it's great to see what looks like a return to good terms with Blood Shed, does this indicate a return of the original Brutaly Fatal next week, or did they mean The Revolution? Hopefully we get confirmation soon! This ALL AGES event has an announced 5:00 PM door opening time, and there's no announced cover. Click here for more details! It's hard to believe that Blood Shed Productions have been around for close to two years, and hopefully this show is a success as they push on through the rest of the year! Stay tuned for updates when & if they come in!
Also, remember how local grunge & alternative quartet Haggith were teasing "a big surprise" for their set at the Late & Loud farewell concert at The Rockstar Bar on Friday night? Well, it looks like we now know what it was, as the band has added Redundant/Caveman Morrison bassist James White to their lineup, replacing Caleb Cachagee. Making his debut with the band on Friday, the news was otherwise announced on Saturday via their Facebook page. A reason for Caleb's exit has yet to be announced, but fans may remember that there were brief discussions of a bassist switch last fall before their initial breakup, so the same issues may have recurred. Hopefully things are amicable though, and best of luck to Caleb for sure! This is definitely a surprise announcement, but fans will know how talented James is from his past and recent band work, so hopefully this bolsters Haggith well for the future! No word yet though on if he'll be featured on their new albums, whose recording sessions and songwriting have already begun. Keep an eye out for updates as we hear them!
Finally for today, here's two new videos from ex-As It Stands drummer John Mignacca! Uploaded to his YouTube channel on Friday, these covers are closer to his local band material than his recent techno/EDM solo work, and they include a loose play-along with Skynet's "Heartburn" and (as embedded below) a straighter cover of A Day To Remember's "If It Means Alot To You". Though he remarked in the description that he hasn't drummed in three weeks before filming, it's hard to notice, and he and the electric kit sound good here! Check out his new videos above and below, and give his recent solo music a look at this link!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and features as the week progresses! Thanks everyone!
It's time for another news post, and while things have been slow to kick off 2014 for heavier bands, I have some interesting stuff today! Along with some assorted notes (including a band addition for an upcoming concert, and Anvil ticket availability), we have a new solo cover video, a new instrumental recording, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 5:34 PM)
Local hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies will make their first live appearances of 2014 with concerts at The Roosevelt Hotel THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT! The Rosie's Facebook page announced the Friday event this morning (along with a matinee performance by classic rockers Highway 17), but The Thrill Junkies confirmed via their own Facebook event page this evening that they'll indeed be playing on Saturday night too. It's good to see The Thrill Junkies back at it on Friday night, so don't miss this rising veteran outfit's mix of heavier and older rock classics this weekend! Admission should be free, you must be 19 to attend, and a start time of 10:30 PM is in effect. For more details, check the above links, and stay tuned for more later this week during our weekend concert previews!
Next up, here's a new original song from Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison, as uploaded to his YouTube channel on Saturday! Entitled "Mystical", Tym describes it as an "evil sounding instrumental that could be used in a movie", and while it does sound cool (great guitar work especially), it definitely has more of a mystical vibe than an evil one. Very solid and well done track though, and fans of his heavier originals should be right at home, so check out Tym's new song below!
Also in new YouTube postings, As It Stands/Rancor drummer John Mignacca posted another solo electric drum cover onto his/A.I.S.' YouTube channel yesterday, this time a cover of The Recieving End of Sirens' "The Rival Cycle", which is closer to his band work than most of his other cover videos. Again, his drumming is skilled and nice to see again given As It Stands' ongoing concert hiatus, especially with a rock song featured this time, so check it out below, and see more of John's solo drum covers at the above links!
Finally for today, here's three shorter assorted stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:
Tickets for the Anvil/Caym concert at The Canadian Nightclub on March 15th are now on sale for $20 at The Rad Zone, The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, and via members of openers Project 421 and Jack Spades frontman/promoter J.D. Pearce, so message a band member or head out to get your tickets A.S.A.P., as you know they'll go fast! Stay tuned soon for the reveal of the final local opening band!
After some surprising reluctance, local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore are indeed the last added band for the all ages TheKillingField-headlined show at The Oddfellows Hall on January 24th! However, they have swapped slots in the band order with The Bear Hunters for unannounced reasons, so C.T.W. are now fourth highest next Friday. Check the above links for more details, including the slightly earlier timeframe and updated event poster!
Local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven updated fans to their recent whereabouts on their Facebook page yesterday, revealing that although the end of the year was hectic, and studio time scheduling for their "Fallen Faith" single recording has been slow, guitarist Alain Fletcher has finished the second round of his recordings, and singer Cory Murchison records his vocals this weekend. Keep an eye out for updates, and hopefully everything turns out well!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, including perhaps this month's CD review? Thanks everyone!
News has been slow lately, but for the first time since Monday, we have a post without any concert previews, and there's some big things to take note of! Just to clarify, this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles are coming, but given the recent quiet news stretch, I'm bumping it to tomorrow to spread things out better. Today, we have some random assorted recent news, some new drum cover videos, and first, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!
Remember The Merves, the Toronto-based Ramones tribute band featuring ex-Lion Ride frontman Mikey Hawdon? Well, they'll be back at The Rockstar Bar next Friday (January 17th) for the first time in almost a year, but with a hard rock twist. They're splitting the song selection to cover Joan Jett & The Blackhearts for half their set, so now there's a hard rock edge to this popular band! Featuring respected Toronto-area punk musicians, and with talented Toronto-area singer Amy Zucchetto channeling Joan Jett, it should be nice to have The Merves back in town after such a long time away, so don't miss their return next week! A $5 cover charge is likely for this 19+ concert, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to have Mikey back for another local concert, and hopefully punk and hard rock fans get an equal dose of great tunes from The Merves' Ramones & Joan Jett covers next Friday! If any updates roll in, we'll have them here!
Next up, local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester will return to Docks Riverfront Grill's Playroom for a full weekend on February 14th & 15th! Though yet unannounced on their Facebook page, we can confirm these dates through Docks' event calendar on their website, so there's my source. Last seen at Toystock on December 1st (and at Docks that same weekend), these currently sit as That's Chester's first shows of 2014, and it will be nice to have their diverse and often heavy covers back after a two and a half month break, so keep these shows in mind next month! These are 19+ events, 10:00 PM start times are likely, and like other recent Docks events, there is NO COVER CHARGE. For more details, visit the above links! Though live gigs for That's Chester have been more sporadic since their reunion, That's Chester's talents and skill are still ready and present, so keep their (presumably) first shows of 2014 in mind for next month, and stay tuned for updates!
Lastly for our recent batch of new Docks concert announcements, all female hard rock quintet The Danger Cats will make their official Docks debuts on Friday, February 28th and
Saturday, March 1st! Apologies for the late
announcements on these shows, as they were originally announced on
December 20th, but they slipped through our radar until today. Barring an interim announcement, these will be the girls' first live dates of 2014, but not the first time that they've played there, as Stiffler's Mom invited them to play a few songs during their October 2013 weekend there. That should be some solid experience for these early March dates, so don't miss their entertaining covers and slowly expanding original repertoire then! Like the aforementioned That's Chester shows, there is no cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM-ish start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more as we hear it!
Also, As It Stands drummer John Mignacca has posted a pair of new drum cover videos onto his/the band's YouTube channel on Wednesday! His first solo postings in 9 months, these are (once again) electric drum covers to songs you may not expect, including Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and (as embedded below) Christina Grimmie's cover of David Guetta's "Titanium". John's drum skills are on full display, and he adds well to these tracks, but the volume of his drumming is too muted, and it could stand to be louder. Note that while it's great to see some new work from John, As It Stands have not made any public updates since October (or played live in almost a year & a half), but John has stayed busy as a drummer with the Hamilton djent studio project Rancor. Hopefully we hear some more from As It Stands soon, but see Jon's new solo work above & below!
Finally for today, here's three shorter assorted stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
Local metal/punk quintet Jack Spades aren't just opening for Anvil & Caym once in the Soo on March 15th, as they're actually hitting the road to open for the Canadian metal legends during their Sudbury & North Bay gigs on the surrounding days. Awesome news, and hopefully these are just a start for Jack Spades' rise and Anvil's northern takeover! Check the above links for more details on the other Northern Ontario dates!
Are local classic metal quartet Late & Loud reuniting? A post on their Facebook page saying "Get stoked for February more details soon." was added this morning, and if it points to a reunion of some kind, it would end (at least temporarily) their inactive period since their Rockstar Bar Battle appearances last April. When we hear more, we'll be sure to let you guys know!
Dafter, Michigan hard rocker Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton now has an official Android/Google Play application! Created through Reverbnation (similarly to Sykotyk Rampage's application), you can download it or get more details at this link, so give it a look!
That's all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Thanks everyone!
With a busy 40-post month behind us (April 2013 was our busiest since July 2012), we're heading full barrel into May! In this first post of the month, we have updates to one of our monthly feature series', some new items of interest at a local concert venue, and new drum cover videos, but first, here's some recent news concerning a rising local band's newest disc!
We'll start with the latest from local grunge quartet Haggith, who posted some more details and media from their upcoming third album (and second "mainline" CD) "Deuce" earlier today! As part of a new YouTube playlist of the album's planned tracks, the band posted the final mix of the album's last song "75" onto their YouTube channel featuring new vocal recordings, and through the above playlist, we now know what appears to be the full "Deuce" track listing! In order, the album features "The Story Of...", "Leon the Janitor", "Time For A Change", "To Whom This May Concern", "Loverbeam", "Safe on the Outside", "Untitled", "As Time Comes To Pass", "To Stay Alive", "Clifton Hill", and the aforementioned "75", while the previously announced "That Cold Winter Breeze" isn't listed, though it's unclear if it was reworked into a newer track or not. The planned May 10th release date is still in effect, and I'll say right now, if it does come out as planned this month, we WILL review "Deuce" on the site in June! I gave preliminary listens to it, "Apocalypse", and Mike Haggith's newest solo album "The Present Din", and "Deuce" is the heaviest overall, so it's definitely next among the 3.
I'm very curious for the release of "Deuce" and for the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands runner-ups' next live dates, so stay tuned as we hear more on both fronts, and check out the final version of "75" below!
Next up, As It Stands drummer John Mignacca has posted a pair of new freestyle drum cover videos onto the band's YouTube channel! Like his other recent uploads, these are on his electric drum kit, though neither is of a metal cover, and they include a copyright-blocked cover of Demi Lovato's "Heart Attack" (yes, you read that right) and, as embedded below, Mutrix's "Eye of Ra"! As always, John has the drums down really nicely, but the lighting could be better. Even if these are first takes, check out his Mutrix cover below, and hopefully we hear something relating to As It Stands' return sooner or later!
Thirdly today, while I was at The Rockstar Bar
on Thursday for the Garden of Bedlam/Skeyes of Seven concert, I spotted
more metal/hard rock items decorating the walls & ceiling of The
Algonquin Hotel's upstairs bar/venue, so while I had some free time, I snapped photos to share with you guys! Joining
previously featured autographed items from Turner Up, Lion Ride, That's
Chester, Garden of Bedlam, Sneaky Pete, and Half Past (now removed),
plus stickers and a Kiss Battle poster, The Rockstar Bar has since added
a guitar signed by Helix from their last local show here, a speaker signed by Kiss tribute band Destroyer, Late & Loud bassist Benn Garside's smashed bass from the Battle of the Bands Finals last week (signed by the whole band, no less), and a Rad Zone-branded record, so click each link to check them out! I also included a Lucky 13 sticker and this smashed bass on the ceiling (does anyone know what show/band this came from?) There's much more than this, but it's great to see The Rockstar Bar honouring and displaying local band items and touring acts, so click here to see more of my photos, and go see everything at The Rockstar Bar next time you're there!
Finally, here's some more recent updates to our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile Mini-Series! For our profile of the YMCA Battle of the Bands in March 2009, I added extra info on the later battle experience of that battle's top 2 bands (The Undead Warriors & Dirty Virgin), along with adding info on the members of The Undead Warriors, The Glass Statues, and Operation: Killdozer that competed at last month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands. And on our Kiss Battle of the Bands profile, I noted the participation that members of Sense of Truth, Blues Harvest, Bring The Fallen, and Sykotyk Rampage had at last month's Rockstar Bar Battle, while swapping some bands in the section on performers' later bands, in order to emphasize more prominent, varied, and current acts. In short, I replaced 415E, Angels of Fire, Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, Machines Dream, and Tym Morrison with Crawfather, Griphook, Lucky 13, Lucky Widmore (Stillbroke's Sam DeDominicis' new band in London), and Zero Hour (ex-Sykotyk Rampage bassist Brian Cattapan's new band in Sudbury.) Stay tuned for more updates on this series in the coming days!
That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our first feature post of May, that being this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Thanks everyone!
Keeping with our recent cleaning up of our news cache, we have some assorted recent Sault Ontario news items to get to, but what's in store on this cold Saturday morning? Today, we have a bunch of recent shorter news items, another new video from a prominent local drummer, and news on a special benefit show coming up, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you need to know!
An upcoming ALL AGES concert does include an acoustic grunge/alternative project on it's lineup, so here's what you need to know! Taking place on May 10th at The Oddfellows Hall, it's the third all ages show (and first at this venue) to be promoted by AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent since starting local concert promotion, and though mostly a punk show, it does feature local musician Chris Shoust's Telephone & Address lo-fi/grunge project as one of the opening bands! Two weeks after Chris headlines another all ages gig at the Royal Canadian Legion, his creative unplugged material should serve as a heavier, yet still more reserved contrast from the other scheduled acts, as even though it's an acoustic solo project, the seeds are there for very heavy alt-rock songs! The show itself will be headlined by Regina punk rock quartet The Royal Red Brigade (who opened for Weak Ends at The Oddfellows Hall show last summer), with Edmonton surf punk trio The Rhubarbs also tagging along during the Canadian leg of their spring tour. Both out of town headliners have their own energetic takes on the genre, and I especially like The Rhubarbs, so keep both bands in mind if you're up for an all ages punk show!
The other local openers will be a new local pop punk band named Crawfather, and though they don't have an online page yet, their lineup includes Nebraska Arms singer/bassist Guy Thiffault, Terminal frontman Mike Yakasovich, Downshift guitarist Steve Zuppa, and Small Town Rivals drummer Clint Wilson. Very talented lineup, I'm curious to hear how they sound! This ALL AGES show will be on Friday, May 10th at 8:00 PM, and there's a $5 cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Granted, this is more of a punk show, but there's nuggets of heaviness scattered about, and Telephone & Address give the show a heavier styled act, albeit unplugged, so keep it in mind for next month!
Also in new events next month, this isn't so much a concert as it is a special benefit event, as friends of late J.A.B. guitarist Jean-Paul Fecteau will be joining forces for a benefit in his name on May 13th at The Canadian Nightclub! The aim is to raise money for his family in this time of need, and it will feature local musicians that knew and miss him jamming in his memory. One will likely be Asylum Country guitarist/former local metal musician Terry Eaton (who's co-promoting the benefit), though a fuller list of confirmed artists has yet to come out. The event will also feature prize draws, food, and more to partake in, though I'm sure more info is forthcoming. This benefit will start at 6:00 PM on May 13th, tickets are $20 (which can be obtained through Terry's phone numbers listed at the Facebook event page), and there's not an announced age limit. No matter what goes down next month, this is a great idea to help support Jean-Paul's family at this time of need, and hopefully many of his friends, family, and ex-bandmates will turn out to pay tribute to him next month! If more big details come out on it, I'll be sure to let you guys know!
Next up, here's another new video from As It Stands drummer John Mignacca! Along with a blocked Swedish Mafia House cover (for copyright reasons, no word on if it works for American users), John also posted a second take of his electric drumkit cover of Avicii's "Levels" onto the band's YouTube channel on Wednesday, though his original cover of this song is still posted. This video is shot from above, which gives a neat angle that you don't often see from local metal drummer cover clips (Jake LaLonde aside), so check out John's newest drum cover below, and yes, that's his As It Stands bandmate Albert Bourrier manning the computer!
We'll close today with six recent shorter news stories from the Sault Ontario area (as they've piled on lately), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or artist name:
Former Skull After Betrayl bassist Adam Brett is again looking to get back into local music, though this time on guitar. He'll jam anything from hard rock to death metal, but if you're interested in jamming or working with him musically, message him on Facebook at this location, or see his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from this past Tuesday!
New local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA launched their own Twitter page last month, so follow them there as another source of band updates! The biggest news item there so far is a plug for their local gig opening for The Golers on June 20th, but that has still not been officially announced by any other sources. When something more official comes out, we'll have it here!
Local musician Chris Raginskis is looking for a drummer for his new band, who appear to be punk leaning, but would cover some heavier bands like The Misfits & The Bronx. No word on anything else, but if you're interested in trying out, message Chris on Facebook at this location, or check out his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from this past Sunday!
Fred Kember from The 705 Video Magazine recently reviewed Destroilet's full length debut album, giving it very positive praise, including calling it an "amazing album", and giving lots of plaudits for the recording quality and cover song choices. I won't spoil it, but give the full review a look at this link, and don't miss Destroilet's first show in two years TONIGHT when they open for The Ripcordz at The Algonquin Pub!
Newer local metal project The Hydra (featuring half of Late & Loud) apparently parted ways with guitarist Talon Risto earlier this year, as per his quiet removal from their Reverbnation page's lineup. A reason wasn't announced, but he recently moved to Alberta from his prior Deep River homebase, so that could be related. Hopefully we'll hear more from The Hydra soon, so keep an eye out, and best of luck to Talon in the future!
Demo recordings of Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands finalists The Suicide Kings' original songs "King of the World" and "Into The Fray" have been posted onto their Reverbnation page in the last week or so! I won't give any major thoughts (as I hope to review their EP upon it's release), but fans shouldn't be disappointed, so give them a listen if you want!
That's all for today, but I'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Algonquin Pub for The Ripcordz, Destroilet, and T-Rex Manning! This will be a huge show, so don't miss out! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, while I'm at The Rockstar Bar for the next night of the battle of the bands, we have a second post today that should have been auto-posted at 10:00 PM sharp, and if you can read this, we have a varied array of notable news, so what's on tap? Along with a new video from a prominent local metal drummer, we have news on a new album release and a preview of a big concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT, but first, here's some notes on a recently passed local metal musician's final arrangements (and check out our Defunct Local Band Profile on Devastation of the Heavens in the post below this one!)
The obituary for late J.A.B. guitarist Jean-Paul Fecteau was posted on SooToday yesterday, and through there, it's been confirmed that his services will be held privately at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre tomorrow, in accordance with his family's wishes. Nothing was included about where/if to send donations or flowers, but you can express sympathy online at the funeral home's website. For reference, Jean-Paul had just turned 38 years old in November, and that's far too young for someone to pass away. I imagine it will be disappointing for some of his friends that the services aren't publically open, but in this time of grief, I can see why things might be private for family only. I have also heard rumblings online of a tribute event/concert to raise money for his family and his young daughter, and though nothing's concrete on it yet, it would be great to see some of his former bandmates and friends band together in his memory!
We've had a rough few months for metal musician deaths since December, especially given the sudden nature of each, but like with Andres & Justin, I know J.P. will be fondly remembered in similar ways, and I wish the entire Fecteau & Verdon family the best during this difficult time. R.I.P. Jean-Paul!
Next up, we have a new paid album release from a local hard rock artist, that being Haggith singer/drummer Mike Haggith's newest solo album "The Present Din"! Originally posted in full as a streaming YouTube video almost two weeks ago, Mike announced on his solo project's Facebook page yesterday that his 46th solo album can now be purchased by request through Facebook, or digitally through Mike's Reverbnation store for just $4.50 (or 69¢ a song), and it's great to see the album on sale finally! Recorded at Galactic Records with vocal tracks recorded locally at PaperClip Productions,the 9 track album (including one cover) is softer & more upbeat than his last two releases, but still has some heavier elements. For fans of Mike's solo work and the Haggith band, this has to be a must-buy (especially at this low price), so click here to pick it up A.S.A.P.! That said, when will we review "The Present Din" on the site? I have it roughly pencilled in for June (past our 6 month buffer from our "Neighbourhood Watch" review), but that could change depending on if he releases anything else, or if any other new metal/hard rock albums fall in the queue by then.
No matter what, look out for a new Mike Haggith solo album review likely this summer, and pick up "The Present Din" either digitally or physically A.S.A.P.! (Also, Mike's Facebook page was recently renamed to remove references to his former Windsor-based bands The Thorns & Equilibrium, likely as both are defunct, but the page as we know it is the same.)
And now, here's a notable concert preview for TOMORROW NIGHT in Sault Ontario, as a package of 4 notable & diverse bands will take to The Roosevelt Hotel's stage, including headliners The Rabid Whole! This fast rising electronic/industrial hard rock quintet from Toronto are quite different from out of town headlining metal bands that we tend to hear locally, but their futuristic and catchy sounds should be entertaining and worth checking out in the midst of their Short Circuit Tour! The local openers also spread across a wide array of sounds, even with the dropout of progressive rock locals Machines Dream, but fans of this month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands should be very curious, as all three local bands tomorrow either have or will be competing in the battle! The openers include Sarah's Valley (the former Free Beer) from last week's opening night, and their ska/funk rock sounds should serve them well on this diverse lineup, while 2/3rds of next week's lineup will join them, including debuting stoner/death metal quartet Giwakwa (featuring Bring The Fallen, Frightlight, and Lead The Dead alumni) and alternative hard rock/blues veterans Sykotyk Rampage! I'll hold comments or predictions on them given that I'm judging them next week at the battle, but death metal & crash music lovers should enjoy their sets tomorrow!
This show is the fifth Thursday night show at The Rosie to be promoted by J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce since last year, so if you miss the regular Rosie metal nights, why not head out tomorrow? There is a 10:00 PM start time, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a $5 cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I likely won't be there tomorrow, as I don't want to show a bias for/against the battle competitors, but Giwakwa's long awaited concert debut should be huge, and Sykotyk Rampage & Sarah's Valley are bound to be crowd favourites, so don't miss out TOMORROW NIGHT! For a preview, here's The Rabid Whole's music video for their song "Future"!
Finally for today, here's a new video from As It Stands' drummer John Mignacca, who posted this clip of him covering the Skrillex remix of Avicii's "Levels" onto As It Stands' YouTube channel on Monday! John's using an electric drumkit (not unlike The Valentine's Day Massacre's Kyle Umgeher) in the video, and it's the first video on the channel of John drumming in over a year, with or without the band. He does a good job on this song (though it's a dubstep/electronic mix, not metal), and while I have no clue when As It Stands will end their 8 month concert hiatus, hopefully this can tide you guys over somewhat, so check out John's new drum cover below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our recap of tonight's second night of the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands that is currently in progress! Who will win, and what went down? Find out tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Today's post otherwise dives into recent video postings and an inactive band note, and we'll start there, as I have moved local extreme metal band Winkstinger back to our inactive band links. The group has not issued a public update since their last announced concert at December 2018's True North Talent Entertainment multi-genre Christmas concert at Soo Blaster (their Facebook page shared archive photos from the early 2010s last year, but it wasn't maintained during their last active run as a band.) After taking a year+ hiatus, Winkstinger returned for a third active run in August 2017, which saw the return of Ryan Sherman on bass and the debut of Twistory's Josh Amendola on vocals, taking the band into full death metal territory as a result. The new lineup played 7 recorded concerts in the latter halves of 2017 & 2018, including sets at the first two Oh!No festivals, the "Trading Faces" split release show, and concerts headlined by The Faps & The Costanzas.
